*NEW TEAM* Western Sydney

Western Sydney A-League team unveiled

4 April 2012-SBS, FFA and AAP

Football Federation Australia announced that Western Sydney will be represented by a new club in the A-League 2012-13 season, which will certainly spell the end of Gold Coast United's existence.

The establishment of the Western Sydney franchise was announced Wednesday at the Football NSW headquarters at Valentine Sports Park, Glenwood, where the Prime Minister Julia Gillard unveiled an $8 million funding package for football development in Western Sydney.

“I’m delighted that the funding from the Gillard Government will help create a fertile environment for the new Hyundai A-League club in Western Sydney,” FFA CEO Ben Buckley said.

“From day one of its existence the new club will have a core focus on community engagement.

"The community will have a say in the culture, colours, name and logo of the new entity and we will explore a model that would allow for community ownership.

“In partnership with Football NSW, FFA will ensure the club is truly integrated in community football, schools programs and the elite player pathway.

“We intend to build a model that will be driven by the passion of the football people in Sydney’s west.

“This represents a major investment by FFA in the future of the game and aligns with FFA’s Strategic Plan endorsed by the recent Smith Review.”

After failing to find a financial backer, Buckley confirmed FFA would fund the western Sydney club itself, backing its belief that the area is a huge untapped market for the sport.

But he said future plans are to establish a community model of member investors as opposed to one owner.

"Within a two to three year period we would like to see the ownership transition to either a community-owned model or to have private investors come in and support the club," Buckley said.

Buckley confirmed that FFA has already looked into a potential CEO and members of an independent board for the club.

"We've got a shortlist of candidates for the CEO position, we've got a shortlist of candidates for the board," he said.

The $8 million government funding package includes $1 million to be allocated to the development of women’s football and the Westfield W-League and $3 million for the redevelopment of the Football NSW headquarters at Valentine Sports Park, Glenwood.

Buckley said the inclusion of the new Western Sydney club would be a boost for all clubs in the national competition.

“I know that the prospect of having a fierce rival in Sydney and all the passion of a derby game will excite everyone associated with Sydney FC,” he said.

With FFA declaring the A-League will be a 10-team competition, confirmation of the new club in Sydney's west will see GCU go the way of North Queensland Fury with Buckley revealing an announcement will be made on Thursday.

The decision has left Tom Tate, the local businessman and mayoral candidate involved in the consortium bidding the save Gold Coast United, shattered.

"We were transparent about our model and we put it together in just two weeks. Do I feel like we’ve been strung along? A bit like that, yes," Tate said.

"I would have thought if they were considering our bid seriously then Western Sydney would have been put on hold.

"Western Sydney can’t just be born overnight, so it’s obvious to me that our bid wasn’t taken seriously.

“I feel that the commitment from FFA for professional football to remain on the Gold Coast was not there.

“It appears to me that this is not solely about the game itself, it’s about egos that exist at the highest levels of FFA and that’s why we couldn’t save Gold Coast United."

Forza Rossoneri wrote:if they get the community engagement right, this team will be fantastic... if not this will be another failed project

dostoevsky wrote:Most popular Western Sydney team name in the Goal.com poll at the moment is the West Sydney Unicorns.