The action will start at Botanical Gardens from 10am this Saturday with the club’s under 7s and 9s divisions starting proceedings, followed by the Joeys (5-6 year-olds) and under 11s at 11am.

Interest has been greatest among the two younger divisions, with enough players for eight teams in each.

The under 9s grade has six teams with four sides in the under 11s.

Forbes is also represented in under 13s and under 16s, which compete in the Parkes and District competition, but which also have occasional games in Forbes.

Club president David Hayward said interest in soccer appears to have grown, perhaps because of the Socceroos’ recent success.

“I think winning the Asian Cup helped, but we’ve had really good numbers coming through for a few years now. We’ve got a lot of volunteers and helpers around the club and I think that creates a positive atmosphere,” he said.

Scheduling earlier games has also been a winning move, he said, as families’ football commitments are finished before lunch.

The Forbes competition will run for the next 16 weeks with breaks for the June long weekend and July school holidays, finishing up in early September.

Hayward said all teams in the junior grades are ready to play with new uniforms and kits, thanks to the support of local businesses.

The majority of teams have coaches appointed but he said the local referees association always welcomes people to help officiate the increased number of games.

The Forbes club will soon host a grassroots coaching seminar, on Monday, May 18, for those with no prior coaching experience.

David Hayward said more information would be available soon for those interested in taking part.