Time for Canberra United to divorce Capital Football - Mariners show the way.

It could happen.

Take Canberra United women's team - and divorce it from Capital Football - and now would be a great time.

Capital Football do what they are best at - grassroots and local competitions.

The Canberra United professional set-up would gain further expertise and focus in their elite area and Canberra United would expand to run and promote the elite game in town.

The game is more connected across Canberra now than ever. Canberra United has built a sizeable presence in the community and need to be looking to take further steps.

The Mariners as a men's franchise are - so why not our W-League franchise or do men have to run everything in football, at the elite level?

Are Capital Football best placed to grow Canberra United, the brand, with their resources, talents and focus?

I think their spread of mission is too wide too big to really take Canberra United to the next step without taking further funds from the grassroots, who currently fund United, thru Cap Football.

If Canberra United became it's own organisation we could further grow our elite brand and create better more increased pathways - a massive area of current Canberra football weakness.

We could:

1. Set the Canberra United Academy up a la the Mariners for Girls and Boys.

2. Then fund a Youth boys team and we're on our way.

3. Fund the " Canberra United" Boomerangs as part of the mix.

4. Capital Football Board to add in their own ideas here.

We'd need a five year plan - a staged development. Of course an A-League team to boot - but can you really see us having an A-League team within 5 years?

No, but in Canberra United and the Boomerangs we have two brands - combine to one - and a TV presence already in United. Also a small, but not insignificant fanbase, one I believe could be tripled over the three years with a targeted focus from a Canberra United franchise.

ie This franchise would not be run out of Capital Football, albeit a franchise that has been run fantastically to date considering it's only one part of Cap Football staff duties over the year. Surely the best W-League franchise going around.

So if we are not to get an A-League team in the next 5 years and we're not, then we need to see the game at the elite level further advanced than the continued hotch-potch of growth - is there any - that we have now at the elite level.

Also; building on what we have makes sense so we can provide investors and/or supporters and the FFA a real sense of what we would have to offer once an A-League place is up for grabs.

We've got $340,000 in the A-League4Canberra account - time to ask the members to use it effectively - once and only once we have a real plan. And I mean a real plan - a football, business plan.

Add in a bloody hard-sell for the Canberra Pollies to MATCH the Raiders/Brumbies ANNUAL $800,000 for high-level football - based on participation and future proofing Canberra and we're on our way. Only politics and planning could stop us - surely.

Or ask for a dollar for dollar commitment - if they won't come to the party!

(Let's face it, the ACT Government would have spent this and more supporting elite A-League football over the last and coming years if we'd have got a team in the A-League - so why not give this money to elite football and let the game for once build from a base rather than have a team plonked in. The ACT Government may actually get some real value for their sporting dollar for once!)

Then we could see:

1. Canberra United take on Asian Club sides

2. A Youth team for boys. Boys play in the A-League youth set-up to showcase our players and coaches.

3. A Youth team for girls. And the girls to play top Sydney club sides as they prepare for their Canberra United chance.

Imagine the focus of our U12-U16 players in Div 1 across town!

4. Of course a Mariners style Academy set-up that immediately means something for eveyone involved with a real focus. No need for Capital Football eventually, and no need for ACTAS - but an assist in funding would help to get us moving - ACTAS would save some costs.

5. Futsal - Boomerangs to host Australia's first Asian Champions Invitation tournament - televised into the top six Asian Futsal nations. Maybe ACTAS could fund a Futsal component - you could even play it at the end of the Nationals each day!

6. Place your own idea here!

Random ideas?

Something to sit down and talk about and build on?

Alternatively tell me there is a better plan - more focused, more developed, one that gets us further forward, guaranteed in the next five years and I'll shut up.

And if there isn't one - then that tells you the state of football in this region in 2011.

I've been around Canberra football for 20 years and I've heard nothing as co-ordinated from any group.

If elite football means:

Bring an A-League game to Canberra as a one-off
Bring 3 Asian Cup 2015 games to Canberra as a three-off.
A re-birth of the Futsal slab by the lake for a Kate Carnell international,

Frankly I'd rather see the game continue to grow, sustainably, for Canberrans and our many players with a little Canberra intelligence, branding and pride built in.

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Why Canberra needs to plan!

Are Gold Coast junior soccer players better than, and more in number than the thousands in Canberra and the surrounding region.

Well, no and no, is the answer.

But the current Gold Coast United A-League franchise, despite only pulling a couple of thousand people per game, and losing almost half their squad this year, still have a pathway and youth model any young player or parent of a young player in Canberra, would die for.

Read the post on the A-League site also posted here below and see how it would change the focus of player development of our young Canberra players overnight.

We need to plan - who is the we? That's the first problem in Canberra! Local youngsters to get a shot at the big time
Tuesday, 26 July 2011


United Youth Team Head Coach, Mike Mulvey TWO-TIME title-winning coach, Mike Mulvey, will open the door to local youngsters as he begins compiling his squad for what he plans to be a third National Youth League (NYL) championship in three seasons.

