Surfside ready to make waves in state league competition

THIS year will mark a significant occasion in the Surfside Waves Soccer Club’s history as it makes its debut in the Football Federation Victoria state league competition.

Having won the past two FFV Geelong division one titles and following a Football Victoria application, Surfside showed it is ready to make the step up.

Waves is ready to officially launch its senior pre-season on January 19 as it embarks on its state league campaign.

Surfside Waves Soccer Club president Mike Sutton said this was the biggest thing in the club’s 24-year history from a footballing sense.

He added not only would it give the club a chance of attracting higher quality players but also allow it to retain promising youngsters, given it can now provide the necessary pathway.

“We’re pretty proud,” Mr Sutton said.

“We want to attract players … but more importantly we want to keep the young guys coming through who are looking for that state league challenge, or they want to play National Premier League.

“Previously, if they wanted to be able to do that they’d need to go somewhere else, and we were eager to close that gap.”

Surfside Waves enters the fifth tier of Football Victoria’s state league competition, with the hope of rising up the ranks in the coming years.

While it is an extremely exciting venture for the club, Mr Sutton stressed it would continue to have a vested interested in the Geelong competition.

“We’re also 100 per cent committed to the Geelong competition, that’s the backbone of our club.

“We just want to represent the Ocean Grove area in the best way possible.”

Mr Sutton said any players interested in playing senior soccer were welcome to come along to training at Shell Road Reserve or register their interest at https://www.surfsidewaves.org/.

Round one begins on April 19 while the club has its first FFA Cup qualifying match on February 9.