Latest news with #FootballWest
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Huge lighting upgrades for Litis Stadium
Mt Hawthorn's Litis Stadium will get desperately needed upgrades to floodlighting after the City of Vincent picked Stiles Electrical & Communications Services to do the job. The company provided a $572,079.48 quote for the job, the second cheapest of the four tenders, and was given the best assessment score. The project will involve the removal of six floodlighting poles and metal halide lamps and installation of new floodlighting poles, LED luminaires, a lighting system distribution board and all associated electrical cabling and conduits. 'The lighting design and increased pole height, combined with new LED lighting technology, will significantly reduce light spill (both glare and perceived glare) comparatively to the existing metal halide floodlights,' a council report said. The existing floodlighting was installed in 2002 and is no longer compliant with standards set by Football West. It has prevented Floreat Athena Football Club from being able to host night matches and the annual night series competition. In 2022, the club sought State Government support to upgrade the lighting to the minimum requirement for night matches. Last year it was approached by Football Australia about using the stadium as a potential training site for the AFC Women's Asian World Cup, which kicks off in March 2026. This year the State Government provided $800,000 in grant funding to enable the lighting upgrade to be delivered.
SBS Australia
07-07-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
WA State Team vs Persebaya: 'Introducing Surabaya football culture to Australia'
The international match between the Western Australia State Team against Persebaya Surabaya will be played at the Sam Kerr Football Centre in Western Australia on 9 July 2025. The best soccer players in the state will face off against Indonesia's Liga 1 team in an event also referred to as marking 35 years of sister-state relations between Western Australia and East Java, with Surabaya as its capital city. SBS Indonesian interviewed representatives from both sides ahead of the match, namely Jamie Harnwell, CEO of Football West which is the governing body of football in Western Australia, and Azrul Ananda, CEO of Persebaya Surabaya. Football West's CEO Jamie Harnwell (L), Persebaya Suarabaya's CEO Azrul Ananda (R). Credit: Supplied/Football West/Persebaya 'I think Australia is, in a sporting context, one of the best in the world,' Persebaya's CEO Azrul Ananda said. "How [the country] with not that many of population but its achievements on a world level are incredible. That means Australia is doing something right and we can certainly learn a lot from it.' According to Mr Ananda, this is the first time an Indonesian professional club conducting a training and a match in Australia that are not related to any competitions. 'It's totally our own initiative, a collaboration initiative with the Australian side,' he said. Men's WA State Team's head coach Ian Ferguson, captain Aryn Williams and Football West General Manager – Football David Lewis. Credit: Supplied/Football West The match is also part of Football West's partnership with Persebaya, marked by the signing of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2024, with commitment to player development and exchange programs. Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell said they were delighted to welcome their close colleague from Surabaya back to Perth and had been fortunate with the involvement of former Perth Glory coach, Ian Ferguson, in the team. 'The players have enjoyed the training sessions, they've been very intense and everyone is trying to put their hand up to be in that starting eleven,' said Mr Harnwell. We want to introduce Surabaya football culture there. Azrul Ananda, CEO of Persebaya Surabaya Meanwhile, Mr Ananda said he also brought a group of Persebaya supporters, known as Bonek (Bondo Nekat), adding that their supporters were 'different from other supporters'. Listen to the full podcast. Listen to SBS Indonesian on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 3pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , and don't miss our podcasts.