Gold Coast United’s youth mentor will offer trials to two recommended under-20 players from every club in the region as he looks to unearth a hidden gem in the local ranks.

After nurturing United’s young brigade over the last two seasons and breeding a winning culture among his troops, Mulvey claimed two successive NYL crowns. But perhaps more importantly, many of the youngsters were primed for senior football.

Foundation youth players, Josh Brillante, Ben Halloran, Chris Harold and Zac Anderson, were all rewarded with senior contracts, leaving both vacancies and opportunities in Mulvey’s new-look squad for the 2011/12 NYL season.

“We will be asking the coaching staff at each local club to recommend their two best young prospects who qualify by age for our youth team and giving them a chance train with us,” Mulvey said.

“It’s a great opportunity for the local football community to strengthen their connection with our youth team who have done the Gold Coast proud over the last two years and represent the career pathways that our club wants to provide.

“Obviously, we will only be able to actually sign the very best of them and spots on our roster will be limited, so for the players who get invited there are two ways of looking at the opportunity.

“Either it will be a chance for them to come into a professional environment and see exactly what is required to make it to the top levels of the game then go away and improve. Or, if they are good enough and we see the right qualities, they could be offered a National Youth League contract with us for next season.

“Aside from the 16 players we are permitted to sign to the NYL roster, we also like to have a handful of others who train with the squad as often as possible and are held in the wings should we need to draft them in for injury cover. These ‘shadow squad’ players build up their skills over the course of the season and could be front runners for youth contracts the following year.”

Mulvey says Gold Coast United’s success in the NYL was not down to a chance meeting of fate and good fortune, but rather the result of shrewd player selection and meticulous planning with a clear outcome in mind.

Every United youth squad is segmented into three development levels to ensure a constant conveyor belt of talent is fed into the senior playing group. After only two seasons in the competition, Gold Coast are arguably leading the way in terms of nurturing home-grown talent for their Hyundai A-League side.

Mulvey explains: “We like to construct the youth squad in a particular way so that we are continually producing players. Out of the 16 we can sign, we want six of those players to be ready to play first team football now if required.

“Then, we want another six who will continue to develop this year and be ready for the first team in 12 months time. The other four remaining spots, plus two to four ‘shadow’ players, are the ones who will be competing for senior football in 24 months.

“If you look at how we’ve done these things historically then it really does highlight what an opportunity this could be for those who have what it takes to make the grade. Josh Brillante, who has been with us from the beginning, now has a senior contract. Zac Anderson, Ben Halloran and Chris Harold all have senior contracts and next in line will be the likes of young Mitch Cooper and others who are entering their second year with us.

“We’ve been watching local games and we’ve already identified a few who may be what we’re looking for, but we will consult with the local coaches and clubs because there may be one or two, or even several, who we are not aware of and we want to give every top young player a chance.

“Helping and developing local young players has always been one of our aims and this is yet another step towards that. The local coaches will also be very welcome to come along to any of the sessions and see how we do things here.”

With the letters going out to local clubs this week, it is expected that the first group will be invited to training in early August.

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Canberra football: a chink of light appears? Will FFA let us in this time?

Are we big enough? In Canberra?

The headline suggests "Small players to get a shot at A-League's best"

Well they don't come any smaller than Canberra football in the eyes of Jim Forrest's FNSW or our beloved national body the Double FA.

So don't be surprised if Canberra is given the longest most arduous route possible to get a chance to play a NSW Premier League team, never mind an A-League team.

Come to think of it, stuff NSW, let's head to Victoria, Adelaide or even Tasmania and qualify through those possible pathways!

And why not use it as a future builder - play our best youth players and bugger the senior guys - bet we don't!

A self-imposed vision for the future:

7 under 21s on the park at anyone time and use it to build our player opportunities and player base.

We have two hopes.

Lyall Gorman is in the hot-seat, or one of them and he's a decent, football minded, community minded bloke.

And John O'Sullivan's departure at FFA Headquarters gives me massive hope that one day we might get something, even a crumb.

Small players to get a shot at A-League's best
Michael Lynch
February 17, 2011
FOOTBALL Federation Australia will launch its FFA Cup in March next year with the final to be played on Australia Day, 2013.

The tournament would be open to all clubs at every level of the football pyramid, FFA general manager Lyall Gorman said last night at a football fan forum meeting in Melbourne.

The A-League clubs are likely to enter the cup at the last-32 stage.

Smaller teams that have survived earlier knockout rounds will get the chance to mix it with the likes of A-League premier Brisbane Roar and the country's biggest club, Melbourne Victory.

Gorman said that the cup would ''be a major opportunity to turbo-charge the game at grass-roots levels and convert fans from being merely followers to supporters.''

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Dare to Dream: Young Canberran desperate to make it!

Players will do anything to make it in Professional Football.

And any player from Canberra needs to work a little harder, have a little more belief, and support, than players from the big Aussie A-League cities.

