Getting on field a victory

March 17 2014

Shepparton News

Sometimes the scoreboard does not matter.

On Saturday night it officially read Oakleigh Cannons 1 Goulburn Valley Suns 0, but it was a victory for the fledgling National Premier League club just to make it to kick-off at McEwen Reserve.

It was a great result given the Suns barely even existed on paper just five weeks ago, when a licence was granted to play in the new statewide competition.

In a short space of time, under the guidance of interim chair Geoff Dobson, the Suns have put together senior and under-20 squads, coaches and support staff.

The interim board also includes representatives from Shepparton Junior Soccer Association, Goulburn North East Football Association and Greater Shepparton City Council.

The first game is a significant milestone, but there is still a lot of hard graft ahead for the Suns.

For a start, the club has six more teams across age groups from under-12 to pull together and it has to work to build its public profile, corporate and community support.

The NPL is one tier below the A-League and is part of a new structure for soccer in Australia which demands greater consistency of standards in youth development, coach accreditation and the introduction of a technical director in each club.

There are also standards for finance, business planning and organisational structure and facilities.

It is an enormous task to complete while trying to play games and be competitive.

What the GV Suns also need is passionate support from a region that has a rich history in the sport and there is nothing better than a local derby to spark interest.

The Suns’ next match is at home to the other regional team in the league, Ballarat Red Devils, from 6.30 pm on March 29 at McEwen Reserve.