Dear Northern Suburbs FA & Northern Tigers FC members,
I have been honoured to serve as Chief Executive Officer for the past 3 years and involved in multiple roles over the past 9 years. I leave my home Association to take on my next challenge, re-joining Football NSW as Head of Football & Strategy to support their efforts in becoming leaders of the game in Australia and building capabilities within our football ecosystem.
I am most proud of the philosophy that has been instilled within our football community, with a strong focus towards retention, development and making decisions that will benefit the football experience of our membership. I see this philosophy entrenched in Clubs and leaders throughout the Association and growing stronger every year. The continued dedication to this will enrich the lives of our members, develop a deep love of football and create footballers for life. I encourage all to continue to invest in this approach and enjoy the smiles on faces what ever age they may be!
I am privileged to have been surrounded by an outstanding group of people during my time at NSFA including past and current Board Members, Staff members and volunteers. It is these people that have made the job enjoyable, fulfilling and the reason we continue to make so much progress for the game and for our local community. We are extremely lucky to have these individuals invested in our game as they constantly go above and beyond without a second thought. You have played a significant part in my personal and professional growth for which I will always remember and be grateful for, thank you.
My most enjoyable moments have been through the engagement and creation of new initiatives. The Skellern Cup, Youth Coach Development Program, Club Coach Coordinator program and our regular Club Presidents Workshops stand out most. The progress we have made in the creation of XLR8 Player Development Programs and INSPIRE FC are market-leading and have shown the wider football community in Australia that the glass ceiling is there to be broken for what community organisations can deliver and contribute to their members.
During my time at Tigers the Club has grown to become a full service, person-centred and ambitious Club. I have no doubt that with the people involved and the program in place it will continue to thrive and be reputed as best practice in many areas. Like all good things in life, development takes time and those that commit to the journey are rarely disappointed.
To the wider NSFA community, I hope you have enjoyed the changes made and passion instilled in our operations over the past 6 years. Football has come first and within NSFA I am confident it will continue to be. As a player I have seen the improvements from Club organisation to competition management, from facilities to online engagement. This keeps me coming back year after year and I am excited to sit on the sideline to watch on at the progress that is to come.
All the best over the years ahead.
Yours in football,
Edward Ferguson
Outgoing CEO – Northern Suburbs FA & Northern Tigers FC
