Canberra United could move W-League games to greyhound track

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Canberra United could move W-League games to greyhound track

By Eamonn Tiernan

The soon-to-be abandoned Canberra greyhound track could become a soccer hub and W-League high-performance centre as part of a radical proposal to save the facility when dog racing is banned from April 30.

Capital Football will meet with the Canberra Greyhound Club on Monday to continue discussions of a potential partnership between the organisations.

The parties have been negotiating for five months about building a field in the centre of the track to make the the greyhound club a home for Canberra United in the W-League later this year.

Canberra United captain Michelle Heyman in action at McKellar Park last season.

Canberra United captain Michelle Heyman in action at McKellar Park last season. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong

Greyhound racing will host its farewell meeting at the Canberra Cup on April 29 as the ACT government prepares to enforce a ban.

The greyhound club has a 50-year lease at Symonston, which doesn't expire until 2027, and officials want the track to be used while they fight for survival and in the hope the ban is overturned if there is a change of government.

Greyhound club chairman Alan Tutt has met with Capital Football bosses Phil Brown and Mark O'Neill on several occasions since December and he believes a partnership is imminent. Capital Football officials did not return calls.

"The Canberra Greyhound Club is excited to join forces and have Capital Football come onto the land and have a football oval at the highest level of excellence," Tutt said.

"We're putting together an agreement to work as merger, like Cricket ACT at Manuka Oval, they want one central base in the middle of the ACT where Canberrans can come together.

"The parking facilities are great and there's enough room for a pitch and an indoor centre so they can train rain hail or shine, but we want have a pitch ready for the next W-League season.

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"We're going to put in an A-League standard pitch that will be well maintained and both parties want to utilise the facility for full community access.

"We’ll have the venue running seven days a week with football and functions."

It's understood Canberra United were considering moving games to Seiffert Oval in Queanbeyan last season but they remained at McKellar Park in Belconnen.

Capital Football offices are in Deakin, while Canberra United train at the AIS and the academy sides are based in Hawker.

The organisation are reportedly keen for a headquarters which can accommodate games, training and office space, as well as a potential indoor facility.

There is already irrigation and lighting on the inside of the greyhound track in Canberra, and sport has previously been played on the turf.

The surface would need to be levelled and sowed to reach a playing standard and there are plans for mobile stands to be rolled onto the track for fans on game day.

The Canberra Greyhound Club could continue to host sport after racing is banned on April 30.

The Canberra Greyhound Club could continue to host sport after racing is banned on April 30.

Tutt said two existing groundsmen would take on maintenance responsibilities for an "A-League standard" pitch.

Following Canberra's final greyhound meeting the club has a temporary licence to operate at the Goulburn track from May 6.

Tutt said the sport had been dragged through mud and used as a political football, but praised the resolve of the tight-knit greyhound community.

"If we'd done something wrong and deserved to banned, fair enough, but we’ve done nothing wrong and there was no consultation process from the government," Tutt said.

"I've got generations of people getting spanked for no reason, that's why greyhound New South Wales have come on board and supported our fight against the ACT government.

"It's such a terrible decision, it's just wrong, the politicians have made a terrible mistake. The money we generated has been taken out of community and it's the ratepayers who'll pay.

"But at least Capital Football coming is something good to come from all this and I'm sure we'll be back up and running after the next election."

Tutt said the club will fight tooth and nail to ensure the government don't take back the land which is reportedly valued at more than $20 million.

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