Football Victoria (FV) is pleased to learn of the Victorian Government’s announcement of a $150 million fund to provide financial support for sport, tourism and creative industries.
At a time when sporting organisations have experienced major disruption due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Experience Economy Survival Package includes funding for sporting clubs and competitions from grassroots through to the elite.
FV Chief Executive Peter Filopoulos said the State Government’s decision would prove vital to the survival of all sports in Victoria.
“This package is absolutely critical to ensure that our sporting clubs and institutions have a fighting chance of getting through what has been an incredibly tough period,” Filopoulos said. “In football, the effects of shutting down our game for several months are very significant.”
“What we do know is that it will take an enormous, community-wide effort to get our clubs, leagues and associations restarted and this package will play a significant role in making sure that happens.”
Filopoulos said football was doing all it could to survive in a period with virtually no revenue and ongoing costs.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event and both Football Victoria and our 355 clubs with 450,000-plus participants moved as quickly as possible to adjust,” he said. “This support package gives us an opportunity to make it through these turbulent times and means that when it’s time for sport to restart as normal, the football community will be ready to go from the opening whistle.”
Football Victoria commended the work of the Andrews’ Government in making sure that football wouldn’t be left behind.
“I would like to pay a special thanks to Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Sport, Martin Pakula and Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spence MP, for keeping us front of mind in what has been a challenging time for all Victorians,” Filopoulos said.
“That forward thinking will allow us to play our part in helping Victoria get back to normal as quickly as possible.”