Football Tasmania has heralded the success of the Festival of Football, which saw just under 10,000 Tasmanians engage with live A-League action and community events and activities held across the state.
Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley said the Festival of Football, delivered in partnership with Western United was a huge success for the World Game in Tasmania.
“Over the past week, the Festival of Football has given Tasmanians a great taste of what it’s like to have an A-League team in town,“ Mr Bulkeley said.
“With a smorgasbord of elite sport on in Launceston over the past week, the combined crowds of the two A-League matches and Western United’s community engagement events across the state were a significant vote of confidence for A-League football in Tasmania.
“To put things into context, the crowds at both Launceston matches stack up well against other similar sized cities Western United have played in, showing Tasmania has a real appetite for elite level football content.
“Football is the state’s most played team sport, but without exposure to the nation’s best players week-in-week-out, the pathway to the highest levels of our game is more difficult for aspiring Tasmanian players.
“This is something we’re working hard to fix and I’d like to thank Western United for giving Tasmania the opportunity to host A-League matches, and Events Tasmania and the State Government for their support in making it happen.
“The success of the Festival of Football has demonstrated loud and clear that Tasmania is ready for an A-League team our own and Football Tasmania will continue to work with the next Government to see this become a reality, and bring more high-level content to the state.”
Football Australia Chairman Chris Nikou said initiatives such as the Festival of Football provided the opportunity for healthy discussions regarding Tasmania’s interest in having an A-League team in the future.
“It has been a pleasure visiting Tasmania this week and engaging with local football officials, stakeholders and fans who clearly have a passion for our great game,” Mr Nikou said.
“While there is currently no A-League expansion process running, initiatives like the Festival of Football provide the opportunity for Tasmania’s football community to unite and have healthy discussions regarding Tasmania’s interest in having an A-League team in the State in the future. “As regulator, we have introduced various mechanisms to create a connected and effective football pyramid, including a framework for access to domestic competitions. At the appropriate time we will discuss the rules around access and the optimum number of teams in the A-League and Westfield W-League with the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), however until then our management and staff look forward to continuing to work with Football Tasmania and the State’s football stakeholders to grow the game through community and grassroots development, the FFA Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Legacy initiatives, and our national teams.”
