Lets All Play Football Magazine Spring 2012 by Oscar Carre

VOLUME #4 / SPRING 2012

let’s all play

Gold Coast & Tweed Heads Edition

THE TIM CAHILL EFFECT

SPORT-IN-DIGITAL MOMENTS FUTSAL 2012 FACE 2 FACE: DAMIEN BRESIC PART TWO

LOCAL BOY SIGNS FOR MANCHESTER CITY

CONTENTS

THE TIM CAHILL EFFECT 12 07 | EDITOR’S NOTE

20 | P LAYER PATHWAYS

08 | GRAND FINAL DRAW

24 | G OLD COAST KNIGHTS

12 | T HE TIM CAHILL EFFECT

26 | SPORT-IN-DIGITAL

Interview with Tim Cahill

16 | FACE 2 FACE with Damien Bresic

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34 | F UTSAL

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Positive

Let’s make junior sport positive everyday ...it’s all about having fun! • Offer positive comments to players, coaches and other spectators • Applaud the efforts of match officials, players and coaches • Focus on a child’s efforts and self esteem rather than whether they win or lose • Remember that children play sport for their enjoyment • Remember that children learn best by example - teach them what sportsmanship means • Respect the decisions of match officials and teach children to do the same

For information about Positive or it’s pointless visit the Department of Communities’ website www.sportrec.qld.gov.au

In partnership with

EDITOR’S NOTE

s we come to the end of another football season and at the time of going to press, the finals are underway across the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales. The major change or difference to previous seasons is the absence of Gold Coast United and the buzz that surrounded it. We have Clive Palmer to thank or not for many things within our sport, and one of them is the fact that he had the courage to challenge the FFA openly in a way that not many could have done. It gave us all the opportunity to see what is usually reserved for the more privileged. Clive Palmer went further and invested his own money to afford the FFA the opportunity to fix what has been chronically wrong with our sport. He set up Football of Australia and allowed everyone to have their say on where we think the sport needs fixing and how this may be done. We don’t yet have the know-how to break it all down and tell you what was valid from what was said

and or what wasn’t, but we can certainly agree with the fact that the terms of reference were based on key issues that underline the health and the future of football in this country. “Terms of reference covered the failure of the Olyroos to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics; the high cost of junior participation; the degree of encouragement provided to women to participate in the game; the structure, governance and sustainability of the A-League in its current form; as well as any other matters of importance to the game”. Please go to www. footballaustralia.com to read the entire report. In this edition we bring you the highly anticipated interview with Tim Cahill – it’s an enlightening read for those interested in the future of football. Just a reminder though, we collected most questions through our Facebook and Twitter pages, and our apologies to those whose questions were not included, even though they were of an interesting nature. We just couldn’t field them to Tim Cahill because his passion for our kids has nothing to do with the fact that he played for Everton FC and not Liverpool. In this issue you will also read about the Player Pathways program: a must read. We also bring you the second part of the interview with Damien Bresic, the general manager of Gold Coast Football, in which he talks about the issues surrounding the growth of our sport. We then turn our attention north to announce the birth of a new club in our region, whose name is still to be decided. Please don’t hesitate to send us suggestions for stories and or events that you think we should cover or publish. Please take note of the 7-a-side tournament that will take place at Nerang Soccer Club, and the 38th Croatian football tournament to take place on the Gold Coast.

We welcome Letters to the editor and contributions for content regarding football. The deadline for submission is 7 days prior to publication date, for more information please contact us info@letsallplayfootball.com.au Editorial content and contributions do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Advertise with us, call 0488 406 346 or email info@letsallplayfootball.com.au Publisher: Oscar Carre oscar@letsallplayfootball.com.au 0488406346 Editorial & Advertising: info@letsallplayfootball.com.au Contributing writer: Roy Skillen Proofreader: Vicki Sly Cover shot: Sport –In–Digital info@letsallplayfootball.com.au LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2012

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Shirt (blue and black) chosen by local community.

