Football Tasmania have unveiled an ambitious plan for a cutting-edge facility in the state’s south, coined the “Home of Football”.
The $80 million project is poised to become the foundation for soccer development, catering to players at all levels, from grassroots to elite.
Set to be located ‘somewhere’ in Southern Tasmania, the centre will feature six full-sized pitches, including three with synthetic surfaces and three with turf.
The facility is also planned to include four five-a-side pitches, tailor-made for both community and top-tier football.
Modern changing rooms and training facilities for both women and men are included in the plans.
Football Tasmania say the ‘new home’ has the potential to house men’s and women’s A-Leagues teams, which would mark a significant leap forward for Tasmanian football on the national stage.
“Football is Tasmania’s most played team sport. There’s already 38,000 participants, and that’s tipped to grow by 20 per cent in coming years,” Football Tasmania CEO Tony Pignata said.
“Right now, we are the poor cousin. The Tasmanian Government invests around $540 into every Tasmanian who plays Australian Rules and around $138 into every basketballer, yet only $19 in a football player.”
He said soccer is “one of the safest sports our kids can play” and called on the state government to ‘level the playing field’ in terms of funding so that they can “take football to the next level”.
Plans for other regional football hubs across the state are also in the works, including on in the north and another in the north-west.
