MANILLA United Football Club began its new “football life” in the Tamworth Football Association (TFA) on Saturday.
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The white and red Hornets have seven teams entered for the 2014 season, inaugural president Richard Nunn said.
“We’ve got an Under 6 side, two Under 7s, an Under 8, Under 10, Under 13 and a senior men’s side playing in the third grade,” Nunn said.
“We have about 14 seniors registered but hope to have a ladies’ side to play next season as well.
“It all seems to be going well and the kids are enjoying it.”
Nunn said the Hornets train at Chaffey Park in Manilla where they have some goalposts, donated by the Tamworth Football Association, laid out.
“Manilla is a real rugby league town,” Nunn said.
“But we’re pleased with the way it’s all gone.
“We do have a lot of girls playing and it is an option for parents who don’t want their kids playing a contact sport.
“It’s great for the town and hopefully we’ll go well.”
Originally the Manilla players had been filtering into Hillvue Rover sides but last year Nunn and vice-president Kim Hagan got together to see if they had the numbers to form their own club.
They did and Saturday’s debut as their own club went off exceptionally well.
TFA operations manager Wayne Clarke said Manilla’s entry had swelled the local competition to 162 teams.
“We’ve been growing every year,” Clarke said.
“We’ve created four or five new fields to cater for all the junior teams but we’ve had to go to Friday nights to play four senior games each week because we haven’t got enough fields.
“However it’s all going very well, growing.”
The TFA has three grades of senior men, of which the Hornets are playing in the third grade.
There are eight women’s teams.