Steve Payne is Tasmania’s new technical director/game development manager and will commence full-time with Football Federation Tasmania on 1 September.
Payne has been coaching with Bryst in Canada, where he worked with indoor programs, summer camps and the under-14 boys’ and under-21 men’s teams for the past four years.
He has the Brazilian ‘A’ coaching licence and the UEFA ‘A’ and ‘Pro’ licences.
Payne has spent time in Brazil working with club side Cruzeiro at youth and senior levels.
He replaces Richard Evans, who left after only a short stint in Tasmania late last year.
Meanwhile, Vicki Linton, head coach of the women’s football program at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport, has left to take up full-time duties with the Australian women’s national teams and the hunt is on for her replacement.
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Speculation is rife about where the TIS men’s team will play next season.
The team has been playing as University’s under-19s this season and top the ladder, 4 points ahead of Clarence United.
Most clubs were vehemently opposed to the TIS helping out University by playing as their under-19s because they claimed it enabled University to abrogate their responsibilities for youth development by providing them with a ready-made team.
Now that University has been relegated to Division One next season, the TIS side will have to find a new league in which to play.
One suggestion is that they play in the Division One competition, which will be much more demanding than the under-19 league they have played in this season.
They have swept most opponents aside easily this year and on Saturday demolished Hobart Zebras 8-1.
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Football Federation Australia has announced a Grassroots Football Facilities Fund consisting of grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for ‘grassroots’ football clubs that have at least half of their members in the junior age groups, that is, up to an including under-16s.
The maximum grant a club can received is $20,000 and the money cannot be spent on recurrent administrative or staffing costs.
It can be spent on things such as portable goals for small-sided games, installation of rainwater tanks attached to club rooms and amenities blocks, the planting of winter grass and improving the drainage of grounds.
The money may also be used to enhance change rooms, particularly those for women players, to construct artificial turf pitches and multi-use sports areas, to convert open spaces into small-sided football pitches, to install fixed floodlights or other lighting, and to purchase goal-nets and corner flags.
There will be three grants periods over the next year and the first ends on 31 August, so all those soccer clubs out there who have plenty of juniors should contact their local councils and Football Federation Tasmania with a view to applying for a grant.
It may even lead to fewer cancellations - which we have seen plenty of in this wet winter - in the future.
7 comments:
Where will the TIS play next year......good question. My money is on them being introduced to the Premier League competition as a stand alone team. Why you may ask? Well step one...TIS make a ninth team in the Premier League. Step two...Metro join the Premier League after Uni are relegated. Step Three...we don't want a bye...so let's invite Uni back to make up the even ten. Gee...bad luch Taroona.
But that would mean FFT acknowledging that they made a mistake in reducing the comp to 8 teams!! shock horror...
Why do you think it was a mistake in reducing the league to 8 teams? In my opinion it's been one of the best seasons that I can recall in terms of the fight for top spot, final 4, and to avoid relegation.
Re-introducing the final 4 concept made it a much more interesting season for those that fall beyond reach of the top spot. In previous years, half the league have had nothing to play for more than a month out.
give the tis uni's spot in div 1 - call them uni. uni can play div 1 reserves and u19s. if tis get promoted they can play in prem in 2011.
I'm not saying it was a mistake, but to change back to a 10 team comp only one season after reducing the number would give the impression that FFT had decided it was. However, I don't think FFT will change the numbers again so soon.
I'm not in a position to comment on whether this Premier League season has been better or not, but from a Div 1 perspective, the gap in class between the top two and the rest of the league is too big. The top two are clubs with ambition, structure, and youth development, which are wasted in Div 1.
Ril. I agreed with you premier league been more interesting as they have step up a Little more. I give that to FFT. Also by bring down teams from Relegation give Div 1 the opportunity to play on archive something rather than just pride. I am very Happy for that Decision FFT made, it just need improving. I think supporter would like to have their club playing premier league like any other club would but to suggest they better than other is pure selfish, it take time for a structure to work and involving the lower leagues is small but good step forward
Ten teams, eight teams, six teams...we've been there before and it matters nought regarding standards.
I just wish FFT would get their scheduling correct, regardless of how many teams there are in particular leagues.
It is incredible that there were so many Fridays and Sundays when there were no top-flight games on this season, yet there were often three on Saturdays.
The top-flight is the showcase for the game and it should be the vehicle for attracting new fans.
Some of the scheduling made it impossible for the media - electronic and print - to cover matches.
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