Dandenong, Casey soccer fans’ hold out for Team 11 A-league decision
DECISION day for selection of two new teams for an expanded soccer A-League has been pushed out leaving Team 11 fans with a nailbiting extra few weeks.
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THE nailbiting wait for selection of the two teams to be welcomed into an expanded soccer A-League has become longer than expected.
Tomorrow’s initial deadline has been pushed out to November but the short-listed southeast bid Team 11 board said it “acknowledges and respects” the decision of Football Federation Australia to delay the process.
It’s expected the final decisions will be left to a new board which takes over at FFA next month.
DANDENONG THUNDER RALLIES BEHIND A-LEAGUE BID
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Team 11’s interim chair Ghadir Razuki said he and his fellow bid directors remain as committed as ever to ensuring the southeast of Victoria gains entry into the A-League.
“Delay or no delay, we have a plan and we are committed to executing it — be that for entry into the 2019-20 season or the 2020-21 season,” Razuki said.
“An incredible amount of work has gone into this submission thus far, particularly from the City of Greater Dandenong, the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire councils.
“And there is more work to do, we won’t be sitting on our hands while we await a decision.”
Team 11 Project Officer Matt Windley will continue to engage with local football clubs to generate passion for the bid.
Dozens of southeast soccer clubs have backed the region’s bid and iconic Dandenong businessman and Jayco Caravans owner Gerry Ryan had pledged his financial support.
If the Team 11 bid is successful, a $170 million, 15,000-seat stadium would be built in Dandenong. It would be located on a vacant block of land on Cheltenham Rd, 100m from Dandenong train station.
Team training would be at a revamped Casey Fields.
An $18m community facility will be built regardless of whether Team 11’s bid for A-League and W-League entry is successful.
But a $20.8m elite training and administration base is conditional on the success of the licence bid.
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