2019/20 Melbourne Victory Thread

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I hope the regardless of how bad we're playing that people show up for Broxhams 300th game.

That being said, don't be surprised to see him start on the bench and Corey Brown to be occupying his position, wherever that may be.
 
Doomed! Such a shame! bloody inner city hippies, enjoy your dog s**t park!

Melbourne Victory's $18m football academy in Footscray Park appears doomed

Melbourne Victory's $18m football academy in Footscray Park appears doomed

A contentious proposal by the country's biggest soccer club to convert a section of Footscray Park into an $18 million training facility appears doomed after council staff and a specially appointed advisory panel recommended it be rejected.
Following months of bitter argument over the public value of Melbourne Victory’s proposal, the panel chosen by Maribyrnong Council concluded on Friday that the facility was a “private business operation” that would unduly benefit the club more than it would the community.

Protesters against Melbourne Victory's proposal, such as the Save Footscray Park group, appear to have got their wish.Credit:Wayne Taylor
The proposed women’s and youth soccer academy has become the inner west’s most polarising issue in years since Victory announced last October that it had won $10 million of state government funding.
Supporters said the proposal would provide much-needed, state-of-the-art facilities for local grassroots and female teams.
Opponents said the floodlit training grounds would not be available to the public enough, despite Victory stating the pitches would be open for use when their teams were not playing.
In its submissions to the council, the panel said the lease of at least 21 years would amount to a “loss of critical green space” and the proposed 500-person pavilion and three floodlit pitches would detract from the appearance of the park and significantly increase traffic.

An artist's impression of the three pitches that would be the new base for Victory's women's and youth teams.
The panel suggests that the council drops the plan, “thank Melbourne Victory football club for their proposal” and return to a previous plan to rejuvenate the grassland in its current form.
The 12-person panel, which included representatives from local sports clubs, historical societies and five community representatives, was appointed in August after councillors voted 6:1 to reject the draft masterplan for the park.
Sharon Schwab, a community representative on the panel, called the plan “ill-conceived”.
“It is simply unconscionable to give a privately owned company from outside Maribyrnong part of a public park when that fast-growing municipality is so lacking in green space for the residents,” she said.
“Changing part of a public park to single use for soccer only for at least 21 years is a very serious decision with long-term consequences for our community.”
Maribyrnong councillors are expected to reject Victory’s plan when they vote on it on Tuesday evening.
If the council votes against the advisory panel it must offer an alternative plan instead.
Maribyrnong council chief executive Stephen Wall said he did not want to pre-empt council's decision on Tuesday evening and "would not presume that the officer recommendation will be passed".

Local club Maribyrnong Swifts had partnered with Melbourne Victory to use the proposed academy.
"It is up to Councillors to consider all the information that has been presented to them on the matter, to listen to any contrary argument, weigh up information and a range of competing values and perspectives and give full consideration before making a decision at the meeting," he said.
The soccer academy was to be built on the Western lawn, which is used by dog walkers and hosts events such as New Year’s Eve fireworks and the Laneway Festival.

The panel suggested a $1 to $2 million upgrade of the lawn – which is in poor condition in many parts – would “retain 100 per cent community benefit”.
It said the council should seek other external funding to improve the playing fields while continuing discussions with Victory for future opportunities.
It also called for increased council attention on female and youth sport, with 30 per cent of people in Maribyrnong under the age of 24.
An exhaustive community consultation included council receiving 1500 submissions.
Melbourne Victory was contacted for comment.

 
Everything I have read on the subject is that the land is never used, always muddy and has the occasional dog using it as its personal toilet.

Understand the grievance with giving away public land to a corporation but this is just ridiculous especially considering it would be available for the public to use for a large percentage of the time.

There's a tonne of space in Royal Park that would be ideal, just behind the Netball and Hockey centre. Not sure where else they'll look, has to be somewhere inner Melbourne imo.
 
Doomed! Such a shame! bloody inner city hippies, enjoy your dog s**t park!
******* hippies!!!

Am certainly no hippie, have played football since I was a teenager, am a victory member and live within 300 metres of footscray park.

This is a win for the local community. The local residents (you know, people who live within the council boundaries) opposed this proposal with a significant majority.

Did you know that the maribyrnong council area has the smallest % of passive open space out of all inner suburban areas? And the victory wanted to take more of this little space that this area has. This is a win for democracy and local residents.
 
Am certainly no hippie, have played football since I was a teenager, am a victory member and live within 300 metres of footscray park.

This is a win for the local community. The local residents (you know, people who live within the council boundaries) opposed this proposal with a significant majority.

