By Arthur - 19 Jun 2010 10:36 PM
Thanks to lifeline, popular clubs kick on
BY EUGENE BENSON
15 Jun, 2010 08:45 AM
TWO junior soccer clubs integral to the vibrancy and social make-up of Flemington have been saved by deals between Moonee Valley Council, the Football Federation of Victoria and the Australian Eritrean Association.
The Flemington Eagles and North Lions, who have their home base at Debney Park, contribute five junior teams to federation leagues.
At the start of the season both clubs were in financial turmoil and faced the stark possibility of folding.
Founded within the past five years, both have quickly become essential social and recreational outlets for many disadvantaged youths and families from housing commission areas of Flemington and North Melbourne.
With players unable to pay the necessary fees or buy uniforms by the start of the season, neither club was in a financial position to start the season unless a third party stepped in.
The council has assisted the Flemington Eagles at an administrative level and the federation has helped out with uniforms and fees.
A $3000 grant from the council's emergency works allocation was also given to the North Lions for equipment and the federation has helped with fees.
Open to all players, the Eagles are made up mainly of boys with African heritage. The Lions have 42 registered players from backgrounds including Eritrea, Somalia, Turkey, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, New Zealand and India.
Its finances are underwritten by the Eritrean Association, which also supplies a mini-bus to ferry players to away games.
Club secretary Richard Chisholm said his club, which fielded under 15s and under 13s teams, still faced a battle to survive.
"Just about all our players are from the housing estate, so they are from fairly modest means it's fair to say.
"We only charge fees that cover costs and we haven't charged players for shirts.
"We really charge the bare minimum, but it's still very hard for them to cover that.
"We've really got enough players for three sides. They just keep coming. We have 23 players for each team, so it makes selecting players pretty difficult.
"We are trying to get a sustainable future because the demand is there and it's only going to get bigger.
"We provide two nights a week for training. If they weren't here I guess there are plenty of other less-savoury activities they could find time to do.
"We are right here. They walk out the front door and walk onto the field - that's how the club started in the first place.
"There is definitely some talent, that's half the thing. Some of the good players might not have the opportunity to play at all if we weren't here."
Eagles president Farah Warsame said they had 45 players divided into three under-11 teams.
The first team is on top of the ladder.
The club was thankful for the help, he said, but still hoped to attract funding through grants and the Sports Without Borders charity.
"A lot of children want to play, but we need more assistance. [To survive] we need to plan what we do from here."
The club has featured in a La Trobe University research project on the social benefits of community sport, led by Dr Ramon Spaaij, who has been following the Eagles for three years. Having a sports club where children, parents and other residents could get together was important for fostering social connections, he said.
"Unfortunately, there aren't many public spaces where such socialising takes place and this underlines the significance of the Flemington Eagles.
"Every week you see one or two new children hanging around Debney Park to watch the training and matches, eager to join in.
"With a good structure in place, the club should be able to field more teams and increase its stature, and other clubs certainly recognise this potential."
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By Gene genie - 20 Jun 2010 10:20 PM
[quote=Arthur]Thanks to lifeline, popular clubs kick on
BY EUGENE BENSON
15 Jun, 2010 08:45 AM
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The club has featured in a La Trobe University research project on the social benefits of community sport, led by Dr Ramon Spaaij, who has been following the Eagles for three years. Having a sports club where children, parents and other residents could get together was important for fostering social connections, he said.
Good to see money was found for these clubs, Do we really need Uni researchers to prove that community sport has social benefits?
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