ACT budget backs football initiatives in Canberra

Canberra is set to host three football internationals over the next two years including a Socceroos qualifier for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Capital Football Chief Executive Phil Brown announced today that the city will host a round two FIFA World Cup qualifier as well as fixtures by the Matildas and the Young Matildas.

The announcement follows the ACT Government having this week allocated budget support for the internationals, as well as $20 million towards a new $24.5 million facility set to become the new Capital Football headquarters.

Being referred to as a new ‘Home of Football’, the facility, to be built at Throsby, will feature multiple outdoor fields, indoor futsal courts, office space for Capital Football, and associated amenities.

With to contribute $4.5 million to build the facility it is expected to be operational during the second half of 2021.

Advising that the organisation has been looking for a parcel of land in the ACT to establish a headquarters for the entire football community for some time as many facilities are already operating at capacity, Brown stated “this high performance and community facility is just as much about providing for the grassroots as it is about providing a training base for our elite teams, such as Canberra United.”

Brown suggested that the establishment of futsal courts will contribute to gender parity in football; “In Canberra, 42% of futsal players are female. This is more than double the national average for females of 20%. With Futsal centres in Canberra at capacity, the new facility will provide opportunity to run more competitions that will support our work to achieve parity with male participation.”

Tuesday’s budget announcement sees the ACT Government partnering with Capital Football and Football Federation of Australia (FFA) to establish the headquarters for football in Canberra.

Brown sees this injection of funds as having significant benefit for the future of Canberra football, adding “the ‘Home of Football’ facility represents a real opportunity for strategic growth in football in the ACT.”

Canberra United are currently based at the University of Canberra while Capital Football currently have their offices in Deakin.

The NRL’s Canberra are in the process of building their own centre of excellence at Northbourne Oval in Braddon, which should be ready to move into at the end of the year.