Did you know that the maribyrnong council area has the smallest % of passive open space out of all inner suburban areas? And the victory wanted to take more of this little space that this area has. This is a win for democracy and local residents.

Do you have proof? or a link, a survey result that shows a majority of the constitutes where against it?
Curious, How many people actually use that piece of land? By the looks it is virtually always empty. Despite the fearmongering by the inner city socialist the proposal was only gonna take up around one third of the park (leaving more than enough room for walkers) and the majority opened to the community when not in use, and it wouldn't have just benefited Victory and soccer other sports would have also benefited some who are in desperate need of good community facilities for both men and women.

But I admit through the Victory's handling of all this was a disaster. They allowed the protesters to walk all over them with the fearmongering and obviously didn't consult and do enough research with the constitutes within the Marinyrnong council something they should have done very early before the proposal and we wouldn't have gotten to the point we have arrived now.

Back to the drawing board again and it's no guarantee that the club will get any Government funding again for a future proposal Academy especially after the way the current one has been handled.

So good luck with that park mate don't forget to send us a photo with your fellow constitutes (with dogs) walking through it to show us how much you really care. :thumbsu:
 
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Well the Deputy mayor isn't to pleased with the result..

'Just not right': Council rejects Victory's Footscray Park plan
Michael Fowler


Melbourne Victory’s controversial proposal to build an $18 million women’s and youth soccer centre at Footscray Park has been officially voted down in a fiery Maribyrnong council meeting on Tuesday evening.
Despite concerns from some councillors that they had not been given enough time to consider a report prepared by an advisory panel, a motion against the proposal was passed 5:2, drawing standing applause and even tears among Save Footscray Park protesters in attendance.

Mayor Sarah Carter said the council hadn’t “demonstrated the net community benefit for the people that are living here and paying their community rates”.
“It’s just not the right place and time for it [at Footscray Park]," she said.
"So I am sad that we are going to lose the opportunity ... but it’s infinitely clear to me we can do better for our local sporting groups and we can do better at community consultation.”
On Friday a panel chosen by Maribyrnong Council unanimously recommended that the plan be rejected because the facility would be a "private business operation” that would unduly benefit the club more than it would the community.
Deputy mayor Megan Bridger-Darling supported Melbourne Victory’s plan. She said she felt bullied by both sides during the consultation and criticised the report, which unanimously recommended against the facility, as being written to “say no to literally everything”.
Cr Bridger-Darling was heckled as she spoke and about 30 protesters left the room after Save Footscray Park co-chair Maree Pardy was asked to leave.
Cr Bridger-Darling concluded: “I’m done. The community will show some respect.”


Mayor Carter said she remained hopeful Melbourne Victory would revisit building a facility at a different site in Maribyrnong.
“We’re not against soccer, we’re absolutely not against soccer. We’re not against women … and the aspiration was to make the inner west the home of Melbourne Victory, if we could find the right location. And it’s just not Footscray Park.”
In an emotional address, Mayor Carter said the “backwards” process had “taken its toll” on councillors and the community, and said an internal review was already under way.
She reiterated that $10 million of state government funding would remain available to Victory if they build the facility elsewhere. She touted Yarraville’s McIvor Reserve as a possible alternative site.
“Victory won’t lose this money. The academy will be built [in another location].”
Cr Martin Zakharov was the other councillor who voted in favour of Victory’s proposal. He said he had found multiple errors in the advisory panel’s report and said it would cost council $2.5 million to rejuvenate the lawn area, which is in poor condition in many areas.
“If we can’t find that then we’ll be sitting around looking at that mud bowl … there will be plenty of space to walk dogs, but I don’t think we’ll see many people playing sport on the sports field,” he said.
Cr Bridger-Darling added: “We had the state government give $10 million to build an asset in our city, and we said ‘nah’. I’m embarrassed it’s gotten to this point, and I’m embarrassed about what this means for our city.”
Other councillors against Victory’s facility, including Simon Crawford, agreed public consultation should have started earlier and been more transparent.
“We want it to be embraced by the community, and this proposal has been divisive. So it’s not something I’m going to support,” Cr Crawford said.
About 100 Protesters from Save Footscray Park earlier gathered outside council halls from 5.45pm.

 

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Do you have proof? or a link, a survey result that shows a majority of the constitutes where against it?
Curious, How many people actually use that piece of land? By the looks it is virtually always empty. Despite the fearmongering by the inner city socialist the proposal was only gonna take up around one third of the park (leaving more than enough room for walkers) and the majority opened to the community when not in use, and it wouldn't have just benefited Victory and soccer other sports would have also benefited some who are in desperate need of good community facilities for both men and women.