Checkout former Woden Valley junior local boy Nick Humphrey, now living in Hungary, and his desire to succeed. All the best Nick!

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Andrew Barr: Football fuming, now we're political

Nearpost will campaign to remove ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr at the next election.

If you think Canberra's 20,000 players and families deserve more for football please forward this story to your friends, through facebook, through twitter etc.

ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr has stunned and upset the football community of Canberra with his generous offer of $650,000 per game to bring Greater Western Sydney Giants to play three in-season games in the Capital.

And with Brumbies and Raiders CEO's also said to be fuming, but ready to ask for more - for their Canberra teams - could the ACT Labor Government have an election backlash on it's hands...

from the Football Community. (20,000 plus parents)

Not from the Peak Body Capital Football, they think a million dollars for a community synthetic facility is great work, compared to $650,000 for a game with no strings attached, no upkeep and CPI linked.

Having talked and listened to many in the community over the last few days it's clear to me the sporting, in particular the football community is fuming.

Football deserves $1 million per year, immediately. In truth we probably deserve more. But don't give it to Capital Football for an extra pitch they should get that anyway; give it to an organisation that can run such a future fund.

$200,000 for the W-League team, $300,000 for our A-League Youth team and $500,000 to build a business resource to get money for a future A-League team. What we could do with that.

This would change Canberra football forever. We deserve it. We pay masses of taxes and we pay them in Canberra.

Mr Barr: People are fuming. Football people. Canberra people. Presidents of Clubs, Coaches, Players, Parents. The football community is stunned not particularly by the generosity of the ACT government for an AFL team from out of town but by the failure of the ACT Government to support football and our huge community.

We are a huge community. We have blogs, radio shows, community newsletters,and word of mouth. Yes we all talk, all 20,000 of us. We all support the Brumbies and the Raiders and as football fans we feel stunned.


And we will talk down the Labor Government over and over until we get what we deserve. Starting here on this blog.

The ACT Government needs to do a damn sight more than hand over dollars for community grounds, Hawker or no Hawker.

We want grounds of course, 20,000 players need and deserve that, but AFL gets that anyway.

We want something that is good for Canberra, our 20,000 players, and the future of the game, the sport, the city.

Barr out, Labor out!

We won't stop until you give us what we the community deserve. We want a million dollars every year for our Youth team, our Futsal teams, our W-League and our future A-League team.

We want it now.

Volunteers in Canberra run the 20,000 players, boys and girls, men and women, keeping them fit, getting them on the park, and all the benefits that come with that and you have the hide to give them nothing - no assistance for future teams/growth.

Time to talk Andrew and talk fast.

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Centre of Excellence: Canberra can't ever have this

Centre of Excellence one step closer to reality

Following last week’s confirmation of $10 million in Federal Government funding, the Central Coast Mariners trust has taken another significant step in the creation of its Centre of Excellence at Tuggerah, with an agreement now in place for the construction of up to 10 multi use outdoor sports courts.

The Mariners trust has reached an agreement with the UK’s leading constructor of Five-a-side complexes, “Soccer 5’s”, with the development set to become their first, and flagship entry into the Australian market.

“Soccer 5’s” has a deep in-house knowledge of the Five-a-side industry in the UK. Neil Hickey (Soccer 5’s Development Director) has been building Five-a-side centres in the UK since their inception in the early 1990's, including one of the first centres at the famous Wembley Stadium.”

“The Mariners have embarked on a wonderful venture and when we were first approached, we were determined to be a part of it,” said Chairman of Soccer 5’s Jack Smith.

“We’ve been working with (Mariners trust Chairman) Peter Turnbull on this project fort six months and we intend on becoming the number one provider of Five-a-side complexes in Australia, and we already have plans to open another five around Australia in the coming 12 months.

“The Mariners Centre of Excellence will be our first however, and we will take great pride in it being the flagship for all future developments in the country.”

This component will be the first exciting part of stage one of the plans for the Mariners Centre of Excellence, which is awaiting issue of a construction certificate from Wyong Shire Council.


It is envisaged that Certificate will be issued before the end of the year, allowing work on the project to commence, as scheduled, in February 2011.

“Five-a-side football is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and in Europe, and we are convinced it will be here in Australia as well,” said Turnbull.

“As this is such a major focal point of the Centre of Excellence, and also something which will be of major use to the Central Coast community, it was important to make sure we had the right builders and operators for us. We are satisfied we have achieved that and have full confidence in Jack and his team.

“Having seen their designs, frankly, I can’t wait to see it in operation, it will be superb,” Turnbull said.

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Canberra Players rob local football

2. If you want more money, get another job

Canberra Premier League Clubs are shooting themselves and the local game in the foot.

When Belconnen United, Canberra FC or whoever have to find tens of thousands of dollars to pay players each year to run around in the local Premier League they are ripping hard earned money out of the junior game, the development game.

Why?

Of course the players wouldn't take it if it wasn't offered, but who is to blame. The Players or the Club?

