Canberra United handed government lifeline for next A-League Women season
Canberra United’s immediate future has been secured by a belated injection of funding from the ACT government, but the long-term viability of one of the country’s most successful women’s clubs remains in doubt.
The club’s owners Capital Football revealed in March they needed more investment to keep operating the team, which has cost $2.5m over the past two years.
A “one-off” contribution of $200,000 from Canberra taxpayers has been pledged to meet costs of fielding a team in next A-League Women season, likely to start in October. The amount is in addition to the annual subsidy from the government of $250,000.
Capital Football chief executive Samantha Farrow said there was “real worry at one point” the club would fold, but warned her organisation only wanted to run the club for one more season.
“We’re on borrowed time here and we can’t keep appealing to government for funding year after year, so my job for the next 12 months is to try and get this team to break even and hand it over in a really strong position for the next people.”
ACT Minister for Sport and Recreation Yvette Berry said the additional money provided certainty for the team and partners going into next season.
“Part of this is about securing the team and providing security into the team,” she told ABC radio. “When sponsors and businesses see that a team is secure, they’re more likely to jump in and provide sponsorship.”
A fundraising initiative started by former Matildas player Sue Read has also attracted more than $74,000 in donations. She said the government funding was a “really important first step” but the community campaign will continue, in part to ensure star striker Michelle Heyman would stay.
“I know she has been batting away offers from all over the world, so for us to secure her like Sam [Farrow] was saying, this is base level,” Read said. “We need to make sure we’ve got enough money, so the main message is, keep jumping on the crowdfunding, keep donating.”
The club issued a statement on Thursday, saying the funds were welcome, but there was still a shortfall in financing the team.
“We thank the football com
munity for supporting Canberra United through the ‘Save Canberra United’ fundraising campaign, and that, coupled with this generous contribution from the government, certainly helps the club in our immediate requirements,
but we still have some shortfall to cover costs for the new season,” they said.
“Having said that, the directors of the Capital Football board have agreed to field a team in Season 17, and we look forward to working with government, fans, and commercial, to give the club every opportunity going forward.”
Capital Football is the only football association to operate an A-League team.
An expanded A-League Women competition has made it more expensive to field the side.
The A-Leagues expected to award a new licence for a team from the nation’s capital in time for the next ALeague Men season, which would also take on responsibility for the A-League Women side, but those negotiations remain unresolved.
Farrow said talks would continue. “The investor team is still involved, the A-League is still talking to the investor team, so I’m hopeful that for season 2025-26, there will be a more professional outfit that is better suited to running Canberra United into the future.”
Canberra United have been WLeague champions twice, most recently in 2014.