Canberra must state its claim to become the next A-League expansion club following Football Federation Australia Chairman Frank Lowy’s announcement that the FFA will look to increase the competition to twelve teams from 2017 onwards.
With the new $160 million TV broadcast rights deal shared between Fox Sports and SBS, the A-League will become more commercially appealing than ever before. There is no doubt a twelve team competition is required to maintain interest and promote the codes’ growth throughout Australia.
With a population that far exceeds other potential candidates such as Wollongong, Hobart and North Queensland, Canberra should be given an opportunity to truly expand the game ahead of the proposed South Melbourne Club. Melbourne already contains two clubs within short distance of each other.
Canberra possesses the only W-League team not affiliated with an A-League club, a strong youth system at the Australian Institute of Sport and a strong grass roots participation in both men’s and women’s leagues that is unrivalled by any other sport in the area.
The FFA has finally developed the right formula and support for introducing and establishing a strong club and culture that fans can be proud of.
The Western Sydney Wanderers are a product of what can be achieved after just seven months of planning. Imagine what Canberra could achieve in four years.
The unsuccessful 2012/13 Canberra bid shows there is public support for a team there, as thousands of foundation members contributed $200 to the cause.
With the help of the ACT government and bid leader Ivan Slavich a $4 million bid was lodged.
However, the FFA decided the opportunity to set up a team in the two million strong population of Western Sydney was too attractive to ignore.
Many question Canberra’s supporters when the results aren’t going their team’s way.
However, the Canberra public have shown they are big supporters of sporting events in the capital, with the ANZAC rugby league Test and Australia’s One Day International against the West Indies both attracting sell-out crowds. As well as this there have been strong crowds recorded at the three designated Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL games.
The ACT Government spent $2.6 million to secure three Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL games this season. Wouldn’t this money be better spent on delivering Canberra its own team in a sport that dominates participation rates in the region?
The ACT Government has announced plans to construct a new 30,000 seat, undercover, multipurpose stadium in the heart of Canberra to be completed by 2020.
The stadium will cater for both the Brumbies and the Canberra Raiders, and will no doubt be a perfect venue for a new A-League club.
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