New Western Sydney club to join A-League

Football Federation Australia has unveiled plans for a new A-League club based in Western Sydney, with the name, colors and logo to be determined after public consultation. Prime Minister Julia Gillard joined FFA chief executive Ben Buckley today to outline the government's $8 million funding package for the club, which will enter the league for the 2012-13 season. Previous moves to establish a second A-League club in Sydney had failed. The need for another team was made more urgent by major doubts over the future of the Gold Coast team following its owner being stripped of a license. "Yes, it has taken time to get a club into Western Sydney, but I believe that the time is right and I believe that the financial model is right," Buckley said today. "This is a great project that could change the landscape, not just of the A-League, but for football. "Today's announcement shows the game's confidence to keep on growing and to keep on building." The A-League's expansion has been haphazard in recent seasons, with the North Queensland Fury folding due to financial problems. Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer was stripped of his A-League license for Gold Coast United last month after a string of criticism of the A-League management. Palmer's critics said his club never fully engaged football fans in the tourist strip. Buckley, as recently as Tuesday, said the FFA was in negotiations with a consortium to keep a club on the Gold Coast but said it could not be guaranteed. The A-League expansion into the traditional rugby league markets of North Queensland and Gold Coast has been a failure so far, but Buckley said the strong support for football in Sydney's west would make it successful. The A-League's precursor, the National Soccer League, drew enough support to sustain several clubs from the area. "We intend to build a model that will be driven by the passion of the football people in Sydney's west," Buckley said.