West Perth Football Club will play in a Union Jack guernsey against Subiaco at Arena Joondalup on Saturday with the aim of engaging the large British migrant population in the West Perth District.
The Round 21 game on Saturday, August 11 will also inlcude a range of activities to attract new supporters and introduce them to Australia's indigenous game.
West Perth District Manager Andrew Ridley said 55 per cent of the Falcons’ district population was defined as multicultural and over 40 per cent of those were migrants. Many of those being English brought up on soccer.
“Kids come across from the UK and they are entrenched in soccer so we want to introduce them to our game, give them a taste for it and then link them up to their local football club,” Ridley said.
“The results have been good over the past year or so and our school participation rates have gone up more than 60 per cent. We won’t know for another five to 10 years how many colts, reserves or league players our programs produce from the migrant population, but we know this is a long-term commitment.”
West Perth Football Club CEO Gerry O'Dea said that deciding to wear the Union Jack geurnsey was a bold move for the club.
"We will get excellent exposure for having the courage to wear the jumper and promote our District. We have made a lot of noise lately about the multicultural make-up of our District, with a large percentage born in the UK – our Little Britain title must be embraced," O’Dea said.
What to expect:
• Free Footy Tickets to local school kids
• The Falcons to play in a British Flag Guernsey - recognizing the growing community
• Large Kids Zone with Bouncy Castles, Face Painting, Super Slide, Show Bags, Sports Activities
• Free Footy Skills for kids not born in Australia (Half Time)
• International Food Stalls
• British Beer Tent
• A Great Game of Footy
