New A-League team stretches out arms to welcome one and all

VICTORIA’S new A-League team, Western United, will cast a net for fans from the West Gate Bridge to Geelong and Ballarat in a bid to become a symbol of strength and unity for the west.

The state’s third professional soccer club, to wear green and black colours, is the biggest sporting team built in Melbourne’s west since Footscray joined the VFA in the 1880s.

Western United hopes to connect with diverse multicultural communities in the city’s west.

Football director and for- mer Socceroo Steve Horvat said the club planned to create support, infrastructure and an identity in the west by building “something the community is proud of’’.

“We’ve got an enormous community engagement plan we’re going to roll out in the next six months, both here and the west and down in Geelong and Ballarat,’’ Mr Horvat said.

The club expects to start work on a new, self-funded 15,000-seat stadium at Tarneit this year as well as construct a regional centre of excellence.

It will kick off in next year’s A-League season alongside Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, and use Kardinia Park as its home until moving into its own stadium in 2021.

“It’s going to create jobs, it’s going to create economic value, ongoing jobs in the region,’’ Mr Horvat said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.’’ 15,000 boutique venue to be built at Tarneit Licence fee of more than $18 million to join the league Population base of more than 727,443 people in Melbourne’s west (ABS 2016).

The club name was chosen in the hope of bringing the multicultural region together.

“When you talk about the west — there are 160 nationalities in Wyndham alone, it’s phenomenal,’’ he said. “The one thing that is common to all those nationalities is the world game, the round ball, so it’s a really good opportunity for us to bring everyone together.

“Realistically, anything this side of the West Gate Bridge is our catchment area, as far down as Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo.’’

Mr Horvat said the club had already tapped into strong community support.

“They’re so excited about the region having something as a central focal point to really grab on to and be part of,’’ he said.

“It’s a big honour for us, having won the licence, but so is being able to deliver something community.

“When you look at what sort of sporting infrastructure there is this side of the West Gate, there is hardly any, and with the expanding population and growth happening in these areas it’s probably timely.’’

Multicultural ambassador Monique Majok said the club could have a “huge impact’’ on African communities.

“It’s uniting communities, it’s a gesture of sport as a language of love no matter what colour we are,’’ Ms Majok said.

“We will have ambassadors for young athletes coming up, and not being signed out because of their skin colour or because they are tall.’’ special in the