Rotherham’s Changing Places facility at AESSEAL New York Stadium supports all

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Rotherham United Changing Places Facility
Image credit: Mick Atkins / Shutterstock.com

Rotherham United is playing host to a Changing Place facility at their home venue of The AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Led by the club’s Community Sports Trust and Rotherham Council, which secured around $92,000 AUD from the Government’s Changing Places Fund, the facility is now able to provide a space with essential equipment. This includes a hoist, height-adjustable changing table, and a height-adjustable washbasin – for people living with learning disabilities, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other conditions.

This implementation, located in the family-friendly West stand behind turnstiles 5-8, ensures inclusivity for all supporters and helps to make AESSEAL New York Stadium a safe and welcoming environment for all at their home ground. This not only lends itself to matchday for Rotherham United, but for various events year-round.

Kerry Coleman, Chair of the Rotherham United Disabled Supporters Association, expressed her delight at being able to put fan feedback into action, telling www.themillers.co.uk:

“As disabled fans, we know sometimes going to games can have its challenges,” she said.

“Having received feedback from some supporters about the need for a Changing Places facility that provided additional support to people’s personal needs, we have been working hard alongside Rotherham United and RUCST to implement this.

“RUDSA have been working hard to raise money towards the new facilities, we have had donations from local people, fundraising from a committee member, organised raffles, and donations from a local charity plus much more.

“We are so pleased we are able to offer this facility to all those attending AEESEAL New York Stadium, be it on a match day or any other event.”

Jamie Noble, Head of Community, also voiced his excitement about the new facility, adding via press release:

“As a football club, we pride ourselves on supporting the community, not only to live better and healthier lives, but to help make AESSEAL New York Stadium a safe and inclusive environment for everyone to enjoy their football,” he said.

Following the award of just over $666,000 AUD in the first round of the Changing Places Fund, Rotherham Council is now ‘looking forward to opening more of these facilities across Rotherham’ in order to provide the space and privacy that members of the local community deserve.

Additional Changing Places facilities are planned at the following locations:

  • Clifton Park Museum
  • Gullivers Valley Theme Park and Resort
  • Rother Valley Country Park
  • Thrybergh Country Park
  • Wentworth Woodhouse
  • Magna Science Adventure Centre
  • Grimm and Co.
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Mitre Extends Role as Queensland Football’s Official Ball

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Image credit: Football Queensland

Football Queensland has extended its partnership with Mitre as the official ball partner and main ball supplier to the Queensland football community until 2028.

Mitre footballs will continue to supply the official competition ball for the NPL Queensland, FQPL leagues and FQ Academy leagues and events.

Football Queensland CEO, Robert Cavallucci, expressed his enthusiasm for the renewal between FQ and Mitre and their continued support of the Queensland football community.

“Since first announcing our partnership three years ago, football in Queensland has experienced tremendous growth, and Mitre has stood alongside us and our clubs every step of the way,” he said in a press release.

“This renewed partnership ensures that our community will continue to have access to high-quality equipment so that all our players and clubs across Queensland can enjoy the beautiful game at its best, no matter where they are.”

Since 2017, Mitre has expanded its partnerships to state member federations in Australia by being the official match ball of NPL NSW, NPL Victoria, Football West and NPL NNSW.

The Ultimax Pro is one of the most popular football’s for Mitre. It features hyperflow debossed grooves across the ball and utilises thermally bonded construction technology for enhanced shape retention and durability.

Mitre Australia’s Director of Sportsmart Group, Gerrard Woods, was also excited about the partnership renewal with Football Queensland.

“Mitre has a long history in the game, and we’re committed to ensuring that all players and clubs can enjoy the great game with the very best equipment,” Woods said in a press release.

“Together with Football Queensland, we look forward to building on the growth of recent years as we work together to help the game reach even greater heights across the state.”

Mitre has become a vital part of the Australian football ecosystem with their quality match balls and unwavering loyalty to multiple different state federations. This ends up being an obvious decision for Football Queensland who maintain the strong connection with Mitre for another three seasons at least.

Leverkusen CEO Calls for Global Salary Cap to Level Football

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Image Credit: Ralf Ibing – firo sportphoto/Getty Images

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has called for the introduction of a global salary cap, modelled on the NBA system, in an effort to reduce the Premier League’s financial dominance and restore competitive balance across European football.

Carro’s proposal centres on creating an international wage ceiling that would apply equally to all clubs, ensuring a level playing field for teams regardless of league or market size.

He emphasised that the concept could only succeed if implemented globally, preventing clubs in wealthier leagues from gaining an unfair advantage.

While UEFA already enforces spending controls linked to club revenues, financial inequality across Europe continues to widen. In the 2023/24 season, the Premier League generated more than €7.1 billion in revenue which is nearly double that of the Bundesliga, which brought in around €3.6 billion.

This revenue gap allows English clubs to consistently outspend their continental rivals in transfer fees and wages.

Carro’s comments have reignited discussions around financial sustainability and competitive fairness in football, raising the question of whether sweeping reform is necessary to preserve balance within the global game.

Carro spoke at the Bloomberg Future of Finance congress in Frankfurt where he warned that the Premier League’s financial power could soon overshadow even the UEFA Champions League.

“The Premier League wants to become the number one product in Europe, even ahead of the Champions League,” he said at the event.

“English clubs easily outstrip their competitors in terms of revenue. I’m usually against regulation, but this is something we have to try.”

A global salary cap could help narrow the economic divide between leagues and promote greater equality across world football. However, critics argue that it risks undermining the traditional open-market structure that has long defined European football.

By borrowing from the American sporting model, such a move could represent a major cultural shift away from the continent’s deep-rooted footballing traditions.

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