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Football West has reignited the campaign to build a central training and administration headquarters for WA-s most-played team sport by calling on players, officials and fans to contact political leaders to express their support for the project.
The peak body-s chief executive Peter Hugg has sent letters to Premier Mr Colin Barnett, leader of the opposition Mr Mark McGowan, and the leaders of the Greens and Nationals, Ms Giz Watson and Mr Brendon Grylls, to seek a commitment to fund the construction of a Home of Football.
Football West also launched the www.homeoffootball.com.au website where fans can complete an online form and send a message to politicians that football deserves a home.
In conjunction with the website launch, Football West released an online video to draw attention to the campaign. WA-s greatest football export Stan Lazaridis, Australian Rules champion Glen Jakovich, Perth Glory legends Bobby Despotovski and Jamie Harnwell, London-based Fox Sports correspondent Daniel Garb, Matildas stars Katie Gill and Collette McCallum, FIFA official Mathew Cheeseman and Perth Glory captain Jacob Burns all added their voices to the “for football-s sake” video.
Football West chief executive Peter Hugg said the organisation was seeking a $20 million funding pledge from political parties to assist in building a centre of training excellence, administration headquarters and a small competition venue with artificial surface where major junior, amateur, social and State League matches will be played.
“We will also work closely with Perth Glory, who will be invited to share the training and administration centre, therefore strengthening and presenting a united front in WA for the most popular sport in the world,” he said.
The facility would also include a coaching and education centre, a display area for historical artefacts associated with the game in WA and community facilities.
It is envisaged that the centre of training excellence would also be used to entice visiting teams from interstate and overseas, creating tourism opportunities for the state commencing with teams preparing for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
According to Federal Government figures, in 2010 around 106,000 people played football in WA, almost 10,000 more than Australian Rules, which was the second most-played sport.
In recent years, sports such as rugby union, basketball, netball, softball and baseball have all benefited from government funding to improve their headquarters.
Despite its popularity, football is without an adequate home; the peak body operates from a converted pavilion in Maylands and Perth Glory-s football and administration are at separate locations.
Football West calls upon the WA Football Family to support the campaign because “Every Family Needs a Home.”
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