The WA Football Commission has told the State Government it is willing to consider options to its favoured Subiaco Oval redevelopment masterplan, but wants to be convinced that football would be better off at any new venue.

In an apparent softening of football’s opposition to the new stadium proposals recommended by the Langoulant task force, WAFC chairman Neale Fong told Sport and Recreation Minister John Kobelke in a letter on Friday that football was supportive of the task force process and looked forward to “constructive and co-operative” input into the second stage.
   
Stage one of the task force recommended that two greenfield sites should be considered for a new $600 million stadium to be shared by football and other sporting codes in preference to the WAFC’s plan to redevelop Subiaco Oval.
   
The new stadium sites identified by the task force were Mueller Park in Subiaco and land next to the old East Perth power station.
   
Dr Fong told Mr Kobelke in his letter the WAFC still believed its Subiaco Oval masterplan was affordable and would meet the future needs of football and other sports.
   
“We are, however, willing to assess the merits of alternatives, but obviously these would only be of interest to us if they provided football with the continued security of tenure, management and at least equivalent financial outcomes,” Dr Fong wrote.
   
He suggested in his letter that the priority issues for the task force in stage two of the review included stadium management models which gave due consideration to the usage levels of the different sporting codes, past and future capital contributions and the ability of the WAFC to keep funding the development of football in WA.
   
Dr Fong said the task force should also immediately assess a twostadium policy so a rectangular stadium could be built to cater for Western Force matches.
   
The Langoulant task force found that “in an ideal world” the Government should develop a 35,000-seat rectangular stadium for rugby and soccer in addition to a 60,000-seat multi-purpose oval. However, soccer and rugby needed to prove a business case for a dedicated rectangular stadium.

Mark Drummond
The West Australian