'Football needs a home': FFA to lobby government for new base

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This was published 3 years ago

'Football needs a home': FFA to lobby government for new base

By Dominic Bossi

Football Federation Australia will lobby NSW Government to fund community football facilities around the state and a national "home of football" centre in Sydney that will become a permanent home for the Socceroos and the Matildas.

The state government's decision to abandon the redevelopment of ANZ Stadium and redirect the $810 million funding towards other infrastructure projects has opened the door for sports to apply for other purpose-built facilities. Already, NRL has flagged its intention to lobby for that money to be spent on building boutique, modern suburban stadia for rugby league teams. 

Scrapped: Plans for a reconfigured ANZ Stadium won't go ahead.

Scrapped: Plans for a reconfigured ANZ Stadium won't go ahead.

However, football is set to launch a strong bid for those funds to be used to improve grassroots facilities for the state's most popular sport, as well as help build a permanent home of football in Australia.

The state's two football associations, Football NSW and Northern NSW Football are leading the charge to secure funds for grassroots facilities, while FFA is eager to secure a permanent headquarters for football in the game's largest state, home to almost 380,000 registered players.

The organisation will lobby the state government to help fund a training and administration centre that will serve as the long-term home for the Socceroos, Matildas and junior national teams down to under-15 age groups, as well as coaching and refereeing training centres.

“We are a football organisation at our core and we must be in a place which reflects that. Our Socceroos Coach Graham Arnold recently asked me, 'How can we build our culture, if we don’t have a home?' This is what it means to us," FFA chief James Johnson said.

Socceroos Coach Graham Arnold recently asked me, 'How can we build our culture, if we don’t have a home?' This is what it means to us.

FFA chief James Johnson

The hope is to build a facility similar to Coverciano in Italy, St George Park in England or Clairefontaine in France. It will have a number of training fields that can be used for community programs, miniroos and multi-cultural engagement events when the national teams aren't in camp. While talks are at a preliminary stage, it's hoped that a facility could be up and running by the 2023 Women's World Cup, which Australia is bidding to host. FIFA's council will vote on the winning bid on June 25.

“Australian football has never had a place to call ‘home’ – we are the only major sporting code in Australia not to have one. If we look around the world, there are a number of countries which have built a home for their national teams. Brazil, England and in our region, Malaysia, all have a home for their national teams and broader game where they call home," Johnson said.

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“In addition to the potential commercial benefits and savings it might derive for our game, a ‘home’ for Australian football will allow us a create a place where our people can gather to celebrate our history and to collectively forge a path towards the future we envision for our game."

FFA are also seeking to include an Australian football museum in its home of football, having previously discussed opening one inside a redeveloped ANZ Stadium.

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