State aims at A-League

Tasmania’s soccer bosses work with Government for suitable facilities

TASMANIA N soccer boss Bob Gordon says the state’s push for an A-League team will ramp up next week when he meet with its financial backers and he is closing in on a greenfields itefo ra national- standard soccer stadium in Hobart.

President of Football Tasmania, Gordon said the coronavirus had shifted the landscape on Australian soccer but the pursuit of a Tasmanian team in the A-League was still on course. It comes as the state secures a National Basketball League team to be based at an extensively refurbished Derwent Entertainment Centre and will start competing next year. “I will be talking to the financial backers of the Tasmanian A-League team again next week, and they are still interested ,” Gordon said.

“We are working pro-actively and cooperatively with the State Government about what needs to bed one to make sure we’ve got the facilities where we could play A-League.”

Turning Launceston’s AFL venue UTas Stadium into a soccer-ready pitch was a priority. “The first step is making sure York Park gets upgraded to rectangular stadium format like Marvel Stadium, where the seats come out into the ground so it’s rectangular,” Gordonsaid.

“That would allow us to play Matildas games in the lead-up to the World Cup, as wellasA-LeaguegamesandYLeague games. It would be a lasting legacy for every sport that needs a rectangular stadium and it would also increase the seating for other sports as well.

“We will not get the World Cup unless we have a rectangular format stadium.

“We are still working on an option for a rectangular stadium for Hobart.”

A-League games would be played at both ends of the state.

“The proponents are keen on playing games in Hobart and Launceston, just from sheer economics, you get good crowd sat both ,” Gordon said.

“But we do need a rectangular stadium in Hobart and it wouldn’t just be for the A-League.’’