Thursday, December 13, 2018 will now be a historic day because Campbelltown finally has an elite football team to call its own.
The Football Federation Australia (FFA) board has announced a few minutes ago that the bid by Macarthur United for an A-League licence was successful.
It means a football team based locally and playing all of its A-League home games at Campbelltown Stadium starting from the 2020-21 season.
The robust involvement of Campbelltown Council and the geographical location of the bid in a massive growth corridor were the two major reasons Macarthur United was successful.
Another was that it had joined forces with the South West Sydney FC bid.
The delayed start to Macarthur United’s entry into the A-League will give the new entity more time to come up with a name, club colours, coaching staff and players.
A Victorian bid, Western Melbourne Group, also got the nod from the FFA board and will be part of the A-League from the 2019-20 season.
Macarthur United and Western Melbourne Group were two of six bids left in the running after initially 15 bids entered the race at the start of 2018.
“One of the key factors in our decision was the long-term growth opportunity for each club in each new geography,’’ said FFA chairman Chris Nikou in announcing expansion today.
“South West Sydney and Melbourne represent some of the biggest growth corridors in Australia,” he said.
FFA ceo David Gallop said the South West Macarthur region is represented by more than 50 grassroots and National Premier League Clubs with a large and diverse population base that will continue to grow.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Macarthur South West is a region with a rich football history that when blended with a fast growing demography creates an exciting future for the game,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
“A ready-made rectangular stadium will also deliver an enjoyable match day experience for fans.
“Both of the new teams will start their life in the Hyundai A-League in grounds that will to allow us and our broadcast partners to present the league in the best possible way and at high quality venues,” Mr Gallop said.
The Macarthur United South West team has yet to formally comment on the announcement.
