By Tyler Lewis
It was a day that tugged on the heartstrings of all involved as the Fountain Gate FIDA (Football Integration Development Association) side hosted its first game on the weekend, in a stand-alone school holiday special.
It’s been a long time coming for the footy club that has overcome its fair share of adversity.
The side – established in the height of the pandemic – was meant to play its first home game in a bumper day with all other teams.
But Covid pushed it back to a stand-alone game in the school holidays.
At first, this loomed as a negative, but it was soon something that Andrew Johnston and the football club was grateful for, as it opened up plenty of opportunity for a big crowd.
“It was our first home game, we started the process of getting the FIDA team together during Covid, mid 2020,” Johnston said.
“We have got some siblings within our team that don’t get to play football for obvious reasons, so we came up with how are we going to get our kids playing football.
“We did some homework on the FIDA league, did our homework and slowly we got some players together.
“Unfortunately in Round 1 we weren’t quite ready and were due to play Eltham, we both rang each other to forfeit the game, with that phone call we decided to join together and become one team, merging the teams.
“We train separately and meet at the ground to play… it was our first official home game, we have obviously played at other grounds.
“We wanted to make a bit of a song and dance about it, we had a banner and made a guard of honour with the kids, it turned out to be an amazing day because we won.”
If the day wasn’t special enough, the side won, making the work all the more rewarding for all involved.
“It’s hard-yakka, and time and effort, but hands down the most rewarding experience… hands down,” he said.
“Just seeing their faces, their smiles, for them to be a part of something, that’s the best way to put it.
“The best part of the day was (being) on our ground in our jumpers, we share jumpers and when we play on their side of the city, we wear their jumpers, we don’t wear our jumpers very often.
“To be in our colours on our ground was amazing.
“They do travel a fair bit – FIDA – so to have parents and others involved in our club to see this team play, because they generally don’t – playing on the same days – to see brothers and sisters playing in the FIDA team was pretty special for them.
“They (the siblings) play in the mainstream football so they don’t get to see the games at all.”
While the images of the day are telling, it was an experience that had to be experienced to be believed, as smiles were worn by each and every one at the ground on Sunday.
