Canberra’s A-league bid team will respond to FFA’s announcement shortly. File Photo.
Canberra has missed out on securing an A-league expansion licence again after Western Melbourne Group and Macarthur-South West Sydney were given the two coveted A-league spots.
NSL powerhouse South Melbourne, start-up clubs Team 11, Canberra and Sydney’s Southern Expansion have missed out on selection, leaving three teams in Melbourne and three teams in Sydney but none in the nation’s capital.
LIVE with Canberra’s A-league bid team as they respond to FFA’s announcement of the two successful A-league bids.
Posted by The RiotACT on Wednesday, December 12, 2018
I was there for the drama that surrounded the demise of the Canberra Cosmos in 2001.
I well remember the disappointment when the A-League for Canberra bid was overlooked in the lead-up to the 2012 season. Canberra was the only completed bid but was overlooked by the FFA keen to establish a team in Western Sydney.
Which brings us to today’s announcement where Canberra has again missed out on being part of the A-League with South West Sydney and West Melbourne winning places.
This time around is the one I feel most given the depth of the bid and the level of support within the community.
By all reports, Canberra’s bid was the most detailed. It had a stadium to play games, it had the community, government and corporate support.
There was also the community model which should have pushed Canberra ahead of all other bids. It would appear the one thing Canberra didn’t have was the opportunity for the league to gain additional funding from Fox.
It makes you wonder what Canberra needs to do to get into the A-League.
Will there be the same enthusiasm for a bid when expressions of interest are called for an expansion in the future?
So many people in Canberra have emotionally, financially and physically bought into this bid. They can justifiably feel let down by the process.
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