Seriously, fuck them for gaslighting me like this - I'm going even more full force now.

All promoted teams losing this weekend (except for Juventus who had the bye and is sitting impressive in 4th), to an aggregate score of 16-5 across 4 matches.

grazorblade said:

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Well done Luke - don't let this story die

grazorblade said:

looks like they are finally willing to come onto podcasts

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Yes - Luke specifically addresses this from what I've gotten up to:

The destruction and damage caused by this review is farreaching. Doesn't just limit to us, but it certainly paints a really bleak picture about how these how our clubs within the pyramid are treated um by the governing bodies at times. And hence why we wanted to tell our story in this podcast. We've had many other invitations to tell our story which we've said no to because we didn't want to feel like we were
still just you know throwing our toys out the frame. But because of the angle you're going with and you saying that you know we're trying to actually change the structure so that this doesn't happen. It was only fair that we played our part because it really did cause some damage down here

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NicCarBel said:

Well done Luke - don't let this story die

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He was very well spoken, great interview.

Monoethnic Social Club said:

He was very well spoken, great interview.

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He spoke to me worried he was a bit too polite - but given the context/framing of the interview (and probably the risk of going too long if adding in anything extra) he got everything across really well

NicCarBel said:

He spoke to me worried he was a bit too polite - but given the context/framing of the interview (and probably the risk of going too long if adding in anything extra) he got everything across really well

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Nah mate, quite the opposite. He was very measured.. a big "well done" from me.

Seriously - how the fuck is she able to bat aside a vote of no confidence with 'rejecting any suggestions' that they've fucked up? And they're issuing another Strategic Plan? How well has that last one worked out ffs....​

​

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'Room for improvement': Canberra soccer boss opens up after 'hostile' meeting​

By Melanie Dinjaski
Updated May 25 2026 - 11:15am, first published 11:00am


Capital Football boss Samantha Farrow has welcomed news that two bidders have submitted proposals to own Canberra United and moved to reassure participants the game is strong in the capital.

Farrow also rejected questions from clubs about a poor culture at the governing body after a rollercoaster couple of years on and off the field for the biggest participation sport in Canberra.


Samantha Farrow, Capital Football CEO. Pictures Gary Ramage, Karleen Minney

As the dust settles on what was described by some as a "hostile" and "explosive" annual general meeting last week, Farrow added insight into some of the questions raised by key stakeholders.

Board members were peppered with about 25 questions from frustrated clubs, which were demanding answers and a vision to improve the future of soccer in the city.

Many club representatives left the meeting disappointed as more questions emerged. Farrow, who has been in the job for two years, is keen for the sport to unite to move forward.

"Capital Football acknowledges clubs and members are passionate about the games and will at times hold differing views regarding governance, engagement and transparency," Farrow said in response to questions from The Canberra Times.

"The organisation recognises there is always room to improve and continues to work on strengthening communication, consultation and engagement with clubs and stakeholders across the region."

What next for Canberra United?​

Canberra United fans were excited by the Australian Professional Leagues' promising update this week that they were in the final stages of locking in a "preferred partner" to take on the women's A-League club "within the month".

APL chief executive Steve Rosich said, "two shortlisted parties have provided strong proposals", which was also great news for an A-League Men expansion side finally getting off the ground in Canberra.

It's been a gruelling three-year search to land new owners to take over the A-League licence from Capital Football, as the financial strain of running the women's team was impacting community soccer operations.

At the annual general meeting, the Capital Football board told club delegates that the cash-burn rate for running United last season was $400,000, which was covered by the ACT government's funding.

However, exact costing was hard for members to decipher without Canberra United spending clearly laid out in financial documentation, and the auditor was not present to provide more detailed explanation.

The board also revealed that its directors had made a decision not to spend more than another $100,000 of Capital Football money on United last season, which was fresh information for several club delegates who were adamant they didn't recall such a financial decision being made, or communicated.

