FOOTBALL By Geoff Newling
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STEVE Griffith is tackling his job as Northern Inland Football's general manager full-on.
The former head of Sports UNE was at Moree last weekend "meeting and greeting" as well as refereeing in the NIF's McDonald's Premier League and he'll be at Narrabri this weekend again doing the same.
"You've got to get out and talk to the people," Griffith said.
"Not just the volunteers running the games but the mums and dads finding out what their expectations are.
"We all want to see football develop and grow."
One of his aims is to try toprovide more coaching for young players.
Not just have them rocking up to their weekly game, having a kick and going home.
That means providing more coaches.
Which, in turn, means running more courses to accreditate coaches.
"We have so many talented young players through the country," he said.
We want to provide them with the opportunity to play at higher levels."
He enjoyed his Moree visit and hopes to return there soon.
"I'm going to Narrabri this weekend too, to do the same thing there," he said.
"Then we've got an Armidale carnival (August 3).
"Then there's another carnival in Glen Innes at the end of August.
He's also determined to ensure the Tamworth and Armidale competition management structures are also as good as they can be.
"We've got a little over 5000 participants in football (in NIF).
"A third come from Tamworth, another third in Armidale and the rest from around the region.
"It's a massive player base.
" I want to know what they want and what their expectations are coaches, players, referees in the PL right through to the local competitions."
He said women's football is also one of his priorities.
"I'm really looking forward to the challenge," he said.
NIF PREMIER LEAGUE (tomorrow): Guyra United v Gunnedah Hawks (Guyra), Namoi United v North Armidale United (Hogan Oval, Narrabri), Tamworth FC v East Armidale (Johnson Field, Tamworth), North Companions v Joeys FC (Marius Street, Tamworth), Oxley Vale Attunga v Demon Knights (Scully Park, Tamworth), Gunnedah United v South Armidale (Wolseley Park, Gunnedah).