Brisbane Roar calls Ballymore home for the 2023/24 A-League Men’s season

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Brisbane Roar and Ballymore training venue
Image credit: Brisbane Roar

Brisbane Roar have announced an agreement with Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) that sees the Roar men’s squad using Ballymore Stadium as their training base.

With the 2023/24 A-League Men’s season already kicking off, the Roar have recently settled into their newly redeveloped venue and have used the world-class facilities for their training sessions.

Earlier this year, the QRU and Brisbane Roar agreed to let the A-League women’s squad play all their league home matches their permanently. It is public that the relationship between the Roar and the QRU is fantastic and that more deals like this would occur in the future.

QRU CEO David Hanham explained how the Ballymore facilities were perfect for the Roar squad after the recent developments

“It’s great to have the Brisbane Roar back at Ballymore. Having the men’s program train at our world-class facility reinforces the QRU’s vision for Ballymore as a multi-sport high-performance hub,”  Hanham said via Roar press release.

“It’ll see two Olympic sports in rugby and football come together at the one precinct – a milestone moment as we build towards the 2032 Brisbane Games.

“Our future vision for the Ballymore precinct is for the Eastern Stand to become a high-performance centre of excellence for Olympic sports, and the first home for women’s rectangular sport with stage one of Ballymore’s redevelopment now complete following the construction of the NRTC and McLean Stand.

“We look forward to welcoming their men’s program to the precinct but also the women’s squad to the venue for their upcoming home fixtures at Ballymore.”

BRFC Chairman and CEO Kaz Patafta expressed his excitement at the new opportunity for both Roar squads.

“The Ballymore Sports Hub is a state-of-the-art facility, and we are delighted to have our men’s squad utilise the venue as their training base,” he added via media release.

“Providing our players with a professional and consistent training environment will have a great impact on our club moving forward.

“We look forward to continuing to strengthen and expand our partnership with the QRU and we’re committed to ensuring our teams are exposed to high-performance facilities and infrastructure.”

This is a great move by the Roar, who are utilising their fantastic relationship with the QRU to give the women’s team a suitable home for league matches as well as using the world class facilities to help develop the men’s team with the potential to play a few home matches there for the 2023/24 campaign

Melbourne City FC and Tarneit United to promote grassroots growth

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Tarneit United and Melbourne City
Image credit: Tarneit United

Melbourne City FC announced that Tarneit United Soccer Club are a Macca’s City Clubs Platinum Partner for the current 2023/24 A-Leagues season.

Melbourne City have used their partnership with McDonald’s Australia to create The Macca’s City Clubs program. This program aims to engage junior grassroots football clubs across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria with the aim to help grow football on and off the pitch.

The club seek to create purposeful long-term relationships with every club they work with and make a huge impact on the development and participation numbers of the sport.

It was originally launched in the 2021/22 A-Leagues season, and the club continues to grow the club network utilising this amazing program every season.

There are plenty of benefits for Tarneit United SC that come out of this partnership including “Coach the Coach” workshops led by our experienced Melbourne City coaches, player meet and greets, and the opportunity to take part in exclusive matchday experiences and offers.

Tarneit United President, Burhan Farah explained why this partnership would benefit the members of the club greatly.

“Tarneit United is in the heart of the west and we’re excited to partner with the best A-League club in the country. Farah mentioned in a Melbourne City press release

“A love for football is our number one driver, and by aligning our club with Melbourne City FC, we hope to inspire our coaches and players to continue to grow our game in the community.

“It’s an honour to be a Macca’s City Club Platinum Partner and we look forward to supporting Melbourne City from the stands this season.”

Melbourne City FC CEO, Brad Rowse explained the importance of growing grassroots football in Victoria.

“We’re delighted to welcome Tarneit United to the Macca’s City Club program on the eve of the 2023/24 A-Leagues season. Rowse added in a club press release.

“Supporting grassroots football is important to us at Melbourne City FC, and with the addition of Tarneit United, we now have thirteen Macca’s City Club Platinum Partners stretching right across Melbourne.

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Tarneit United and can’t wait to give their participants plenty of unforgettable experiences and opportunities in the years ahead.”

Melbourne City through their Football School and Maccas City Clubs programs have set a standard for the other teams in the league to hopefully follow in the near future.

The importance of setting a fantastic grassroots foundation of football in the country can never be undermined and this partnership provides another great example of it.

PSG eyeing huge Parc des Princes redevelopment

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Parc des Princes revamp
Image credit: Zakarie Faibis via Wikimedia Commons

Despite uncertainties over its future at the 48,000-capacity Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain is continuing to investigate possibilities for significant redevelopment work.

According to the French publication L’Équipe, PSG is considering putting a roof and a retractable pitch to the Parc des Princes as part of an ambitious expansion proposal. The stadium is owned by the City Council of Paris, and any substantial renovations would need PSG to buy the site.

PSG has many possibilities on the table, according to L’Équipe, and the club is still interested in purchasing the Stade de France. PSG must submit an offer to purchase the Stade de France by January 3.

PSG held a survey with its supporters in March about the club’s stadium alternatives, outlining four ideas. A “significant” refurbishment of the Parc des Princes, a shift to a restored Stade de France, a new stadium to the west of Paris, and a new site within a 20 kilometre radius of the Parc des Princes that may include the town of Poissy were all possibilities.

If the team is unable to execute a deal to buy the Parc des Princes, it may attempt to buy the Stade de France or relocate to one of two new locations in the city.

The French government presently owns the Stade de France through the Consortium Stade de France. In 1995, the state handed the two corporations control of the 77,083-capacity stadium under a deal with the partnership created by construction firms Vinci and Bouygues.

The agreement between Vinci and Bouygues will expire on July 1, 2025. The cost of acquiring the facility is estimated to be over $657 million, with additional expenditure necessary to transform it to the demands of a football club.

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