None of the board could answer definitively how much above or below that $100,000 had been spent either, because there were still a few days remaining on existing contracts of United squad members.

Farrow had a similar response when asked about it by The Canberra Times, and defended the board's process.

"The financial position for the current season is still being finalised, with several end-of-season costs and reconciliations still being completed," she said.

"As such, it would not be appropriate to comment on specific final figures while that process remains ongoing.

"Financial sustainability and risk settings relating to Canberra United have been considered by the board over an extended period through normal governance and board processes."

Capital Football also welcomed the APL update on a path forward for United.

"Capital Football are hopeful there will be an announcement by the end of the month regarding the APL's preferred option moving forward," Farrow said.

"In recent seasons Capital Football has been required to contribute significant additional financial support to operate the club, however ACT government funding has played an important role in reducing the financial burden associated with maintaining elite women's football in the region.

"Capital Football has supported the process throughout the season being led by the APL to identify a new ownership model for Canberra United moving forward."

Amid Capital Football's investment on United, audited financial reports shown at the annual general meeting recorded a deficit of $71,252 as of December 2025, and reported a net asset position of nearly $2.5 million.

Capital Football said the deficit was due in part to the large financial commitment required to operate United combined with the APL's significant reduction in grants to help cover the costs of teams.

Workplace culture defended​

Among the topics raised at the annual general meeting such as finances, governance, Canberra United, girls and women's soccer, strategy, and facilities concerns, organisational culture was also in the spotlight, and led to very tense exchanges in the room.

The Canberra Times is aware a question was put to Capital Football's board about workplace culture amid several reports of discontent from current and former staff about their experiences working at the sporting body.

Farrow backed Capital Football and said supporting its staff was "a priority".

"Capital Football rejects any suggestion that it does not take workplace culture and staff wellbeing seriously," the chief executive said.


Since 2021, Capital Football has had four different chief executives. Picture by Karleen Minney

"Like many sporting organisations, our staff regularly work in challenging environments and are often subjected to significant criticism and, at times, unacceptable behaviour from members of our community.

"Supporting staff wellbeing in those circumstances remains a priority for the organisation.

"As with any organisation, individuals will have differing views and experiences, however Capital Football remains committed to maintaining a professional, respectful and supportive workplace for all staff."

Capital Football confirmed that Peter Maybury and Jessica Meadley were successfully added to the board, to fill one vacant position, as well as replace departing chairman, Angelo Konstantinou, after his 10-year stint came to an end.

The board is set to discuss who will become the next chairman at an upcoming meeting next month.

Debt and accounting questions​

Questions were raised at the annual general meeting about a $118,000 jump in accounting fees. Farrow explained that amount accounted for the ending of a surprising arrangement where Football Queensland was in charge of Capital Football's financial figures until recently.

That has now changed, and accounting will be done in-house to "provide greater flexibility and retain organisational knowledge internally".

Another discovery at the meeting came when the "bad debts" from the year's financial statements were broken down.
A majority came as a result of Gungahlin United's collapse ($50,199), but it was also revealed that a $5000 "bad debt" from 2024 was attributed to Central Coast Mariners.

The APL, which is managing the A-League club in an interim capacity as new owners are finalised, were unable to shed any light on the debt. The Mariners were also contacted directly for comment.

Farrow said the amount "relates to a historical accounting matter that was addressed through standard financial reporting processes and included in the organisation's annual reporting obligations."

Transparency and governance​

The annual general meeting was viewed by club representatives attending as more than just a review of Capital Football's performance, it was also an opportunity to address some major concerns and seek solutions.

Two months ago Capital Football was issued a powerful vote of no confidence from Canberra's biggest clubs, which declared the sporting body "must evolve", improve its governance, facilities, and give greater attention to the state of women's soccer in the region. Transparency was also something clubs wanted more of from Capital Football.

Farrow provided a statement to respond to these concerns, which included clubs expressing a desire for more engagement on the future vision for Canberra soccer.


