Football
AAP 7y

Brisbane Strikers-Ipswich's A-League dream needs support from government

A combined Brisbane Strikers-Ipswich bid is firming as a leading contender for A-League expansion but hopes of a new stadium depend on securing state and federal government support.

It's understood Miron Bleiberg, the former A-League coach who is one of the key figures involved with the Strikers' bid, met with Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale on Monday to discuss the possibility of forming an alliance.

While the Strikers have not yet abandoned the idea of going it alone, a joint effort would significantly boost the bid's financial and political standing and become an attractive option in the eyes of Football Federation Australia.

Specific criteria for expansion will be released early next year, but FFA has made no secret of its desire for more teams in major cities, and the new vision for the Strikers is to pitch to Brisbane's sprawling western suburbs, including Ipswich, Toowoomba and Logan - all up, a catchment area of around 500,000 people and growing.

It's envisaged the Strikers' brand would be retained, but the name of the team could change to include a reference to Brisbane's so-called "western corridor," where some of the investors associated with the bid have business interests.

However, a new team would have to share Suncorp Stadium with Brisbane Roar until funding can be arranged for a boutique stadium to be built as desired, most likely in Springfield.

With the state and federal governments having recently tipped in a total of $240 million for a new stadium in Townsville, it's unclear whether that would be immediately forthcoming.

"We're going to have to do some work out here, we need state and federal government support," Pisasale said.

"But they've got to start realising growth means we need sporting facilities.

"These stadiums are not just for the A-League teams, they get used by all the other juniors.

"Ipswich is growing at an enormous rate and what's missing is the infrastructure to go with it."

The alliance is unlikely to include support from Logan City Council, who are already committed to building a $9 million home base for Brisbane Roar at Heritage Park.

Pisasale said he was sure other investors and sponsors would throw their hat in the ring if they could be shown proof of return on investment by FFA.

Pisasale has a long-standing relationship with FFA chief executive David Gallop, who in his previous capacity with the NRL toured Ipswich in 2009 when rugby league was considering expansion.

Gallop said it was the ideal area for a new team and even used a similar analogy -- that the NRL had to "go where the fish are biting" -- to the one that has become the catch-phrase of the A-League expansion debate.

Pisasale described the NRL as "hopeless" and said they had "dropped the baton" by not expanding into Ipswich.

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