Surf Coast FC withdraws from National Premier League
It is with enormous disappointment that the Board notifies all Surf Coast FC (Great Ocean Roar) members that the club has withdrawn its application from the National Premier League.
After a great deal of consideration we believe the timelines imposed by the FFA / FFV created significant financial risks and reputational risks.
The successful NPLV applicants were originally intended to be named in September 2013. In the end, after an initial process was abandoned, the final announcement came only a few weeks ago, giving us just a few weeks to put together senior and junior teams and financing.
The FFA / FFV selection panel also awarded two licences against the advice of almost all stakeholders in the region.
This meant that it would be incredibly difficult to field teams in all categories of juniors, particularly with the higher fees required. This meant financial projections were affected, and due to the terms of the licence agreement the viability of our application.
Under the licence agreement the failure to fill all junior teams draws a penalty of the Senior men's team playing for no points for the season - an outcome we found untenable for a new system.
Additionally, juniors who were trialing with Surf Coast FC (if we with withdrew in the next couple of weeks) would have been denied an opportunity to trial and potentially play in the National Premier League competition as the squads of the other licence holder would be finalised.
We believed, ethically, we had a duty to inform all junior and senior players of the risks facing the club. Our decision to withdraw will now give all junior players an opportunity to trial with the one remaining licence holder.
Surf Coast FC will be writing to the FFA / FFV to express our dismay at the whole NPLV process and the position this put our club and the local football community.
On a personal note, I am now stepping down after 8 years as President of the club, and as a dad of a boy and girl who played in the very first Surf Coast FC team.
It has been a long journey from shooing the kangaroos off Bellbrae oval on a misty morning to the new facility at Banyul Warri Fields.
It has been a pleasure meeting all the mums and dads over the years, and especially to see the joy of children playing the game.
There is now some debate over the future direction of the club at the local level, with, as ever in sporting clubs , some people with passionate opinions.
I would hope that one of the core values that we impressed on that very first under 11s team to play for Surf Coast FC - respect - is upheld by the adults, and that whatever decisions are made by the next generation of Surf Coast parents, the club will go ahead as a united community for the better of football and the kids playing the game.
Please keep your eye out for coming meetings, come along and contribute, and remember, without volunteers there can be no club.
Thanks
Joe Taylor
Last Modified on 27/02/2015 09:18
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