Box Hill United thrives with lighting upgrade

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Wembley Park
Image credit: Sport & Recreation Victoria

Box Hill United is celebrating its centenary year of existence in style with new lighting at their home of Wembley Park as part of recent upgrades in the area.

The Victorian Government, through their Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program, has established new LED lighting systems at Wembley Park, RHL Sparks Reserve, Walker Park and Box Hill Gardens. It has not only benefited Box Hill United, but also other nearby community sporting clubs such as the Box Hill Rugby Union Football Club, Mitcham Football Club and many more.

Box Hill United cater for senior and junior teams from men’s and women’s and head into a new season with a boost to their resources.

In addition to the initial funding of over $1.23 million towards the establishment of LED lights, Whitehorse Council also contributed more than $380,000, enabling clubs situated at these venues to host competitions under lights and organise twilight training sessions and development programs.

With the view to encourage participation in local sporting clubs and organisations, the Victorian Government has allocated $88 million in its budget for enhancing community sports and developing active recreational infrastructure programs.

Box Hill United highlighted the importance of investments such as these via social media posts – which are not only beneficial for players but also for local residents who have access to great suburban infrastructure now and in the future, enabling them to back grassroots sports in and around Box Hill with an estimated population of over 14,300.

Along with encouraging participation in local sporting clubs, the investment projects enabled to further enhance the Victorian economy by creating jobs and more than 13 people were actively employed during the construction phase of this project.

Additionally, a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government have committed to provide $3 million towards upgrades at Sparks Reserve West if elected.

The investment will include a new synthetic turf surface to assist with training for Box Hill United’s teams conducting training at Sparks Reserve.

“Sporting clubs play an integral role in community recovery after two years of disruption,” Shadow Minster for Sports Cindy McLeish said in a statement.

“Grant programs such as these are all about improving physical as well as mental well-being, rejuvenating local economies, creating employment opportunities and optimizing social outcomes for local communities.

“Anything that helps encourage Victorians to get active or participate in local sporting groups is a win for the community.”
“This commitment by the Liberals and Nationals is a real solution to back grassroots sport here in Box Hill and provides local residents and families with facilities to be proud of.”

Liberal Candidate for Box Hill, Nicole Ta-Ei Werner, was proud to be able to offer real solutions for the Box Hill community.

“Box Hill United is in its 100th year and this important investment will benefit so many players, residents and every other local who wants access to great suburban infrastructure now and into the future,” she said in a statement.

“I’ve listened to the local community and only a Matt Guy led Liberals and Nationals Government will deliver this important upgrade for Sparks Reserve West.”
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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Football NSW supports Female Coaches CPD as Women’s Football Surges

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Image Credit: Shutterstock

Football NSW has used the platform of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to deliver a targeted professional development workshop for female coaches, bringing together scholarship recipients for an evening of structured learning and direct engagement with elite women’s football.

Held at ACPE last month, the session was open to female coaches who received C or B Diploma scholarships through Football NSW in 2025. Coaching accreditation carries a financial cost that disproportionately affects women, who are less likely to have their development subsidised by clubs or associations operating in underfunded community football environments. Scholarship access changes that equation at the point where many women exit the pathway.

Facilitated by Football NSW Coach Development Coordinator Bronwyn Kiceec, the workshop focused on goal scoring trends from the tournament’s group stage, with coaches analysing attacking patterns and exploring how those insights could translate into their own environments. The group then attended the quarter-final between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia.

The structure of the evening mattered as much as its content. Female coaches in community football rarely have access to elite competition environments as a professional resource. The gap between the level at which most women coach and the level at which the game is analysed and discussed tends to reinforce itself. Placing scholarship recipients inside a major tournament, as participants rather than spectators, closes that gap in a way that a classroom session cannot.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented across all levels of the game in Australia. The pipeline that will change that depends not only on accreditation access but on the professional networks, peer relationships and exposure to elite environments that male coaches have historically taken for granted.

The workshop forms part of Football NSW’s ongoing commitment to developing female coaches through scholarships and structured learning opportunities.

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