The rain and poor weather did not dampen the spirits of Canterbury District Soccer Football Association (CDSFA) side Strathfield Strikers Football Club who hosted its third successful Female Football Festival on Sunday, March 24 at Strathfield Park.
Having kicked off the idea in 2020 with the aim to promote women’s football to its immediate community, the event has now branched to feature teams from across the Sydney metropolitan area.
The two key lynchpins behind the original idea were the Georgopoulos sisters Alexandra and Angelica who have been pivotal and fierce promoters of the female game in the CDSFA area.
“We had 36 teams this year, which is double what we had last year,” Angelica stated to Football NSW.
“My sister Alexandra and I have extreme passions for football, and we grew up with football when it “wasn’t for girls” – we wanted to ensure that every single girl has the opportunity to play.
“We wanted to break down the stereotypes and highlight what our girls of all ages can do.
“Despite the rain, which proved to be a highlight of the day, this was the biggest and most exciting day than it has been in the last two years, and we will continue this legacy as a club for years to come.”
The day kicked off at 8:30am and finished at 8:30pm where trophies were awarded to the winners of all age groups which spanned from the Under 10s’s right through to the Over 35 Women’s.
The event also hosted Andy Paschalidis from Heartbeat of Football, as well as having Defibrillator Demonstrations from John and Brendan Zuza from Response for Life and a Heart Health Check from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.
The MP of Strathfield Council Jason Li and Karen Pensabene the Deputy Mayor of Strathfield were also present as they proudly presented a NSW Government Community Service Award to the Georgopoulos sisters who have been massive female advocates and pioneers of the female football game in the area.
