Festival of Football returns to Albany for the first time in three years featuring men’s and women’s NPL teams

For the first time since 2020, Albany will again host the popular Regional Festival of Football, hosted by Football West. The Great Southern will be gripped by soccer fever when the festival comes to town from May 22-28, with the week-long event headlined by a Regional Cup double at Albany’s Retravision Stadium on Saturday, May 28. The announcement was made in March. Hyundai NTC will face Perth RedStar in round nine of the National Premier League WA women’s competition, followed by Perth Glory against Sorrento in round 10 of the NPLWA men’s competition. Both matches will be preceded by two games involving local teams to be confirmed closer to the date. The four NPL teams will also hold an open training session, complemented by a series of free workshops, school clinics and coaching and referee courses throughout the week. Football West thanked the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and the City of Albany for their support of the 2023 Regional Festival of Football. Great Southern Soccer Association president Jamie Steele said the event was highly-anticipated all round. “There’s huge excitement building for the festival,” he said. “Obviously getting that Perth Glory NPL squad and the Hyundai NTC is great, the guys and ladies have been down here before. I’m hoping our women’s members and soccer players get behind that and come and support it.” Locations and times of the Festival of Football programs will be confirmed in the coming weeks.