Here's what Goulburn President says about Player Payments in the Canberra Premier League.

1. The money you take is money from your club and your mates
2. If you want more money, get another job
3. We are not really professional (in terms of paying players) until the players start bringing in gate receipts (we have A league clubs that can't do that).
4. Don't ask your mates to pay you for doing something you enjoy.

What else could the clubs do with that money?

Peter Funnell has a much better handle on the local scene than me. His latest blogpost should be read.

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Canberra Men's Pathway.

Belconnen United, Canberra FC, Woden Valley and Capital Football should sit down and plan how the Canberra United Mens team starts to move forward...and quick.

Entry into the NSW Premier League or even the State League, a team funded by the four groups above in equal parts, and run by some amalgamation of the above group, should be a priority with the focus on building a player base for a future A-League team.

A-League4Canberra should have some role in assisting this process and indeed any other welcome investors.

Games to be played at Belconnen And Canberra FC home grounds, and the team to be called

Canberra United.

All players under 21 with only 4 over-aged players on any game day. And each player can only be paid a minimum payment - ie so the club is sustainable and doesn't get dragged into paying STUPID wages to 27 year olds and older.

Capital Football should provide a limited and capped amount of funding to enable this to happen. They shouldn't have a major role in running the "club." That is not their strength.

Anyone got a better idea how to build boys/mens pathways, that also leads to us growing our team and support for A-League entry that is separate to a Capital Football run team.

Belconnen United or Canberra FC to go it alone? Not sure that is sustainable or attractive to Capital Football, and other sponsors who may support an organisation which has a broader goal for football in the region.

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ACT Cricket want a Big Bash franchise - football wants nothing

So if ACT Cricket, the sports peak body in Canberra, can start to strategise to get a National Big Bash Franchise in coming years as they said they were in the weekends paper, why is Capital Football, our Peak Body so incompetent at getting any football for our young boys beyond the borders of our city?

Goulburn and Cooma are NSW Federation Members welcome in our league, it's time we had a plan.

When that World Cup is announced for Australia on Dec 2, if it is, will Canberra be celebrating the start of a strategy for football.

Or will it all just pass us by?

Just six World Cup games or so and nothing strategic for us to build on in the years running up to the Cup? Surely Capital Football has a plan to announce, but I fear we won't.

Tell me I'm wrong!

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Canberra Football: Boys areThe Number One issue.

So Western Sydney are to die on Thursday so we're told. No money. Not when they ditched Canberra for the West and not now.......leaving Canberra football exactly where?

The fair city of Canberra with thousands of players in it's city walls and surrounding lands still has not one State Youth team, not one State Premier League team, not one National Youth team and of course no A-League Youth team. How can we be so inept at providing our boys with a pathway after all these years.

How come the brains of Canberra football can't solve this problem, ever?

Does anybody with the keys to the city walls see the problem? Do they even care?

We have tons and tons of boys heading to High Performance Programs, presumably boys aspiring to the higher level, but no-one in the City able to assist them to get in the shop window.

But we'll take their money on a hope they'll do what exactly, have fun, improve, shine, get a trial, ACT Rep Football, or just be baby sat?

Surely we can do better, and isn't it about time we did?

When the Asia Cup Bid is announced for Australia in January, with six games planned for Canberra - will Capital Football, Canberra Football be able to take advantage?

Did we take advantage of the 2000 Olympics? Will we take advantage if the World Cup Bid is announced?

Or will the other codes merely get an upgraded stadium.

No strategy from the Capital Football Board on getting some real high-level football or is it the best secret in town!

And I'm not talking a couple of Mariners drop-in games.

We bloggers within the City Walls will not rest until the plan is revealed.

We have a W-League team; after being initially excluded we were able to overcome all barriers - all barriers - and thankfully we now have a team. It's great.

Now time to bring the same skills and acumen to our Boys. No if's, no buts. It's time.

Canberra Football: Boys are The Number One issue. Everything else should be put on hold until this pathway is opened. Everything! Is that clear enough?

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Canberra dudded by the FFA again?

Chips anyone?

Last season Central Coast Mariners brought their pedestrian A-League team down to Canberra for two home games; against Perth Glory and bottom placed Adelaide United.

With the FFA dudding Canberra's A-League bid just days before the games, (great marketing from the FFA) fans were furious with the games although over 5,000 still attended the games - what many A-League clubs wouldn't give for that crowd now - and it will be interesting to see what crowd the Mariners get when they play their next "home" game in Sydney at the SFS.

But would they bring games back to Canberra this year?

No! So once again the "football experiment" ends before it began.

Hopeless on many counts.

But now the Mariners have a football team worthy of the name we'd actually like to see them in Canberra;

and come to think of it Perth with Robbie Fowler and co, and Adelaide with boy wonder Matthew Leckie and Marcos Flores - yes we'll take these games this time and we'd probably pull in 10,000 this time - or more than the usual Mariners home gate!

But no this city has been dudded again, the FFA once again fluffed their lines.

