From Wednesday night kickabouts to a vehicle for inclusion
- Mar 19, 2024
- 1 min read
Back in 2024, SBS Spanish sat down with our club to unpack how a group of friends playing on a rented court in Kensington grew into a home for players from more than 20 countries. It's a story we're proud to point back to because it's really the story of how we got where we are.
The piece traces our club back to its earliest days, when founder Alejandro Ramirez and a handful of mates simply wanted a regular game. What started as an informal Wednesday night hit-up became two men's teams and a women's team competing (and winning) across Victoria's amateur leagues, drawing players from Colombia, Brazil, Spain, Qatar, China, the US, Mexico, France and beyond.
But the piece isn't really about the trophies. It's about what football gave people once they'd left everything familiar behind: a way to practise English, a reason to leave the house, a network of people who understood what it's like to start over in a new city.
Our technical director put it simply in the interview:
"The club exists for people from every background, not just Spanish speakers, and the social side of the game matters as much as what happens on the pitch."
That's the thread that runs through everything we do. It's community that powers us, and ambition that drives us forward.
Read the full SBS Spanish feature: How this suburban football club became a 'vehicle for inclusion' for migrants from 20 countries
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