12 February 2018

Youth team now; then A-League for Canberra?

| A-League
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From www,nearpost.blogspot.com

Anzac United: Phoenix to raise the Youth of Canberra in 2008?

The Weekender:

“We’d like to set up an A-League Youth team in Canberra, as soon as possible,” said Wellington Phoenix CEO Tony Pignata speaking from Melbourne today (Friday).

The seven team A-League Youth League is set to start in August 2008, and Canberra it seems was set to miss out. But fancy footwork from Capital Football CEO Heather Reid and Wellington Phoenix CEO Tony Pignata may have changed the future.


Capital Football’s innovative link with A-League club Central Coast Mariners, earlier in the year, may have lead the Wellington Phoenix to come calling.

Pignata says, “We’d base ourselves in Canberra, our youth team would play all our games in Canberra, with twelve Canberra players included.”

Capital Football Technical Director Ian Shaw talking on Nearpost radio earlier in the week talked of the opportunities of the new league, but also his frustration of seeing his city miss out.

“We may have to bash the door down at the FFA to get a team in….I’d like to hear some voices in the Canberra community calling for a team,” said Shaw.

Well maybe, just maybe, the Kiwis and Capital Football have bashed the door down.

What will the team be named? Maybe Capital Phoenix, or Phoenix FC.

Where will the team play? McKellar Stadium, Canberra FC Stadium? Both are possibilities.

What if Canberra has it’s own A-League team in a few years?

“If that happens we’d move on, but we want to get in as soon as possible, and we see Canberra as the best place for us,” said Pignata.

And of course Canberra can produce quality players. Joe Simunic, Ned Zelic, Carl Valeri and our latest Socceroo Nikolai Topor-Stanley are just a few from the Canberra production line.

AIS Head Coach Steve O’Connor thinks Canberra should have a team in both the youth and A-Leagues.

“Dane Milovanovic, Ivan Pavlak, Sam Munro and Kofi Danning are all in the AIS team at the moment. All are from Canberra. The city has a reputation for producing good players. Joe Simunic is one of the best I’ve ever had through the AIS,” said O’Connor.

How many more could Canberra produce if the region had a Youth team; and of course one day an A League team?

The Phoenix is waiting for approval and support from both Football Federation Australia and Capital Football.

There’s no doubt there is work to be done, but this provides an exciting and tangible pathway for the region’s youth, for spectators and a chance for the Canberra region to test themselves against the best in Australia.

Canberra may not have an A-League side yet, but in terms of building grassroots support this could be the next best thing.

When the Youth League was mentioned last week, Canberra once again missed out, or so it seemed.

If a week is in long time in politics, well it’s even longer in the new world of Australian football.

A Youth team in Canberra, started by Kiwis? I’d like to see that!

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Like all things, women aren’t as ‘important’.

Simple.

Beat me to it!

;-P

Thats the first time I have heard soccer being labelled a ‘dangerous sport’. In this union/league/AFL mad country that we live in us soccer fans/players/supporters usually get told we like a sissy game…

Youth team is a good start. We need more though, there are a couple of big clubs in canberra now that are making waves, belconnen blue devils, Canberra FC these clubs should be getting involved and working out chances for them to be in the A-league. In fact rumours has it thats why Canberra FC changed its name from Canberra Deakin and why they are rebuilding their stadium but we havent really heard any thing more.

Rugby is just as dangerous. Since when are we ‘bubble wrapping’ our kids? No wonder we have an obesity epidemic.

Soccer is a dangerous sport, and parent should be encouraged not to risk damaging their children’s ankles by allowing them to play.

Like all things, women aren’t as ‘important’.

Simple.

if we get the world cup, we’ll have an a-league team here by then. there doesn’t seem to be the capital – to excuse the [intentional] pun – in canberra to establish a team right now, but the expansion plans of the a-league seem to suggest we’ll get a possible look-in post 2012, so this is fantastic news! a youth team will build a community awareness, a fiscal attractiveness (if the youth team is duly supported [hint, hint people!] and provide an avenue for local talent to develop in situ.

i don’t think the corporate body lacking enthusiasm, rather the corporate world. someone needs to tell business canberra can mean business…

i hope this comes off – mckellar would be the logical venue to start with and bruce a stand-by in the event of extreme interest. better a full small stdium than an empty big one for a vibe – and that can only help the lads.

but where are the lasses? where is the national women’s league in al this expansive football talk in oz, eh??

There should be an A-league team. We’re losing great talent interstate because there is nothing in Canberra.

If (and I say it loosely), we get the World Cup, it’s going to look bloody ridiculous if we don’t have a team in our Capital City.

It seems the Kiwi’s are more interested in what’s lacking here in Australia than the corporate body!

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