CEO’S REPORT

STUART HODGE

As we look back on 2021, the impact of lockdowns, interruptions and cancellations are hard to ignore. However, for our Football NSW family, it was a year that illustrated the tremendous resilience across our entire community, highlighting just how strong football is in NSW. On that note, I firstly want to pay tribute to and thank each and every volunteer, coach, referee and administrator who worked tirelessly throughout another difficult year. It was an incredible achievement to get the 2021 season underway in a safe environment for our participants, enduring another devastating lockdown, and then bringing our sport back to life as a return to football took place. It is only through your commitment that we could navigate a 2021 return to football via the implementation of COVID-19 Safety Plans, check-ins, vaccination requirements, and space limitations. I am filled with unwavering belief in our sport’s future based on your ongoing dedication and contributions. As the COVID-19 Delta variant spread across NSW and community sport was put on hold, Football NSW once again led the way, on behalf of our community, in advocating for your interests with the NSW Government. Throughout the year, we were unwavering in our calls for Government support grants to provide a reprieve for Clubs and Associations after two difficult years. Upon returning to lockdown, Football NSW was central to the state sporting bodies lobbying the NSW Government for the provision of a Return to Sport Framework, thus enabling us to plan for the earliest possible safe return to football.

As part of our effort to return to the field through the uptake of vaccinations, we led the way in developing the ‘Sport Super Sunday’ initiative on the 29th August. By successfully attaining the support of many NSW sporting organisations, the ‘Sport’ Super Sunday set a new single day vaccination record for the Sydney Local Health District.

Similarly, Football NSW embraced our unique and multicultural membership by releasing a vaccination message spanning a range of languages to our community. It is initiatives like these that show just how important a role football can play in the wider NSW and Australian communities.

Across the entire pandemic, our focus has firmly been on supporting our Clubs and Associations to ensure there was sustained financial viability at each tier of the game. This remains fundamental to our continued development as a sport. As such, Football NSW announced $1.5 million in fee relief to Associations and Clubs in September, following the cancellation of the 2021 winter season.

It is not just the pandemic that has impacted our Clubs. In early 2021, we were there for Clubs in the Nepean and Blacktown Associations that suffered losses due to the devastating floods in their regions. Football NSW showed solidarity by providing much needed funds and equipment to help ensure affected Clubs were able to recover.

I am immensely proud that Football NSW has been in a position to provide such relief to our Clubs and Associations when they need it the most. Despite the ongoing disruptions to sport, 2021 saw a significant number of wins for our football community, with participation growing by 6%, which included an incredible 13% increase amongst female players. To see playing numbers increase in such a manner during a global pandemic is once again a great testament to the resilience of our game and credit as always goes to our Clubs and Associations.

After publishing the NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy in late 2020, we were delighted to see Football NSW Clubs across Sydney successful in securing over $10 million funding from Round 1 of the Greater Cities Sports Facilities Fund in 2021.

We also saw wins for regional football with the NSW Government announcing $750,000 for a talent identification and youth development program to increase access to coaching and support for regional NSW girls and young women. In 2021 alone, Football NSW supported a total of 85 grant submissions from Clubs, Associations and Councils to help fund football projects across the state. Infrastructure remains an integral part of our long-term strategy to increase the current accessibility to football and help build capacity to meet the future demand for our sport. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 approaching, we have advocated for as many matches to be played in Sydney as possible. Pleasingly, in December, we learned that Sydney would play host to 11 fixtures during the tournament, including the Matildas’ opening match, the first in Australia, as well as the final. The announcement was not only an incredible result for football in NSW but a significant show of support for our dedicated football community, with more opportunities than any other state to watch the Matildas and some of the best nations in the world in our very own backyard. Our attention has since turned to finalising a Legacy Program with the NSW Government and the Office of Sport to ensure the World Cup provides maximum benefits to Football NSW stakeholders and the wider NSW community. I look forward to providing further announcements around the rollout of Legacy Programs throughout 2022. Thank you to the Football NSW Board, led by the new Chair Gilbert Lorquet, for your contributions and your ongoing trust in myself and the management team throughout the year. I also want to thank the dedicated Football NSW staff who have shown unwavering commitment to their roles through challenging times and frequently changing working conditions. Despite the physical challenges we have faced, I am incredibly proud of the services and support we have continued to provide to our members.

The past two years have proved a great example of how strong football is when we support one another, and I look forward to our continued collaboration with members towards the ongoing growth of our game.