Magic United recently became the first club on the Gold Coast to receive a 5-star rating as part of Football Australia’s National Club Development Program (NCDP).

The achievement represents another milestone for Magic United, an ambitious young club which was established in 2006 and will play its first season in the Football Queensland Premier League 2 (FQPL 2) in 2021.

The NCDP, which was launched by Football Australia in 2019, assists community-based club administrators by providing a clear model for clubs to enhance and maintain standards for the benefit of all members.

FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci congratulated Magic United for participating in the program and achieving the 5-star level.

“It is crucial that FQ continues to assist parents and players with making informed choices about the clubs they play at,” said Cavallucci.

“Equally, it is important for clubs like Magic United to celebrate their success in taking these positive steps to build capacity and make progress with their technical programs.”

Football Queensland Gold Coast General Manager Damien Bresic lauded Magic United for its hard work in coach education and club development.

“It’s great that we have a local club that is setting standards high enough to be acknowledged by Football Australia,” said Bresic.

“Magic United has been a leader in player development and providing a pathway for talented players for a number of years and this 5-star rating is a timely recognition of their efforts to improve football on the Gold Coast.”

Magic United President Peter Fenton said the 5-star rating was a sign that the club is heading in the right direction.

“This rating is an indication of what we want to achieve at Magic United. We now have a clear pathway in place for all our players to progress,” said Fenton.

“In addition to obtaining a FQPL 2 Senior Men’s Licence for the 2021 season, we have also launched a Senior Women’s team and now have over 120 females participating from U8s to senior women’s.

“We are a fairly new club but we’re constantly growing. Our next objective is to upgrade our club house and changing rooms to accommodate our members.”

The NCDP is accompanied by an online resource library that provides relevant and in-depth information and tools for clubs to grow and improve.