Peter Tsekenis, Peter Papoythis and Manny Spanoudakis: Marconi’s three wise men

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Images credit: Marconi Stallions & Football NSW

It’s rare to witness longevity in Australian football coaching staff.

However, in the world of Marconi head coach, Peter Tsekenis, and assistant coach, Peter Papoythis, a magic formula exists which has seen the coaching duo share 17 years together – including eight years in their current roles at Bossley Park.

Three years ago, the pair was joined by well known coaching analyst, Manny Spanoudakis, who has added another strand of expertise to the coaching regime.

With the National Second Tier imminent in 2025, the three coaches have a new challenge to restore the famous club to its former glory.

It’s no secret the club paraded some of the greatest players in Australian football history during the NSL – with the likes of Jim Rooney, Ray Richards, Ernie Campbell, Alan Maher, John Russell, Gary Byrne, Bertie Mariani, Richie Williams, Stewart Robertson, Paul Degney, Mark Jankovics, Peter Sharne, David Lowe, Rob Wheatley, Luke Casserly, Kimon Taliadoros, Ian Gray, Roberto Vieri, Rod Brown, Eddie Krncevic, Paul Carter, Tom McCulloch, Tony Henderson, Jean Paul de Marigny, Frank Farina, Peter Katholos, Steve Corica, Mark Schwarzer and Ian Hunter filling Marconi Stadium every time they appeared.

This season is a watershed in preparation for the National Second Tier and the Club is currently in fourth spot, just two points behind leaders Western Sydney Wanderers.

“There were a lot of changes this season with a refreshed squad of young players adding to the core group,” Peter Tsekenis said.

“Unlike Marconi in previous years and some other clubs, we believe it‘s important to cultivate youth development and this year will see several players emerging to make their mark on the League.

“Nevertheless, we’ve experienced the usual injuries and suspensions early in the season, but after the unfortunate 3-2 away loss to Sydney United, we bounced back with that resounding 4-0 win against St. George which was repeated with another 4-0 defeat of Hills United last Saturday night.”

Marconi players look on during the 3-2 loss to Sydney United.

“It was a total rebuild this season because we lost thirteen players in the off season and the new players have to understand what the coaching staff want,” Peter Papoythis said.

“The loss of James Bayliss in the first round for the season due to a popped shoulder was certainly something we didn’t expect.

“Fortunately, the established players Marco Jesic, Brandon Vella and Nathan Millgate are a mainstay and are supported well by Dominic Costanzo and James Temelkovski.”

The Marconi Men in a team photo.

“With the addition of the younger players this year, there has been a great energy to train and learn,” Manny Spanoudakis said.

“The five games played in fourteen days preceding the Sydney United match was a real test for the squad.”

“We were accused of parking the bus against Sydney United in the second half after dominating the first half and leading 2-0, but the heavy program certainly didn’t aid our cause,” Peter Papoythis added.

“There were no instructions to close the game down and our players simply didn’t rise to the challenge by neglecting the plan to play more into the opponents half in the second 45 minutes,” Tsekenis explained.

Marconi’s Senior Women who compete in their respective NPL NSW competition.

“Closing shop isn’t in our vocabulary and we’d had a good week of preparation,” Spanoudakis said.

“However, with new, young players who only have 30 games under their belt, game management, fitness and the extremely congested program weighed against us.

“We faced a similar situation on the Wednesday night, after the Sydney United defeat in the Australia Cup match against Southern Districts when we were down 2-0 at half time.

“In the second half we returned to our game plan and scored four goals which proved the players had learned from the Sydney United loss.”

“The late loss to Sydney United was a setback  but we didn’t set out to defend and some credit must be paid to our opponents for coming out at us throughout the second half and the winning goal was a screamer which couldn’t be prevented,” Papoythis added.

Rockdale Ilinden v Marconi in Round 2 NPL NSW Men’s.

With the stronger level of competition anticipated in the N.S.T., Tsekenis believes the brand of football will be similar to the NPL but the quality of player the League will attract will be better which will ensure a rise in playing standards.

“I’m programmed to play in the NST as the competition will provide a new challenge playing against Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and hopefully Tasmanian teams” he said.

“The NPL has its limitations and younger players will want to play in it and critically the Marconi club is totally switched on for it to provide something different for our supporters.”

