Casey Council to kick in $23.8m for Casey Fields soccer centre if southeast wins A-League bid
A $38 MILLION soccer hub will be built in Cranbourne East if a consortium wins its bid for an A-League expansion licence.
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A $38 MILLION soccer hub will be built in Cranbourne East if a consortium wins its bid for an A-League expansion licence.
The bid, a collaboration between Casey, Dandenong and Cardinia councils, would see a stadium built in Dandenong and a training and administration base at Casey Fields.
Casey Council has committed $23.8 million to the project, and $13 million of that will be used for a community sports hub regardless of whether the A-League bid is successful.
The council has also promised to match, dollar-for-dollar, any government or private funding for a high-performance centre, which is projected to cost about $21 million.
EXCITING BID FOR SOCCER STADIUM IN DANDENONG
LOCAL CLUBS BACK SOUTHEAST A-LEAGUE TEAM
CASEY FIELDS EARMARKED AS TRAINING BASE
The Casey Football Centre of Excellence would provide a world class training and administration base for the A and W-League teams.
The $18 million community hub will include three synthetic pitches, a turf field and an eight-changeroom pavilion for local clubs and schools. It’s scheduled for completion by November 2019.
Casey Mayor Geoff Ablett said having a professional soccer club at Casey Fields would further entrench it as the home of sport in southeast Victoria.
“It’s expensive, but look at the benefits for locals — knowing that soccer, football, cricket, everything is catered for at a grassroots level right through to the very elite level,” Cr Ablett said.
Cranbourne’s St Peter’s College Principal Chris Black said an A-League and W-League club in the southeast would also be a huge boost to the local community.
“I believe the whole project has an opportunity to transform our region in regards to soccer, sport participation and the general fitness and wellbeing of our youth,” he said.
Holt federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne said the concept was exciting for the region.
Football Federation Australia announced in February the national league would expand to 12 teams by 2019/20, with two new clubs to be decided later this year.