By Kieran Yap 28/3/24
Above: Canberra United in the recent win over Sydney FC. Photo: Canberra United
Canberra United’s future remains unknown. Being one of the most successful clubs in the history of the A-League Women and having a passionate and committed fan base may not be enough to save it. Former Matilda and Julie Dolan medal winner Ash Sykes talks to Impetus Football about what the club means to people, and why losing it is unthinkable to many.
Sykes was one of Canberra United’s most accomplished players. The club legend played 105 times for the club over two stints, scored 40 goals including goal of the year in 2014. She won two Championships and two Premierships with the club that she joined when the W-League was first formed. Like many of their players, she joined and was nurtured as a hopeful youngster, and became a local hero.
“I was super proud to play for Canberra United,” said Sykes.
“They gave me a chance when I was 16 to get a run at elite football when the W-League first started.
“They mean basically everything to my career and that’s why I spent so many years playing for them and why I still am a passionate fan now of the club.
“The club means a lot to the region. The supporters themselves have been super vocal and passionate since day one.
“That’s also why you want to play for a club like Canberra.
“When the club first started…we had great investment compared to some of the other clubs in the league, we had great players domestically and internationally coming to play for us.
“Other things like searching out women’s kits suppliers, and being one of the first clubs to be able to do that. It goes to show the dedication of the people at the club had for it as well.
“All of those things plus the (on field) success mean that I want to see this club continue and have always been a massive supporter of trying to get whoever wants to play for them to come along. To lose that for the region would be devastating.”
Sykes enjoyed a distinguished career and Canberra United. In her third season the club finished top of the table, undefeated and won the Grand Final where she opened the scoring. That season remains a fond memory for herself and many fans.
“I think the third season when we went undefeated, that’s probably a massive highlight. It was a culmination of a few years of work behind the scenes.
“Jitka (Klimkova) as coach put the final pieces of the puzzle together. Looking back and remembering the Grand Final with a packed Mckellar Park with standing room only, fans going wild it couldn’t have been a more perfect day for the club and it culminated a few years of building into that premiership window.
Canberra United is a rarity in football. A top tier women’s club without ties to a men’s team. It is one of the reasons it is beloved by neutrals in Australia, but is currently one of the causes of the current distress. The governing body in Australia is eager to expand the men’s competition into Canberra.
This has resulted in a situation where the club’s operators Capital Football have left themselves dependant on a buyer. Without one, the club may cease to exist completely.
There has been a conspicuous lack of information throughout the last 12 months. There have been indications that a deal was close, but none eventuated. Iconic captain Michelle Heyman sounded at alarm in the Canberra Times, and the APL wants the issue resolved by the end of the season.
The result is that fans, current players and former wearers of the jersey feel left in the dark.
“All we wants is an assurance that there is still a commitment to the club and doing what needs to happen to make sure it stays alive,” says Sykes
“It’s meant a lot to our lives and I’m sure it’s going to mean a lot to other players lives in the future.”
Work continues behind the scenes, to ensure that season 2024/25 takes place for Canberra United. While official updates remain scarce, hope remains that something can be done and Capital Football is allowed continue to operate the club as normal until a final deal can be reached should they wish to do so.
Until that is announced, fans will remain nervous, but a short term solution would be welcome news.
In the storied history of Australian football, the club is special. Women’s football in Australia is a close-knit community. The good of the game usually ends up trumping club rivalries, and although Canberra United has been the destroyer of many fans dreams, it occupies an important place in the minds of many fans.
They have produced home grown talents like Sasha Grove, Emma Illijoski, Grace Maher and Nikki Flannery, alongside capped internationals like Kirstie Mewis and Maria Rojas and Vesna Milivojevic.
Along with Sykes and Heyman, Canberra United has been a regular source of Matildas down the years with the likes of Hayley Raso, Ellie Carpenter and Lydia Williams all playing for the club in their early years.
The opportunities that it has provided for young players is just one of the reasons it is such an important part of the football ecosystem, but that impact is most felt locally.
“It means that the Canberra region no longer has an elite pathway,” says Sykes of the worst case scenario.
“That’s part of the reason why everyone has been pushing for an ALM team as well. So that all the boys in that region have an elite pathway to progress through.
“We can’t lose the women’s side of that, especially since it’s been there and established already for 16 years.
“The Canberra United academy has already folded at the end of last year which is a real shame. Off the back of a World Cup, you’d hope to see progress not backwards steps and a place like Canberra prides itself on being progressive in terms of politics and everything else.
“I’m amazed that a club in the nation’s capital has gotten itself into a situation where we’re even talking about this.
“I hope that its not the case and it is going to continue, so these types of hypotheticals we don’t need to go into.
“One of the junior clubs had an over 300% increase in registration’s for this upcoming winter season, just because of the Matildas run at the World Cup and how big that was.
“I think it goes to show how important it is to have these things broadcast and for people to see.
“This local Canberra United team provides that as well. A link between the Matildas, Canberra and the local juniors and I think we need to make sure it stays for everyone.”
“Canberra as a region had probably outperformed its population in terms of developing players for the national teams. You really don’t want to see that fall away.”
From the Matildas that played there, to the kids that dream of stepping onto the pitch, to those who sit in the stands or watch from afar, Canberra United is home. It has a glorious past, and hope remains for a promising future.
To show support for Canberra United, you can sign this petition.
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