our story
Fitzroy Lions is by the community, for the community. It’s also a personal story for our founder and President, Abdulmalik Abdurahman, who launched FLSC while he was still at high school. The steep costs of club soccer had forced Malik to stop playing as a teenager, and many of his friends were in the same position.
He started entering teams into tournaments around Melbourne, scraping together funding to pay for uniforms and registration fees. Over the next few years Malik created a platform where his mates could play, without worrying about how to pay for it – and Fitzroy Lions was born.
The club first competed in Football Victoria’s community leagues in 2019, with two boys’ teams and one girls’ team. We have grown exponentially year on year, and continue to expand to keep up with community demand.
“When I was young, I had to drop out of playing football because we couldn’t afford the fees.
“I started this club so that all kids can get the social, mental, and physical health benefits that sport can provide – regardless of their background or where they live.”
— Club founder and President, Abdulmalik Abdurahman
Fitzroy Lions Soccer Club is now a thriving community with 16 teams, as well as running outreach, inclusion and youth leadership programs.
