Blacktown City announce Walker as their new Principal Partner

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Blacktown City FC have announced a long-term partnership with the Walker Corporation to be their Principal Partner for the club’s National Premier League Men’s and Women’s sides.

Blacktown, the defending NPL NSW Men’s Champions, confirmed the partnership at their season launch for the upcoming NPL NSW season. Significantly, the club has reaffirmed that its new partnership with Walker stems from an alignment of philosophies and ambition to create a sporting icon for the city it represents.

“The Walker attitude of seeing an opportunity where others simply see a challenge, is the same vision we have to build on the reputation, history and culture Blacktown City FC has developed over our 70-year history,” Blacktown City FC Executive Chairman Bob Turner said.

“We could not ask for a better partner to support our future growth. The commitment of Walker to Western Sydney will not only stimulate the city of Blacktown, but their community spirit will lead to Blacktown City FC utilising its players and coaches to establish a free schools development programme with a goal to spread the Blacktown City FC word and find the next Matilda or Socceroo.”

Walker Corporation Executive Chairman, Lang Walker, expressed that his team is proud to continue its strong support for Western Sydney and its communities.

“Sport unites communities and that passion and drive from Blacktown City FC and its fans to be the best, aligns with what we stand for at Walker,” he said.

“Our goal is to help Western Sydney flourish with great communities and workplaces and to do that properly, it’s vital to invest in cultural, education and health outcomes across the region.”

At their season launch, Blacktown City FC also outlined their partnership with the new owners of Blacktown City Sports Centre, Momento Hospitality. CEO of Momento, Marcello Colosimo, has wasted little time since acquiring Lily’s Function Centre and Blacktown City FC’s home late last year. Renovations began immediately to revamp the facility to ‘The Star Hotel and Event Centre’. The Star will become the home for post-game celebrations and events for Blacktown City FC.

“We are excited to revamp both the function centre and stadium and with Blacktown City FC we have an ideal partner to profile both organisations,” stated Marcello Colosimo.

“Our philosophy is also to give back to the community and together we have developed a ‘Grass Roots Training Programme’ to provide first class training for those not fortunate enough to participate in NPL or SAP football. The goal is to identify potential talent and offer scholarships to the proven Blacktown breeding ground through Momento.”

In a further announcement, Momento has allowed Blacktown City FC to seek a naming rights partner for their home ground. Blacktown City FC and Momento confirmed that Landen Property Group has agreed to a long-term commitment for ‘Landen Stadium’.

With a portfolio of work across the state, Landen currently has three major projects in Blacktown. Sharing a similar philosophy to Walker and Momento to build and give back to a community, Landen Director, Rashed Panabig, said the company was honoured by the opportunity to contribute to the future of Blacktown City FC.

“Our culture and business are built around a shared vision to make a meaningful, positive change to the communities we serve, and we are delighted to have this chance to support this great sport and the people who love it.

“Blacktown is one of the most progressive areas of Sydney, and we’re excited to be part of its future.”

Blacktown City FC’s first home game for the 2023 season is Sunday, February 5 in a Grand Final replay against Manly – game time is 5pm. The Women commence their second season at the senior level at home on Sunday, March 12th against Marconi.

“We are delighted to be able to announce three main partnerships prior to the opening round of the 2023 season,” Turner said.

“Walker, Momento Hospitality, and Landen Property Group provide, not only financial support for Blacktown City FC, but the credibility three mainstream business groups offer to the wider corporate community to get on Board.”

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Record Pathway Breakthrough: Football NSW Report Highlights Power of Access and Equity

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Football NSW has released its 2025 Player Development Report, documenting a year of significant growth across its Talented Player Pathway programs for girls, boys and regional players, and offering the clearest picture yet of how the state’s talent identification infrastructure is reshaping who gets access to elite football development in Australia.

The report distinguishes between three streams: girls, boys and regional, where each operate under the umbrella of the Talented Player Pathway, which encompasses Football NSW’s Youth Leagues, Talent Support Program and state teams. Across all three, the numbers point to a system that is identifying more players, reaching further into the community, and producing more national team representatives than at any previous point in the program’s history.

A Girls Pathway Coming of Age

The girls program recorded some of its most significant outcomes to date in 2025, headlined by the inaugural Future Sapphires Program, a dedicated development environment for 2009, 2010 and 2011-born players that ran 140 training sessions, 16 high-level matches against boys teams, and identified 20 players for national team involvement across its first year alone.

The Talent Support Program conducted 494 player assessments across 119 club visits, with 117 additional games provided for TSP players throughout the season. At the Emerging Matildas Championships, Football NSW fielded three state teams, with the Under-15s Sky team claiming the championship, the Under-16s finishing as runners-up, and the Under-15s Navy placing third.