“This will encourage former NSL fans to reconnect with the game as they will be seeing the best players from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and possibly Tasmania competing at the highest level in a more professional League,” Spanoudakis added.

Sydney Olympic v Marconi in Round 4 of NPL NSW Men’s.

In anticipation of the step up to the N.S.T. , in the last two years, the Marconi club has implemented major refurbishment to the ground facilities, including a brand new state of the art scoreboard, painting of the grandstand, new world class change rooms for the home and visiting teams and two new synthetic pitches with grandstands and scoreboards.

“The field dimensions of these pitches are bigger than some other club’s facilities and it means irrespective of the weather we always train,” Tsekenis said.

“These facilities were a great investment because they were used for the home base of the Columbian Women’s World Cup squad last year,” Spanoudakis explained.

“The club is also planning replacement of the plastic seating if there is a positive response to the NST from supporters.

“Who knows, if demand is great enough for the NST, the club could make the ground an all seater boutique stadium.”

Marconi v Sydney FC in Round 7 NPL NSW Men’s.

This begs the question as to how a club like Marconi with 40,000 members isn’t in the A-League.

Peter Tsekenis believes as a coach you always aspire to the next level and geographically Marconi sits between Macarthur and Western Sydney Wanderers.

However, at this stage the club would appear committed to establishing itself in the NST before it entertains thoughts of applying for the A-League.

“It would be a perfect fit but it really depends on the aspirations of the club Board and the demands of the members,” he said.

“Yet there are players from the club who have moved on to A- League and that will continue to happen.

“Some players are content to play NPL as they earn more money playing part time football and working in a job.

“This is the case with some players who have been approached by A-League clubs but prefer to play part time football.”

“The club has everything to offer if it wanted to make a bid to play in the A-League and I would love to be part of it,” Papoythis added.

“However, consolidation in the NST is the first objective and then it’s up to the decision makers whether the A-League should be pursued.”

“A number of players in our current Marconi squad could step up to A-League if they were given the opportunity to train on a full time basis,” Spanoudakis explained.

“The N.S.T. needs to be fulltime so we can have six sessions per week, rather than only three.”

With the advent of the NST, there will also be more opportunity for coaches, but Peter Tsekenis always has adopted the philosophy of not looking too far ahead.

“I’m privileged to be coaching at one of the biggest clubs in the country and seeking success for the club this season is my main focus,” he said.

“The NST will be the next challenge and naturally to progress to a coaching job in the A-League with Marconi would be ideal.

“Beyond that I would love to be involved with the junior national teams which I experienced as a player.”

“I dream of having a full time job in football like coaches have in Europe even in the lower divisions because it’s difficult when you’re working in a business and trying to commit to football totally,” Papoythis added.

Manny Spanoudakis doesn’t look too far ahead but believes if you focus on the job at hand, opportunities will naturally present.

“I have really enjoyed my stint at Marconi for the last three years and if coaching at a higher level became available, I would consider it carefully,” he said.

“However, my main focus currently is to assist the coaching staff in their goal to add trophies to the club’s collection.”

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Beyond the Pitch: Miyuki Kobayashi on the Real Challenges Facing Japan’s Women’s Game

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Image credit: JEFUNITED

Last week, Soccerscene spoke to pioneer of women’s football in Japan, Miyuki Kobayashi, about the game’s development in Japan and the intersection between sporting and social change in the country.

 

Talent, quality and recent silverware

After Japan’s recent AFC Women’s Asian Cup victory in the final against Australia, the women’s national team solidified its standing as the No.1 team in Asia.

Throughout the last 15 years, Japan’s women’s national team has grown into a formidable opponent, boasting a World Cup trophy, an Olympic silver medal, as well as three AFC Women’s Asian Cups.

The talent is undeniable. The quality is unwavering. And the team shows no signs of slowing down.

But these victories and trophies on the world stage wouldn’t be possible without the leaders behind the scenes – none more so than Miyuki Kobayashi, former WE League Board Member and current JEF United Ladies Scout and Academy Chief.

 

Laying the foundations

Kobayashi has led the charge for women’s football in Japan, promoting not only a sport which values success, but one which empowers female footballers across the nation.

“At university, not many girls were playing and we didn’t have an official team. I went to the US and the environment was so different,” Kobayashi explained.

“That opened my eyes – women can play. That’s how I started the women’s soccer league when I came back: to make an environment for girls to play.”