Gungahlin United's collapse was a major controversy for Canberra soccer. Pictures by Sitthixay Ditthavong, Elesa Kurtz

She said Capital Football has ended any consultation opportunities for a new strategic plan and it is set to be released soon.
"The renewed strategic plan is complete and is being prepared for public release," Farrow explained.

"Club presidents have already been provided with a snapshot of the plan and its direction, with the underlying activities and implementation detail to be released shortly.

"The timing of the public release has also been impacted by internal resourcing capacity, which the organisation is currently working through."

All Comments​

1. Comment by Baggio.​

   
   The CEO is only partly to blame. Why hasn't the Canberra Times held the Chairman of the Capital Football board accountable after ten years of disasterous governance?
   

An extra article that I didn't come across until I read the above:

Inside the 'hostile' Hellenic Club meeting that divided Canberra soccer​

By Melanie Dinjaski
Updated May 15 2026 - 5:28pm, first published 5:00pm


If Capital Football felt under fire prior to its annual general meeting, the heat was turned up a notch by disappointed clubs demanding answers after the Thursday night showdown.

Soccer representatives from every corner of Canberra came to the meeting at the Hellenic Club desperate for clarity on the sport's future amid one of the most tumultuous periods in Capital Football's history.


Capital Football held its AGM at the Hellenic Club this week. Pictures ACM

There were approximately 25 probing questions put to the board on topics such as finances, governance and transparency, Canberra United, girls and women's soccer, long-term strategy, facilities concerns and organisational culture, but club delegates walked away deflated and dissatisfied feeling that their concerns had not been addressed adequately.

Confronting the questions were Capital Football chief executive officer Samantha Farrow and board members including Elizabeth Hovasapian, Gary Vandeburgt, Kim Ward, Sarah Baker-Goldsmith, Steve Rohan-Jones, Adrian King, and outgoing chairman Angelo Konstantinou.

The back and forth between the board and club was tense at the best of times, while others in the room described it as "hostile".
From the moment roughly 40 Capital Football and club representatives walked into the Apollo Room it was clear the mood for this meeting would be very different to previous years.

Only two months ago Capital Football was issued a powerful vote of no confidence from some of Canberra's most influential clubs, which declared the sporting body "must evolve" with a priority placed on improved governance, facilities, and greater attention to the state of women's soccer in the region.

Gungahlin United's collapse, a controversial NPL review, competition integrity, facility and field condition and shortages, and uncertainty for Canberra United were all hot-topic issues Capital Football has had to deal with in the last year.

But clubs still held hope that there could be a path forward with greater transparency and engagement from the soccer community and Capital Football.


After Thursday's annual general meeting, however, it remains unclear whether that path forward was achieved.

Two new directors were successfully appointed, but the new chair to replace Konstantinou after a decade with Capital Football will be decided at another meeting next month.

Konstantinou led the 2025 Capital Football review which revealed participation rates continued to rise, despite audited financial reports revealing the sporting body posted a deficit of $71,252.

The auditor of Capital Football's financials was invited to the meeting to add their expertise, though they were unable to attend and a new auditor was appointed for the year ahead.

Capital Football holds AGM​

Canberra soccer confronted a critical moment on Thursday night, as Capital Football's annual general meeting brought the good, the bad and the ugly to the table amid one of the most tumultuous periods in the organisation's history.


Capital Football's Sam Farrow and Ange Konstantinou. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

In the Apollo Room at the Hellenic Club, Capital Football chief executive officer Samantha Farrow, the board, and numerous Canberra club officials were in attendance as the soccer community hoped for reform and a path to a brighter future amid growing discontent over several issues.

The mood was slightly tense, given the many fires Capital Football had been trying to put out in the past 12 months.

There's been the sensational fallout of Gungahlin United's collapse, a controversial NPL review, competition structure and integrity concerns, facility and field condition and shortages, and uncertainty facing Canberra United, which is still yet to find a new owner to replace Capital Football.