2013 will see the newest member of the Gold Coast footballling fratenity join the ranks. The club will be based in Ormeau but its name has not yet been decided. The people involved in this venture have opened the naming of the club up to the local children and are conducting a naming competition through the local schools. The club will commence with small-sided and junior teams and aims to provide senior teams in the future. The local Ormeau Fair was the ideal PG 10

Committee members at the Ormeau Fair. Left- Richard O’Leary - Right- Graeme Spencer

event for the club to promote itself and for the locals to choose the club’s playing strip. The club decided to run a competition by providing four different strips to choose from and the one with the most votes will be the colours for the new club. The response from the local community was amazing with a lot of support and excitement. The club’s home will be in Norfolk Park, Ormeau and work has already commenced for the fields to be ready for the 2013 season.

THE TIM CAHILL EFFECT

Tim Cahill cemented his status as an Aussie sports legend when he scored two goals against Japan in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, giving us our first taste of World Cup match victory. The Socceroos won 3-1 and Cahill came off the bench to score the first two goals in Australia’s World Cup history. Apart from playing his professional football in England (with Everton until summer 2012) and now for the New York Red Bulls in the USA, Tim is already playing his part in helping young and talented Aussie kids, by providing a priceless experience though coaching clinics. During his professional break from his Premier League commitments, Tim brought his clinic to Australia yet again and hundreds of kids got the opportunity to spend three days with Tim and the Everton youth coach Robbie Anderson. For those who don’t know Robbie, he’s a man with passion for youth development like no other and he can be accredited for developing well known players such as Jack Rodwell, Wayne Rooney and Ross Barkley, to name a few. Let’s All Play Football Magazine did have the privilege to chat to Tim about his clinic. Thanks for our Twitter and Facebook fans who suggested questions they wanted us to ask Tim.

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Q: What do you aim to achieve with your clinics? A: My clinics are all about participation for boys and girls in Australia. I want to promote grassroots soccer and I feel that my clinics provide a great platform to do this. I am there with the kids every day. It’s a real passion of mine and something that I feel can really change the way children in Australia are coached football. Q: Are the techniques applied in your clinics based on the European development structure or the Australian? A: Myself and Robbie Anderson came up with the coaching program. They are taught ball skills and agility training. We use all the equipment that I use when I’m training for a big match so the kids get to experience a quality training program. I want to go into local schools around Australia, teaching my program to kids so we can target kids at an early age, providing them with a program and coaching that really makes a difference to the success of Australian football.

Q: From your perspective, how much individual practice should kids undertake applying what they will learn with you in order to have skills such as above-average athleticism, superior aptitude to deal with the ball, and above all, the perfect timing to jump and play in the air like you? A: To get the skills needed you have to be determined to achieve your goals. Even if you are faced with hardship, you have to work hard to reap the rewards. Q: According to one of your old coaches (Mr John Doyle), when you were young you were specifically told to improve in the areas of making space and losing your markers. How critical are these skills to you now? A: They’ve played an important part in my progression as a footballer. A lot of what I work on is to find the space on the pitch and lose my marker. My past coaches have been influential in this area and have ultimately helped me become the player I am now. Q: You had the support of your family in your early years. How important is family LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2012

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involvement and how much should they get involved and when should they let go? A: Family is the most important thing to have. When I was growing up my family were my biggest critics and admirers. They helped me to achieve my dream and I am eternally grateful for their support. Q: The competitive spirit you have, is it natural or acquired? How can parents help their kids to be as competitive as you are? A: I think my competitive spirit is natural. I have always been a competitive person. If the kids enjoy what they play then competition naturally comes along.

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A: My aim for these coaching clinics is to promote football in Australia. By providing them with the right information on and off the field and giving them a chance to showcase their talent, the kids will hopefully see that if you train hard the rewards will come. Q: When you finish playing will you continue your football coaching clinics on a full-time basis? A: My clinics are a real passion of mine. I want to give kids the opportunities I never had when I was growing up. I want to develop my clinics in Australia so I can give as many children as I can the opportunity to play football and develop their skills. In the future I will be dedicating a lot of my time to my clinics.

