EXCLUSIVE: Morris Iemma's resignation as NSW Premier last week will not impact South Coast FC's A-League bid despite his backing for the WIN Stadium revamp.
Last month, then Premier Iemma met representatives of South Coast FC and the WIN Stadium Trust and indicated he would look favourably on redeveloping the run-down western grandstand if Football Federation Australia (FFA) promised to deliver a South Coast A-League team.
Last week, however, the NSW Government was thrown into turmoil with Iemma - an avowed football fan and Juventus supporter - resigning along with a number of other ministers being dumped in a major reshuffle.
South Coast FC bid supremo Eddy de Gabriele tells au.fourfourtwo.com the political ructions in NSW will not affect the bid's momentum, despite wooing government support for the project.
"Nothing has changed as far as we have been told or are concerned," he said.
The NSW Government Treasury commissioned and contracted a NSW Specialist Business Consultancy Company to undertake a comprehensive Business Feasibility Study for the WIN Western Grandstand Development Project. De Gabriele is hopeful a decision will be known soon.
"That project commenced about two months ago and is expected to be submitted to the government by end of September for tabling in mid-October," he said.
"I am aware that they are well underway on completing their business study in the allocated timeframe."
Sportsground Trust chairman Chris Christodoulou told the Illawarra Mercury last month that Iemma's support was strong.
"The Premier did indicate that if the FFA could guarantee that it would give a licence to a South Coast team at WIN Stadium, that it would almost certainly mean that the Government would fund a new western grandstand," he said.
Aside from the grandstand issue, South Coast continues to work towards gaining entry into the A-League for season 2010/11.
"We are still finalising a lot of our detail with our bid financials, support, sponsors and are continuing to further develop our model," added de Gabriele.
"It really does not stop just because we have made our submission and there is every chance that we can bring further support details and enhancements to the table by the time we engage in further discussions with the FFA assessment committee."
The South Coast has long been known as a football hotbed. Junior numbers have always been strong, the region's catchment base for fans stretching as far south as the Victorian border and and there is a local league (the Illawarra Premier League).
The area also won two NSL titles earlier in the decade with Wollongong Wolves winning back to back titles.
Coincidentally, it was two South Coast-born players who combined for the Socceroos' winning goal in Thursday morning's World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan. Luke Wilkshire crossed for former Wolves star Scott Chipperfield to head home the winner.
Chipperfield, now of Basle in Switzerland, has been a vocal public supporter of the bid and there has been talk of him putting money into the club or even playing for the side if it gets up.
De Gabriele added: "We will not stop or rest in getting this bid over the line for this region."
Last week, however, the NSW Government was thrown into turmoil with Iemma - an avowed football fan and Juventus supporter - resigning along with a number of other ministers being dumped in a major reshuffle.
South Coast FC bid supremo Eddy de Gabriele tells au.fourfourtwo.com the political ructions in NSW will not affect the bid's momentum, despite wooing government support for the project.
"Nothing has changed as far as we have been told or are concerned," he said.
The NSW Government Treasury commissioned and contracted a NSW Specialist Business Consultancy Company to undertake a comprehensive Business Feasibility Study for the WIN Western Grandstand Development Project. De Gabriele is hopeful a decision will be known soon.
"That project commenced about two months ago and is expected to be submitted to the government by end of September for tabling in mid-October," he said.
"I am aware that they are well underway on completing their business study in the allocated timeframe."
Sportsground Trust chairman Chris Christodoulou told the Illawarra Mercury last month that Iemma's support was strong.
"The Premier did indicate that if the FFA could guarantee that it would give a licence to a South Coast team at WIN Stadium, that it would almost certainly mean that the Government would fund a new western grandstand," he said.
Aside from the grandstand issue, South Coast continues to work towards gaining entry into the A-League for season 2010/11.
"We are still finalising a lot of our detail with our bid financials, support, sponsors and are continuing to further develop our model," added de Gabriele.
"It really does not stop just because we have made our submission and there is every chance that we can bring further support details and enhancements to the table by the time we engage in further discussions with the FFA assessment committee."
The South Coast has long been known as a football hotbed. Junior numbers have always been strong, the region's catchment base for fans stretching as far south as the Victorian border and and there is a local league (the Illawarra Premier League).
The area also won two NSL titles earlier in the decade with Wollongong Wolves winning back to back titles.
Coincidentally, it was two South Coast-born players who combined for the Socceroos' winning goal in Thursday morning's World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan. Luke Wilkshire crossed for former Wolves star Scott Chipperfield to head home the winner.
Chipperfield, now of Basle in Switzerland, has been a vocal public supporter of the bid and there has been talk of him putting money into the club or even playing for the side if it gets up.
De Gabriele added: "We will not stop or rest in getting this bid over the line for this region."
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