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Football Queensland (FQ) is the governing body for association football (soccer) across Queensland. As a member of the Football Federation of Australia, they are affiliated with FIFA. They now oversee football in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay, Mackay, and South West, North, North West, South and Far Nth Qld, but they began life as the Anglo-Queensland Football Association in Brisbane, in 1884. They’ve toiled under a range of names, including the Qld British Football Association (1890-1919), the (far-sighted) Queensland Football Association (1920-1927) and the Soccer Council.
Since 2005, they’ve been responsible for the game across the State, which includes semi-professionals, amateurs, youth team players, juniors, referees and, of course, women’s football. With so much responsibility it’s little wonder they’ve been around for so long.
In 2007, all of the Brisbane soccer bodies (Brisbane Men’s Football, Brisbane Women’s Soccer, Brisbane North & Districts Junior Soccer Association, Brisbane Southern Districts Junior Soccer Association and Soccer Australia Referees (Brisbane)) amalgamated to form Football Brisbane.
Peter Eedy, a Brisbane football historian, has researched and written a detailed and engaging history of football in Brisbane. It’s fascinating. It is mostly about the men though.
With close to 30,000 members spread across 76 clubs and the 2290 teams, Football Brisbane has 5784 female players registered. In recent years, they’ve successfully engaged a commercial sponsor, a first for women’s football in the city, and increased their commitment of resources to promoting the women’s game. The local game has come a long way. In 1976, SQWSA registered 1070 players across a much larger geographical area.
The team began life as Queensland Roar. In their first season (2008/09) they did ‘the double’ – becoming the first W-League Premiers and then beating Canberra United (2-0) in the 2009 W-League Grand Final.
At the start of the 2009 season, Brisbane’s premier women’s side changed their name to Brisbane Roar. Two more Queensland sides, Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury (both now folded), joined the A-League.
Ballymore Stadium was the Roar’s first home ground, but they played games at Perry Park, Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, A.J. Kelly Park, Stockland Park and Cleveland Showgrounds.
They were champions (08/09) and twice grand final runners up (2009, 2011/2012). They won premiers (08/09) and premier runners up (10/11 and 11/12). Jeff Hopkins, who played in England and represented Wales, was the first coach.
While the club started in 1986, New Farm United
may have developed a women’s senior side in the 1990s. They know for sure they established these women and girls football sides in 2002. They are the earliest evidence they have at the club.
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Queensland’s Football History is yours and our football history.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the events presented in this digital history occurred and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their continuing connection to land and waterways as well as their rich history of sports and significant continuing contribution to football.
