NSW Football Legacy Fund delivers LED lighting for Collaroy Cromer Strikers

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Images supplied by David Manson

Collaroy Cromer Strikers Football Club (CCSFC) in the Manly Warringah Football Association (MWFA) are a grant recipient in Round 2 of the NSW Football Legacy Fund for 2023-24.

This will go towards the construction of 100 lux LED floodlighting at Inman Park, located within Northern Beaches Secondary College.

The NSW Football Legacy Fund is a $10 million investment from the NSW Government.

This program’s primary focus is the support of the growing women’s football scene through new community facilities, participation initiatives, development programs and international/ tourism engagement.

CCSFC was the eighth largest club in NSW in 2023 and only recently became the biggest club per participation in MWFA with over 2,000 members.

The MWFA itself was the largest association in NSW in 2023 and had an impressive 10% participation from local northern beaches council communities with 20,000 members.

Cromer High's LED lights by day.

Soccerscene spoke to David Manson, CCSFC Vice President of Girls/Women’s Teams, on this player influx and the new project for the club.

“The club executive team had dedicated a lot of time in arranging the ability to utilise the ground at Cromer High through the Council,” he said.

“The club growth has been finding it difficult to allocate training enough training space on its existing fields within suitable hours.

The Football Legacy Program has given CCSFC a grant of up to $68,000 with a co-contribution from the club itself of $68,000 for the lighting installation specifically. The club also invested another $60,000.00 for the Irrigation ($45,000.00) and the lighting development application ($15,000,00) costs.

“Once the access was granted, the club committed to the installation of an Irrigation system and then new sports field lighting.

“The costs to install lighting is significant so applying for the grant to fund 50% was an easy decision.

“The grant process itself has been very simple and effective process.”

This expansion will importantly allow for an extra field to be open for longer hours through the afternoon, and also help lessen the impact on the other available fields, increasing the quality of all playing sites.

“The inclusion of lighting at Inman Park will enable the club to allocate another area for teams to train and play in winter competitions,” Manson said.

Manson also indicated the wider future community impacts of having another field available.

“It will enhance facilities for the local community by increasing the percentage of children and adults participating regularly in football, increasing the number of facilities designated for football and improve participant retention for football and active recreation,” he explained.

A wide view of the LED lights in action.

A key part of the investment application is the impact on women’s football, Manson added about the impressive growth the club has had in their women’s participation.

“Since 2020 Collaroy Cromer Strikers have seen its largest growth in women between the ages of U8-U18,” he said.

“Season 2020 has the strikers (CCSFC) players in these age groups at 397. In 2023 we have 577.

“That means a total increase of 180 players at roughly 65% increase in that period.

“Overall female participation rose from 2022 (693) to 2023 (743) a total of 50 more participants” In 2024 the club has a total of 882 registered female players.

This investment in the upgrade in facilities has been accepted as welcomed support for the Club, towards its ever-expanding registration numbers and quality of football.

It also indicates how investment into existing club programs for facilities or equipment upgrades can elevate the local clubs and the footballing opportunities for all in our communities.

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South Melbourne’s Australia Cup triumph reignites promotion and relegation debate

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Image Credit: The Greek Herald

South Melbourne FC’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 has reignited debate around promotion and relegation in Australian football, with Co-President Bill Papastergiadis stating the result is further proof that ambitious National Premier Leagues clubs deserve a pathway to the top tier.

The Victorian powerhouse produced one of the competition’s biggest upsets at Lakeside Stadium, overturning an early deficit to eliminate the Isuzu UTE A-League side and secure a place in the Round of 16.

While the result was celebrated as another example of the magic of the Australia Cup, Papastergiadis believes the victory carries a much broader message about the strength that exists outside Australia’s professional league.

Speaking following the win, Papastergiadis said South Melbourne’s performance demonstrated why the Australian football landscape should move towards a connected pyramid featuring promotion and relegation.

“The result was South Melbourne FC’s revenge 22 years in the making,” Papastergiadis said.

