Football: Te Awamutu AFC non-stop with summer football

Five-a-side football action at Te Awamutu's Anchor Park. Photo / Arthur Uden

Te Awamutu’s Anchor Park has been a hub of activity as Te Awamutu AFC has been non-stop with summer football activities.

Monday nights have seen the club running Fantails, a New Zealand Football initiative.

The programme, coming off the back of the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, encourages young girls to get outside and play football.

Tuesdays have seen the club-led programme Expleo Summer First Kicks, the first time a programme for 4- to 6-year-olds has been run in summer, which came purely from a demand from the community for the kids to play.

The Waikato Cakes five-a-side competition, the club’s annual summer event, has also been back at Anchor Park this year with 35 junior and 24 senior teams in action.

Monday night Fantails football encourages young girls to play the sport.

Last week saw community legend and photographer Arthur Uden back on the scene.

It was evident in the club’s social media accounts with not only messages but comments on the posts of how much he has been missed.

Te Awamutu AFC has also utilised the Te Awamutu College facilities to run indoor football on Friday nights for the teenagers.

There has been positive talk of the juniors wanting to continue their programme into 2024 which the club is looking into, as well as planning for a massive season, with the sport set to explode next winter in both junior and senior spaces.

Junior footballers in action at Te Awamutu's Anchor Park. Photo / Arthur Uden

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