Buying a Football Team: The Uncertain Future of Canberra United FC

Analysis of the situation

By Pokuah Frimpong

Topic: A-League Women

Canberra United FC's financial future is uncertain.

The club's financial problems are not new, but they still need attention.

Local fans and the league's top scorer want people to care about the club's situation.

The club captain, Michelle Heyman, says they will not wait around like they did last year.

Canberra United FC is the only team in the A-League Women without an owner.

Players have only been given one-year contracts due to the uncertainty.

The club was saved last year when the ACT government gave Capital Football $800,000.

Michelle Heyman says the uncertainty is bad for a professional club.

Capital Football runs football in the ACT, but it also runs a professional team, which is a strain on resources.

The club's financial uncertainty comes as they prepare for a finals game.

How did the club get to this point?

The Australian Professional Leagues expanded the women's competition in 2021-22.

The W-League was rebranded to A-League Women's, and new teams joined.

The inclusion of new teams meant more games and more financial requirements.

Unlike other clubs, Capital Football does not have private ownership and resources.

United is a nod to the past, and maybe a relic of it, as other foundation clubs transitioned to private ownership.

Michelle Heyman is a striker for the Matildas.

What would happen if Canberra United FC were to leave the competition?

The departure of United would mean the competition lost two clubs in successive years.

The PFA chief executive, Beau Busch, does not want this to happen again.

The loss of Western United was traumatic for players and fans.

The PFA wants to avoid any repeats of this situation.

The league cannot have these discussions while trying to build the league.

Beau Busch says the league needs to avoid repeating the loss of Western United.

There were 284 contracted players in the competition last season.

If another club were to leave, nearly 15% of places for female footballers would be lost in two years.

This could leave many players with limited opportunities or force them to move overseas.

APL chief executive Steve Rosich said Canberra is a priority market for the league.

The league is in discussions with potential partners to find a new owner for the club.

The league has not announced whether it will step in to save Canberra.

Despite the Matildas' success, support for the A-League Women remains relatively low.

Why is the Matildas' success not translating to the A-League Women?

The country has seen the Matildas explode in popularity, but the domestic competition is failing.

The blame can be shared between past operators, Football Australia, and the current owners of the APL.

Administrators have failed to convert national team fans into domestic fans.

Some fans blame the accessibility of venues, broadcast, and visibility of the A-League Women.

The PFA believes greater investment and full-time professionalism can change the league.

Canberra United fan Brydie says the thought of the team leaving is not something she wants to face.

It's a belief that Canberra United fans Hugo and Brydie share.

Women's sport can be a stand-alone success, as seen with the Matildas.

Many women's teams have economic success, but not community support.

Brydie has been a fan of Canberra United since childhood and does not want the club to leave.

The thought of not having the club is scary for Brydie.

Club captain Heyman says she is staying focused on what she can control.

Winning the league would make it hard to get rid of the team.

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