In the past few weeks alone, the "unsafe" condition of several ACT sports grounds has caused a huge strain on clubs, resulting in late field changes, match postponements and injury concerns, with mounting pressure on Capital Football and government to urgently address the facilities issue.

It was also only two months ago that Farrow and the Capital Football board were dealt a powerful vote of no confidence from 11 of Canberra's most influential soccer clubs, which declared the sports body "must evolve" with a priority put on improved governance, facilities, and greater attention to the state of women's soccer in the region.

The AGM was a test of what Capital Football had learned, how it would respond, and it was also a test for club delegates with voting capabilities to table some probing questions to the board on behalf of the community.



Governance reform was a major point of emphasis from the clubs' perspective.

The clubs went into the AGM wanting greater Capital Football transparency such as regular board meeting minutes, answers over Canberra United's future including financial implications, and concerns were raised about organisational culture at the sporting body - including high staff turnover - which impacted service delivery to the community.

And Farrow was directly in the hot seat too, over whether she had met the expectations of her role in regards to financial sustainability, stakeholder engagement and overall performance of Capital Football.


Samantha Farrow, chief executive of Capital Football. Picture by Karleen Minney

A pivotal vote took place to elect two new board directors, with one position to fill a director vacancy, and the other was to replace outgoing chairman Angelo Konstantinou after his 10-year tenure came to an end.

Before he left, Konstantinou led the 2025 review presentation which revealed the wins and losses of a rollercoaster year.

The audited financial report revealed that Capital Football posted a deficit of $71,252 as of December 2025 and claimed a net asset position of nearly $2.5 million.

Capital Football blamed its annual deficit result on its support of Canberra United and also on the Australian Professional Leagues reducing its funding to teams across the competition.

According to Capital Football, those APL cuts resulted in about $83,000 of budgeted funding not being received.

In 2024 Canberra United had a record-setting 983 members with record attendance at games too, but last year membership sales decreased, which further impacted Capital Football's bottom line.

Capital Football also noted that it had to write off just over $50,000 due to Gungahlin United folding.

Despite a significant funding boost from the ACT government towards Canberra United which included $400,000 last year for the A-League club and $50,000 for the delivery of Kanga Cup, the financial strain of running United was again referenced at the AGM as to why the sporting body wants to find new ownership to take over its A-League licence.

"While Capital Football has successfully operated Canberra United since 2008, it is not the Federation's long-term role to manage a professional team," the directors' report read.

The silver lining for Canberra soccer was that overall the sport continues to boom in the region.

Participation rates rose across 50 clubs, with a 15 per cent rise in female participation year-on-year.

'It was unfair': why this Canberra club is turning to the Legislative Assembly to make change​

By Melanie Dinjaski
Updated June 3 2026 - 3:35pm, first published 3:29pm

One of Canberra's biggest soccer clubs has launched a desperate bid to have a Capital Football decision overturned, with a new petition backed by a senior figure in the ACT government.


Woden Valley juniors girls soccer players. Picture by Keegan Carroll

Woden Valley Soccer Club is hoping its petition, sponsored by ACT Treasurer Chris Steel, will draw the Legislative Assembly's attention to its long battle to be included in the National Premier League Girls division, and put greater pressure on Capital Football to make it happen next year.

The southside club, where Minister Steel is a patron, has more than 1600 registered players, with a strong contingent of junior girls striving to become Matildas.

However, the club does not boast a NPL Girls program, which provides greater training and competition for players to develop to a higher level, and without the program Woden Valley has seen juniors depart to rival teams to chase that opportunity.

The petition which has gathered more than 520 signatures in just two weeks is a bold public campaign, but it comes as the club has been left frustrated by its treatment in recent years, with previous attempts to gain promotion to the NPL ruined by unexpected hurdles.

In 2024, Woden Valley was put in a difficult position due to an apparent miscommunication.

