The Daily Telegraph has reported that Parramatta Stadium will receive a $30 million dollar upgrade.

Source

A $30 million refurbishment of Parramatta Stadium will be announced by the Federal Government this week. The funding will increase the ground capacity by at least 5000 and improve corporate facilities for the Eels and the Western Sydney.

Opinion:

This is a welcome change from the 100's of millions of dollars that other sports, most specifically the AFL, have received in the past several years.

Parramatta Stadium is an intimate setting that is sorely lacking in modern facilities.

Supporters of the Wanderers have watched the AFL receive upwards of $120 million dollars in federal, state and local government funding for the creation of two stadiums, payments for playing in Canberra & Wagga Wagga, as well as training facilities and other government relationships for the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL team. With leaders of that club denigrating the Wanderers, people have questioned the ongoing support for the Victorian code, and especially the lack of funding for the World Game in Western Sydney.

In the corridors of Government, Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop, Wanderers CEO Lyall Gorman and people linked to the Parramatta Eels rugby league club have been lobbying the Government for funding to improve our stadium. With an election looming there was speculation that the Government had stashed a half-billion dollar 'war chest' for 'unannounced' funding that could be used at Parramatta. If the report is true it looks likely that the funding will come from there.

A 5,000 increase in capacity would mean a stadium capacity over 25,000, although it is unknown exactly where those seats would be located. It would also cement Parramatta as the Wanderers stadium for the medium term, and also help those from the Eels who do not want to play matches at ANZ.

WestSydneyFootball.Com will keep you updated when further news comes to hand.

In other news, the NSW Government launched a Community Relations Commission initiative with the Wanderers that will work with the Mount Druitt Police and Citizens Youth Club, to promote culturally inclusive football events, three nights a week for the next year.

The Australian Financial Review today reported that the FFA has valued the Wanderers at $15 million and will look to sell the club with no community ownership.

The AFR Report, located here, confirms that the FFA has appointed investment bank UBS, with instructions to sell the entire club to any individual or company willing to part with $15 million.

The report suggests that it is likely there will be no community ownership model.

Opinion

If the report is correct and the club will not be sold with any community ownership model, I believe this is a disgraceful decision by the FFA. The Wanderers were a club built on community support and supporter engagement and there is overwhelming demand for community ownership. To go forward on this key moment for the club without any discussion is a massive backflip on the promised community engagement.

The community ownership model must not be dismissed for a quick buck. The time to cement a community ownership model for this club is now. If they FFA feel they cannot have full 51% ownership at this stage they should instead keep 51% of the club in their ownership and gradually increasing the percentage of the club owned by the community until it reaches 51%. The FFA should take note of how this club would not exist without a taxpayer grant of several million dollars when they decide not to allow community ownership.

The 51% model has resulted in a set of clubs owned collectively by the people, with much of the other 49% being owned by companies with long-term constructive vision. This creates clubs who are concerned first and foremost with the success of the club in the long term. These clubs are not subject to the whims and egos of individual rich owners, which in the A-League resulted in the disastrous failure on the Gold Coast that was the catalyst for the creation of Western Sydney, along with several other high-profile events across the league which impacted on the club culture to the detriment of the supporters.

It does not result in the situation where a club can be sold to a private company, who then re badge the club with their own corporate name and logo. I do not want to support the Red Bull Wanderers. Or Sydney Red Bull.

Community ownership also ensures that active support is embraced, with cheap ticket prices that encourage 10's of thousands to attend matches rather than sit at home watching the club play on television. It ensures that the tradition of live sport, supporting a local club as well as participating in active support can be passed down through the generations, rather than having to see families abandon attending live matches due expense. That also helps prevent younger generations turning to glory hunting, picking teams from other cities or nations because the youth have no connection to their local club. My understanding is that many of the clubs in the Bundesliga have season tickets available for cheaper prices than the RBB Membership costs here.

The FFA have been strongly focused this A-League off-season on promoting the Australian National Football team on their quest to qualify for the World Cup. The focus on community ownership has assisted with a resurgence in the quality of the German domestic league, as well as the continental performance of the clubs, but it has also lead to a marked improvement in the quality of the national team at all levels (Germany being the Under 17, 19 and 21 European Champions), and the quality of the home-grown talent coming through the German system.

51% ownership, with every team making a profit without having to sell players is where the A-League should be heading for every club. Instead of going backward and allowing clubs to be brought to ruin by ego or penny pinching, the FFA should be setting the bar for the rest of the A-League by incorporating community ownership into the near-term future of the Western Sydney Wanderers.

To turn away now is to abandon the promises made in the early days of the Wanderers. To not discuss this openly with the Wanderers supporter base is a backflip on what we have been told by the club and FFA from day one.

I hope the FFA will reconsider their decision. I encourage all who desire community ownership to make their views known to the FFA here, and via social media.

The future of our club is at stake.