I think my competitive spirit is natural. I have always Q: Almost half of the been a competitive Australian population has played football at some Some of the kids that person. If the kids Q:come point in their lives. What to your clinics will can parents do to foster enjoy what they play be ready to start their their child’s desire to keep career in 2022. then competition football playing football for longer Have you come across any than just during the who you think might naturally comes kids younger years? make it to the 2022 World Cup? What do you look for? along.

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A: I’ve seen a lot of special talents at my clinics and certainly some that will definitely make it to one of the World Cups in the future. However, my clinics give every kid, no matter how talented, a chance to play football and learn from quality coaches. Q: What do your scouts look for when seeking out new talent and did you bring any with you to the Gold Coast? A: My Gold Coast clinics were on between 25 – 27 May at the Royal Pines Resort. Robbie Anderson and I were there, looking at potential talent and helping the kids to nurture their skills. Q: What will it take for the Socceroos to win the World Cup in 2022? A: We’ve got to get through qualification first! It’s a tough group but if we stick together as a team I think we have a good chance. We have some good players and we need to stay positive throughout qualifications. Q: What’s your ball-juggling record? A: I would say over 100. Maybe more. LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2012

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FACE 2 FACE: With

Damien Bresic Part II

As promised in the previous edition, here is the last part of the interview with Damien Bresic. He spoke about the issues that some juniors faced in 2012, which was the age policy. He also discussed the efforts that are being made with regards to the referees. Now we continue with more business-like questions, as we still believe that one day, somehow, local clubs will be able to produce enough quality to generate enough crowds to warrant enough media interest and therefore earn the much needed cash. PG 16

LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALLÂŠ 2012

Q: During the semifinals, there are huge problems to get to the game at places like Merrimac; there was no parking, It demonstrated that people want to go to these games but as we grow as a community, are there any infrastructure plans to accommodate the demand? A: Yeah, you’re right, I was there too. I had to park in the back somewhere, and yes, it might have been difficult for the neighbours as well. Q: Are there any plans to capitalise on this opportunity, let’s say an ambitious TV coverage through the ABC state TV? It could be another revenue line for the clubs. A: On the TV side, a lot of it really depends on who’s running the station at the point in time, and what their level of interest is to what sport. A number of years ago we used to have coverage when there was a soccer person in charge. But, they used to come out and film our match of the day, do interviews after that game, and then on Monday we used to have a little bit of a snippet. But, the editor, or the sportsperson, at that point in time was a soccer nut. So, it depends where their cameras are. Obviously our events department does let the newspapers know, we let the media know, we let everybody know where our games are, when our games are on. But, what we were told was that they’ve only got a certain amount of cameras that run on the weekends. Sport is obviously a little bit lower down the list because all the other murders and robberies and whatever else take precedent. Sport is down there; unfortunately football is still down there from the other codes. So if there are nothing like shootings and other forms of crime happening on the Gold Coast we might get a camera crew out to one of our games. We are working on it. How we can achieve it without throwing money at it is difficult, but we’re still discussing it. We’re hoping to have our own media-type person that might film to their standards, and then we can just send out DVDs every week. And then, eventually, hopefully, they’ll go, “Oh, look, let’s play this”. So, we’re working on that

