Manly Warringah Football Association Inc. (MWFA) was formed in 1947 and is the governing body for football (soccer) in the Manly Warringah area, incorporating over 20,000 football participants – the biggest Football Association in Australia.
MWFA is responsible for the organisation and delivery of amateur football competitions across the entire Northern Beaches and Mosman Local Government areas, from Under 6 through to Over 45 for men and Over 30 for women.
The MWFA is managed by a Board of Directors with a full-time administration staff of five people, led by a Chief Executive Officer. It services the operations and needs of 16 Member Clubs, Manly United Football Club and the Manly Warringah Football Referees Association.
The MWFA Member Clubs have formed, amalgamated and changed over the last 70 years to cater for population increases and shifts within the area. All 16 Member Clubs have players in the junior and senior competitions, while MWFA also runs competitions and programs for sub-juniors and MiniRoos.
Football’s participation numbers and breadth of competitions highlight its greatest strength – inclusion – whereby age and gender are no barrier to playing football in Manly Warringah.
The Manly Warringah football ecosystem also includes almost 2,000 coaches, over 700 referees, and over 3,000 volunteers.
In the summer months, Manly United Football Club runs a six-a-side competition at Cromer Park. Four MWFA Member Clubs are also authorised to run similar competitions around the area, ensuring that football can be enjoyed 12 months of the year.
In addition, MWFA works closely with Active Opportunities Inc. to deliver Football4All, which assists with providing a safe and enjoyable football program for people with a disability. This is run out of Cromer Park, the Home of Football on the Northern Beaches.
Cromer Park – Home of Football
MWFA and Manly United Football Club run their operational, administrative, football, and representative programs out of Cromer Park, which boasts five football fields as well as administration and amenities buildings.
The Main field boasts an undercover grandstand for 1,000 people, seating around the ground for another 1,000 people, a capacity for a further 3,000 people to watch games in comfortable standing areas, corporate & media facilities, a world class synthetic field, dressing rooms, canteen facilities, parking, and a licensed clubhouse.
Construction of a second synthetic pitch in the 2018 season, plus a world-class upgrade to the Cromer Park 1 synthetic pitch at the start of the 2022 season, makes Cromer Park the best grassroots football facility in New South Wales.
MWFA and Manly United have strong relationships with Northern Beaches Council, which operates the outside grass football fields. Together, we ensure that the Cromer Park facility is available and offers benefits to all 20,000+ members of the Northern Beaches football community.
Cromer Park is the training ground for all Manly United Football Club and MWFA representative teams. It also hosts matches for teams in the local competitions, as well as hosting Grand Final Days for all local competitions: Senior Men’s, Women’s, Girls and Mixed Juniors.
Representative Pathways
Manly United Football Club is an affiliate of the Manly Warringah Football Association and caters for representative players from the area. The club operates Development squads for children aged 6-13. Manly United also enters the following Football NSW leagues: Junior Development League (mixed 9-12 years old, girls 10-13 years old), Youth League (Boys 13-18 years old, girls 14-18 years old), and NPL NSW (Men’s 1st Grade & Under-20, Women’s 1st Grade & Under-23).
The Far Post Cromer
In 2021, construction upgrades were made to the MWFA clubhouse. The Far Post Cromer, a place for the Northern Beaches Football community to gather, was brought to life, creating a true Home of Football for the area. The Far Post Cromer is a place to relax, gather, and enjoy a meal or drink, at a venue where football will always take pride of place on the TV. With spacious indoor seating, as well as outdoor seating that has a perfect view of Cromer Park Field 1, The Far Post Cromer is the perfect venue for the biggest football events on the Northern Beaches.
Manly Warringah Football Association Mission Statement
Manly Warringah Football Association is a progressive, community-based football organisation, dedicated to providing a safe, integrated pathway for all participants by developing, encouraging and supporting their football aspirations.