The FA Commercial Director Navin Singh on inaugural FA Cup trophy tour to Australia

Liam Watson
FA Cup
Images provided by The FA

For the very first time in the competition’s 150-year long history, the Emirates FA Cup touched down in Australia, as part of an international tour spanning multiple countries.

Alongside Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Seoul’s South Korea, Sydney was the representative for Australia in a landmark occasion celebrating the rich and authentic heritage that the cup brings.

In collaboration with Paramount+, the tour was also made possible by The Football Association (FA) Commercial Director, Navin Singh.

Having been at the FA for a year now, Singh has played a pivotal role in managing the organisation’s commercial strategy and digital transformation for not only the men’s and women’s FA Cup, but also Wembley Stadium connected by EE and the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

Speaking exclusively to Soccerscene, Singh shares the key objectives behind the tour, engaging with a wide audience and future plans for the competition itself.

Were there many discussions surrounding the tour to Sydney and what did it take to get it off the ground?

Navin Singh: Yes, there were a number of discussions and months of planning.

We have worked with our delivery partners who know the region to ensure we deliver appearances and events that are both engaging for the participants and media worthy, to help spread the message of what the competition does.

I’d like to give a huge thanks to our broadcast partner Paramount+ who have been instrumental in making this event happen.

Can you give a rundown of what you hope to achieve as part of this tour?

Navin Singh: We want to continue to grow the international appeal of the Emirates FA Cup.

For that to happen we must engage directly with the fans in these international regions that have a passion for the product – helping us to ensure there is fan retention and aiding with attracting greater audiences in the future. The trophy coming to the region is just one way of trying to achieve this.

We want to entertain and excite fans with the stories of unparalleled drama of FA Cup football and demonstrate why it’s the greatest domestic knockout tournament in the world. We are also demonstrating value to our broadcast partner (Paramount+), who have helped shed the competition in a positive light.

Is there a reason why Sydney has been targeted as the first destination in Australia?

Navin Singh: Sydney, like many Australian cities, has a rich sporting history.

We could have gone to a few cities, but the opportunity that Sydney provided, by working closely with our broadcast partner as well as Sydney FC, meant it was the right fit.

Given this is the first time the trophy has touched down in Australia, is it fair to say that this is the start of strengthening the relationship between the Australian football fanbase?

Navin Singh: We feel we have a good relationship with the Australian fanbase already, but will always want to strengthen any relationship.

We want to show our commitment to them and our commitment to growing the competition in this region and the trophy tour is one way of demonstrating that.

We know the Australian audience is engaged with English football and our products. There are a number of ex English Premier League players, both currently playing or managing a team in the A-League as well. There are also several Australians with a club who are yet to be knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup.

We hope to continue to strengthen our relationships via tactics such as this tour, in addition to working closer with our broadcast partner to ensure the fans are able to watch the best of the action.

Are there any business objectives that the tour may help the FA achieve?

Navin Singh: There are two key goals that the organisation is hoping to achieve.

We’re looking at the growth of our domestic and international audience – with an increase in engaged fans being healthy for any brand.

The second target is to continue to strengthen relationships with the fanbase and our broadcast partner Paramount+, as the agreement continues to evolve.

Hopefully we are able to carry out more tours like this in the future to help spread the message.

At this stage, what is the state of play regarding worldwide media rights, and do you expect any upcoming changes?

Navin Singh: The FA has an existing agreement for the FA Cup media rights in APAC (including Australia), Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe, which lasts until the completion of the 2023/2024 season. The FA will go to tender for the FA Cup broadcast rights in these regions in March.

You can catch all the action of the FA Cup on Paramount+, with every match streamed live and on demand.

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Eastern Suburbs Football Association Announces First All-Female Referee Course and Expanded Women’s Competition

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Image Credit: Football NSW

The Eastern Suburbs Football Association has opened its 2026 season with three structural investments that reflect the growing ambition of community football associations to address participation, representation and development gaps simultaneously, beginning with the delivery of its first all-female Football Match Official Course.

The course, held at Matraville Sports High School and led by female liaison committee member Michelle Hilton and 2025 Referee of the Year Ariella Richards, brought 25 new female referees into the association ahead of Round 1. The initiative targets one of the most persistent imbalances in community sport, with women remaining significantly underrepresented in officiating roles at every level of the game, by creating a dedicated entry point separate from the mixed course environment that many women find unwelcoming.

