Adelaide needs new riverbank stadium or it will miss out on 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches

Adelaide will potentially miss out on one of the world’s biggest sporting events — the FIFA Women’s World Cup — without a suitable stadium, sparking calls to expedite plans for a new arena along the city’s riverbank.

• Women’s World Cup bid sees Hindmarsh under microscope
• Lord Mayor prepared to lead campaign against Adelaide Oval hotel

Adelaide will miss out on one of the world’s biggest sporting events without a suitable stadium, sparking calls to expedite plans for a new arena along the city’s riverbank.

Australia is preparing to bid for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but South Australia remains a problem child and will not score a single game. Hindmarsh Stadium fails much of FIFA’s basic criteria to host tournament matches.

AFL and cricket commitments at Adelaide Oval would rule it out as an option because FIFA would need the stadium for more than a month.

The lack of FIFA-compliant venues in Adelaide bolsters the case for a proposed multipurpose arena that could host soccer, rugby league, tennis, basketball and concerts — revealed by The Advertiser in September.

Elise Kellond-Knight of the Matildas against Rumi Utsugi of Japan during a 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup match. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty

Proposed for the Adelaide railyards, the arena would include a retractable grass soccer pitch, which would be slid back to enable concerts, events and basketball to be staged on their usual surfaces.

It is understood the business case for the arena has been commissioned by the Adelaide Venue Management Corporation, which operates the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Convention Centre and Hindmarsh Stadium.

But despite plans being announced last week for a 128-room boutique hotel on the Adelaide Oval site, there has been no more public movement on the arena proposal.

The Advertiser also can reveal it could have been a different scenario before the $540 million Adelaide Oval upgrade.

Football Federation Australia unveiled grand plans for Adelaide Oval, which would have seen the venue transformed from an Australian Rules and cricket venue into a rectangular stadium — much like Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium and Sydney’s Stadium Australia.

An artist impression of what the Adelaide Oval would have looked like if it had been fitted out as a FIFA-qualified stadium.

Bonita Mersiades, a former member of FFA’s senior management team for the Australian men’s FIFA World Cup bid, said there was a “real tussle” between AFL and soccer at the time. "Football’s view was if the World Cup was going to be coming to Adelaide then football should have the greater say in the redevelopment,” she said.

SA Best MLC Frank Pangallo said the state could not afford to lose a chance to host a major event for women’s sport.

“The state Liberals can raise loans to build a boutique hotel at Adelaide Oval, appeasing the politically aligned, footy, cricket and pokie baron chums, the Stadium Management Authority,’’ he said.

“Pity football (soccer) doesn’t have that type of clout.” The Federal Government and FFA last year announced it will bid to host the women’s tournament but FIFA is yet to release its bid book.

An artist impression of what the Adelaide Oval would have looked like if it had been fitted out as a FIFA-qualified stadium.

“The bidding process hasn’t started yet and will be communicated to all member associations in due time,’’ said a FIFA spokesman.

FFA chief executive David Gallop says SA will have a clearer picture once FIFA’s process is released.

“Bidding for the biggest women’s sporting event in the world presents a unique opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for football across the country and we encourage all governments, in partnership with FFA, to consider how this could best be achieved,’’ he said.

Tourism minister David Ridgway said the State Government would consider the feasibility of hosting 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches once the FFA provided clarity on the opportunities for Adelaide.

“We are committed to ensuring that any investment in sport and recreation facilities is undertaken in a strategic and co-ordinated way for the benefit of all South Australians,” he said.

The 2023 tournament is expected to break record attendances set in Canada for the 2015 World Cup version when 1.35 million watched matches in six venues for an average crowd of 26,209 per match.

Moncton Stadium’s 13,000 capacity, where the Matildas featured in a second-round match, was the smallest Canadian venue with the global TV attracting 764 million viewers.