side of things. It’s not easy. Again, a lot of money needs to be put into it because what people need to remember, we’re fighting – and you mentioned the Burleigh Bears, but the Burleigh Bears are playing in the state league. We’re competing against the Nerang Roosters, for argument’s sake, at the AFL level, who’s our competitor. You know, the Gold Coast Stars will be competing against the state levels, and yet neither of them need to be competing against the Suns and the Titans. That’s not our fight, we can’t match them. As far as our own facility is concerned, we’d love to have something like that. Clubs would shoot us, because clubs don’t want to lose their revenue. I mean, we hosted the premier league grand final last year and nearly got strung up because, you know, we shouldn’t be taking money out of clubs’ pockets, which I can understand. You know, we need to work on something. We’ve spoken to council about funding; we’ve spoken with state government about funding. We’ve got all that in place. What we need now is land. So, unless we can find some land, or somebody dies and leaves us a whole heap of land somewhere close, but we are working on it, definitely working on it. I don’t really want to say too much, because a lot of it’s still in the pipeline, we’ve got plans to have something that includes training fields, accommodation, dormitories; there are grandstands, gymnasiums and everything which would be the ideal scenario for us. But, we need land to put that on, and of course, it requires funding. Q: What’s the value of the project? A: Oh, overall it would be over $100 million but, we’d most probably need to spend somewhere in the vicinity of about $25 to $30 million to get us off the ground, which we’re comfortable in sourcing that from state or federal government. Especially with the Commonwealth Games coming on board, now is the ideal opportunity for us to do this. So, we’re definitely working on it, Oscar, we’re not sitting idle. The other issue we have, as you know, is the fact that the Commonwealth Games are here, we’ll lose our current facilities LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2012

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(headquarters), and we’ll most probably lose our soccer fields as well. So we, as Football Gold Coast, we need to find a new home, regardless. So, we’re working on that as well. Q: With wet weather the fields are very fragile. Are there any plans to make them weather proof, in order for them to be used during the rainy season? A: Yeah. Well, unfortunately, most of the council fields that we lease are out in open space so you can’t do anything, which is normally a flood area or flood-prone areas. So, yes, it’s an issue in rain. Part of our submission or proposed area would have a full-sized artificial field just so that we can then generate, maybe, income out of it as well. We can lease it or rent it to clubs, rent it to other organisations, rent it to, you know, everybody wants to train somewhere, sometimes, that’s dry. So, definitely it’s in that plan, so I’m happy to discuss that with you on another issue, if you like, so. Q: Is there any way that the Gold Coast, the Football Gold Coast, can implement a relaxed summer competition? A: Well, depending on the club. But our biggest issue is the fact that most fields are council owned fields, therefore, if the council decides to close them, we are without many options. Our Carrara fields got closed for two months this year, even when Gold Coast United used them, they had to relocate their training venue to Broadbeach, and we weren’t allowed to touch them through November to early January. So, most of the sporting fields in the Gold Coast get work done on them over that period, or council closes those fields for recovery for the following season. So, if we play on, then halfway through the following season you’ll be playing on dirt and concrete. So, that’s one of our biggest issues. If we PG 18

can find somewhere that we could utilise without affecting the following season, we’d love to. I mean, a number of clubs used to run independent six-a-side tournaments and ninea-side tournaments and things like that, but then a lot of them aren’t doing that anymore either because of the fact that their fields took such a caning that they weren’t recovering in time for their season. So, in short, the answer is yes, we’d love to keep something going, but it’s just the areas or venues’ availability. And, light is the big issue. You know, we most probably have enough land, we’d find park spaces, but if we were going to do it at night time we need the lighting, and that’s the big issue. Q: Now, this might be the last question. Last year a young kid passed away in Northern New South Wales, what support was provided? A: We as an organisation did provide support yes. The club that the youngster used to play for was allowed to run some fundraising at either the grand final weekend or something like that. We’re here to help. I mean, if people come to us requesting assistance, we do whatever we can to help, we run an organisation for 7,500 to 8,000 people. So, we’ve got to be a little bit careful with what we do with our funds and everything else, and without sounding heartless, we can’t just give to everybody that asks. So, you know, 7,800 people come knocking on your door saying, “Can you help us do this? Can you help us do that?” Where do we draw the line? So, it’s very hard for us to say yes to one person and then no to somebody else. So, we have to be careful with what we do, so we try and be selective and see what the programs are, you know? If we can help disadvantaged people, if we can help people like that, and that’s where we’ve got extra grants to do that sort of stuff. So, you know, like we were saying earlier, one of the biggest things is that that will change, that we hope it

