Football NSW

Valentine Sports Park was hit with Matildas fever as the national team descended at the newly re-developed Football NSW facility for a week long training camp.

Currently ranked tenth in the FIFA World Rankings, the Matildas became the first national team to hold a camp at the new facility and utilised one of the two state of the art artificial surfaces currently on show at Glenwood.

Coach Alen Stajic put the squad through their paces as the camp continued its preparation for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada. Wednesday evening saw his squad face PS4 NPL NSW Mens 1 Grade 15 side Marconi Stallions in a friendly encounter.

The Football NSW Institute Girls teams also joined in on the event and had their chance to meet and greet their heroes posing for photos and signing autographs in what was a memorable evening shared by all.

Football NSW’s Technical Coordinator and one of the many advocates of female football Nadine Shiels, was delighted with the presence the Matildas had towards the girls teams.

“This was a great experience for the girls as they witnessed their idols in a professional training environment preparing for a special moment.”

All of the Institute’s five teams were in attendance with many hoping they too could emulate their idols someday.

“These Institute players see themselves playing at the highest level, and to have the opportunity to witness the intensity, commitment and professionalism involved at that level is imperative,” said Shiels.

The Matildas will be competing in a Tri Series being held in Auckland, New Zealand next month between the Football Ferns (New Zealand’s women’s team) and DPR Korea.

In further preparation for the World Cup, the Matildas will then fly to Cyprus and compete in the Cyprus Cup between the 2^nd and 15^th of March.

The Matildas training squad:

Aivi Luik, Alanna Kennedy, Alex Chidiac, Amy Harrison, Ashleigh Sykes, Brianna Davey (gk), Caitlin Foord, Casey Dumont (gk), Clare Polkinghorne, Danielle Brogan, Elise Kellond-Knight, Ellie Brush, Emily van Egmond, Emma Checker, Hayley Crawford, Hayley Raso, Kate Gill, Katrina Gorry, Kim Carroll, Kyah Simon, Larissa Crummer, Lisa De Vanna, Marianna Tabain, Melissa Barbieri (gk), Michelle Heyman, Nicola Bolger, Nicole Begg, Servet Uzunlar, Stephanie Catley, Teigen Allen, Teresa Polias

-By Nikola Pozder

This weekend Valentine Sports Park plays host to the 2014 Futsal State Championships as the 9s, 10s and 11’s age groups lock horns in a fantastic weekend of futsal action at Glenwood.

Games are scheduled to kick off at 9am and finish at 6pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Be sure to kick off those blankets, grab a coffee from our onsite café and sit yourself down for a great weekends worth of futsal. A future Australian futsal player could be among the many participants in action this weekend.

FNSW prides itself for its evolvement in the development and promotion of grassroots football and aims to ensure that the kids of the future are equipped with the resources and facilities to excel in their football journey. The Futsal Centre has only been open a few short months and what better way to check out our renovated facilities and witness our vision of the future in motion.

For all in attendance, please remember that Valentine Sports Park is still a construction site and we ask that you at all times stay out of construction zones marked fences.

Traffic in and around Valentine Sports Park may be heavy so please take appropriate precautions.

We ask guests to obey all signage and to follow the directions of Football NSW staff.

Spectating guests observing the futsal action are to remain in the grandstand area and or our café. Upstairs areas are strictly for authorised personnel only.

The expectation of all guests is to treat the facility with utmost respect at all times. Food and drink is allowed within the indoor centre under the consensus that rubbish is disposed of appropriately.

Above all, VSP management wish you well for the tournament and hope you enjoy the services and facilities we have to offer.

This Saturday Valentine Sport Park plays host to the second annual Majicians Cup between Inner West Magic and Mountain Majik.

The synergies between both clubs are inevitable, besides the obvious Magic moniker which both clubs use, both powerhouse clubs will be using Valentines Sports Park as their home venue for this upcoming Futsal Premier League season.

Having both clubs use Valentine Sports Park is seen as a coup by Football NSW, as both clubs finished in the top two positions on last season’s Club Championship table.

Inner West Magic is the competition’s perennial powerhouse and have a long and distinguished history having won eight of the past nine Club Championship trophies. Mountain Majik meanwhile have firmly established themselves as one of the top clubs in the state.

The Mountain-based Majik have created quite an impression in their short existence having won the Futsal State League title in only their second season of existence and incredibly finished second in their first season after promotion. In doing so the club broke the record for amount of points gained as well as highest ever position for a club who gained promotion the previous season.

