Hopes at fever pitch

Dalmatinac Park users should know by the end of the month if their ground will be used as a base camp for a team at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

But that’s not the only good news to potentially come from the decision; if chosen as a team base camp, the park will receive $1.125 million from the City of Cockburn to upgrade the lighting and changeroom facilities.

In September this year, Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman confirmed the State Football Centre in Queens Park and Dorrien Gardens as training base camps, with at least one more expected to be announced for WA.

On the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 website, six grounds are listed as potential options — including Dalmatinac Park — with the final announcement expected to be made by the end of November.

In order for the park to be suitable site for a FIFA training base camp, the site would need to undergo significant upgrades to its lighting and changerooms before March 31, 2023.

At the city’s ordinary council meeting on November 10, councillors unanimously voted to support the officers’ recommendation to allow Spearwood Dalmatinac Sporting and Community Club to deliver the upgrades, but only if the site is chosen as a base camp.

The City would provide $1.125m in funding, which would cover 75 per cent of the project cost, and the club would have to source the remaining 25 per cent either through State, Federal or external funding.

If chosen as a team base camp, players from one nation at the FIFA Women’s World Cup would be based at the venue for six to eight weeks prior to the tournament.

It is unsure the amount of funding the city would contribute if Dalmatinac Park is chosen as a team training site instead, the venue where teams would train a few days prior to a fixture.

City reports state that the “delegated authority” be given to the chief executive to negotiate a “reduced funding agreement” with the expectation that 25 per cent of the funding still be externally sourced by the club.