United closing on home
A-League hopefuls eye Tallebudgera site for HQ
TALLEBUDGERA’S Coplick Family Sports Park has emerged as a possible home for Gold Coast United as they wait on Football Federation Australia for an A-League bid shortlist.
Desperate to build a three-field training base and administration headquarters as the final piece of their A-League push, United have been in protracted negotiations with Gold Coast City Council to find a suitable site.
With the Coplick complex already featuring three rectangular fields, two baseball grounds and a large open area, the Bulletin understands it is now among the frontrunners to be United’s permanent base.
The club currently trains on two fields at Carrara Sports Precinct, with their NPL and NPL Women’s teams playing out of Robina Station Reserve.
If their A-League bid is successful, they will play home games out of Robina’s Cbus Stadium.
As revealed by the Bulletin this month, the Gold Coast Knights will build their own 3000-seat stadium at Carrara by 2022, with president Adrian Puljich raising the idea of United moving in too.
However, United chairman Danny Maher said it simply “wasn’t practical”.
“The prospect of Gold Coast United as an NPL club playing out there is about nil because the Knights are an NPL entity (in 2019) themselves, but the prospect of cooperation, absolutely,” he said.
“They’re trying to do something specifically for their club and the Croatian community, whereas Gold Coast United is about participation for everyone at the Gold Coast. We may end up collaborating on some women’s programs or something like that but we’re definitely happy to see (their stadium) happen.”
News of the potential build at Tallebudgera comes after FFA last week delayed an announcement on the bids shortlisted for one of two A-League licences in 2019-20.
The 15 expressions of interest were due to be trimmed, most likely to six, on Monday but a decision is now expected late this month.