A national series of Community Football Summits kicked off with the first meeting in Brisbane at the weekend with National Premier Leagues, player pathways and referee development at the centre of the conversation.
Members of the Queensland football community gathered at Suncorp Stadium to quiz representatives from Football Federation Australia (FFA) including Chair Chris Nikou and Chief Executive David Gallop AM, together with Football Queensland (FQ) chair Ben Richardson and Chief Executive Richard Griffiths.
They fielded questions on a wide range of subjects during a lively two-hour session, moderated by ABC presenter Stephanie Brantz, with the cost of football, the need for investment in grassroots facilities and the role of private academies also discussed.
David Gallop said hearing from those involved at grassroots, in NPL clubs and from referees highlighted some of the opportunities ahead for the game.
"Community consultation is an important first step for the newly-elected Board and the FFA management team and on the weekend we started on a journey to meet with the football community right around the country.
"Our next stop is Newcastle and we want to hear from as many members of the football community as possible over the next few months about the issues that are most important to them, so we can continue to improve our game.
"We will use the feedback from our stakeholders during these forums to help guide the development of the next four-year strategic plan.
"But most importantly our forums across the country are about listening to our stakeholders, taking that feedback on board and working more closely with the community to improve our game," Gallop said.