“It also demonstrates that clubs in the National Premier Leagues have the quality, professionalism and ambition to compete with A-League opposition when given the opportunity.”

For years, South Melbourne has been one of the strongest advocates for structural reform within Australian football, consistently calling for an open pyramid that rewards sporting merit rather than maintaining a closed league system.

Papastergiadis argued that Australia Cup fixtures continue to showcase the depth of talent throughout the domestic game, with NPL clubs regularly proving they can challenge and defeat professional opponents despite operating with significantly fewer resources.

He believes these performances should not simply be viewed as isolated “cupsets”, but as evidence that Australia’s football ecosystem is ready to embrace a promotion and relegation model that provides ambitious clubs with a genuine pathway to the top flight.

The result against Adelaide United adds another significant chapter to South Melbourne’s storied history. One of Australia’s most successful clubs, South Melbourne has long maintained aspirations of returning to the national stage, backed by a passionate supporter base, strong infrastructure and a proud footballing tradition.

For Papastergiadis, victories such as Thursday night’s reinforce the argument that clubs should earn opportunities through performances on the pitch.

“The Australia Cup continues to show what’s possible when clubs from different levels of the football pyramid compete against one another,” he said.

“Our football should be built on opportunity and merit. Clubs that perform consistently and invest in their communities should have the chance to progress to the highest level.”

South Melbourne will now turn its attention to the Round of 16, where it will look to continue its impressive cup run.

Beyond the result itself, however, the victory has once again fuelled discussion around the future of Australia’s football structure and whether the growing strength of clubs outside the A-League should accelerate the push towards a fully connected national competition.

Tottenham Hotspur deliver player development workshop for Football NSW

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Image credit: Football NSW

The workshop focused on sharing knowledge and insights regarding player development, bringing together more than 120 coaches from across NSW with those from Tottenham Hotspur.

 

Experience, insight and education

Valentine Sports Park hosted the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshop, uniting Football NSW coaches and members of Tottenham Hotspur’s coaching staff to encourage discussion and learning opportunities about player development.

Tottenham’s player development pathway – from the academy to the first team – has produced some of the most respected names in Premier League history, including Harry Kane and Ledley King.

Under the leadership and guidance of Tottenham Hotspur Player & Coach Pathway Co-ordinator (and UEFA A Licence Coach), Jimmy Martin, as well as members of Tottenham’s coaching staff, Shannon Maloney, Kevin Moffatt and Tyler Blackwood, the workshop was a unique opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced coaches in the game.

“Coach education is a vital part of developing football across NSW, and having more than 120 coaches attend this workshop highlights the appetite within our football community to continue learning and improving,” explained Football NSW Head of Football, Edward Ferguson.

Ferguson continued to outline the value of learning from an organisation like Tottenham Hotspur, a team who have helped grow some of the game’s most exceptional talents. The lessons taken will consequently help to inform future approaches to coaching in NSW.

“The focus remains on creating better learning environments for players, encouraging decision-making, creativity and long-term development.”

What the workshop involved

The workshop encouraged coaches to dive into all aspects of player development: the technical, tactical, physical and mental aspects which contribute to the English academy setup.

Furthermore, Maloney, Moffatt and Blackwood – all of whom helped deliver a practical session for attendees – showed how a club’s playing identity can work alongside challenging training environments for players.

Game understanding, creative problem-solving and technical proficiency underpinned the main themes driving the workshop. In an age where individual expression on the pitch appears a dying art, Tottenham Hotspur coaches remain committed to encouraging players to feel confident adapating to a range of in-game scenarios.

Football NSW coaches were also able to attend a Q&A session with King, who spoke about his playing experiences for both club and country.

 

Final thoughts

As Australia continues to nurture the current and upcming generations of talented footballers, workshops such as this are a vital, fundamental part of the journey.

The fastest way to be among the best is to learn from them. The aim now is for Football NSW coaches to take the lessons learned, and apply them to football development in their own academies and teams across the state.

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