The consortium heading up an effort to establish an Australian A-League football club in Western Melbourne has revealed plans to both fund and build its own stadium for the team.
According to Four Four Two, bid backers have already held talks with Victoria State Government and Football Federation Australia (FFA), the sport’s governing body in the country, about the plans.
Reports suggest the consortium has identified a location 20 minutes away from the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne for the venue, with the idea of drawing fans from a number of nearby settlements.
The Western Melbourne consortium is competing with a rival bid put forward by the Team 11 group, which is hoping to secure an expansion club in south-east Melbourne.
However, bid supporters told Four Four Two that the Team 11 bid is relying on A$170m (€107.3m/US$128.4m/£94.6m) of taxpayer money to fund the building of a new stadium, whereas the Western Melbourne proposal will be funded from within.
“A club without a revenue stream because it’s renting its stadium cannot work,” the bid supporter said. “Just ask existing club owners.
“The consortium will fund the stadium with their own money so they are not asking the state government for $1. This model will be self-explanatory when it becomes public.”
FFA chief executive David Gallop refused to comment on specific bids, but did note that the governing body would take a range of factors into consideration before making a decision.
Gallop said: “The high level of interest in acquiring new licences for the A-League speaks for itself.
“Each one will be considered taking into account a range of factors including football plans and engagement with fans as well as the commercial objectives around the expansion of the league.
“Ultimately investments in new clubs must also benefit the A-League as a whole, its current club owners and the broader game.”
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