is helping the clubs, is the appointment of these three new club coordinators which are funded for three years by the state government. So, you know, we’ve got nearly half a million dollars in funding off the government. These gentlemen have vehicles all badged up with Football Gold Coast badging, sponsors, phones, laptops, and they go out to club land and help make clubs’ work easier, or become that conduit between the club and us so that we are, like I was saying earlier, we’re trying to break down this them and us atmosphere. So, now, you know, each coordinator has six clubs to work with, so they go directly to club land and say, “Okay, how can we help you? Can we assist your club apply for grants, can we do this or that?” And so, we believe that our three coordinators are helping liaise with clubs, and the clubs are benefiting. Look, there are lots of good things happening. It’s like they say, “Stay tuned, or watch this space”. Q: The ACCC gave a verdict to allow any interested parties the access to football marketing in Queensland and therefore abolishing the rights to supply football gear in Queensland which are currently held by few companies. A: Yeah, that’s correct. Q: But, Football Queensland decided to appeal. A: Yeah. Q: So, can you break down into simple terms, why did the Football Queensland decide to appeal? A: Well, in simple terms they’re losing $300,000. Well, the ACCC received a complaint about the legalities of Football Queensland’s marketing program which, in short terms, basically means that an organisation, or a company, pays Football Queensland X amount of dollars and then they become a preferred supplier and then the clubs must buy clothes off those preferred suppliers. At the moment,

I’m pretty sure Football Queensland has 12 preferred suppliers; and Nike, you know, that’s one of those, along with Gorilla and Attack and a few other companies there. So, all clubs in Queensland must purchase their jerseys, their off-field, on-field, playing apparel, everything, from those people. Clubs – or, a couple of people have complained. ACCC has made a ruling in favour of the clubs saying, “Yes, it’s illegal, it’s a restriction of trade. You should be allowed to go and buy what you want from who you want, where you want”. So, you’re right, it’s what we’ve been told, it’s technically not an appeal; it’s a review. So, Football Queensland has asked some other organisation to make a review of this, which is happening at the moment. In turn, from my understanding, the marketing program brings into Football Queensland anywhere between $250,000 and $300,000 a year. So, what’s ended up happening is that our fees have gone up by $6 from Football Queensland to compensate the ruling there. So, Football Queensland won’t be out of pocket. If the ruling is found back in Football Queensland’s way, they will refund that $6 from the clubs back to football. If it doesn’t, they have to pay back their marketing people, and then this $6 will compensate. But, for now, the marketing plan is still 100 per cent in place. Until the review is done, we have been told 110 per cent that the marketing plan is still in place, and that while it’s under review, clubs must abide by the existing marketing agreement. Q: So they’re in place and therefore are enforceable? A: Yes, you’re right. Football Queensland can enforce it. LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2012

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“The most exciting soccer program on the GOLD COAST”

Play, laugh and learn with

Player Pathways

at the Royal Pines Centre of Excellence

here is no doubt that when it comes to participation at the grass roots level, Australia is on par with most of the highly ranked football nations of the world. What has become a problem for coaches and the FFA is to turn this junior hobby into an obsession. This is

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certainly made more difficult by the fact that football (soccer) has to compete with the likes of Australian Rules and Rugby, both of which tend to take up more column space and air time in the media. But another major hurdle is that there is simply no transition from the

Saturday kick about to having a professional career. In England there are literally hundreds of professional and semi-professional clubs that send out thousands of scouts. They hold a number of afterschool programs that often run

alongside their very own school of excellence. They also send players and coaches out into the local community to drum up support and keep kids interested, all in the hope of spotting the next big star. Unfortunately the Australian A-League and state league teams do not have the resources to devote such a massive amount of time and effort to a similar program. This is where privately run academies have tried to fill the void; by offering professional coaching to those who want to progress their playing careers. Although these academies do a splendid job and there are many success stories that spring from their depths, there is a price to pay for signing up to such programs, a price that

can put many families off. It is great to see then that there are other options creeping onto the football landscape. People with the deep-rooted vision of developing the game to be the best it can in this country are starting to see the massive benefits of running groups linked with schools and local clubs which give all youngsters the