Whilst Inner West are looking to continue their impressive history as they look to secure another Majicians Cup.

Both clubs have some big names in Futsal circles representing them this coming season, none more so than former National team coach Steven Knight who is coaching the Mountain Majik u/10s Pre Academy team as well as being the newly appointed Men’s coach for Inner West Magic.

The Mountaineers will have Futsalroo star Ray “Whizz” Miller once again leading their Men’s team whilst star Doris Osman will be expected to lead the girls in Green under the watchful eye of Futsal great Erkin Osman. Inner West will benefit from the recruitment of Futsalroo Chris Zeballos who will play alongside fellow Futsalroos Daniel Fogarty. Roberto Maiorana is seen as a huge sign of intent, add the signings of the Palombi sisters Ashleigh and Brittany from the relegated Boomerangs club and their Women’s team should also improve on last seasons showing.

The 2013 edition of the Majicians Cup which was held at Windsor and was a closely fought event which saw the Magic in orange take home the silverware and the 2014 competition promises to be just as exciting and hard fought.

Please proceed with caution during construction at Valentine Sports Park and observe all non access areas.

Football NSW’s recently redeveloped Valentine Sports Park took part at the 2014 Inspire Expo held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island which commenced on Monday 18^th of August.

The two day expo gave Valentine Sports Park a chance to promote the precinct in the business events industry.

The Expo itself brings together the best exhibitors on the business and special event industry and provides interactive zones, unique experiences and networking events.

On offer also were special seminars and presentations from world-class speakers including special events guru John Daly.

Are you a Futsal fan? Would you love to see some of Australia’s best players in action? Look nowhere else but Valentine Sports Park.

The Australian Futsalroos are playing an exhibition match this Wednesday evening. Game is set to kick off at 7.30 pm with a training session prior to the match at 7pm.

The Futsal Centre has only been open a few short months and what great way to check out our renovated facilities. All are welcome!

For all in attendance, please remember that Valentine Sports Park is still a construction site and we ask that you at all times stay out of construction zones marked fences.

Traffic in and around Valentine Sports Park may be heavy so please take appropriate precautions.

We ask guests to obey all signage and to follow the directions of Football NSW staff. Spectating guests observing the futsal action are to remain in the grandstand area and or our café. Upstairs areas are strictly for authorised personnel only.

The expectation of all guests is to treat the facility with utmost respect at all times. Food and drink is allowed within the indoor centre under the consensus that rubbish is disposed of appropriately.

If you have any concerns regarding these proceeding please do not hesitate to call the Valentine Management on 8814 4440.

Valentine Sports Park will be hosting the hummel F-League finals this weekend!

Semi-finals will commence on Saturday at 11am and will run through to late afternoon.

The women’s final will take place Sunday morning at 10 am and the men’s final expected to start at 12 15 pm. Be sure to visit and watch Australia’s finest do battle for the Championship.

In other news, Football NSW Institute games will be in operation off Field 1. Games are scheduled to run all day on Saturday.

State team country boys will be arriving Sunday afternoon (4pm) for their training camp. VSP have the ideal facilities to stage camps providing onsite accommodation, dining and field accessibility.

For all in attendance, please remember that Valentine Sports Park is still a construction site and we ask that you at all times stay out of construction zones marked fences.

Traffic in and around Valentine Sports Park may be heavy so please take appropriate precautions.

For food and beverage refreshments our Café is located on ground level in the Indoor Centre. The Café is accessible within the futsal court or alternatively via the main concourse area at the front of the building. Standard weekend operation hours are from 8.00am – 3.00pm. Hours are flexible and compromised by demand.

We ask guests to obey all signage and to follow the directions of Football NSW staff. Spectating guests observing the futsal action are to remain in the grandstand area and or our café. Upstairs areas are strictly for authorised personnel only.

The expectation of all guests is to treat the facility with utmost respect at all times. Food and drink is allowed within the indoor centre under the consensus that rubbish is disposed of appropriately.

If you have any concerns regarding these proceeding please do not hesitate to call the Valentine Management on 8814 4440.

The 2014 hummel F-League Championship Series weekend will be taking shape at Valentine Sports Park with the Championship titles at stake for both the men’s and women’s competitions on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August, 2014.

It has been a hard fought battle this season in both competitions which has seen a number of high quality matches take shape as well as the unearthing of  a number of future Futsalroos stars.