The club said a delayed response from Capital Football to confirm their successful promotion to the NPL Girls competitions meant it had to withdraw from the opportunity because eligible players had all departed to other teams by the time NPL confirmation was received.

The club was unable to advertise or hold NPL trials for the next season without having formal confirmation from Capital Football on its promotion.

"I sent many emails and messages and they didn't tell us in August, September or October," Woden Valley Soccer Club president Mark Stoove said.

"They told us in November.

"Capital Football didn't let us know until all the other clubs had their NPL trials and all the girls went to another club.



Then last season Tigers FC earned promotion and Woden Valley were seemingly in prime position for potential promotion in 2026, however in late 2025, Capital Football made a major announcement.

Gungahlin United's collapse and the "exceptional" subsequent impact on multiple levels of Canberra soccer led to Capital Football declaring all NPL senior and youth competitions would not have promotion or relegation in 2026.

The move was a huge blow for clubs like Woden Valley, dashing their ambitions of ascending to the NPL in 2027, and forcing those goals to be shelved until 2028.

And a further sting for Woden Valley was that the same Capital Football announcement saw the NPL Boys program increase from 10 teams to 12, while the NPL Girls stayed at eight clubs.

"We were devastated by that for the club and our girls," Stoove said.

"We thought it was unfair to our girls program. We wanted to be the ninth team - the same that was afforded to the boys [to add teams].



"We've got the numbers. We've got the biggest junior girls teams in Canberra."

Woden Valley made a last-ditch plea in February, submitting a proposal to Capital Football to be added to the NPL Girls competitions in 2027, taking into consideration the events of the last two years.

But despite promises for the matter to be decided at Capital Football board meetings in recent months, the club is still yet to receive an update from the sporting body on the status of the proposal, which has led to its petition being launched on May 20.

"Because we haven't had a response, we started the petition," Stoove said.

"At the end of under-12s, our girls go to other clubs," he added.

"They'd prefer to stay at our club but we can't offer the NPL Girls pathway to play at the highest level. We don't want to break up friendships with players going to other clubs.

"We're financial, we're a good club, we run programs for Capital Football, we're doing a lot in the junior space and we do a lot at Kanga Cup, so we would like to see some help come our way."

John Coates, Women's Pathways, SAP and Academy Coordinator at Woden Valley, said the petition will hopefully show Capital Football just how much public support there is for the club to be added to the NPL Girls ranks next season.

"The main thing is to use it as a tool to quantify the support we believe is out there," he said.

"It's awareness raising."

Capital Football was sought for comment on Woden Valley Soccer Club.

The sporting body is set to hold a meeting on Wednesday night with all members of the Canberra soccer community invited to attend and provide newly elected chair Sarah Baker-Goldsmith and deputy chair Steve Rohan-Jones feedback on what issues should be prioritised in the next six months.

The question Capital Football has put to the community is: "What do you think Capital Football should be working on this year?"

Woden Valley is expected to be among the many topics raised at the meeting, as Capital Football also deals with growing concerns about sportsgrounds vandalism, availability and field conditions, and broader discontent with the sporting body on numerous other issues.

NicCarBel said:

Capital Football was sought for comment on Woden Valley Soccer Club.

The sporting body is set to hold a meeting on Wednesday night with all members of the Canberra soccer community invited to attend and provide newly elected chair Sarah Baker-Goldsmith and deputy chair Steve Rohan-Jones feedback on what issues should be prioritised in the next six months.

The question Capital Football has put to the community is: "What do you think Capital Football should be working on this year?"

Woden Valley is expected to be among the many topics raised at the meeting, as Capital Football also deals with growing concerns about sportsgrounds vandalism, availability and field conditions, and broader discontent with the sporting body on numerous other issues.

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The real question is - do I attend this meeting? I need to find the details

EDIT: Oh, I missed it. Despite the article only being published yesterday afternoon, the online forum was held on Wednesday 3 June at 6:30pm. Canberra Times - why do you do this and include things too late?