Dear friends of football,

I would like to take this opportunity to update you, our valued members and stakeholders, on the status of our Home of Football project and also to seek your help in securing funding for this crucial facility.

Some 11 years after Football West united our game, the sport’s governing body is calling on its 200,000 participants to make their voices heard to ensure that soccer is next in line for Government funding.

In recent years, around $230 million has been invested in facilities, including significant contributions to rowing, a project that cost $37M, athletics ($73M), basketball ($40M), rugby ($17M), WA Institute of Sport ($33M) and netball ($26M), while soccer remains the only major sport not to have received funding for a home.

It’s fantastic to see the wonderful projects that have benefited other sports but soccer’s turn is long overdue and we must pull together to ensure that we are next in line. This is especially the case for those participants in the Canning electorate which includes the clubs of Armadale, Kelmscott and Mandurah whose voices may resonate particularly loudly at the moment.

The construction of an appropriate facility, which is documented in our Home of Football business case, would benefit every level of our rapidly growing game, from grassroots to the development of elite players and in accommodating competitions.

We have 42,000 registered players, over 3,800 teams, more than 250 clubs and an inclusive reach deep into the heart of our communities, including the lives of those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as well as those managing disabilities. Every family needs a home and we know the positive community impact and the sense of belonging and value that will come from a Home of Football.

This project has received great support from people within the game and I would like to remind all stakeholders of the difference they can make in this push for a proper facility to benefit all participants.

The Football West Board has completed a business case and expects to make an announcement regarding the outcome of the feasibility study, including a preferred location, by December 2015. Football West will then seek Government support for approximately $30M in funding. In the interim, Football West will continue to operate from its wholly owned, $1.3M head office, which was purchased last year having outgrown its modest rented facilities in Maylands.

In another funding anomaly, Football West is the only major sporting code in WA that has not received any Government funding for the purchase of a head office and the governing body had to secure a $700,000 loan facility to finance the acquisition.

We believe a lack of Government funding may be due to a misconception that community soccer has been the beneficiary of the recent $95M upgrade of NIB Stadium. NIB Stadium is a great venue for the Western Force to play rugby and for Perth Glory to play A-League soccer, but the cost of use makes it prohibitive for community level sport.

Soccer is very well positioned to be the next “cab off the rank” for major facility funding in WA, however the market remains extremely competitive and every football fan across the state – whether you’re a parent of a junior player, an A-League club member or a fan of an overseas club – can assist in the process in a very simple way.

While Football West continues negotiations to secure a commitment for this crucial funding, we would encourage all stakeholders to remind local councillors, politicians and business leaders of the valuable role soccer plays in the lives of children, families, friends and community.

Finally, I would like to briefly outline some of the benefits a Home of Football would provide to the sport’s estimated 200,000 participants and beyond:

• Education and training resource centre for coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers seeking improvement at both community and elite levels

• Venue with artificial surface for senior, amateur, junior and schools matches

• Modern facilities and training base to entice the world’s biggest clubs and national teams for friendly matches, providing tourism exposure

• Continued development of exceptional players

• Improved administration to guarantee:

i) better delivery of all programs

ii) expansion of inclusive development programs that cater for new migrants, people with disabilities and disadvantaged community members

iii) cost-savings due to a streamlined and more efficient organisation

However you contribute to the game, I thank you and hope you will continue to support soccer’s cause.

Yours sincerely

Liam Twigger

Chairman, Football West