So good luck with that park mate don't forget to send us a photo with your fellow constitutes (with dogs) walking through it to show us how much you really care. :thumbsu:
When the council finally sought community feedback, only a few months ago, the response from constituents that reside in the maribyrnong council area was 59% opposed to the victory masterplan, 41% in support. Further to this in a special committee set up by the council to gain further feedback and in their final report the victory proposal was rejected on a vote of 6:1.

Maribyrnong council and Melbourne Victory did not seek community feedback at the start of this proposal and this is a major issue. As previously mentioned, Maribyrnong council region has the lowest % of passive space compared to other metropolitan council areas. The population of footscray is set to increase 248% over the next 10 years. Footscray Park is one of the few open, passive space areas for all residents to use at any time. It was ill conceived by council and victory to think that local residents would be happy to lose this space. Yes, it would have been accessible at times, but in victory's proposal they sought use of the area afternoon and evenings on weekdays and majority of the day during the weekend. These are the times that the majority of the public would be able to use the area.

I don't have a dog, but i usually have a kick with my team mates on the area a couple of nights per week before we play our futsal games at vic uni.
 
hah! astounding, talk about it being doomed from the beginning when all of the councillors community advisory panel was stacked with members of the activist group. What an absolute disgrace! still think that's a democratic process pepsi ?


Melbourne Victory booted out of Footscray park as residents save beloved 'dustbowl'


Chants of "dustbowl, dustbowl!" echoed outside a Melbourne council on Tuesday night after dozens of residents celebrated a campaign that drove the nation's biggest football club out of a Footscray park.
Key points:
  • After years of planning, council withdraws support for elite football academy
  • Campaigners lobbied against the academy, wanting to save public open space
  • Victory continues to lag behind other top clubs with youth facilities
After four years of planning and discussions with the Maribyrnong City Council, Melbourne Victory's plans for an $18 million academy seemed all but certain six months ago, with the club even declaring the project "under development" on its website.
But a ferocious grassroots campaign against the proposal — which drew allegations of threats, bullying and misinformation from all sides — ended with a majority of councillors tearing up the deal for the academy in Footscray Park on Tuesday night.
Maribyrnong Mayor Sarah Carter conceded the council's handling of the matter was at times "backwards" and "haphazard", while another councillor described the saga as "embarrassing".
Cr Carter insisted the council still wanted to work to find Melbourne Victory a home within the municipality.
"We're not against soccer in this city," she said.
Residents who both supported and opposed the academy said a council-appointed "community advisory panel" was a "sham".
The panel, which delivered a final report to councillors advising against the academy, was stacked with members of the activist group who opposed the project and with clubs from rival sporting codes.


'Dusty bowl' drives community division
The Save Footscray Park group fought the academy proposal because about a third of the 22-hectare park was to be granted to Melbourne Victory for a 21-year lease.
Described as a "dusty bowl" by Deputy Mayor Megan Bridger-Darling, Footscray Park is one of the few remaining areas of large open public space in the suburb.
The club's "elite training environment" was slated to include three floodlit pitches, a stand for 500 spectators, and separate male and female changing rooms.
The Labor State Government had already granted $10 million in funding to make the site the home of Victory's W-League female players and junior male players.
Victory had also announced plans to offer coaching and share the facility with a local, women's-only club, the Maribyrnong Swifts.
Save Footscray Park co-chair Maree Pardy said residents were given few details about the project until earlier this year.
"People started to realise this wasn't some airy-fairy proposal and it would have a really big impact on access to community spaces," Ms Pardy said.
"It has been a terribly divisive issue in the community."
Ms Pardy's group launched a campaign where they letterboxed residents, printed shirts, held meetings and lobbied councillors and state politicians.
Crucially, they managed to secure all five community-elected spots on the council's advisory group.
"It was a sham that was established by the council," Ms Pardy said.
"We have played by their rules."

On Tuesday night, dozens of supporters in the council chamber gallery erupted with cheers and applause when councillors formally rejected the academy plan.
"This was a real win for the people," Ms Pardy said.

