The first stage of upgrades at Devonport’s Valley Road Ground have opened, bringing the venue up to speed to host potential FIFA Women’s World Cup basecamps, as well as future A-League content.
Featuring refurbished club rooms and additional seating, the upgrades were opened by Minster Roger Jaensch, and were funded as part of the State Government’s $10 million commitment to improve four venues across the state.
Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley welcomed the speedy progress since funding was announced last year, calling on all major parties to support further funding for the project as part of the federal election.
“It’s exciting to see stage one of Valley Road’s upgrades opened in a real boost for football on the north-west coast,” Bulkeley said.
“We again thank the Tasmanian Government for supporting this project and giving the Tasmanian football community the opportunity to benefit from the legacy of the 2023 World Cup with upgrades to venues across the state.
“In order to fully capitalise on this opportunity, we are also seeking a matched $10 million funding from federal candidates to realise the latter stages of the Valley Road project and others in Kingborough and Launceston, which will transform football opportunities for women and girls in Tasmania.”
Bulkeley added the prospect of welcoming visiting teams to Devonport for basecamps was huge for both the sport and the local economy.
“As the third biggest sporting tournament on earth, welcoming visiting teams for basecamps offers an enormous and very exciting opportunity for Tasmania,” Bulkeley said.
“In addition to the playing squad and support staff, travelling fans and media also flock to basecamp cities, providing a massive boost to local economies and bringing the excitement and magic of the World Cup to town.
“With basecamps also comes an increased likelihood of practice matches, which is a mouth-watering prospect for football fans who might get a chance to see the world’s best players in action on the playing field as well as on the training pitch.
“Devonport has so much to offer visiting teams, including a comfortable training climate for northern-hemisphere based teams, short flight distances to most tournament venues and above all, a safe and supportive environment, giving Valley Road a real shot of being selected.”