The 2021 Football Far North Coast season officially starts at the end of February when a record number of senior teams will compete for glory across six Tursa Employment & Training ANZAC Day Cup & Callan McMillan Memorial Shield Competitions.
The strong interest shown by clubs and participants to be part of the prestigious pre-season competitions has attracted a total of 56 teams and prompting the creation of a new tier of competition to cater for Leagues 6 and 7 men.
We again thank our long term strategic partner, Tursa Employment & Training for their continued support of football and to the community more broadly.
Goonellabah FC will be looking to defend its ANZAC Day Cup Men’s Premier League title they won in a hard-fought contest against Alstonville FC last season. The seven other teams from Men’s Premier League in season 2020 will join including Maclean FC who joined the Men’s Premier League and Championship League in 2020 after a long hiatus in North Coast Football.
The re-alignment of the men’s pre-season competitions for season 2021, sees the Open A Division opened up to Championship League teams. TEBFC have not returned to defend their Open A crown from season 2020, but for the 10 teams that have nominated in season 2021 there will be plenty to play for. Lennox Head FC lead the list of contenders after claiming the Men’s Championship League Minor Premiership in 2020, and will be joined by Championship League Grand Finalists, Byron Bay FC and Grand Final Winners Lismore Richmond Rovers FC.
The largest of the competitions in season 2021, ANZAC Day Cup Open B, will see 14 teams represented. With the teams graded in League 3 to League in season 2020, there is sure to plenty of competitive fixtures throughout. Lismore Richmond Rovers FC will be looking to add to their 2020 success in the competition that saw them prevail over 2018 winners, Mullumbimby Brunswick Valley FC in the final.
The newly created ANZAC Day Cup Open C competition for Men’s Leagues 6 & 7 saw six teams nominate. The support for this newly created competition is encouraging and highlights the relevance of providing opportunities for participation at all levels of the game.
The Callan McMillan Memorial Shield ‘A’ Division has seen a slight resurgence with six teams nominating. Joining Alstonville FC who claimed the 2020 Callan ‘A’ Division are perennial challengers, Byron Bay FC, Lennox Head FC and Lismore Thistles SC along with Goonellabah FC and newcomers South Lismore FC.
After not been held in season 2020 due to insufficient nominations, the Callan McMillan Memorial Shield ‘B’ Division will return with an impressive 12 team nominations.
We wish all teams and players a positive start to season 2021. We remind all participants (players and team officials) who are involved in any game day role that they must be registered in that role online in PlayFootball.
The draws for the respective ANZAC Day Cup and Callan McMillan Memorial Shield competitions are expected for release on the Football Far North Coast website by 4pm, Thursday 11th February.
To view the pools for each competition, click here.
For the structure of each competition, click here.
For the ANZAC Day Cup Regulations, click here.
For the Callan McMillan Memorial Shield Regulations, click here.
