08/07/2026
Fun fact … the Northern Beaches might never have had “summer soccer” if it wasn’t for the decades-long dedication of the people behind FootballSSG’s and CC Strikers' ( Collaroy Cromer Strikers Football Club ) comps.
How do I know?
- Because I established and I am the organiser of FootballSSG.
- Because I was the one that helped Claire Prior establish Mosman’s first comps.
- Because I was the one that organised Wakehurst’s first comps.
- Because I was the one that organised Melwood Oval’s first comps.
- And because, for many years, CC Strikers organised the only other summer soccer comps on the Northern Beaches.
MWFA never showed any interest, years ago, nor did any other club. It’s only now, that there are thousands of participants (thanks primarily to FootballSSG’s and CC Strikers’ efforts) that they have constructed a way, via Council, to try to take control of it all.
FootballSSG’s comps have survived, because we saw the writing on the wall 18 months ago and took actions to ensure we could deliver our much loved comps to the community, now and long in to the future.
CC Strikers’ comps, gut-wrenchingly, have not survived ... https://www.facebook.com/CCStrikers/posts/pfbid02tmKu1Bsdvpt8nRvjBwZWXqmDrDye9gTvMiuNe6KJ5cVCXJLeRJt4W48JJ7VmdNaYl
If, like me and many other people in the football community, you believe it stinks that people (in this case, CC Strikers) can have taken away from them something that they’ve dedicated thousands of hours over many, many years nurturing and growing in to brilliant and cherished community activities … you might want to write to your local Councillors and let them know how you feel ... https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/council/your-elected-council
Oh … just before any keyboard warriors chime in with unfounded and nonfactual claims about FootballSSG being a profit-driven company … we are a Pty Ltd company and, under Australian federal law, our Constitution requires us to operate as a not-for-profit using income to advance amateur sport, which is exactly what we do and have always done. We set up as we did to protect ourselves against EXACTLY what has happened to CC Strikers.
Over the years we have invested tens of thousands of dollars towards referee training, provided countless free registrations for people doing it a bit tough, purchased boots and shin guards for people doing it really tough, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment to communities around Australia, the South Pacific and Africa, loaned our equipment to local football clubs and other small-sided competitions and donated footballs and training equipment as well as free rego vouchers to use for fundraising activities to countless schools around the Northern Beaches. We’ve also tried to donate significant monies to Council, with the only caveat being that the money needs to be spent to improve and maintain the sports fields … but Council declined our offer (I recall the exact response was “… people don’t usually place conditions when they make a donation …”).
Northern Beaches Council have had a clear and comprehensive understanding our not-for-profit structure since 2018, when we officially adopted our legally binding Constitution.
There are 15 Councillors – three Councillors for representing each of our five wards.