In the Women’s category, Premiers Sydney Scorpions will take on rivals Dural Warriors with kick off set for 11am on Saturday.

The Scorpions, buoyed by clinching the Premiership will no doubt have some big hitters in their squad as Caitlyn Jarvie, Filiz Urkanci and Jo Anne Saliba hope to spoil Dural’s party on Saturday. Warrior’s Dominque Caridad remains a huge threat for Dural and could be the game changer in what should be a classic match-up.

While in the other semi-final, South Brisbane entertain Boomerangs.

Current top scorer of the hummel F-League competition Gabe Marzano will be hoping her goals continue for South Brisbane but will come against some decent defence from the Boomerangs who will have their own arsenal of attackers in the shape of Georgia Plessas, Nikola Orgill and Hayley Buckingham.

The winner of both these matches will shape up to take on each other in this Sunday’s hummel F-League Grand Final at Valentine Sports Park with the big one set for a 10am kick off.

In the Men’s category, Premiers Dural Warriors will take on Boomerangs with kick off set for 3pm at Valentine Sports Park. Rob Varela’s outfit will hope to continue its rich winning form in 2014 and will look towards the likes of sharpshooter Jarrod Basger as well as Chris Polkinghome who have been deadly in attack and the Giovenali brothers Greg and Wade for inspiration. The Boomerangs will not go out without a fight and the squad from the nation’s capital will hope Daniel Bennett as well as Glenn Smith hit form to trouble the current Premiers.

While finally in the Men’s other semi-final clash, East Coast Heat tackle Vic Vipers with that clash commencing at 5pm.

The Heat with the likes of Jordan Guerreiro as well as Matthew Mazevski will look towards getting the upper hand against their Victorian opponents but the Vipers will know what is at stake and will look towards Victor Brauner, Matthew Vragovski, Thiago Priori and star attacker Fernando De Moraes for inspiration.

The winner of these matches will battle each other in the right to be crowned hummel F-League Champions on Sunday afternoon with kick off set for 12.15pm.

Live streaming will take shape on Sunday with more details to be updated shortly on this.

The newly refurbished indoor centre at Valentine Sports Park played host to the 2014 Junior Australian Handball National Junior Championships with NSW clean sweeping the two day affair.

Both Men and Women state teams participated in two age groups; The Under 21s and Under 18s with a number of high quality matches that took place in Sydney’s West.

The Under 21s were a contested age group which saw NSW defeat QLD in the Women’s category convincingly while in the Mens, NSW defeat ACT in a thriller 28-26.

The newly established Valentine Cafe, situated at the home of Football NSW, strives to revitalise a historic landmark of the community and bring it to its potential and in-line with modern expectations.

Valentine Cafe is an inner-city style cafe on the doorstep of The Hills locals, that offers premium Toby’s Estate Coffee, prepared by our highly trained baristas, a variety of bakery-sourced rustic breads, a range of on-the-go freshly prepared sandwiches, pastas, gourmet pies, sweets and more, as well as an out-of-this-world breakfast and lunch menu.

The cafe also features a fully-functional juice bar, for those in need of a quick and healthy pick-me-up or an accompaniment to a delicious brekkie, brunch or lunch from the a la carte menu.

Trading hours are currently 8.00am – 4.00pm on the weekdays and 8.00am – 3.00pm on weekends, however we are flexible and open to feedback from the community.

The cafe is owner-operated and run by the seasoned caterer George Trousas, with over 30 years experience in hospitality and four other venues across Sydney.

The entire menu is expertly prepared by chefs drawing on extensive international cooking backgrounds, but several of the signature dishes that are highly recommended include the buttermilk pancakes with mascarpone and mixed berry compote, or the basil and goats cheese omelette for breakfast, and the pulled pork with homemade slaw on sourdough, or the grilled Atlantic salmon with mash and salad greens for lunch.

Valentine Cafe is family friendly, a great spot for business catch-ups and welcoming of big groups.

There is even a communal boardroom-style table that seats up to 20 guests available for bookings.

Feel free to drop in the next time you’re in the area, and meet the Valentine team.

The wait is finally over. The redeveloped Futsal Centre is now open for the 2014 hummel F-League.

The Futsal Centre will be in operation from 9:00am till 2:00pm Saturday and Sunday.
Be sure to come down and check out the Centre in full swing as Futsal fever hits VSP.

