Football Federation Victoria are hoping the code’s surging popularity will help attract much-needed funding from the State Government to create a “home of football’ in the state.
According to a report in the Herald Sun newspaper on Wednesday, the FFV is hoping to attract $8 million in funding to enable a state-of-the-art complex at the State Football Centre in Darebin.
The facility would comprise of five floodlit pitches and a purpose-built pavilion.
Football is surging in Victoria, with more registered players in the state (123,100) than any other code, including AFL (121,000).
Just this season there is also a 20 per cent increase in club teams, increasing from 2700 in 2014 to 3300 this year.
The FFV have support from FFA boss David Gallop to attract funding for the new “home of football”, with FFV chief executive Peter Gome saying his state is being left behind at the moment.
“It’s not a facility for elite football,” Gome told the Herald Sun.
“Only 25 per cent of the activities out there are for talented players or pathway players. The rest of it is used as a fabulous community facility.”
The report details that $11.5m is needed to make the new facility a reality.
FFV and key soccer interests are understood to be contributing $2 million in funding, Darebin City Council will provide $1.5m to replace the three existing synthetic pitches, meaning $8m is required from the state government.