Western United prepare for first game at Tarneit
The Wyndham City Council has announced that work on the Regional Football Facility in Tarneit is almost complete, with Western United set to move in and begin preparations to host matches there.
The A-League club has announced its round 20 women’s fixture against Newcastle Jets on Sunday 17 March will be the first match at the 5,000-capacity venue.
That will be closely followed by NPL Victoria and A-League Men’s matches, meaning the next scheduled A-League Men’s fixture at the venue will be in round 23 against Macarthur FC, followed by the Central Coast Mariners the following round.
The club’s round 13 fixture against Adelaide United was postponed, with that match potentially to be rescheduled prior to the round 23 match.
The Wyndham Regional Football Facility – which will soon be officially named ahead of its opening – features grandstand seating for 800 spectators, while a 2,000-seat temporary grandstand will be erected on the opposite side of the ground, boosting its overall capacity to 5,000.
The council facility also includes an additional two pitches and is located adjacent to the proposed 15,000-seat Wyndham City Stadium, which had its funding secured last month.
Western United and Western Melbourne Group (WMG) Chairman Jason Sourasis praised the announcement as a monumental moment for the Club and said everyone would be working feverishly to be ready to host games as soon as possible.
“This is a momentous milestone for everyone involved in the project. It allows us to move into our permanent home, playing out of only the second rectangular stadium in the state of Victoria that is approved to play A-League Men and A-League Women games,” he said.
“The next phase of growth for Western United Football Club will be underpinned by a community and fan-first philosophy as we entrench our football club into the Wyndham community and grow our own brand empathy within the fastest-growing municipality in Australia.
“I thank everyone that has been on this journey for their unwavering belief, effort, support and patience.”
Wyndham City Mayor, Councillor Jennie Barrera, said completion of the facility marked the first stage of Council’s landmark A-League Stadium Project with WMG.
The next stage of the project, led by WMG, will deliver a purpose-built, 15,000-capacity football stadium and 800-lot residential community, with WMG recently announcing YourLand Developments and Johnson Controls as major project partners.
“It’s been a long time coming and we are so excited to welcome Western United to its rightful home in Tarneit,” Cr Barrera said.
“Our priority has been getting Western United to base its operations here in Wyndham, and by using the training facility as a matchday venue for both A-League Men and A-League Women matches until the stadium is built, we’re doing just that.”