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The Player Pathways program is a breath of fresh air

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“I for one would like to thank you for all of your support, encouragement and most of all for putting the fun back into soccer. Without this program, I am not sure if Zane would have carried on playing soccer. Thanks to Player Pathways approach, Zane is so much more comfortable when playing and trying new skills and it is really starting to show within his club soccer. Player Pathways program is a breath of fresh air” Maria Contoudios (program participant) chance to develop their skills. One such program has been the Player Pathways, Centre of Excellence at the Royal Pines resort on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. This program has set out to engage the local community and the junior football clubs to help build better, more confident players. The Player Pathways program was started by professional footballers, UEFA qualified academy and Centre of Excellence coaches from professional soccer clubs around the world with one vision; to identify players of outstanding ability and afford them an opportunity to develop technical, social, ethical, personal and academic skills and abilities in a sound, supportive, varied stimulating learning environment. It is this very player-focused coaching, along with the pay-as-you-play initiative, that makes it such a unique proposition for up-andcoming players as there is no initial financial outlay. The Player Pathways is also right

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on the ball in terms of current coaching methods. The focus is solely on the enjoyment of the game through giving players the freedom to solve football-based problems by themselves rather than dictating what needs to be done. Player Pathways is based on one principle – let the game be the teacher. It creates an atmosphere of play and learning while fostering the basics of youth development with a longterm plan. The program also spreads this word by holding coach education clinics for both clubs and schools. Player Pathways has seen boys and girls from Brisbane and the Gold Coast benefit immensely; this season a total of 21 players were selected to participate in the Gold Coast zonal representative teams. The Player Pathways program will put each athlete through a variety of assessments in which speed, agility and strength are tested. After examining each player’s strengths and weaknesses, the staff will then create a plan to maintain and improve each player’s game. In summary, the level of PG 22

Pathway’s coaches, they adopt a training methodology based on a ’ creative coaching’’ approach. This methodology is extremely player-centred; it’s a coaching method where the footballers are strategically put in an environment where they are expected/supported to solve football-based problems in an enjoyable environment.

professionalism the coaches have is adopted by players and therefore produces unbelievable results. Reports pinpoint where the kids stand as far as their skills and knowledge of the game, and really tailors the sessions so that each kid gets the most out of the time spent training. It’s a perfect introduction to professional coaching to some kids and the best way to build confidence for those who are advanced. According

the

Player

This idea of “creative coaching” is not a new concept. German sports coach Horst Wein has worked for many years developing such a theory that brings the fun back into football and teaches kids how to play the beautiful game in the proper manner through a series of games and small sided football that encourages the creativity and problem-solving skills of the kids involved. Wein has had great success working in Spain, Germany and England, and it is great to see his theories being adopted in Australia. Of course, it is still a mighty task to conquer the football world and Down Under we still have a long way to go if we are to truly engrain this wonderful sport in the hearts of regular Aussies. But with programs

allowed to make mistakes.” An example is Blake Vuksan. He’s been with the Player Pathways Centre of Excellence for the last 12 months and is now set to travel to the UK with the player management team. He initially caught the attention of the Player Pathways program scouts when he attended one of the sessions, and now he’s set for the trial that might change his playing future.

Jordan Harrison signing the deal

such as Player Pathways, there is no doubt that we are on the right track. The results are quite obvious. Ten-year-old Jordan Harrison took part in one of the Player Pathways English Premier Football Clinics; the organisation took Jordan to the UK on an all-expenses paid trip, where the full dedicated player management team managed to secure Jordan a two-year contract with the newly crowned champions

Manchester City Academy. Part of what makes Player Pathways unique is the fact that it accommodates the needs and requirements of players from a variety of backgrounds and allows them to develop their own personality while also becoming better players. “Kids are bright!! Young players should be encouraged to be creative with their play and be

Whatever your interest is, whether to get some additional coaching, or to plant or reignite some passion in your child, or even to get a professional taste of football, this program is highly recommended. For those interested, please contact the Player Pathways team on 0404 801 323 or go online at www.playerpathways.com.au to complete the form. Registrations open early September and places are limited.

