Football Victoria began operation in 1884 under the name Anglo Australian Football Association of Victoria and is one of the oldest sporting associations in Victoria. It has had several name changes over the years, but has survived as the governing body of soccer in Victoria since this time. The Football Association, the predecessor of Football Federation Australia, was formed in 1923. The federation conducted its first competition in 1909 with Carlton United becoming the inaugural First Division champions. The name of the competition was changed to the State League in 1958 and later became the Victorian Premier League in 1990. In 1992 and 1993, wheelchair soccer was conceived when a "come 'n' try" was conducted with the support of Leisure Action, a division of the Spastic Society. A pilot season resulted in the northwest region, the success of which lead LA to source funding and development partners. Early in 1995 the FFV agreed to become the auspicing body for the future development of wheelchair soccer in Victoria and in 2000 signed an agreement to that effect. In 1996 the board of management of the FFV initiated a major organisational review and obtained independent advice on the existing management structure and the organisational arrangements required to make the administration of soccer more effective. The review resulted in the formation of an independent commission, replacing the board, which was elected in December 1996. To provide for the future development of women's soccer, in 1999 the FFV and Women's Soccer Victoria combined and established an integrated structure to provide professional administrative services and infrastructure to all female participants in soccer. This resulted in a women's soccer competition for junior and senior teams starting in 1999 and other initiatives aimed at grass roots and elite player development. In 2005 it changed its name from Victorian Soccer Federation to Football Federation Victoria. In 2009, player registrations for soccer in Victoria passed 50,000, the highest number in the federation's history. As part of its strategy to become a more "customer focussed" organisation, in November 2009 the head office of Football Federation Victoria moved from its location at the Darebin International Sports Centre in Thornbury in Melbourne's northern suburbs to its new and more centrally located headquarters at Level 3, 436 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. In 2018, the federation was renamed from "Football Federation Victoria" to "Football Victoria".
Formation
Football Federation Victoria oversees all aspects of the sport within the state, however there are twelve regional associations that manage local leagues and competitions in their areas.
For the full soccer pyramid in Australia, see Australian soccer league system. The soccer pyramid in Victoria comprises the seven levels of soccer in Victoria below the A-League. It has a hierarchical format that features promotion and relegation between all levels. All clubs in the system are eligible for entry to the FFA Cup, and are seeded in accordance to tier standing. For the 2013 season, Football Federation Victoria announced a restructure of the league. Tiers 5, 6 and 7, which were previously known as Provisional League 1, 2 and 3 respectively were removed, as was the Metropolitan League. They were replaced by State League 4 and 5, divided geographically into North, East, South and West divisions, thus making State League 5 the lowest division in which are club can theoretically be promoted into the VPL. The Victorian Premier League and State League 1 to 3 remained the same. 2013 will also see the inaugural State League Champions series take place in Victoria. The champion of each league from State League 1 and below will play a finals series against the champions of other regions in their division as follows:
State League 1 North-West v South-East
State League 2 North-West vs South-East
State League 3 North-West vs South-East
State League 4 North vs West & South vs East, with winners meeting in a final
State League 5 North vs West & South vs East, with winners meeting in a final
Various regional leagues that are affiliated with the FFV, although they are not connected to the Victorian soccer pyramid and thus there is no promotion or relegation between them. These leagues include Bayside FA Premier, Gippsland Soccer League, North Eastern Soccer League, Bendigo Amateur Soccer League, Ballarat & District Soccer Association, Geelong Regional Football Association and South West Victorian Football Association, as well as various junior leagues.
