Fears junior soccer clubs will fold as Football Victoria demands fees for interrupted season

There are fears some junior soccer clubs could fold, due to a Football Victoria decision to charge clubs registration fees for the interrupted 2020 season which saw some players unable to play any games due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Some clubs are believed to owe Football Victoria more than $30,000 in fees.

Mark Szpakolski, a father heavily involved in a junior club, says clubs don’t want an argument, but the decision may force some clubs to fold if it’s not revised.

“They have just gone ahead and charged all registration fees for players who didn’t even play a game this year,” he told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

“A lot of clubs have gone and reimbursed parents the association fees and what have you, and now clubs have to foot the bill.

“How can you ask … for a fee that hasn’t been provided with a service?”

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President of Football Victoria, Kimon Taliadoros, said the association had no choice but to charge registration fees for the season.

“The reality for us as a sporting organisation is we do have hard costs, we do have staff,” he said.

He said Football Victoria is “not in a position to be able to prop … up” junior clubs.

“This will have a meaningful long-term impact on our sport, and the participation, and the clubs,” he said.

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