ABC News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Matildas inspire a generation of young boys to kick like a girl
As the Matildas took to the field for the first time ever in regional Western Australia, kids lined the fences with permanent markers heavy in their pockets in the hope of nabbing a signature after the game. Over 10,000 people gathered at Bunbury's Hands Oval on Saturday to watch the Matildas play Panama, including local kids keen to see their heroes up close. Among them was 10-year-old Axel Crowe, who has been an avid fan of the Australian women's team since the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which saw them reach semi-finals for the first time. Axel, who plays for the Collie Power Soccer Club, said he had modelled his own game style on the Matildas, in particular attacking midfielder Amy Sayer. While the Matildas have been celebrated for getting a generation of young girls to pull on a pair of footy boots, Axel is one of a growing number of young boys looking to sportswomen as role models. Football West chief executive Jamie Harnwell said it was a huge win for the sport at large. "My boy plays FIFA and he's got men and women players in his team." Growing up in Margaret River, former Perth Glory captain Natasha Rigby said her main role models had been men as she simply had not known of many professional sportswomen. Now the head of women's football and advocacy at Football West, Ms Rigby said it had been incredible to see that change. "When I've gone to hold clinics in schools [and] I've asked them to pick a team name, I'll have an all-boys team be like, 'We want to be called the Matildas,'" she said. Holly McNamara, 22, who scored her first international goal for the Matildas in a friendly against Slovenia last week, said she had also witnessed a shift. "There's not … that stigma that's around 'kicking like a girl' anymore," she said. Matildas coach Joe Montemurro, who took the helm just last month, said he was honoured to join a team that was changing the way the world saw women in sport. "It's a really special brand," he said. "They're amazing role models and it's brilliant to see young boys looking up to [them]." But Ms Rigby said there was still work to be done at the A-League level to ensure sportswomen were able to get to the point of being elite athletes and role models for the next generation. "Our women are yet to be able to play full time and be paid an adequate wage to survive so we've still got a big gap to close," she said. Dalyellup Park Rangers president Nicky Duncan said participation rates in soccer had skyrocketed across the board after the 2023 Women's World Cup. "I was getting calls at nine o'clock at night saying, 'When does registration open?' and it was like in December and registration was two months away," she said. Ms Duncan said it was a huge deal for many players to get the opportunity to see their heroes up close this weekend. Perth Glory defender Josh Risdon, who has played for the Socceroos, said he was thrilled to see more investment in bringing the sport's best players to regional areas. "Soccer's always been battling against AFL, rugby, cricket," he said. "It's good to see the Matildas coming down to Bunbury [to] create more awareness and buzz around the region." The 32-year-old, who moved from Bunbury to Perth when he was 14 to pursue soccer, said he hoped it would help create more pathways for regional players. The Matildas went down 1-0 to Panama in Bunbury but will have another shot in a second friendly in Perth later this week.
West Australian
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
Soccer teams help spread road safety message with donation of Belt Up balls
An important road safety message was behind the donation of new soccer balls to Kalgoorlie-Boulder clubs at the weekend. Football West, in partnership with the Insurance Commission, handed out 20 balls to each of the six clubs in town for the annual Belt Up road safety campaign. This campaign aims to increase public awareness about the importance of drivers and passengers wearing seatbelts to minimise the risk of injury from serious motor accidents. Football West Goldfields participation officer Sam Tester said it was an important message for locals young and old to keep fresh in their minds. 'Road safety is incredibly important and everyone needs to know they should be wearing a seat belt any time they are driving in the car,' she said. 'We have a lot of juniors here who will one day get their licence and it's important they have that message, and it's good to remind the seniors as well. 'It was great to see everyone kicking the Belt Up balls around on the weekend and ensuring the message was spread to hopefully help save anyone from potential road tragedies.' Kalgoorlie MP Ali Kent was at the Goldfields Oasis playing fields on Saturday during the junior soccer games to help hand out the balls and spread the message.
Perth Now
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Epic $4m upgrade to Sam Kerr Football Centre kicks off
The $4 million expansion of the Sam Kerr Football Centre has officially kicked off, heralding a new era for local talent. The stage two expansion, scheduled for completion early next year, will increase the facility's capacity by adding two new soccer fields, lighting, shade structures, fencing and landscaping. The additional pitches will support community teams, development workshops and elite competition. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Since opening in October 2023, the $50.9 million centre in Queens Park has already established itself as a premier sporting venue. It has successfully hosted Perth Glory A-League Women matches, national tournaments and operated as a training ground for international teams during the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023. Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell, Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti , Premier Roger Cook and Member for Cannington Ron Sao MLA. Credit: Andrew Ritchie / The West Australian On Thursday, Premier Roger Cook said the start of the upgrades marks an exciting time for the soccer community in Perth. 'The $4 million expansion of the State's premier football facility will secure the infrastructure needed to continue to support football at a community and elite level, as well as continue to increase women's participation in the sport,' he said. The minister for sport and recreation Rita Saffioti said the upgrades make the Sam Kerr Football Centre a 'valuable asset' for aspiring young players. 'Sam Kerr's connection to the centre will continue to inspire a new generation of young players eager to follow in her footsteps and realise their dreams,' Ms Saffioti said. 'Not only does this support healthier lifestyles through sport and physical activity but also brings people together to create a sense of community.' The centre was named in honour of Matildas captain Sam Kerr who said having her name adorn the new State Football Centre was one of the highlights of her career. 'It's pretty crazy to be honest, I haven't wrapped my head around it, but I'm a proud West Aussie, so this is right up there with one of the proudest moments of my career,' she said at the ribbon cutting in 2023. Football participation in Western Australia has surged to historic highs, with significant growth across all demographics - most notably a 34 per cent increase in female participation.
