FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: Liverpool NSW to make bid to host teams and practice matches
Liverpool FC may be the toast of football on the world stage, but Liverpool, NSW, is now vying for the limelight with the council set to make an audacious bid to host teams when the Women’s World Cup comes to Australia.
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In an ambitious move to put Sydney’s third CBD firmly on the map, Liverpool Council will make a bid to host teams and training sessions when the 2023 Women’s World Cup heads to Australia.
The council will lobby Football Federation Australia, FIFA and the state and federal governments to claim a slice of the World Cup action after a motion put forward by councillor Charishma Kaliyanda received majority support.
Ms Kaliyanda said the city was in a unique position to host teams and training games with work underway to deliver an $8 million sports complex at Cirillo Reserve in Middleton Grange, that will include two soccer fields, floodlighting, terraced seating and amenities.
The project is set to be delivered by the end of the year and will serve as a regional headquarters for women’s soccer, with Southern Districts Soccer Football Association confirming it will be used to host NPL 2 NSW women’s matches.
Ms Kaliyanda said the region had also seen a boom in quality accommodation options and was close to major motorways including the M5, M7 and Hume Hwy.
“Liverpool is now the third CBD of Sydney and as one of the youngest and most diverse parts of the country, Liverpool has a lot to offer by being showcased by the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup,” she said.
The transformation of Cirillo Reserve into a regional headquarters for women’s football will make it “a really attractive home base” for an international team to train and as a venue for practice matches, she added.
Ms Kaliyanda said the city had a massive local football following and a large community of female players.
“These are the people that would be most invested in attending games and training sessions, and offering teams and visitors a real sense of what the Australian football culture is like.
“I think that this could be for Liverpool similar to what the Olympics did for Sydney.”
A FIFA spokesman said discussions over potential host cities and stadiums in Australia and New Zealand were “still in the very early stages” and the council should submit its proposal to the FFA.
“There will be a thorough analysis of the facilities and infrastructure on offer in comparison with the tournament requirements,” he said.
An FFA spokesman said it was open to referring any proposal the council may have to FIFA, which was ultimately responsible for selecting the host cities and training venues.
“Our vision for the tournament is to see a festival of football throughout our host cities. With this in mind there will be opportunities for Liverpool City Council to be involved, such as the creation of live sites during the tournament,” the spokesman said.
Hosting of teams and practice sessions was “less likely”, he said, because “no training venues/training camp sites in the LGA were included in the bid book presented to FIFA”.
“FFA would be happy to engage with Liverpool City Council to help bring the tournament to life and promote the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and women’s and girls’ football in the council area.”
The FFA is also encouraging the council to partner with the body and Football NSW to invest in women’s football and “help deliver a real legacy from the tournament”, he said.
A NSW Office of Sport spokesman said the State Government will work with the local organising committee on a community engagement program and promotional activities schedule so fans can celebrate “this once-in-a-generation” event.