LOCAL SOCCER STARLETS CRY FOUL

BY GEOFF SIRMAI

Shockwaves were felt throughout the Eastern Suburbs junior women’s sporting community last week with the news that NSW University Girls’ and Women’s Football Club (UNSW FC) has been dumped from the Soccer NSW Arrive Alive Football Superleague.

UNSW FC is effectively the representative team for the district, playing against top opponents all over the state and providing elite young players in the East a pathway to higher honours at under 12, under 14, under 16 levels as well as all-age first grade and reserves.

The move leaves the Eastern Suburbs with no pathway for its elite female footballers.

The decision came with no warning or consultation ‘ just an announcement on the Football NSW website. There is no automatic promotion and relegation in Super League and Premier League. Indeed, based on assurances from the league’s competitions coordinator that the club was not at risk, UNSW has been running trials, offering players places in its 2009 squads and rolling out a new development plan with a newly-installed technical director, contracting coaches and filling development squads. It had even advertised the current round of trials on Football NSW’s own site.

UNSW Vice President and Women’s Coordinator, Sue Weiner, said the decision – if it stood – meant there would be no representative teams in the east. In fact UNSW has been replaced with a fifth inner west club in Apia Leichhardt Tigers.

‘Girls football – or soccer – is the fastest growing sport in Australia. The Eastern Suburbs Football Association (ESFA), whose clubs feed the UNSW rep team, has itself grown at an exponential rate in the last four years. These girls need role models and a road to higher levels,’ she said.

UNSW FC exists purely as a Superleague club, Ms Weiner said.

Around 75 girls played for UNSW this year, providing a stepping stone to further honours as well as a reward and pathway for outstanding and promising young women footballers.

‘They travel around the state to Nowra, Bathurst, the Illawarra and all over the great Sydney area to challenge themselves and train to a high level with professional coaches and with some of the best facilities in the state. A new all-weather pitch is being prepared for the start of next season. Backed by the University, it is also probably the most financially secure of all Super and Premier league clubs.’

According to Ms Weiner, UNSW is also unique in that it draws from the student population including highly skilled visiting Asian and American players on scholarships,’ she said.

‘While the club had a mixed year across all age groups in terms of final table placings, there is no doubt that many highly talented footballers are coming through the ranks in our area.

‘For instance, our youngest team, the U/12s, finished with a creditable mid-table result in a season which included taking points off all the top four teams – among them memorable away draws at Nowra against Southern NSW and against eventual premiers Inter Lions of the Sydney’s Inner West.’

Veteran Matilda (Australian national women’s team) player Di Alagich was the special guest at the club’s end of year awards night. Her message inspired the girls to further heights and they are all looking forward to next season.

The club also fields three futsal (indoor soccer) teams in the Inner City league at 11, 13 and 15s level, all currently unbeaten and averaging 10 or more goals a match while rarely conceding any.

‘To send them to back to (lower standard) local football would do no-one any good.

‘The alternative ‘ sending our local elite footballers to Homebush (where the nearest other ‘rep’ teams are based) for weekend games and twice a week in peak-hour traffic for training – is simply untenable,’ Ms Weiner said.

A spokesperson for Football NSW said it was considering an appeal by UNSW FC.