Thus, accessibility and opportunity became driving factors behind Kobayashi’s work, not only for those on the pitch, but for those in the dugout.

“I got involved at the JFA (Japanese Football Association) to promote women’s football. We wanted to create the opportunity for women to be coaches.”

“They are coached by men all the time, so even when the top players leave the football world, they never think to be involved.”

Furthermore, as a former coach of JEF United Ladies Youth and General Manager, Kobayashi was intent on employing as many female coaches as possible. It was not merely a personnel change, but a challenge to widespread social attitudes.

“When I started to employ female coaches, the girls’ parents asked why the coach wasn’t a man. But gradually, we started to make it equal – they didn’t talk about the gender, but about the quality of the coach.”

 

The mission to empower

In 2011, the same year Japan’s women won the World Cup, the domestic league was yet to become professional. Known as the Nadeshiko League, players would work during the day and train in the evenings.

The transition from an amateur to the current professional league required time, resilience and a change in perspective.

“The sports world in Japan is more traditional – it is dominated by men,” said Kobayashi.

“If you want to make the environment even, or (want) more women to come into the (football) world, you can change the mind of the players.”

Since 2021, the WE League has embodied a sense of growth and positive change for the women’s game. In name and nature, it looks to empower players, coaches and all involved in the industry.

“I was in charge of mission achievement for women’s empowerment. We wanted to educate the players, to inspire girls and women who watch the game.”

However, the drive to empower women in football was not without backlash and challenges.

“Some people don’t like that word: ’empowerment’. It’s too strong for them. Some women really appreciate it, but it’s not easy to change the mind of society through football,” Kobayashi admitted.

 

Growing and attracting talent

Although WE League clubs are accelerating youth development and expanding pathways across U15, U18 and first team football, Kobayashi acknowledged that the overall product must improve to bring foreign players to Japan and entice homegrown talent to stay.

“Most of the national team players go to Europe or North America. I don’t say it’s a problem, but from a young age, girls who can play in the WE League want to go abroad,” Kobayashi outlined.

Indeed, when looking at the starting XI in last month’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup final, only one player – Hana Takahashi – plays in the WE League.

But the key to attracting domestic and international players to the WE League, is aligning financial investment and industry attitudes.

“The reason why women’s football has developed in European countries is the social thinking – you have to be equal and have the same opportunities as men in football. The Japanese way of thinking, especially in the football world, is not that at all,” Kobayashi continued.

“When I speak to people at Spanish clubs, women’s football is not a charity, but an investment.”

“We have assets. We have good, young players, but we’re exporting them, so we need to import too.”

Indeed, Spain is a perfect example of what can happen when investment becomes intentional, not optional. Back-to-back UEFA Women’s Nations League titles, 90% television viewership increase since 2016, and record-breaking crowd numbers reflect what can happen when the industry aligns in vision and commitment.

Japan has the players to compete against any nation in the world. Purposeful investment, combined with its overall quality of players and style, could transform the WE League into a true, global powerhouse.

 

The vision for the future

Moving forward, Kobayashi hopes that girls progressing through JEF United’s academies develop confidence and resilience, whether as players or people.

“We want to make the girls – even if they aren’t in JEF United – continue playing football and continue to be leaders,” Kobayashi said.

“Some of them have a dream to be a coach or a leader off the field too, so that’s one of the attributes we want to develop.”

This resilience, reflected by the club’s ‘never give up’ philosophy, is testament to the vision of empowerment championed by Kobayashi across the women’s game.

Even in the face of social obstacles and a lack of financial investment, perseverance and hard work is at the bedrock of women’s football in Japan. It is not just that these values exist, but that they are consistently manifested on and off the pitch, which can show future generations that football is a sport for all – men and women alike.

 

Final thoughts

There is no limit to what the WE League and the national team can achieve if given the resources it deserves. All the ingredients are there: individual quality, a distinct playing style, football philosophy and ambitions to grow.

By following the example of industry leaders like Kobayashi, women’s football in Japan can hopefully continue to make waves of impact – in the sporting landscape and society as a whole.

How Sunbury United Is Defying the Odds to Keep Grassroots Football Alive

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Image credit: Football Victoria

Sunbury United stands as a cornerstone of the local community in Melbourne’s outer northwest. But for all the hard work given by local families and volunteers, the lack of funding continues to prohibit a level of growth which matches both ambition and potential.