Where is the plan to build professional football in the Canberra region - you'd have to wonder wouldn't you.

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FFA: Give us back our rego fees....NOW!

Technical Development, kids playing more football, need to grow the game at all levels.

Well the FFA have been talking "bullshit," for many years now when it comes to Canberra and the wider region.

In Canberra no boy can play outside of Canberra in a Canberra team, in a NSW Youth League, NSW Premier League, in an A-League Youth team or A-League team.

So what is the point of Canberra boys playing football and doing all this extra so-called development. Of course the boys are thinking of getting somewhere one day maybe; but aside from a love of the game, what can they aspire to?

Nothing.

So parents of Canberran boys continue to pay your registrations to Capital Football and through them to the FFA but maybe we start to ask the question.

What are the FFA doing for football in this region. What say you FFA, we can't hear you! And we certainly don't see anything.

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Canberra, now Gold Coast embarass FFA

Gold Coast will close three sides of their stadium to save costs, almost $60,000 per game as ticket sales are sluggish ahead of their weekend game against Victory.

Not a great look on TV, not a great move by the Club but blame not Clive Palmer and co, no point your barrels at the FFA.

They let the Gold Coast on the back of what, research, community support, list of sponsors, memberships etc etc, no they gave in to a big $12 million cheque plonked on a table.

No way to build a club in Australia, a club without any history of professional football in the region and no surprise that crowds of 5,000 are the norm...or less.

Of course when the FFA were presented with a coherent bid, in Canberra, where sponsors, members, supporters, Government support, investors, crowd numbers were all working towards building a community based club, they the FFA sent the bid packing.

Worse than that they have completely dismissed the whole region. Sure when Australia gets the Asian Cup in 2015 we'll have 7 games in Canberra. And what people are supposed to just run out and support football. Kuwait v China, or Indonesia v India and then what forget about football again.

Doesn't the FFA have a responsibility to grow the game in Australia, even a strategy which Canberra might just have a part in.

Long time the FFA led from the top.

FFA: What is your plan for football in the Canberra region? Maybe it's time we stopped paying our rego fees until they show us we have some long-term value in the scheme of things.

Because at the moment all the Canberra regions FFA rego fee component goes to who, Brisbane, Adelaide, North Queensland or worse still West Sydney.....aaarrrrggghhh

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Any Full-Time Football Staff in your club?

How many full-time staff does your junior club have?

Struggling for volunteers? Does the model for your club work? Is it going to be sustainable in the future?

Ever noticed how the Canberra football communiy, all 20,000 players, has no place in our community.
One Club in Australia has eighty full-time staff, so why does your club have NONE? What are we doing so wrong in Canberra, and maybe elsewhere across the country. And will your club be in the same boat in the next 10 years. Probably! Read on.

About Vikings Futsal
Vikings Futsal began in 1992, when a meeting of the Logan City Futsal Club decided to call their national league team the Logan City Vikings. Today Vikings are at the forefront of futsal management and development. Vikings operate around 200 clubs, with another 30 affiliated across Australasia, have 80 full-time and 150 part-time staff. It also has affiliates in Brazil, Chile, USA, China, UK and the Philippines. Vikings is a not for profit association. Our mission is to develop futsal as a sport in its own right, not as a form of training for alternative sports.

Few clubs in Canberra, if any, have any support from our licensd clubs, our own grounds or even our own shops. If Sportsman's Warehouse or Rebel sell some gear to our kids and we get a little rebate we think we've done a good deal. Pathetic if that is the best we can do.

Who is driving the business model for football in Canberra, or for our clubs. I see no evidence.

Resourcing is the single biggest issue facing football in Canberra.

As your kids go off to play futsal at the local Netball Centre or some private centre to pour money into those other sports over summer, take a look around you. At the kids who are playing, and the benefits they are getting. None! Not one long-term benefit to our kids from the money they are spending.

Turn up play your game and that's it. You can't even get a few minutes to train before the game as we've only paid for courts from 5-10pm and the courts must remain empty until 5pm. How much do we pay?

One club with over 1500 players approached a local licenced club in their area. "We don't support soccer."

When will the dingbats from Ainslie Footy Club, Wests Rugby or Raiders HQ and the like realise that we have all the kids and by joining with the community, the soccer community which is the Canberra community in essence, they not only get to contribute to the health and welfare of the community they could actually entice/offer special deals to get some kids to play their games...and by god they need them don't they!

Hey their green ovals could even get used occasionally but that's another story.

Why does football in Canberra despite having all the kids, hardly have any infrastructure worthy of it's name and not a single bus to collect kids from High School for training (AFL) Development Officers who spend considerable times in school from a Club (Wests Rugby), clubs providing free Coaching and Educational seminars, free meals for their 14-18 years olds (Raiders).

It's our own fault. Don't blame those in other clubs or codes. We have enough talent on our sidelines with Professional and Business nous, but it seemingly isn't being tapped. Our kids deserve better, our city deserves better.

