By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
DANDENONG Showgrounds has been identified as one of the possible sites for a $10 million-plus ‘Soccer Hub’.
Mayor Jim Memeti said a hub consisting of a suite of soccer pitches and facilities was needed to accommodate the municipality’s 18 clubs and ever-growing soccer community.
He said the hub could host clinics, boosting the region’s potential as an ideal recruiting ground for A-League clubs Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart, and English Premier League clubs such as Manchester City.
“Soccer is huge here, bigger than anywhere else in the state,” Cr Memeti said.
“There would be thousands of players – I know there’s 500 at Dandenong Thunder alone.
“One problem in Australia is we don’t have academies and facilities.
“As soccer keeps on growing, we want to give an opportunity for young people to play for the Socceroos.”
He said the $10-25 million council-initiated project, “still in its preliminary stages”, would require external funding.
“The aim is to get it project-ready, so if a Manchester City were to come in it would be ready to go.”
Councillors have been recently briefed on a consultants’ report on the scope, such as the mix of synthetic, indoor and outdoor pitches, and possible locations for the hub.
Cr Memeti said the showgrounds and its spacious park surrounds, well-connected by road and public transport, was an option.
Dandenong Thunder spokesman Sezar Jakupi said the hub would go “hand-in-hand” with the Victorian Premier League club’s vision for bigger and better facilities.
He said its two-pitch home at George Andrews Reserve was “clearly not adequate” for training its 20 teams.
“What it means is at training, we have about six teams sharing a limited space on the ground.
“A hub at the showgrounds or somewhere else would be fantastic.” Jakupi said.
