Latest news with #FootballWest
West Australian
2 hours ago
- 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
5 days ago
- 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.
West Australian
03-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Jamie Harnwell: Sports diplomacy offers WA a valuable toehold into Asia
Optus Stadium is set for one of the Socceroos' biggest games in years as Tony Popovic's team seek a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. While opponents Japan are already assured of their ticket to North America as group winners, Australia is pursuing the second automatic qualification spot when the teams meet in Perth on Thursday. It would be fitting for WA to provide the stage for a joint celebration between the green and gold and the Blue Samurai. WA has played a key role in enhancing relations between Australia and Asia through football, leveraging our strategic position in a region where the round ball is king. For decades, Football West has sent representative teams to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. These are great sporting and cultural experiences for players and coaches, but they also offer real opportunities for business and government to develop trade and relations. In February this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released the 48-page Australia's Sports Diplomacy Strategy 2023+, addressing how the nation engages with the world through sport, sportspeople and sporting events. The document contains far-ranging goals, including elevating sport as a tool of national power, focusing on efforts in the Indo-Pacific, and boosting economic growth. The art of sports diplomacy was on show again recently when Premier Roger Cook visited East Java to mark the 35th anniversary of WA's sister-State relationship with the province. It was fantastic to see Mr Cook, whose Government is a big supporter of our game, donning a WA shirt for a meeting with officials from top-flight Indonesian team Persebaya Surabaya. Football West has cultivated a strong relationship with Persebaya since the club first sent an under-19 side to Perth in 2018. The two parties signed a three-year memorandum of understanding in December, committing to further talent development and exchange programs, and Persebaya will come to WA in July to play a friendly against the WA men's team. That game will see about 100 supporters from Surabaya travel here to cheer on their side in a game that will be broadcast live on TV in Indonesia. Both WA and the state-of-the-art Sam Kerr Football Centre will receive invaluable exposure to a potential audience of millions. Even more people will tune in for the upcoming Socceroos World Cup qualifier, with thousands of Japanese supporters flying in for the match. And it will be a similar story in March when Optus Stadium hosts the opening ceremony for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup, plus the Matildas' first game. These events open many doors for WA Government, business and tourism. Sport, and more specifically football, is a demonstrated tool to increase international engagement and WA continues to excel in this space. Jamie Harnwell is the CEO of Football West
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Man charged after allegedly grabbing boy, 11, by the NECK at a junior soccer match - 'very serious matter'
A 46-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly grabbed a young child by the neck at a junior soccer match. Police said the man, believed to be a parent from a visiting team, allegedly approached the boy, 11, who was playing in a match at Abbeville Park at Mindarie in Perth 's north on May 25. The man has been charged with one count of impeding another person's normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck. The child did not require medical treatment. The Mindarie Football club has since labelled the alleged conduct a 'serious incident' and are believed to be supporting the child and his family. 'While passion and competitiveness are part of football, we must always remember the game is for the players — especially the children,' club president Lee Hughes said. Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell also described the alleged incident as a 'very serious matter.' 'For someone to allegedly have laid their hands on another person's child is extremely disturbing, as a parent of kids and someone who loves the game very much,' the former A-League star told ABC Radio Perth. Harnwell added it was an isolated incident. 'We have something like 1,500 to 2,000 games going on every weekend and we certainly don't hear about anything like this occurring,' he said. 'We do a lot of work with our clubs to support them, to support good behaviour at games and training sessions. '(Our aim is) to make sure everybody who attends a football match understands the expectations that are placed upon them.' In a statement, Football West told the ABC they would co-operate with police on the alleged matter. The man is due to appear in the Joondalup Magistrates court on June 6.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Man, 46, charged after allegedly grabbing 11yo boy by neck at Mindarie junior soccer match in Perth
A 46-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly grabbed a young boy by the neck at a junior soccer match in Perth's north. Police said the man, a spectator from a visiting team, approached the 11-year old boy who was playing in a match at Abbeville Park in Mindarie between 11am and 1pm on Sunday. The man has been charged with one count of impeding another person's normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck. The child did not require medical treatment. The Mindarie Football club has labelled it a "serious incident" and said was supporting the child and his family. "While passion and competitiveness are part of football, we must always remember the game is for the players — especially the children," Club President Lee Hughes said. Football West, the governing body for soccer in Western Australia, said it was aware of an alleged incident between an adult spectator and a junior player. In a statement, Football West said it would co-operate with the police on the matter. The governing body said if the man was found to have breached the Football West code of conduct and/or spectator code of behaviour, he would face sanctions, including a possible ban from all Football West matches. The man is due to appear in the Joondalup Magistrates court on June 6.
