Nick Tana scores role in new Football West charity

Football West has recruited former Perth Glory boss Nick Tana to head a new charity aimed at supporting disadvantaged Western Australians through soccer programs.

Football Futures Foundation has been set up to support, mentor and invest in people from diverse and priority backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Football West says.

Mr Tana will lead the charity as inaugural chair, marking his first official soccer-related involvement in 15 years.

He established A-League soccer team Perth Glory as part of a consortium in 1995 before relinquishing his licence to Football Australia in 2006.

The club is now owned by businessman Tony Sage.

Mr Tana, also behind horticultural exporter Sumich, said he was excited to chair the new charity.

“My time at Perth Glory was special and it was great to share that adventure with so many people. But leading Football Futures Foundation is an even more exciting opportunity,” he said.

“I am genuinely excited to be the chairman of Football Futures Foundation, a charity which will have a positive impact in the most in-need areas of society in Western Australia.

“It is a fantastic privilege to know you can help change people’s lives for the better. Which is why I am calling on leaders in business and Government to get involved with Football Futures Foundation so together we can make a difference.”

Football West chairman Sherif Andrawes said it was an honour to have Mr Tana lead the foundation.

“He is a person who helped change the landscape of WA football, so it is only fitting that he is at the forefront of a venture of this magnitude,” Mr Andrawes said, noting exciting times ahead for football within the state.

“We have worked hard to secure the State Football Centre and the Women’s World Cup in Perth in 2023. And with the establishment of the Football Futures Foundation, we are creating a legacy for Western Australian football,” he said.

“It is about making a difference and ensuring people get the chance to improve their physical and mental health, or are not left behind in terms of education or miss out on job opportunities simply because of who they are or where they are from.”

Mr Andrawes was recently re-elected to his role at Football West along with deputy chairman Will Golsby, amid a string of appointments for the organisation.

Most recently, Football West recruited former state government trade commissioner Stuart Crockett, based in Shanghai, to drive the organisation’s Asian engagement strategy as strategic counsel.

Football West currently ranks WA’s fifth-largest sporting and recreational association, according to Business News’ Data & Insights.