Cerone promoting the female game in Nepean

Nepean District and Football Association’s Operations Manager Linda Cerone’s passion and love for football is second to none.

She has put it in countless hours toward the female game to see it develop into a sport that has dramatically increased in player figures, in particular within the Nepean Association.

The celebration of ‘Female Football Week’ goes a long way to mirroring Cerone’s vision of the women’s game.

“Female Football Week is a great initiative to spark interest by females in female football.  

“Just because women’s football has enjoyed growth, it doesn’t mean we have to stop working to keep promoting it.”

Spreading the word female football through different mediums is an important factor in the further development of the sport Cerone believes.

“A week long campaign of promoting the game is a great idea.  

“It gives Football groups the opportunity to reach all areas of the community, such as Schools, Sporting Clubs and Shopping Centres.”

Cerone has spent a great deal of time working on the female game from an administrative position and is proud of the achievements she has reached along with other female colleagues who have played an important role.

“My personal achievements have been in the fields of Football Management and Governance spanning a 25 year career on both voluntary and professional levels.  

“In that time I like to think that I have been instrumental in empowering or encouraging women in sport management and administration, especially so in what is traditionally a male dominated sport both in participation and management.  

“Having women in management, I believe that we’ve been able to bring to the sport a broader perspective where the needs and concerns of both genders are considered equally.”

The time and effort that has been put in by Cerone and others has shown in the accomplishments and growth of the Nepean Football Association across all sections of the game.

“In my 25-year tenure in the sport, female football has progressed at a rate that is envied by other sports and its growth has been the reward for the many, many people who have played an integral role in that growth.  

“When I first started out in the Nepean District, there were no junior girls teams, and the womens teams were so few that we played in a combined competition between ourselves and Blacktown Association, known as "Zone 5".  

“It didn’t take too long for both districts to establish their female football ranks and to also start developing single gender teams in the junior ranks too.  

“We now also enjoy the promotion of female participation in coaching and refereeing football as well as playing.  

“There’s a place for females in every area of the sport.” 

-By Nikola Pozder