Football Queensland (FQ) is proud to unveil its 2023 Annual Report, following the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Saturday, 25 May 2024. Recounting a year defined by unprecedented growth and excitement surrounding the game, Football Queensland made further strides in its long-term strategic development across the state.
The 2023 Financial Statements presented in Football Queensland’s recently released Annual Report highlight the powerful and enduring impact of the Future of Football 2020+ statewide reforms on the organisation’s stability, growth and financial performance.
Prudent financial management has resulted in continued strong financial performance in 2023, with FQ delivering a record total revenue of $20,016,537 ($8.8m in 2020), and net assets of $5.3m.
In recent years, FQ has actively sought to diversify the organisation’s revenue streams by targeting growth in commercial income which this year saw an impressive 267% increase, placing downward pressure on registration fees which have not increased in the last seven years and were reduced by nearly 30% in 2022.
Football in Queensland is thriving, with 308 clubs and more than 300,000 players in 2023, the game stands as the state’s largest team and club-based participation sport, delivering significant social and community benefits both on and off the field.
“2023 was another huge year for football in Queensland, as we worked to continue the momentum and success of the initiatives outlined in FQ’s 2023-2026 One Football Strategic plan which delivered a clear and comprehensive framework to foster growth of the game,” FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci said.
“Football Queensland has outlined our bold target of 50/50 gender parity in participation by 2027 and already in the first quarter of 2024 we have seen a remarkable 44% growth in outdoor female players.
“While we can attribute some of this success to the amplification effect of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, FQ’s strategic commitment and deployment of initiatives and programs in the lead up and post the event have played a crucial role in capturing and funneling this growth in demand for our game.
“As we continue to record strong growth across the state and strive to meet the demands of our current base, it is absolutely critical that we as a governing body continue to advocate strongly for infrastructure investment in our game at a local, state and federal level on behalf of our clubs and participants.
“FQ launched multiple brand-new tournaments in 2023 to continue to strengthen the connected football pyramid, linking FQPL football tiers and maximising competitive opportunities for players, including the Kappa Pro Series and the expanded Mitre FQPL Champions League.
“The new futsal pyramid announced in 2023 aims to unify the delivery of futsal products, including the launch of the new Queensland Futsal Cup which provides further pathways for Queensland players to strive for national success.
“FQ’s ongoing focus on coach and referee support and development led to six Queensland match officials being named in the inaugural intake of the Football Australia Referee Academy, as well as the delivery of 223 coaching courses to over 2,800 attendees.
“On behalf of Football Queensland, I’d like to acknowledge the support of our Football Queensland team, Football Australia, State and Local Governments and our official partners throughout 2023, who contributed to a year marked by many historic milestones for our game.
“Thank you also to every member of our Queensland football community who contributed to our beautiful game both on and off the field; I look forward to continuing to see many of you at matches in the months and years to come.”