The Women’s Premier League has also expanded, now featuring eleven teams and introducing a WPL1 and WPL2 structure following the first ten rounds of the season. The tiered format creates more competition opportunities for clubs across the region while providing a clearer development pathway for teams at different stages of growth. Returning clubs Randwick City, Glebe Wanderers, Easts FC and Sydney University join established sides in what the association describes as one of its most competitive women’s seasons. ESFA clubs have continued to perform strongly in state-wide competitions including the Football NSW Sapphire Cup, State Cup and Champion of Champions.

Building the next generation

The season opened with an inaugural Development League Gala Day for Under-9 to Under-12 boys and girls, bringing eight clubs together in a structured development environment ahead of Round 1. Sydney FC A-League Women’s players attended the event and engaged directly with young participants, a deliberate effort to connect grassroots players with visible examples of where the pathway leads.

“We are committed to creating more opportunities for clubs, players, coaches and referees to thrive, with a strong focus on participation opportunities to suit participants of all abilities and aspirations,” said ESFA CEO John Boulous.

The three initiatives, a new referee entry point for women, an expanded women’s competition structure, and a development-focused junior gala day with elite role models present, together reflect an association responding to the participation pressures the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has brought into sharp relief across Australian football.

Victorian State Budget delivers $750,000 to football facilities as governing body signals more to come

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Image Credit: Shutterstock

Two of Victoria’s most prominent football clubs have secured a combined $750,000 in facility funding from the 2026 Victorian State Budget, in what Football Victoria describes as the beginning of a broader set of announcements for the sport from this year’s budget cycle.

Avondale FC will receive $500,000 to install lighting at Avenger Park in Avondale Heights, while Hume City FC has secured $250,000 for major upgrades at Nasiol Stadium in Broadmeadows, including a new LED scoreboard and improved lighting infrastructure. Both clubs compete in the Victorian National Premier Leagues and serve large multicultural communities in Melbourne’s north and northwest.

The announcements are modest in scale relative to the infrastructure deficit facing community and semi-professional football across the state, but their political significance extends beyond the dollar figures. They represent a tangible return on Football Victoria’s sustained advocacy campaign, which includes the Level the Playing Field parliamentary petition calling for more equitable government funding for football relative to other codes.

Facilities as Equity Infrastructure

The Avondale funding addresses a problem that has constrained the club’s operations for years. Avenger Park currently cannot be used at night, forcing the club to play matches at neighbouring venues or arrange temporary lighting for significant fixtures, including last year’s Hahn Australia Cup tie. The $500,000 investment will allow the club to host evening matches and training sessions on its own ground for the first time, removing a structural disadvantage that has affected scheduling, participation and the overall experience for hundreds of players each week.

For Hume City, the implications carry a specific equity dimension. Club President Ersan Gulum noted that upgraded lighting and facilities would directly support the growth of the club’s girls’ and women’s programs by providing better access to training environments and creating more opportunities for female participation.

“We have hundreds of players across all age groups utilising these facilities each week, and these improvements will help create an even stronger environment for excellence, participation, and community engagement,” Gulum said.

The connection between lighting and women’s football access is not incidental. Inadequate or absent lighting at community grounds disproportionately affects female programs, which have expanded rapidly in recent years but frequently find themselves scheduled into daytime slots because evening use of the facility is not viable. Infrastructure that enables night training and matches does not merely improve conditions. It expands the hours during which the ground can be used, directly increasing the number of teams and players a facility can serve.

The Political Context

Both clubs are located in state electorates where local members played an active role in securing the funding. Avondale celebrated the announcement with Parliamentary Secretary Sheena Watt, while Hume City acknowledged the support of local members in its public statement.

The pattern is familiar in Australian sports funding. Facility grants flow through electorate-level political relationships as much as through any centralised allocation process. Football Victoria’s acknowledgement of both Merri-Bek and Hume City Councils, in addition to the state government, reflects the layered advocacy required to move funding from budget allocation to ground-level construction.

Football Victoria CEO Dan Birrell praised both clubs and pointed toward further announcements.

“Both Avondale and Hume City are pillars in the Victorian football landscape, building strong and supportive communities around their top level junior and senior football programs,” Birrell said. “Professional level facilities like Avenger Park and Nasiol Stadium are critical for the development of Victorian football.”

Football Victoria has indicated more budget-related football announcements are forthcoming and has urged supporters to sign the Level the Playing Field petition ahead of the next Victorian State Election.

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