Futsal continues to cement its place in Queensland’s footballing ecosystem, as two Football Queensland-affiliated centres open in Brisbane.
Chandler Eagles Futsal Club and Yeronga Futsal Club have both recently kicked off as FQ-affiliated clubs.
Trevor Edwards, Futsal Development Officer at FQ, sees the two new additions as part one of a far-reaching expansion.
“It’s the next step in the development process, we’ve still a got a lot of expanding to do and it’s exciting to bring these two highly professional clubs on board,” said Edwards.
“We’re very excited to have the clubs coming on board and expanding the pathways for both juniors and seniors.”
Edwards is keen to emphasise the benefits of FQ affiliation, pointing out the potential for talented players to perform on a grander stage.
“The players know there is a pathway to follow. They can represent their club in competitions and tournaments, but they can also represent their region, and then their state and country,” Edwards said.
Tanya Allen manages Chandler Eagles Futsal at the newly-built Anna Meares Velodrome in Chandler.
“We play on the brand new futsal courts that have been built in the Velodrome and all the players love it. The facilities are great,” said Allen.
“The excitement is there and it’s full steam ahead for us.”
Allen is confident partnering with FQ gives Chandler Eagles the best possible chance to continuing growing in the future.
“We want to see growth in the sport and the relationship serves to give clubs security while expanding the player base, especially in the juniors space,” Allen said.
“The players are all talking about the potential pathways, which is pretty exciting.”
Those pathways include the SEQ Fustal Premier League, Queensland’s elite futsal competition. SEQ FPL launched in August 2016 and will kick off its second season in September.
Sitting just a few suburbs west of Chandler is Yeronga Futsal, a new club formed in partnership between Olympic Football Club and the local Greek community.
Olympic President Peter Ioannidis believes his club’s first-class facilities will be a key selling point when recruiting interested players.
“The two all-weather courts have the latest synthetic turf and LED lighting. We’ll play games here here rain, hail or shine,” said Ioannidis.
“We’re going to encourage our outdoor players to set up teams and play in competitions. We’ve just started our first competition on Monday nights, and we’re looking to expand.
“Futsal gives our players an opportunity to play all year round at our club.”
Football Queensland looks forward to working with all clubs in the state to help develop the game as the new futsal season fast approaches.
