A new round of funding for football in New South Wales has the community abuzz.
The NSW Government announced the NSW Football Legacy Program, boosting football in all levels across the state to help capitalise on next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Some clubs have already enjoyed a funding hit, like western Sydney club Rydalmere Lions FC.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Liberal candidate for Parramatta, Maria Kovacic announced on Wednesday that the club would be receiving $3 million in funding for improved facilities.
Kick off in Parramatta!⚽️
Thrilled to commit $3m for improved facilities at Ryadalmere Lions FC with @LiberalAus Candidate for Parramatta, Maria Kovacic.
New female changing rooms will help open up pathways for local girls & women to participate at all levels in football. pic.twitter.com/4YjwY59J7n
— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) April 20, 2022
The funding will be put towards new changerooms for players and referees alike, both male and female, as well as rooms for physios, medical staff, a canteen, a store room, and ice baths for both home and away teams.
There are also plans to put a grandstand in place, as well as undercover seating, offices and a media outlet which will all be a priority.
Club President Peter Bacha is confident that the funding will help the club in it’s goal to provide better pathways for its female players.
“It’s a big project, and that’s going to help especially with the female side of football in our area. We’re looking for a pathway, and we keep getting knocked back to get our female state league license,” Bacha told Soccerscene.
“There’s a lot of girls that are missing out, and that’s all we’re missing at the club.
“A lot of girls come through the ranks in the mixed competition in our association, but you’re only allowed to have a maximum of four girls in the mixed team, and then there’s nowhere else to go after under 12s.
“We’ve got one or two girls that are to me, future Matildas, but there’s no pathways for them.”
With a senior girls team and a ‘massive stadium’ on the cards, Bacha believes both he and the club will give the girls the best chance to succeed.
But it’s not Rydalmere that needs to up their support of women’s football, he says. Every club in the region will benefit from the level of funding across the state.
“It’s not just going to help our club, it’s going to help all the clubs within the Granville & Districts Football Association,” Bacha continued.
“There’s a lot of girls that are missing out, and it’s an opportunity for them. Female football here in Australia is really strong and has to be kept that way.”
Football NSW celebrated 100 years of women’s football at the end of 2021, on the anniversary of the first game played at the Gabba in September, 1921.
A Football Australia report from the end of 2019 saw female participation in football grow by 11%, with women and girls now making up 22% of all footballers in the country.
Increasing these levels of participation will be done by continuing to invest in the facilities of all clubs, according to Bacha.
“If other funding is going to come, upgrade the fields and the amenities blocks,” he said.
“It is so important now. I don’t expect every park to have a synthetic pitch, but the government needs to help them with their drainage, which we’ve done now with our other two fields.
“There’s a lot of places that don’t have amenities blocks, and that detracts from people going into the sport for those clubs.
“Since we started a lot of these projects, our numbers have escalated from having about 10 teams to 40 teams. We were one of the smallest clubs and now we’re one of the biggest clubs representing the whole area.
“Money has to go back to the kids, it’s about family. If the facilities on the parks are up there, then we can match it with the rest of the world.”