Rejected Victory now 'considering all options'
In a statement, Melbourne Victory said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the council's decision.
"Melbourne Victory is considering all of its options in light of council's decision," it said.
Victory chief executive Trent Jacobs hit out at the council on ABC Radio Melbourne on Wednesday and said local schools, young people and the underprivileged would now miss out of programs run by the club.
"From our perspective we feel like the process has been largely usurped by the inept consultation process that really should have been undertaken by council prior to committing the land," he said.
Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula confirmed the government would work with Melbourne Victory to find a new home for the academy, and said that the $10 million investment would "follow the project".
The outcome was also a devastating blow to the Maribyrnong Swifts, which has struggled to manage growing player numbers at the nearby Johnson Reserve.
Club president Diane Zhang, who works as a federal Labor staffer, said the alliance with Melbourne Victory would have helped talented junior players in the western suburbs.
She said leading girls players in the area currently have to travel long distances to train at top clubs, sometimes on the other side of the city.
"Parents basically have to sacrifice their lives in order to allow their children to access these opportunities," Ms Zhang said.
"In the west you have so many kids who don't have parents who can drop their lives.
"There was going to be a whole bunch of role models that our girls could have looked up to."

Club could struggle to find new site
Club-based academies are a vital part of European and South American football systems, allowing teams to scout and develop players at a young age.
Football journalist Kevin Airs, the editor of FTBL magazine, said Melbourne Victory should have set up an elite youth academy "long before now".
The club was one of the founding members of the A-League and its men's team is currently playing in the competition's 15th season.
Newer rival club Melbourne City has its academy based at La Trobe University's Bundoora Campus, while league newcomers Western United FC wants to start a girls' academy next year.
Interstate clubs like Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar have also partnered with universities and city councils to get their academies off the ground.
"They may have thought the council would support them but they've failed to bring the public with them," Mr Airs said of the Victory plan.
"I think Victory are going to struggle to find anywhere close to [home ground] AAMI Park."
According to a report released by government body Football Victoria in May, there will be an equal number of males and females playing the sport by 2027.
"...The organisation will need to invest significant resources into women and girls' football, in addition to leading change and overseeing a major growth phase across the entire football system in Victoria," the report said.

 
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I'll leave it with this giggler99 in that how was it ever a democratic process, when the community were not consulted about this proposal until 2019? Considering Victory first went to Council in 2016, I think it is hardly democratic that the people who live in the Maribyrnong City Council area were not truly informed of what was going to take place until this year. We, as ratepayers and constituents, need to support such a large project that takes away crown land and what very little passive space we have in our area.

I am very proud that the local community have banded together to keep Footscray Park accessible to all its residents, at all times. Do not forget that the Maribyrnong Council have already handed over park land in the municipality to the Victory at Robert Barrett Reserve. The proposed site should have been somewhere like McIvor reserve.

As for the 2 Councillors that supported the proposal, I find it interesting that people voted in to represent their local community, have gone directly against what the people wanted. As I said, 59% of Maribyrnong City Council residents opposed the Victory proposal at Footscray Park. Maybe if the Council put some of their own funds into the site and developed grounds for local sporting clubs, this issue would never have arisen.
 
Am certainly no hippie, have played football since I was a teenager, am a victory member and live within 300 metres of footscray park.

This is a win for the local community. The local residents (you know, people who live within the council boundaries) opposed this proposal with a significant majority.

Did you know that the maribyrnong council area has the smallest % of passive open space out of all inner suburban areas? And the victory wanted to take more of this little space that this area has. This is a win for democracy and local residents.
What's the point of open space if no one uses it? I'm all for people objecting to it but it seems the only argument is that they don't want unused land given away for free?
 
I'll leave it with this giggler99 in that how was it ever a democratic process, when the community were not consulted about this proposal until 2019? Considering Victory first went to Council in 2016, I think it is hardly democratic that the people who live in the Maribyrnong City Council area were not truly informed of what was going to take place until this year. We, as ratepayers and constituents, need to support such a large project that takes away crown land and what very little passive space we have in our area.

I am very proud that the local community have banded together to keep Footscray Park accessible to all its residents, at all times. Do not forget that the Maribyrnong Council have already handed over park land in the municipality to the Victory at Robert Barrett Reserve. The proposed site should have been somewhere like McIvor reserve.

As for the 2 Councillors that supported the proposal, I find it interesting that people voted in to represent their local community, have gone directly against what the people wanted. As I said, 59% of Maribyrnong City Council residents opposed the Victory proposal at Footscray Park. Maybe if the Council put some of their own funds into the site and developed grounds for local sporting clubs, this issue would never have arisen.
"community was not consulted till 2019?" What a load of crap! It's been in the public domain for almost four years that Victory where looking for an Academy in the Marribynong area? Is this the fault of the council? maybe but Victory sure did put it out there so people did know about it.

You still haven't provide a link or any real proof of that 59% not that I don't believe you I just would like to see it.
 
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