Michelle Heyman with two young Canberra United fans. Photo: Save Canberra United Facebook.
The predicament facing Canberra United has never been more dire, with the strong possibility that the club could fold if funding and administration issues aren’t resolved quickly.
Capital Football, the one federation that runs a team only in the A-League Women’s competition, has made it clear they won’t be running the club beyond this season.
Nor should it be the responsibility of a local federation to fund and administer a professional team.
The focus for Capital Football should be on running Canberra soccer competitions at the community level.
Over the past three years, as the axe hovered over the team, there was hope that a backer would be found to bankroll both an A-League Men’s and Women’s team.
Despite speculation of one such backer emerging over the past couple of years, none has materialised, and the burden of funding Canberra United has been left to Capital Football.
A funding injection from the ACT Government kept the club afloat, but it has been deemed unsustainable, even in the short term.
Now, Capital Football has upped the ante in its quest to save the club with an impassioned plea to the owners of the A-League, the Australian Professional Leagues.
The APL has stepped in to help several men’s teams: Newcastle, Perth Glory and the Central Coast Mariners.
Capital Football CEO Samantha Farrow has pointed out that if it’s good enough to assist men’s teams, why not a women’s team, such as Canberra United, a foundation club in the league, no less?
She says, “We have seen the APL step in decisively to protect a club and its people when the stakes were high, including covering players’ salaries, maintaining operations and safeguarding academy pathways. Canberra United deserves that same level of urgency and commitment.”
It will be interesting to see how this lands with the APL, with some of the funding for the leagues coming from existing clubs.
The question is whether there is a desire to fund a club not in the APL family, apart from taking part in the A-League Women’s competition.
“To lose a foundation club in women’s football would be a profound loss. The consequences would be immediate and lasting for players, for staff, for fans, and for young girls who need to see a future for themselves at the highest levels of the game,” Fowler said.
The stakes are incredibly high for the sport in Canberra and the region.
At the moment, the ball is at the feet of the Australian Professional Leagues.
