Courtesy: Otago Daily Times


Review outlines plan to keep game growing in South

by Jeff Cheshire

Thursday, 29 December 2016

Numbers are healthy and there is a plan to help football keep growing in the South.

Football South's review of 2016, written by CEO Chris Wright, said there were 8900 winter football players and 6500 futsal players across the region, from Southland to South Canterbury. That was described as a small increase, more notable in the junior grades and in futsal, where 950 teams played in the Edgar Centre competitions.

Within the review was a plan for the next five years, aiming to boost the quality of experience in the game, boost numbers and help those involved achieve their potential.

To do that it identified six key areas as being important: competitions and grass roots, women's football, futsal, talent pathways, capability and sustainability.

A new structure has been put in place, under which seven football development officers were dispatched around the federation with the aim of developing clubs, players and coaches.

The review said Football South was happy with its progress after taking over the licence for Southern United for two years.

Despite struggling on the field, Southern's teams are continue to operate after running into financial troubles before the takeover. The review said this was crucial to offering a pathway for the federation's top players.

Next year it would look to raise funds for a floodlit synthetic grass facility on Logan Park. It was hoped it would be in place for the 2018 winter season. More details are to be released soon.

Boosting the level of the region's clubs, coaches, referees and the women's game would be the biggest focus for the federation in 2017. This would result in football development officers working closely with clubs, alongside a ''big increase'' in coaching and refereeing courses.

It would also implement a series of 'skill schools' across the region, in which junior players could be coached by Southern United players.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com