You can only do this stuff if you have money. Football has none bar the odd handout from the ACT Government. Big deal!

And the Raiders and Brumbies get $1 million per year, Canberra football should get the same. The kids would benefit, we'd use it wisely and in time when an A-League team comes in the A-League would benefit, from players ready to go and infrastructure already set-up to assist an A-League club in the long-term.

Who is lobbying for us to get the same monies as League and Union?

How many balls are sold across Canberra every year? Does anyone make any money from it?

Rebel and various Sports Shops must make hundreds of thousands per years from football. Boots and footwear, same with socks, shorts you name it there isn't a football club making any real money from it's player purchases. And if they are it's all volunteers (God Bless em) isn't it.

Is anyone planning for our future or is our future a Government handout for TigerTurf every three years, is that the best we can do.

There is money out there, 20,000 kids and their parents must spend an awful lot of money in the community.

We haven't tapped our resources yet, and if we continue as we are we will be the laughing stock of all Australia.

Canberrans pride themselves on being smart people. Time our football community got serious, and worked their talents.

We could hardly do worse could we?

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Capital Football Board must act now

I've never written to the Capital Football Board before, never felt the need or desire but the current debacle over "our" High Performance programs and it's ability to provide opportunities for a much broader and younger football base, boys/girls, is such a positive move that something must be done. And now.

Who are on the Board?

Alan Bradbury, Peter Maybury, Kim Chapman, Fethon Illeris, Stephanie Issaacson, Rachel Harrigan and John Logue (President)

The Board cannot throw this opportunity for our young players away, at least we deserve some communication and quick.

And secondly they should endorse John Mitchell's ANU outfit and encourage them, promote them and ensure they get as many Youth League games as possible in the coming months. And scrap the Youth Rockets...it's been tried and failed.

See my letter below and feel free to add comments.

To: Capital Football Board.



As a member of the Canberra football community I would urge the Capital Football Board to consider urgent resolution of it's High Performance programs.



The placement, removal, and what only can be regarded as an unsatisfactory message placed on the Capital Football website leaves many of the community I've spoken to dismayed, disillisioned and some outright angry. Whatever your internal processes the way you have informed the community is poor to say the least.



I've spoken to many Academy Parents, Coaches and many many people from across all level of the game in clubland.



I've never heard such a positive response to the North/South Development HP programs from all sectors of the game, boys and girls, men and women. I'm sure your registrations would reflect this and I imagined they would have tripled come trial day such is the word of mouth excitment that was being generated.



It seems to me the Board have little idea of the success and goodwill Capital Football were getting from this initiative.



Of course there are those who disagree, but few if any outside the current Academy (and hasn't that program got some equity and development issues) disagree with the proposed changes. While some support the Academy within the program you'd be lucky to find one person outside the program in support of it's maintenance in it's present form. Have you tested the grassroots on this?



People who have no history of the game are signing up their kids, their girls and boys, to get "better developed." Do you realise what you have done by abandoning, stopping or reviewing the program. That's the point; no-one has an idea what you are doing or why you have done it. Capital Football are not looking to good on this one. We simply deserve better?



There are rumours across clubland and the information you are giving us is disappointing.



Why Capital Football cannot proceed immediately with it's HP program for 9-12 girls/boys North and South as proposed; and if needs be argue about the other HP programs/Academy few in clubland can understand.



Of course an Academy selected on merit may be worth maintaining, one based on financial ability to pay leaves most of us chuckling at it's proposed aims. The FFA clearly have noted this, and NSW's of course, are making their programs free. One wonders if we'd see the same squads if Canberra Academies were free. True development?



On a further note: Capital Football's Youth Rockets program has failed to give our Youth real consistent opportunities. No problem, it's a difficult thing to maintain. But you have the answer staring you in the face. Why not put your support and energy behind the most progressive program we currently have in the ACT for our young boys. John Mitchell's ANU "Youth" team is playing games against Sydney Youth and giving our players a chance to showcase themselves.



If a better model comes up you can always move to that but for now let's blow it's trumpet as best we can. If you don't who will?

In view of a lack of other suitable programs, why try and reinvent the wheel. Seems like the ANU team is the best way forward for our elite boys. Support it and encourage John and his team to get a full program of Youth games over the coming season.



I've never written to the Board of Capital Football before but the feedback I'm getting has compelled me to do so.



Once the season is over many many parents and kids will have missed the boat. You're website talks about resolving things in September. Too late!!



Club communication systems slow considerably come Sept 5th everyone knows that.



It;s time to act. Either get the program going now or inform the community as to the way ahead.



Your faithfully



Eamonn Flanagan

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Canberra Professional Football smashes AFL?

AFL the darling of Australian sport, here for 150 years and with my beloved St Kilda leading the way have only

ONE player, one current professional player Sydney Swans Craig Bolton drafted from Canberra in their league.

One, according to the Canberra Times.

Can that be right?

Football has at least 13 guys playing professional football and at least a couple of women.

