FOOTBALL West marked the 120th anniversary of the official foundation of the game in WA on the weekend of May 28/29 by taking out a full page advert in The West Australian newspaper to thank all the players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans who had contributed so much over the years. And, days earlier, the ruling body unveiled a new Chief Executive - James Curtis, who will step into the post on July 1 as the successor to Peter Hugg, who recently resigned after six years in the role.
The fixtures of all NPL, Women's State Cup and Amateur State Cup on the anniversary weekend were deemed to be played under the collective banner of the "Round of 120 Years of Football."
The captains of the NPL clubs exchanged pennants prior to the kick-off of their league contests.  Click here to view the historical weekend round of NPL matches.
It was almost 120 years to the day since the game was officially born when the first league fixtures were held in central Perth on May 30, 1896.
On its news pages on Friday, May 27, The West Australian ran an article lauding the contribution of WA football historian Richard Kreider, whose in-depth research pin-pointed the anniversary date.
Kreider is a member of the Football Hall of Fame WA committee.
Meanwhile, Football West reported on its website the news of the new CEO's appointment. It stated:
James Curtis will lead Football West through an exciting period for the sport after being appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Curtis has spent the past four years in the Western Australian State Government at the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in various roles including, most recently, Executive Director Community Development. Mr Curtis is also a member of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) Advisory Council.
Mr Curtis’ other roles at the Department included two high-level executive positions including Director of Strategy and Performance.
Prior to his work at Aboriginal Affairs, Mr Curtis spent time as a Senior Management Consultant for Quantum Consulting Australia providing advice to State and Commonwealth government departments and has worked within the finance sector.
Mr Curtis was also the Director of Grasshopper Soccer North West Coast and Operations Manager of Grasshopper Soccer and Hyper Active Sports Australia.
On his appointment, Mr Curtis said this is an exciting time for WA football and is delighted to have the opportunity to assist in working towards a bright future.
“The sport is thriving internationally, nationally and locally here in WA and I’m sure that together we can realise even more of the game’s great unlocked potential,” he said.
Football West Chairman Liam Twigger said Mr Curtis had been selected from a high-quality field of applicants.
“Football is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth, with more players, coaches, officials and volunteers involved in the game than ever,” Mr Twigger said.
“We have an opportunity to take football to a new level in WA and I am confident that following the appointment of James Curtis as CEO, we will have the leadership team in place to achieve all of our strategic goals. 
“The securing of funding and finalising a location for the State Football Centre remains our number one priority over the next 12 months.”

PIC ONE: The Anniversary logo. PIC TWO: Richard Kreider holds aloft a celebratory pennant. PIC THREE: New Football West CEO James Curtis.