One of Lions FC’s most successful senior coaches is calling it a day at the club as an opportunity at the Brisbane Roar as a full-time employee comes calling. Warren Moon has today announced that he will be stepping down at the season’s end and moving into A-League side, the Brisbane Roar as the Academy General Manager. It is a bittersweet moment for the club as we would have loved for Warren to stay a bit longer, but we encourage not only our players but coaches to follow the elite pathway and progress into full time coaching at the highest possible level.
“It’s an opportunity I couldn’t turn down to go into a professional environment with Brisbane Roar and one I’m looking forward to. Being a proud Queenslander I feel strongly about Football in our state and Promoting Queensland talent is something I believe in passionately” said Moon.
During his 5 year tenure at the club we have had the joys of being the first Qld team outside of the NPL structure to reach the round of 16 in the FFA Cup whilst playing in the Brisbane Premier League, we have been accepted in to the National Premier League, won multiple Premierships and Grand Finals and numerous Club Championships and going within a whisker of winning the National Premier League Finals Series last season.
Moon reflecting on his success said “I have many highlights from my time at Lions with many special moments in the 5 years at the club from FFA cup nights to trophies we have won. Winning league titles is what I value the most above all as it’s so hard to achieve over the course of a season and last year’s title was the sweetest of them all I’d have to say.
When asked around what made his time at Lions so successful Moon stated “I played for this club and I feel it is something that made me appreciate what lions stands for with the history of its past and its success. It was always my motivating factor to push is to the top and emulate the great teams that came before us.”
Lions FC General Manager, Rob Scanlon said “Warren has been not only a great coach for our club but also a great ambassador. Although we wanted to keep Warren, we also realised this is an opportunity for him to start to realise his dream of becoming an A-League coach. This is a fantastic appointment by the Roar as Warren’s knowledge of local football, school football and his relationships within the game are second to none. He leaves the club with our well wishes and thanks and more importantly friendships”.
Lions FC can also confirm a coaching restructure for the 2020 season with Darren Sime taking over as Head Coach. Darren is a former club captain and has been an assistant under Warren for the last 5 years and more than earns the right to take over the team. He is very highly respected amongst the playing group and will be a great appointment for the club to move us in to our next chapter. Darren has had a decorated playing career himself at both junior and senior level and is looking forward to what the challenge of coaching a first team is about.
Rob Scanlon was proud to announce an internal replacement for Warren and stated “Darren deserves the chance to take the reins of the first team. Looking at all local candidates, Darren fit the biggest criteria we set and that is putting the club first. He is a “club man” and from speaking with him I am confident he will always put the club first and wants to leave a footprint in our club for not only success but nurturing talent to bigger and better things. We are excited to see Darren evolve as a coach as we did with Warren from when he first stepped into the role.”