Joe Simunic, Bundseliga.
Carl Valeri, Serie B
Matt Kemp, A-League
Nikolai Topor-Stanley, A-League
Kaz Patafta A-League
Shaun Ontong, A-League
Adam Casey, A-League
Kofi Danning, A-League
Andrew Baresic, A-League
Stephen Lustica, A-League
Luke Pilkington, A-League
Sam Munro, A-League
Cody Larkin ?, A-League

Have I missed anyone?

Add in Lydia Williams currently on the Chicago WSL list, Caitlin Munoz, and a host of others in the Canberra United W-League side and we're smashing the AFL production ranks in this city.

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Canberra United beginning to stir

Ray Junna United's new Coach is seemingly looking to engage more local talent for Canberra United this season, andLydia Williams set to come home from the USA for United's new season.

For Canberra Times Journo Merryn Sherwood's recent articles in the Canberra Times read on.

By Merryn Sherwood

Last season Cian Maciejewski was the only local premier league player to take part in Canberra's inaugural W-League side.

This year, even Maciejewski thinks that will change.

New United coach Ray Junna started holding trials last week and invited players from all ACT clubs to participate along with ACT Academy of Sport squad members and a selection of NSW players.

''I think it's fantastic that Ray has gone to the local league first and given them that chance,'' Maciejewski said.

''Last year, you could have gone along to training but it's kind of hard to just pick yourself up and go out there by yourself, but this year Ray has really given them the confidence to come in and be part of it.

''It's been great to see so many more girls involved.'' This year's story is different from Maciejewski's.

Maciejewski played in the old women's national league for the Canberra Eclipse.
However, a knee injury meant she spent time out of the game before coming back to play for Belwest in the local women's league where she has played for the past three seasons. This year, it's a host of talented teenagers making their way on to the national stage.

Almost every premier league team has players in the ACT schoolgirls under-15s and under-17s nationals teams who are making a difference. At Belwest, Georgia Yeoman-Dale and Hope Wilkins have impressed, Weston Creek has Aleisha Tupper, Krista Hagan and Elizabeth Pearson and Belconnen United has Erica Weatherly.

Woden Valley has the biggest contingent, with players like Sally Rojahn, Catherine Brown, Grace Field and Ashleigh Palombi all scoring bags of goals in Woden's so far undefeated season.

The biggest issue for Junna could be age restrictions.

This year each W-League team is allowed to have just three under-17 players.
Almost all of the women's premier league players coming through are under that age.
But Maciejewski doesn't think that's a bad thing.

''The W-League can be pretty stressful, maybe some of them their age, they might be a bit too young,'' Maciejewski said.

''But they certainly have potential. There are some great players there.'' Junna is still working out how to balance his squad, which will start to take shape when the W-League registration opens, but is keen for more Canberra-based players.

Last season, the whole 20-player squad didn't train together once, even in the week leading up to the grand final against the Brisbane Roar.
For season two, Junna wants that to change.

Canberra United can officially sign players when the W-League registration period opens on July17.

Williams netting plenty of experience
By Merryn Sherwood

As an understudy to one of the world's best goalkeepers at the Chicago Red Stars, Lydia Williams believes she has learned a great deal and can't wait to bring her form back to Canberra United. After finishing the inaugural season at Canberra United with the second-best defensive record in the league last year, Williams trialled with Chicago in the new American women's professional league club in March and secured a contract.

For the past three months she has trained almost daily, earning enough to live on and has been mentored by one of the world's leading goalkeepers and practised against some of the sharpest female strikers in the world. ''I think Carli Lloyd is the hardest shot to stop in training,'' Williams said. ''So I know if I start stopping her shots regularly then I'll be up there.

''But it's definitely given me a lot of incentive, I think its the most physical competition there is, so being a part of that will improve me a lot.''Williams is yet to take to the field for the team but is happy to be gaining skills to bring back to Canberra when the W-League starts in October.

While no players can be officially signed until July 17, Williams was keen to return to her home team, Canberra United, for its second season.

''I probably won't be playing this season in the [US] league unless Carre [Jonsson] gets injured, but I don't mind at all because she's probably one of the best keepers in the world at the moment,'' Williams told The Canberra Times from Chicago.

''I'm learning so much from her and its only making me better.''''... On crosses I think I'm a lot cleaner now and my foot work has improved, there is a whole lot of things have been cleaned up a little bit.''Williams said the experience had given her incentive to improve.

As the No1 Matildas goalkeeper, she was one of the most experienced players in the W-League. But in America, Williams was was an under-study to Swedish international Caroline Jonsson and is one of the youngest players in the league.

The women's pro soccer league season ends in August.
The official W-League draw is expected to be released in the next fortnight.

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Did the Canberra lad win?

Loose lips sink ships? Luke would have been good in the war! Because he's not saying if he won a contract with Melbourne Victory after competing in the reality TV product placement show.

This year it's dire. More products than footballers I reckon but it's probably an age thing.

