Football Victoria reveal new women’s division for 2020

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Football Victoria (FV) yesterday announced the creation of a new women’s league, starting in 2020.

The new division will be placed in the tier between the NPLW and the State League 1 competitions.

FV recently released a list of recommendations after a comprehensive review into the Women and Girls’ competition structures in Victoria.

A key recommendation in that list was to establish a new division in Victoria for Senior Women between the NPLW and State League 1, with a start date of either 2020 or 2021.

Other recommendations stated:

  • The new league should be made up of the top State League 1 clubs in the South East and North West divisions, with the expectation being that these teams rise to meet both on and off field standards.
  • Promotion and relegation between the new league and State League 1 starts after the completion of the first season.

A survey was sent out by the state federation to all women’s State League clubs across the state, with almost 84% in favour of the new division beginning in 2020.

The new division will be made up of the following clubs:

  • Boroondara Eagles FC
  • Casey Comets FC
  • Eltham Redbacks FC
  • Galaxy United FC
  • Melbourne Knights FC
  • Melbourne Uni SC
  • Preston Lions FC
  • South Yarra FC
  • Southern United FC
  • Whitehorse United FC

The new division clubs will be required to fill a senior team, as well as a reserve team.

There will be no promotion into the NPLW until the completion of the first two seasons of the competition.

FV Board Director and Chair of Football Committee, Sezar Jakupi, claimed he was excited to see the new division in 2020.

“The clubs overwhelmingly voted for the new division to be introduced from next season. This is an exciting change for women’s football in Victoria. The proposal has been recommended to allow for promotion and relegation to occur into the top tier of competition and create a more defined second state-based women’s tier,” Mr Jakupi said.

FV expects more details, such as the naming of the new division, to be announced in the near future.

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Blacktown District Soccer Football Association Launches Youth League and Poaching Program

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Blacktown District Soccer Football Association has outlined a package of initiatives for the 2026 season centred on youth development, coach education and the celebration of female participation, as the Western Sydney association moves to raise standards across community football and strengthen pathways into state-level competition.

The centrepiece of the association’s development agenda is the Blacktown Youth Development League, a new competition structure spanning all youth Division One competitions in the Under-13 to Under-18 age groups, including Phoenix League female competitions involving both BDSFA and GDSFA clubs. The league applies a benchmarking framework adapted from Football NSW‘s junior competition standards, with clubs encouraged to implement structured training environments including a minimum of two sessions per week where possible.

BDSFA General Manager Owen Liiv said the initiative responded to clear demand from within the football community for more substantive development environments.

“It is pretty clear that people want more and better football experiences,” Liiv said. “The measure for us is high-quality youth football competitions within Blacktown and ultimately, stronger performances in state-wide competitions such as the Football NSW State Cup or Football NSW Champion of Champions.”

The referees branch will support the league by prioritising Division One fixtures and providing three-person match control where available, an operational commitment that acknowledges the role officiating quality plays in the overall development environment.

The Managerial Infrastructure

Running alongside the youth competition is a free coach education program, with Foundation of Football courses delivered across BDSFA’s 24 member clubs by permanent association staff. With more than 1,000 registered coaches across the district, BDSFA has set a target of 85 percent achieving Foundation of Football accreditation within three years. Removing cost as a barrier to accreditation is a deliberate structural choice, reflecting growing recognition across Australian football that coaching quality at community level is inseparable from participation outcomes.

The association also launched Female Football Week with a “Cocktails on the Pitch” event at Blacktown Football Park, attended by close to 100 players, coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers. Former Matilda Leah Blayney addressed the gathering, speaking about her pathway from Wentworth Falls to international football. BDSFA has indicated the event is likely to become an annual fixture on the association calendar.

Taken together, the initiatives reflect an association investing deliberately in the structural conditions that determine whether community football grows sustainably rather than opportunistically.

Manchester City open new training centre for Women’s First Team

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Image credit: Manchester City

The training centre opened earlier this week, following years of planning, investment and ambition for Manchester City Women.

State-of-the-art facilities

Recently crowned WSL Champions, Manchester City Women will now be able to train, prepare and recover in a truly special, purpose-built facility.

Covering 17,000 square feet, a world-class gym, strength & conditioning facilities and dressing room, the site will help players  to maximise performances on the pitch.

But given the facilities also received input from players and staff, inspiring added touches like social spaces and recognition for players with over 100 appearances, it is clear that this is a deeply personal project for all involved at Manchester City Women.

As Managing Director of Manchester City Women, Charlotte O’Neill, highlighted, the training centre is a symbol of excellence and ambition.

“This building is about so much more than bricks and mortar,” O’Neill said via press release.

“It is about creating an environment here our players can thrive, where standards are set at the very highest level and where the current squad has everything it needs to continue to compete for and win silverware.”

A winning project, for a winning team. The training centre is sure to propel Manchester City Women to even greater heights in the seasons to come.

 

Continuing investment trends

Furthermore, as the result of an AUD 18.6 million (GBP 10 million) investment and purpose-built for Manchester City Women, it is yet another example of the current strength of WSL investment.

Just a few weeks ago, Brighton & Hove Albion unveiled plans to construct a new venue for its women’s team, delivering on a clear intention to support commercial growth and infrastructure in the women’s game.

But even after winning their first WSL title this season, the message from the board is clear: Manchester City Women are a fundamental part of the club’s long-term vision.

“This new facility marks the next logical step in our long-term commitment to Manchester City Women, and is an important milestone for the club as a whole,” said Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

“We have always believed in investing to create the right environment for players and staff to develop and succeed. That approach has underpinned every aspect of our work since the professional relaunch of Manchester City Women in 2014.”

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