Footballers flocking to Knox Football Fives

The Knox Regional Football Centre has begun its first Spring/Summer season of Football Fives with over 2,000 people registered to take part in competitions that kicked off earlier this month.

Now entering its third competitive league season, local interest in the Football Fives managed centre has been significant with the winter football season having come to to a close, with Football Fives offering the opportunity for players to continue playing on an outdoor pitch.

Over 30 established football clubs are represented in some way at Football Fives, with plenty of social players involved too.

The Knox Regional Football Centre opened for business in January 2012 and is the largest small sided football centre in Victoria.

As well as leagues for men, women, juniors and mixed teams, the Knox Regional Football Centre also holds tournaments throughout the year.

The launch tournament, held in February, attracted former Socceroo and SBS football analyst Craig Foster along with a team of former National Soccer League All-Stars, all of whom were full of praise for the facilities and the new form of the game.

Speaking after the tournament, Foster stated "it's ahead of everyone and it's ahead of the curve.

"You get a lot of these smaller centres, but the scale of it here is bigger than I've seen in Australia before.

"It's a wonderful credit to the game and to Football Federation Victoria because what we need in football is the highest level of facilities."

While Football Fives leagues have been running throughout the winter, local clubs have been taking advantage of the nine floodlit synthetic Football Fives pitches as well as the full sized FIFA one-star pitch for training.

Knox United Soccer Club President Felice Lomuto said that the new facility in Knox has been a significant help to the club, stating "with the all weather surface we can allocate training for teams when the weather is poor, and it provides us with an extra training venue.

"The region lacks a lot of grounds and this helps us to keep doing what we do as a club."

Lomuto agreed that Football Fives is a great option for teams to continue playing over the summer, and can be an exciting change of pace from 11-a-side football.

Lomuto concludes "we see that as very important as a club and it's something that we want to push as much as we can.

"It's a great way to enjoy the game."

Football Federation Victoria (FFV) Chief Executive Mark Rendell is delighted with the centre, stating that it offers "a complete recreational football experience with fast paced action on the pitch and a relaxed social environment off it.

"The Football Fives concept is the brightest and freshest form of the game to launch in Australia, offering greater choice in the way people play football.

"At FFV, we are passionate about providing genuine access to the sport of football for all members of the community. This great centre caters for our next batch of future Socceroos and Matildas as well as being a great place to get together with your mates, have a kick around and just enjoy this great game as well as giving the football community the opportunity for an extra 25,000 matches per year.

"With nine floodlit, all-weather FIFA standard synthetic pitches, complemented by a full sized synthetic pitch with an emphasis on community access, the Knox Regional Football Centre will lead to players having more hours with the ball at their feet, increasing the strength of Victorian football and the sport as a whole.

"Victoria currently has more synthetic football pitches than the rest of Australian and New Zealand combined, highlighting FFV's commitment to providing genuine access to football to all members of the community."

The potential of small sided football centres is explored in a feature in the September/October 2012 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

For more information on Football Fives go to www.footballfives.com.au