Soccer stadium promise

A PRIVATE consortium has promised to build a new stadium in Melbourne’s western suburbs if its A-League expansion bid is approved — but who is footing the bill is a mystery.

Wyndham Council has partnered with the Western Melbourne Group, gifting it land in Tarneit where the 15,000-seat football-specific venue would be constructed.

The consortium has evolved out of former Socceroo Steve Horvat’s Geelongbased Victoria Patriots bid but shifted its focus approximately a year ago after receiving feedback from consultants and winning in-principle council support in Wyndham, which is about 25km west of the Melbourne CBD.

The plans also include training pitches, sports medicine facilities, a gymnasium, community spaces and “residential and commercial development”.

Crucially, and in contrast to other A-League expansion bids, none of it is dependent on state or federal government funding, although details are sketchy as to how much the project will cost and who is paying for it.

Bid member Horvat refuses to divulge who the investors are, other than to say they are not from China as has been speculated.

“There’s no overseas money associated with this bid. It’s just local businesspeople that have invested,” Horvat said.

Only Football Federation Australia, Wyndham Council and those involved with Western Melbourne Group know the identity of the bid’s financial backers, Horvat said.

“The people that need to be aware of who they are, are aware,” he said.

“Everyone can just rest assured that the funds have been guaranteed and that it’s not a smokescreen.”

The Western Melbourne Group includes Horvat, prominent football agent Lou Sticca, KPMG partner Maurice Bisetto and another ex-Socceroo in Andrew Zinni.

The group is one of 15 consortia and four based in Victoria, vying for one of two new licences to join the A-League in season 2019-20.