BALLARAT Red Devils’ new president Tony Spurgo is keen to keep fostering support for the club’s elite senior and junior soccer pathways.
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And this starts at home.
Spurgo, a long-time Reds supporter and committee member, said the club had made a good start to regroup and move forward in its National Premier Leagues Victoria venture.
Under the NPLV, which is midway through its second season, the club’s long-term viability depends on both its junior and senior teams – six academy teams and an under-20 team with its marquee side.
It is important they all feel part of the club.
Spurgo said the club understood that while soccer was a fast-growing sport, it may not always be the number one football code in many Ballarat households, including those of their junior players.
“As the club gets older, it will strengthen ties. We’re only two years old in the NPL and we’ve had a lot of new players and families coming into the club, so we need to keep working to promote the history of the club and in showing we’re a family club,” he said.
“This won’t work if we don’t first have good backing for the club.”
Spurgo said this also included building more support in the broader Ballarat football and sporting community.
The Reds held an open forum on April 30 for all club players, members, supporters and officials to sort out teething issues in adjusting to the new league, which is secondary only to the A-League.
The club made clear it wants to stand on its own financially and to do so for long-term stability.
Spurgo said that while the Reds had good community support, there was always more room to strengthen partnerships and promote awareness in the quality pathway the club offered in the state’s top league.
The Reds promoted Spurgo to president after announcing on Thursday night that long-serving chairman Duncan Smith had resigned.
Smith played a key role in the Reds securing an NPLV licence, but opted to step down to allow a fresh perspective in leading the club forward.
He declined to comment when contacted by The Courier.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au