Soccer chief calls on the Tasmanian Government to back the World Game

It’s the World Game – if only it meant the world to the State Government, says the boss of Tasmanian soccer.

Dominic College grade 1 students Jameson King, 6 of Montrose and Charlotte Berry of Glenlusk are among a growing number of young Tasmanians playing soccer. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

TASMANIAN soccer boss Matt Bulkeley has cried foul over the State Government’s allocation of sports funding claiming the round-ball game has been short-changed.

Football Tasmania’s annual State of Play report says that soccer has the most participants of all sports in Tasmania, with 38,086 locals playing the World Game, compared to AFL football’s 22,184.

And when it comes to financial hand-outs, the State Government injects $8.5 million into AFL in Tasmania and soccer gets $350,000.

Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley has released the State of Play report. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

“Some sports in Tasmania are receiving disproportionately more funding from the State Government compared to others in terms of per player funding,” Football Tasmania CEO Bulkeley said.

“We know football has grown to have more participants than any other team sport in Tasmania and as such, delivers unmatched health and social benefits to the state.

“However, the level of Government funding per player has not kept up with the meteoric rise of the World Game in Tasmania.

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“We are concerned the way the Tasmanian Government allocates funding to support recurrent sport spending, particularly on grassroots competitions and talent-pathway development, lacks transparency in regard to performance-based or participation-based criteria.”

Soccer in Tasmania enjoyed another growth year in 2019, with an extra 6.8 per cent boost in junior ranks and 17 per cent in indoor soccer.

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“We continue to grow at the fastest rate and we are the largest participation sport in Tasmania and have been for some time,” Bulkeley said.

“Like all sports, we would like more funding, and we say that seriously because we are the biggest sport and we feel like we have lots of targeted areas where we can invest that.

Dominic College grade 1 students Jameson King, 6 of Montrose and Charlotte Berry of Glenlusk ahead of the Football Tasmania release the State of Play report. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

“We have infrastructure challenges in particular and we also have some really key strategic priorities to football continue to grow, particularly in areas where it might be more difficult for kids to get involved in our game.”

Tasmania has a 26 per cent female participation rate, which is the highest proportion of any state or territory.