Elite level football is set to return to the Gippsland after Melbourne Heart FC announced the region would host a leg of the 2010 Westpac Community Football Festival, featuring a pre-season friendly against the Newcastle Jets.
Elite level football is set to return to the Gippsland after Melbourne Heart FC announced the region would host a leg of the 2010 Westpac Community Football Festival, featuring a pre-season friendly against the Newcastle Jets.
The Hyundai A-League newcomers arrive in Morwell on July 6 for the start of the three-day football extravaganza, which will see Heart engage with the local football and business community through a series of clinics and events, courtesy of Westpac-s local network of branches.
Westpac-s ‘Coach the Coach- program is set to be one of the highlights of the festival, with Heart Head Coach John van ‘t Schip and Assistants Jesper Olsen and Ante Milicic holding a seminar educating local football clubs on the latest tactical and technical innovations in the game.
The inaugural Westpac Community Football Festival culminates in a friendly match between Heart and the Jets at La Trobe City Sports and Entertainment Stadium in the team-s first ever match against Hyundai A-League opposition on Thursday July 8.
Heart Chief Executive Officer Scott Munn revealed the Club is excited to be bringing the Hyundai A-League to Gippsland for an extended period.
“The Gippsland region was for many years a stronghold of the former National Soccer League, with the Falcons an integral part of Australian football scene,” he said.
“Former Falcons and Eastern Pride stars Eugene Galekovic, Archie Thompson and John Hutchinson are among the many players to have honed their craft in the area and made a real impact, earning international selection for the Qantas Socceroos and Malta respectively.
“And through our partnership with Westpac, the Club is delighted to be bringing elite level football back to an area which provided the sport with such unmitigated and tireless support over an extended period.
“Due to Westpac-s commitment and drive, Heart is unwavering in the belief that it bears a distinct responsibility to further the cause of football, and hopefully the Westpac Community Football Festical can help inspire the next generation of stars to emerge from Gippsland.”
Westpac General Manager, Gippsland Ken Larkin said: “We are really excited to be able to help bring Melbourne Heart FC and elite football to the Gippsland community.
“One of the reasons Westpac partnered with the team is their focus on taking football to regional communities. The Gippsland football festival will kick off of two months of fantastic regional football activity across Victoria.”