First Game will kick off at 10.00am, followed by the second at 11.45am.
The match will showcase NSW’s Sydney Scorpions taking on Capital Football in what should be a fantastic affair.

In other news, Football NSW Institute games will be in operation on Field 1. Games are scheduled to run all day on both Saturday and Sunday.

For those in attendance please remember that Valentine Sports Park is still a construction site and we ask that you at all times stay out of construction zones marked fences.
Traffic in and around Valentine Sports Park may be heavy so please take appropriate precautions.

For food and beverage refreshments our Café is located on ground level in the futsal Centre.
The Café is accessible within the futsal court or alternatively via the main concourse area at the front of the building.

If you have any concerns or feedback you can contact Valentine Sports Park Management on 8814 4440.

The second Skill Acquisition Program (SAP) Gala weekend will commence this Saturday 17^thAugust with participants from 28 accredited Football NSW SAP Licensees from across NSW along with Capital Football and Northern NSW Football Federation taking part.

After a very successful weekend in June, the second instalment will showcase SAP Clubs who will have players from under 9’s, 10’s and 11’s playing at Football NSW headquarters in what is tipped to be a great spectacle for all players, coaches, referees and parents involved.

Football NSW Head of Football Phil Brown was excited with the SAP Gala Day’s prospects for its second Gala weekend for 2013.

“Following the success of the June Gala Weekend, we are excited to again host the states’ up and coming U9 to U11 players at Valentine Sports Park for a festival of football.”

“All 28 Football NSW SAP licensees will be in attendance, joined by teams from Capital Football and the Northern NSW Football Federation, offering plenty of opportunity for the boys and girls to test their skill against new opposition.”

“Football NSW would like to thank the Clubs, Associations, Branches, administrators, coaches, players and parents for their support and commitment to SAP. We look forward to welcoming you on the weekend and celebrating the 2013 season.”

Football NSW Technical Director Alex Tobin will also conduct a SAP Technical Directors and Coaches forum across both days sharing key learnings on the important role SAP plays in the player development pathway.

SAP is the official Football NSW development program for players aged from U9s to U11s, with the Gala Day providing teams with the opportunity to play against others from outside their regular zones.

It will also provide Football NSW with an additional opportunity to assess programs beyond those being assessed by the State Technical Director at regular match days.

Established by the Football NSW Technical Department, SAP provides a structured best practice learning environment, consistent with the FFA National Curriculum, to support development of the State’s aspiring young footballers.

Throughout the Gala Day there will be entertainment for the family including Hyundai A-League players from the Western Sydney Wanderers, a Channel 7 News BBQ as well as jumping castles for the kids.

When: Saturday 17^th – Sunday 18^th August 2013
Time: 8.30am to 5.30pm
Where: Valentine Sports Park – 235-257 Meurants Lane, Glenwood, NSW, 2768
Venue Parking: There is limited free parking available on site all weekend.

NSW Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Barry O’Farrell and Minister for Sport and Recreation Gabrielle Upton today inspected construction at the new ‘Home of Football’ at Football NSW’s Valentine Sports Park at Glenwood in North Western Sydney.

Joining in on the special visit was Football NSW CEO Eddie Moore along with former Socceroo and current Football NSW Institute Under 16s coach Craig Foster and former Matildas and Sydney FC star Renee Rollason.

“Western Sydney needs bigger and better sporting facilities to cope with a growing population and more opportunities to participate in sport and we’re proud to support that through our investment of $5 million,” said Mr O’Farrell, who was joined by Riverstone MP Kevin Conolly and Football NSW Chief Executive Eddie Moore.

“We understand the importance of keeping people of all ages active and improving sporting facilities is vital to encouraging that,” he said.

“Given the rapid rise in the popularity of the Western Sydney Wanderers, I’m pleased aspiring A-League players and Socceroos will have a great facility at which to train, learn and, importantly, have fun.

“This also marks the delivery of yet another election commitment for the people of Western Sydney by the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government,” he said.

Ms Upton said the redevelopment of Valentine Sports Park will include upgrades to playing fields; new synthetic playing surfaces for all-weather play; and an expansion of the Futsal gymnasium.

“Judging by the column inches dedicated to football in the back pages and by the atmosphere at last weekend’s Sydney derby it is safe to say football in NSW continues to go from strength to strength,” Ms Upton said.

“I am passionate about encouraging more people of all ages, from all walks of life, to get active and healthy through sport.