Luke Pilkington on his Fox 8 Football Superstar experience.

Playing at that level is amazing, it's so fast and so technical, the intensity just lifts, Ernie is a great coach and I've learned a lot from him, so it was an amazing experience.

No surprise that a Canberra footballer makes it through to the final three, but did he win?

Check out Merryn Sherwood's Canberra Times story below...and no it doesn't tell you if he wins.

Surely Luke would be pushing for a Canberra Youth team if not an A-League contract if we had a team, him and a heap of others.

Star back from 'reality' to phone and friends
By Merryn Sherwood

It's not often Capital Football men's premier league players are asked for autographs after games, but Luke Pilkington hasn't had an average two months.

After trying out for a reality TV series and making the final 15 competing for an A-League contract with Melbourne Victory, Pilkington has spent the past five weeks in the Football Superstar house.

He has had hardly any contact with the outside world, no mobile phone, no internet and cameras following the him around most of the day, while playing and training under pressure to determine which player has the talent to make it in an elite football environment.

The TV series still has four weeks to run on Foxtel, so Pilkington isn't allowed to divulge where he finished up.
But given the praise handed to him by Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick so far on the FOX8 program and the fact he only returned to Canberra last week it's safe to say he has made the final three. It could mean his stay in Canberra is very short; if he did win, he will be back in Melbourne soon.

But making the final, out of hundreds of aspiring soccer players around the country is an impressive feat.

It's also meant if people in Canberra didn't know Pilkington from the local ACT premier league, the ACT representative teams and his short stint with the Central Coast Mariners during their pre-season here last year, they do now.

Yesterday he was a bit overwhelmed to find a group of kids approaching him after his game for ANU, all exclaiming they had seen him on TV.

But the 18-year-old was mainly just enjoying being back. While it turned out to be a mud bath at ANU North and Pilkington's ANU team lost 2-0 to O'Connor, he still had a huge smile on his face.

''It's good to be back, just to see mates and being playing alongside all the boys again, you have more freedom and a phone, so it's good,'' he said.

''I was in there for about five weeks, it was just frustrating because you couldn't get out; there was no outside world.''

Despite that Pilkington said the experience had overall been a positive one in terms of furthering his soccer career.

As well as stints with the Mariners last year, Pilkington has also trialled with A-League newcomers Gold Coast this year but wasn't offered a contract with either.

But in the football superstar house, he's gained a more intensive apprenticeship.

''Playing at that level is amazing, it's so fast and so technical, the intensity just lifts,'' he said. ''Ernie is a great coach and I've learned a lot from him, so it was an amazing experience.'' Football Superstar is on FOX8 every Wednesday at 7.30pm.

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Football lunch: Why not support a great cause?

ACT Association for Advancing Disabled Sport and Recreation Inc
Invites you to be entertained by:
Guest Speaker
Lawrie McKinna
Manager – A League Champions - Central Coast Mariners

Master of Ceremonies
Tim Gavel
ABC Celebrity Sportscaster

More details below.

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At the Football Celebrities Lunch
and silent auction of significant sporting memorabilia

The Brassey Canberra

Belmore Gardens, Barton, Friday July 10. Kick off: 12 noon for 12 .30

Master of Ceremonies
Tim Gavel
ABC Celebrity Sportscaster

Your attendance will help people with disabilities achieve their sporting goals

3 Course Luncheon: $75 pp (drinks included)

Please RSVP by: Wednesday 8 July
To: ACTAADS Inc c/o Houston & Hanna Accountants - credit card facilities
G.P.O. Box 810, Canberra ACT 2601,
Tel: 6248 8175 e-mail. kim@khanna,com.au.

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The beautiful game

Companion House
Assisting Survivors of Torture and Trauma

World Refugee Day
Soccer Tournament

Sport is a great way to build communities and to
celebrate.This event has been organised to celebrate
World Refugee Day, and strengthen the ties between
refugee communities in Australia.
A team from the Sudan and Sierra Leone, Karen and Mon
community will compete in a friendly soccer match.



Companion House
Assisting Survivors of Torture and Trauma

World Refugee Day
Soccer Tournament

Sport is a great way to build communities and to
celebrate.This event has been organised to celebrate
World Refugee Day, and strengthen the ties between
refugee communities in Australia.
A team from the Sudan and Sierra Leone, Karen and Mon
community will compete in a friendly soccer match.




Sunday 2 1 s t Ju n e 2 0 0 9
Venue: AIS
Outdoor Synthetic Field
Bruce, ACT
(Entry by – Leverrier Crescent)

Highlights
10.30 – 10:50 am Kids game
10:50 -11.10am Friendly game
11:10 - 11.30am Team warm up
11:35 – 11:40am Fair Play Speech by
Refugee Ambassador, Graceman
Abakah
11:45am – First Round Kick Off
12: 30pm Half time activities
BBQ and family fun
1:00 pm Second round kick off
2:00 pm Presentation of Trophy
2:15 pm Closing remark by Director
of Companion House

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