 

Consolidating growth across the club

Soccerscene recently spoke to Club President, Sherridan Long, about the club’s ambitions going forward, the family-oriented culture, and the challenges of operating at grassroots level in Australia.

“It’s gone really well in retention of players from 2025, [and] recruiting some players who have been really keen to come to the club and are really contending over just a small handful of spots,” explained Long.

“That’s been really rewarding to see the popularity of our programme and what the team is trying to develop in terms of culture and performance, to be somewhere that people want to go to.”

Furthermore, Sunbury United’s reputation in the community continues to inspire waves of prospective junior players, who are lining up for squad vacancies.

“We’ve got waitlists for almost every age group,” Long continued.

“We’ve seen a growth in interest coming into the club and girls wanting to play football, but also lots of families wanting to move to Sunbury and join our club, or move from other clubs.”

Sunbury United is ensuring that its culture and matchday atmosphere remains a safe, welcoming place for those who matter most in grassroots football: families, players and volunteers who sustain it every week.

Planning for success on and off the pitch

Despite solidifying a successful culture off the pitch, Sunbury United are refusing to slow down. From the senior men’s team to junior age groups, high-performance remains a key objective.

“Everyone is trying to win leagues – this is something we’ve been working towards for a few years,” said Long.

“Each little milestone across the year means we’re getting closer to a senior men’s promotion or championship – it’s been over ten years since a promotion or championship at the club.”

Although several years have passed since Sunbury United saw success in the form of silverware, the club’s progress in recent seasons may yet lead to a trophy in the very near future.

But reaching this goal requires not only a cohesive effort from players and coaches, but from all stakeholders and participants within the club space. To this end, Sunbury United underwent a strategic plan set-up to align their operations with the ambitions and thoughts of everyone involved.

“We undertook some survey and stakeholder analysis through our members to understand what it is they love about Sunbury United, why they participate, where they see the club going and how they can be a part of that.”

“It was nice to hear exactly what they wanted, what they thought of and what they felt by being part of United. So that shaped our strategic plan in terms of performance, community and working together as a team.”

Ultimately, it is this balance of performance, teamwork and trust in the community which can set clubs up for success. Whether at grassroots or professional level, if everyone involved operates under shared values and vision, the silverware becomes a question of when, not if.

 

Challenges of the grassroots game

As with any club or organisation in sport, progress inevitably encounters barriers, hiccups and challenges along the way. Facility access, infrastructure quality and investment are common issues not just for Sunbury, but for all in the grassroots space.

“Most places share winter and summer sports so you can only use your space a certain amount of months a year before it turns to the summer sport,” Long outlined.

“It means that there’s no space for juniors to conduct a proper pre-season, so they’re doing it at other reserves in Hume Council and not actually at our home.”

Indeed, we have seen already the lack of investment directed towards the football community. Soccerscene recently looked into The City of Hume’s current budget, which revealed a 10:1 funding imbalance between AFL and the beautiful game. For Sunbury United, and many other clubs, the impact is undeniable.

“We can’t fill the second or third women’s team because there’s no infrastructure to facilitate changing between boys and girls changing room on the flick of a dime. You’re not only balancing access between two squads and gendered safe spaces, but also junior and senior spaces,” Long explained.

“We’re limited by aspirations being within the lines and being within the physical building that we have. Investment in football infrastructure would be a game-changer.”

It’s a common theme in Australia’s grassroots landscape. Clubs with loyal supporters, interested players and a desire to develop, continue to be restricted by the boundaries of their facilities.

It is not about demand. It’s about necessity. If clubs like Sunbury United are to continue working towards player development and squad expansion, external investment is a must-have.

 

Fighting for the future

As Sunbury United continues to strengthen bonds with the surrounding community and within the club, the foundations are ready for the seasons to come. From youth teams to seniors, the club continues to emphasise connection as a fundamental principle.

“We sit under one umbrella. We’re not two separate committees or two clubs,” Long revealed, expressing the idea behind a connected senior’s and junior’s set-up.

“It’s important to the long-term sustainability and longevity of our club, not just to the performance side, that everyone’s invested and feels a part of something, and that they can be involved.”

One club, one philosophy and one family. Grassroots football will continue to throw its challenges for years to come, but Sunbury are, and will be, more united than ever.

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