“This impressive facility will help support the growth of the world game in NSW and no doubt will help create the next generation of Socceroos and Matildas like Craig Foster and Renee Rollason.”

Mr Moore said Football NSW was extremely grateful for the significant investment by the NSW Government into the redevelopment of the Home of Football at Valentine Sports Park.

“This investment will ensure the largest sporting community in NSW with over 250,000 players, coaches and referees will be able to enjoy modern, all-purpose fields and facilities for competition, training, gala days and major events,” Mr Moore said.

“With upgraded accommodation and indoor futsal court, the venue will provide access for country NSW, interstate and international teams to play and train at a dedicated home for football,” he said.

“The support of the NSW Government will ensure existing football programs for athletes with a disability, indigenous programs and events, football events for refugees and new arrivals and school football competitions will be able to grow and expand.”

Mr Conolly said it is wonderful to see the NSW Government’s investment take shape.

“When complete this facility will be more than just a world-class sports complex, it will be an integral party of the Riverstone community,” he said.

“Crucially, it will be made available to local primary and secondary schools as well as other community groups,” Mr Conolly said.

“By improving grassroots sports infrastructure, the NSW Government is delivering for the people of Riverstone and Western Sydney.”

Over 250 participants from various special needs organisations across NSW engaged in the sixth annual Football4all Gala Day on Sunday 25th of May at Bernie Mullane Sporting Complex, Kellyville with Ambassador and Australian Paralympian John Maclean captivating the audience.

It was a carnival like atmosphere in what was a fantastic day in Sydney with the new Socceroos mascot Maloo making an appearance posing for snaps and jumping castles amongst other activities all present on the day as competitors from various age groups took part in multiple small sided games.

The coveted Asian Cup was also present as hundreds lined up to take a snapshot with the wonderful trophy that will take centre stage in Australia next January.

Football4all Ambassador, Australian Paralympian and inspirational motivator John Maclean was full of praise of the event.

“It’s a great initiative that Football NSW has shown and that was evident to the hundreds of smiles and happy faces that I’ve seen today participating in this fantastic event.”

Special guests also included the Hills Shire Council Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne, Western Sydney Wanderers Chairman Lyall Gorman, rising Wanderers young gun Daniel Alessi, Sutherland Sharks keeper Nathan Denham, Marketing Manager NSW/ACT at Metcash Food & Grocery Angela Borelli, and former Mariners Chairman Peter Turnbull to name a few took their time to interact with Football4all participants and their families and friends.

The continual growth of Football4all promoted Football NSW’s commitment to special needs football.

This commitment was reaffirmed by Football NSW CEO Eddie Moore.

“Football NSW is committed to supporting opportunity for people with disabilities to participate in football as players, coaches, referees or administrators and we are committed to developing an environment where accessibility and diversity are valued and nurtured.

“Football4all has now been running for seven years and is going from strength to strength, I want to congratulate everyone who participated in the event and of course thank all the volunteers and staff who made this event possible.

“Football4all is a fantastic initiative which Football NSW will continue grow and develop for years to come.”

The Illawarra Independent Program, Kellyville SC Super Soccer, Kings Langley Open Goals Special Needs Program, Macarthur Magic Special Needs FC, Sutherland Titans FC, Nepean Soccer Dragons, NSW Powerchair Football Association and Snapp A Roos were just some of the clubs that took part in this fantastic event.

Powerchair Football also made its appearance for the second successive year. It is was well received by the participants as its renowned as being one of the fastest growing sports for powered wheelchair users around the globe. With well over 30 participants from clubs such as the Central Coast Mariners, Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC taking part in the event, their talents were also noticed by the hundreds of interested spectators who were present observing local talent in what was an amazing spectacle.

Football NSW was greatly assisted by our major partner NOVA Employment for the Gala Day celebrations.

NOVA Employment joined in on the Football4All festivities by assisting with recruiting volunteers on the day, who, put in a tremendous effort to make the day that more special.

Martin Wren, CEO of Nova Employment was thrilled to have once again thrown his support behind this magnificent event.

“We are thrilled to have been part of such a wonderful program which brings to life the world game.

“It’s a day to be celebrated and we thoroughly enjoy coming here and joining in with all the happiness and fun.”

Football NSW wishes to thank all the clubs, associations and staff who were involved in making the day such a success and would like to especially congratulate all the participants, coaches and family members for their inspirational support for Football4all