EXCLUSIVE: Channel 9 will launch its new football show this Sunday with Socceroo Harry Kewell featuring in the first episode.
Football Stars Of Tomorrow is primarily aimed at grassroots football in Australia, but on the evidence of tonight's sneak preview at Hyundai's iSpace HQ, there'll be plenty for Socceroo and Hyundai A-League fans to get excited about.
Aside from visiting Kewell in Turkey, the show heads to Townsville for some penalty fun with Fury's marquee man Robbie Fowler. PM Kevin Rudd also appears on the first show.
The programme, produced in conjunction with GMax Media and a Football NSW initiative, maintains a core of grassroots content seen on previous incarnations of the program on other channels.
However, the production values for Channel 9's version have been ramped up. The fast-paced, fun show heads to all parts of the globe to find Socceroo stories while Brantz (who also appears on this week's edition of the FourFourTwo Insider podcast) is a host who knows and loves her football.
Additionally, the show is linked in to a dedicated website (www.fstars.com.au) allowing uploading of goal videos, blogs and football tipping. On the site clubs can also nominate themselves for the Hyundai Goals for Grassroots promotion or to host a celebrity shootout.
GMax producer Andy Lazar tells au.fourfourtwo.com the show is for all ages and for all sports lovers.
"But particularly football lovers of course," he said. "It's about grassroots football but also showcases the elite level of football and stitches all the things in between."
Nine has toyed with football over the past decade. In the mid-90s the network broadcast a series of exhibition games between local and overseas-based Aussie players, while in 2002 it showed a number of games from that year's World Cup.
He said it wasn't that hard to sell the idea to a network that doesn't have much of a football pedigree.
"[Selling the show's concept] was easier than we thought it would be," said Lazar. "Football is going places.
"I think it's 1.3 million players Australia-wide and with the Socceroos doing so well globally, there's huge interest in the game.
"We've been out in the last few months shooting this series with the local clubs and at every turn those clubs are screaming for more facilities and more resources to satisfy the demands."
Special guests at last night's launch included SBS TV's Francis Awaritefe, Fox Sports' Simon Hill and TV personality Susie Elelman.
The fact that Nine has signed off on such a show at such a timeslot is a sign of football's growth in Australia. And word is, there could be more football on Nine in coming years.
Football Stars Of Tomorrow launches this Sunday, June 28, at 2pm on Nine
You mean a channel besides SBS know this sport is around
I just hope its good and not like Seven's coverage of the Socceroos v Uruguay game in 2001 with Sandy Roberts pretending he has some idea about the sport! God that was painful!