The pathway-to-national-team conversion rate was striking. Of the 23-player squad selected to represent the Junior Matildas at the AFC Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, 13 were from Football NSW, a 56.5 percent representation rate from a single state federation.

“This report does not simply provide data and numbers,” said Girls Player Development Manager Nadine Shiels. “It highlights our progress and validates the standards we set.”

The equity implications of that pipeline are significant. Elite female footballers in Australia, have historically faced a narrower and less resourced development corridor than their male counterparts. Programs like the Future Sapphires and the TSP are structural interventions in that imbalance, reshaping access mechanisms that determine which players get seen and which do not.

Boys Program Deepens its Reach

The boys Talent Support Program underwent deliberate restructuring in 2025, reducing squad sizes from approximately 90 players and five teams to 54 players and three teams per age group, while extending match duration from 50 to 70 minutes. The intent was to raise the standard of the best-versus-best environment rather than simply widen it.

The results support that confidence. To date, 155 players who have participated in the boys TSP have transitioned to A-League academies, with approximately 35 progressing to A-League Men’s competition and a further 30 representing Australia at junior national level across the Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 squads.

The 2025 season added four Talent Development Scheme matches for players born between 2007 and 2009, delivered in collaboration with Football Australia and targeting potential Junior Socceroos and Young Socceroos selection. The program also hosted the inaugural A-Leagues/TSP Tournament at Valentine Sports Park in December, featuring Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers, Sydney FC, Macarthur Bulls Academy and a TSP Select team.

“Our purpose is clear- not only to identify talent, but to prepare it,” said Boys Player Development Manager Philip Myall.

The Regional Question

Perhaps the most structurally significant section of the report concerns regional development- the stream that most directly addresses the geographic equity gap in Australian football’s talent pipeline.

Talent identification in Australia has historically concentrated in metropolitan areas, where NPL clubs, A-League academies and state federation programs are most densely located. Players in regional and rural NSW face a structural disadvantage that has nothing to do with ability and everything to do with geography. Fewer club visits, reduced access to high-performance environments, and reduced visibility to the coaches and scouts who determine national team selection saliently reflect a systemic barrier.

The 2025 regional TSP involved 241 players across 57 training sessions, 18 hub matches and 58 additional tournament games, with Football NSW coaches present at local association fixtures and regional tournaments including the Bathurst Cup and Country Cup. Regional players were also integrated into Elite Game Days at Valentine Sports Park, directly competing against metropolitan TSP cohorts and A-League academy players.

“The program has continued to enable identified players to progress and be part of the greater football elite player pathway,” said Regional Development Manager Andrew Fearnley, “with opportunity to progress and be identified into national youth teams.”

Football NSW and Heartbeat of Football extend partnership

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In an announcement made via social media last week, Football NSW announced that their collaboration with Heartbeat of Football will continue for another three years.

 

Promoting health and welfare

The partnership between Football NSW and Heartbeat of Football stands as an essential part of New South Wales’ football landscape.

Promoting awareness about heart health issues, Heartbeat of Football ensures players, fans and participants of all kind can enjoy a healthy, sporting life.

“Football is a year-round activity with a large number of participants, so it’s important to educate our community about heart health and share practical steps people can take to protect themselves and their families,” said Football NSW CEO, John Tstatsimas.

“We value the work of the Heartbeat of Football team and look forward to collaborating with them on some exciting campaigns and initiatives over the coming years.”

Indeed, a three-year partnership extension is testament to the essential role which Heartbeat of Football plays. Through their work, participants in the game learn about risk factors and sensible health choices when it comes to heart health.

As awareness and education increases, the number of unexpected tragedies decrease.

 

The Mapping Project

This is not just a collaboration on paper, however.

Football NSW and Heartbeat of Football are working to promote their Heartbeat of Sport AED Mapping Project, a campaign which aims to ensure all clubs and associations have a registered AED.

Furthermore, through these campaigns, future generations will possess the resources needed to ensure football grounds remain safe, protected environments. Providing this security – for all involved – is the ultimate objective.

“Heartbeat of Football has enjoyed the support of Football NSW from the start of our journey in 2016,” outlined Heartbeat of Football Founder, Andy Paschalidis.

“With sudden cardiac arrest a leading cause of death in sport, we recognise the importance of education and raising awareness of heart disease risk factors.”

 

An unavoidable issue

According to Heartbeat of Football, 28,000 Australians suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year. Unfortunately, survival rates are less than 10%.

But through the contributions of the organisation, backed by associations like Football NSW, there is a brighter future on the horizon.

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