Macarthur FC? Campbelltown launches audacious bid for A-League team

Campbelltown City Council has launched an audacious bid to establish an A-League team in Macarthur and believes it has a “compelling’’ case for inclusion.

Council says it is answering the call from locals for a full-time professional sports team based in the growing South West Sydney region.

The council has informed Football Federation Australia (FFA) of its intention to bid for a team which would play out of Campbelltown Sports Stadium, work closely with its strong community supporter base and provide professional pathways for talented local players.

The proposed club structure is expected to also include W-League and Y-League teams ready to participate from the 2019/2020 season.

Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr George Brticevic, said having an A-League team representing the region would be an exciting opportunity for South West Sydney, and a source of community pride.

“There are strong reasons why a new team should be established in the region and in particular at Campbelltown Sports Stadium given its accessibility by both road and public transport,’’ he said.

“There is substantial population growth expected over the next 20 years which will see many families calling the region home,” he said.

“We already have strong, passionate grassroots support for football in our region, and this support will grow significantly as our region grows.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Our community is calling out for, and deserves, a full-time sporting team with a full schedule of games, and this is a great opportunity to have a professional sporting team, playing at a national level, which lives and breathes this region.[/social_quote]

“There’s a lot of work to be undertaken in developing the bid, but we have a compelling case for a team to gain entry into the A-League.”

The bid is part council’s recently adopted Campbelltown Sports Stadium strategic business plan.

Details are confidential but when Cr Paul Lake first asked for a report to be prepared as part of the process of developing a business plan for the stadium, he specified a number of aspects to be looked at by council officers.

They included financial incentives to encourage elite sporting teams and other major events to utilise Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

Cr Lake also asked that the report address how to build the region’s competitive advantage to host major events and how this would boost the reputation of the city and its economy.

He also wanted officers to investigate ways in which funds could be used to attract major events and the benefits to the residents of Campbelltown and the region.

The final report was presented to a council meeting in October where it was given the green light.

Now council is encouraging football fans to register their details at campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/bid to show their support for a new South West Sydney-based team, and to receive regular updates on the bid’s progress.

Visit campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/bid or southwestsydneyfootballbid.com.au for more information and updates, or follow the bid’s progress at facebook.com/swsfootballbid