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Gold Coast Knights Football Club to host the 38th Annual Australia & New Zealand Croatian Football Tournament at the Croatian Sports Centre in Carrara

he Gold Coast Croatian community is hosting the 38th Annual Croatian Football Tournament Australia & New Zealand at the Croatian Sports Centre in Carrara, where they will have 51 teams from all over Australia & New Zealand who are of Croatian heritage. This is a 4 day carnival where teams such ex NSL teams

Melbourne Knights & Sydney United, State league teams Adelaide Raiders, Canberra FC, St. Albans Saints, North Geelong Warriors and NZ Champions Auckland City will compete. Household names and Australian representatives such Mark Viduka, Mark Bosnich, Zeljko Kalac, Tony Popovic, Josip Skoko and many more have participated at this huge tournament at some stage of their careers. It is the flagship event of the year for the Croatian Community of Australia & New Zealand. With an expected crowd of about 10,000 over the 4 days, it will prove to be one of the biggest tournaments in the tournaments history. Also, there is a gala event that is held and this it will be held at the prestigious Gold Coast Convention Centre where lovely young ladies who have won their Miss title within their own club will compete for the inaugural Miss Croatia title. This year’s MC’s will be Miss Universe Australia 2008 Laura Dundovic and Skysports football commentator and funny man Andy Pascalidis. There will be live music, amusement rides and food stalls during the entire tournament. The tournament is open to everyone who enjoys their football or anyone wanting to be part of a carnival festival.

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For tickets and more details please check out our website www.crotournament2012.com.au

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Merrimac FC President Tony Di Pietro

Merrimac Premier League head coach, Keith Garland

Futsal Summer 2012 tracydouglas75@me.com

FUTSAL SEASONN UNDERWAY REGISTER YOUR TEAM FOR MORE INFO GO TO http://www.futsalgc.com The summer season is here; make sure you secure your individual or team spot by contacting the relevant person. Men’s /Women’s Armando Cacace 0404 879 206 armando@futsalgc.com Jnrs /Youth Andrew Parkes 0438 636 971 andrewparkes@hotmail.com To register go to www.goldcoastfutsal.com.au and follow the three (3) easy steps on the left hand side of the home page. Leagues are as follows

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Varsity Secondary College Saturdays U/8s / U/10s &11s Mondays Over 30s Thursdays U/13 Girls & U/15 Girls

tracydouglas75@me.com

Ashmore PCYC Mondays Fridays Carrara Indoor Stadium Wednesdays

Open Men’s Open Women’s Open Men’s

Tallebudgera Sporting Complex Wednesdays 12s/13s/14s/15s /16s /17s Upper Coomera (New venue for our northern region) Thursdays 10s/12s & 14s We are also seeking players to trial for the Gold Coast futsal representative squads in age groups 9s, 10s, 11s, 12s, 13s, 14s, 15s,16s Youth (17-19) Open men’s & women’s as well as 13s Girls & 15s Girls.as well as Over 35s These trials are open to all players and you don’t have to be registered with a Futsal team to attend.

tracydouglas75@me.com

These teams will compete in the “Qld Summer Futsal League” as well as the “Craig Foster Regional Challenge Cup” during the summer season. Expressions of interest are also sought from Coaches seeking to expand their footballing experience into Representative Futsal Coaching. Players and coaches can download the “Players Handbook” by following this link www. goldcoastfutsal.com.au For more information and to register your name for the Rep Trials contact Andrew Parkes - 0438 636 971- andrewparkes@hotmail.com

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Advertise with us! Our magazine is distributed at all Gold Coast soccer clubs. Contact us today: info@letsallplayfootball.com.au. See our rates on page 39. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALLÂŠ 2012

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