An A-League Women’s soccer match that was envisaged to be hosted in Mount Gambier will not go ahead this season.
Gambier Centrals has been unable to secure the match between Adelaide United and Western United, that was scheduled to be held in December.
Gambier Centrals president Shane Dycer said he was disappointed the proposal had fallen over at the final hurdle.
The announcement of an A-League match potentially coming to Mount Gambier was made last month when Mr Dycer presented a proposal to Grant District Council.
Mr Dycer had been in discussion with Football Federation South Australia (FFSA) and Adelaide United over the past few months to host an A-League match at Centrals’ home ground on December 16.
Prior to the official outcome, State Government funding of $70,000 had been allocated as well as contribution from Limestone Coast Soccer Association of between $10,000 to $12,000.
Grant District Council had also committed to supporting the event with sponsorship of $10,000 to be split as either cash or in-kind support, while City Council resolved at its August monthly meeting to provide $6700 in-kind support along with $5000 cash.
Mr Dycer said he had received tremendous support for the proposal, which he hoped would continue in pursuit of a 2024 fixture instead.
“It is disappointing the game is not going ahead in December, this has been 4-5 months in the planning,” he said.
“I have had tremendous support from both City of Mount Gambier and Grant District Council in relation to some funding and in-kind support for the event as it will bring such a big emphasis for our area and bring in the tourists pre-Christmas.
“There has also been outstanding and in-kind support from the Limestone Coast Football League who were also straight away on board.
“I have been working with Adelaide United since April on this proposal and it’s disappointing that it’s fallen over at the last hurdle pretty close to the event as we were hoping to showcase the region and put a real emphasis on women’s football and football in the Limestone Coast, especially being televised it was a great opportunity to showcase what the area has to offer.”
In a statement, Adelaide United chief executive Nathan Kosmina said the reason was due to the short timeframe.
“Due to the short timeframe, we were unable to confirm the match for this season’s A-League Women’s schedule,” Mr Kosmina said.
However, he said proactive discussions have already commenced and that Mount Gambier remains a key focus for the club.
“Proactive discussions have already commenced for how we can increase our presence in the South East region, both in the short and long term,” he said.
“Mount Gambier, given its rich football history, remains a key focus for Adelaide United.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Sport and Minister for Women Katrine Hildyard said the State Government remained committed to working with all parties to secure a future A-League Women’s match.
She took the opportunity to thank all those involved for their collaboration on the recent application.
“I thank Adelaide United, the APL, local councils, Mount Gambier Centrals Soccer Club and Troy Bell for their collaboration,” Minister Hildyard said.
