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West-Gone United

733 replies · 144,480 views
over 2 years ago
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about 2 years ago
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about 2 years ago
This is their training facility. The stadium is still to come, supposedly
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Endorsed by
coochieenumber8RR
about 2 years ago
number8
RR

This is what they got, for now.
Wyndham-regional-football-facility-grandstand.jpg 138.88 KB

They might have a shot at filling that stadium now.





Might... 

Good on them though. At least they've got something that's their own, whereas the majority of clubs - including us, don't.


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Endorsed by
number8RatheprofWanderingSheep
about 2 years ago · edited about 2 years ago · History
Better training facilities than most a league teams and the only self financed one, it's impressive as a statement and as much as people like to bag on them it shows real investment and intent.

 Hopefully this alleviates some of the financial pressure they were under as it can't be cheep to always be on the road as well as do this construction. Aloisi said that their situation meant they couldn't strengthen in January and it was also widely reported that they missed payroll last month and they needed a last minute injection.

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Endorsed by
coochieeWanderingSheep
about 2 years ago · edited about 2 years ago · History
Yipe the real measure of them as a club will be when their new 15,000 seater stadium is opened. Construction funding was at last confirmed in January. Sounds like completion will be prior season 2026/27. 

The whole Western corridor of Melbs is going through big popoulation growth, so their current pitiful crowds could very well be a thing of the past, once they have shiny new proper home. It's best for the A League's survival if all the other clubs are as healthy as possible, especially now the APL are running the league, and the Nix's licence in the comp is no longer questioned.
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Endorsed by
ni
about 1 year ago
Have never warmed to them and always thought the way they got the license was quite shonky, literally a club without a proper home ground or a personality for more than five years now.

However it can't be denied that in a footballing sense they've punched above their weight and they are now so embedded in the league it would be a disaster if they went belly up. They are playing some of the most enjoyable attacking football in the league this season but it's a godawful sight watching them play at the excruciatingly ugly and inaccessible Ironbark.
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Endorsed by
InsulinMachinenewzealandpower
about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
They are currently just playing at their glorified training ground. It doesn't look great on TV, but a Nix fan who went to the recent shellacking there said they actually enjoyed it. Small intimate ground, up close to the action.

Construction on their new 15,000 seater Wyndham City Stadium as below is to start very soon. This news today may delay that?  But I think the local Council are the major financiers of the new ground?

If they do get into financial trouble it wouldn't surprise if the APL put together a deal to keep them going.

Yeah the APL are cash strapped but with WU close to having their own cool 15K rectangular ground, is some hope they can grow their fan base and survive. It is a fast growing popn corridor Melbourne's West. As the photo below shows a large immigrant football mad community to try tap into.

But then if say Sth Melbourne (based inner city at Albert Park) gets big crowds when the new Australian Championship (2nd tier) kicks off later this year, the whole A League licence stuff will yes rear it's head again.

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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
coochiee
They are currently just playing at their glorified training ground. It doesn't look great on TV, but a Nix fan who went to the recent shellacking there said they actually enjoyed it. Small intimate ground, up close to the action.

Construction on their new 15,000 seater Wyndham City Stadium as below is to start very soon. This news today may delay that?  But I think the local Council are the major financiers of the new ground?

If they do get into financial trouble it wouldn't surprise if the APL put together a deal to keep them going.

Yeah the APL are cash strapped but with WU close to having their own cool 15K rectangular ground, is some hope they can grow their fan base and survive. It is a fast growing popn corridor Melbourne's West. As the photo below shows a large immigrant football mad community to try tap into.

But then if say Sth Melbourne (based inner city at Albert Park) gets big crowds when the new Australian Championship (2nd tier) kicks off later this year, the whole A League licence stuff will yes rear it's head again.


My guess is it'll either never be built, or only partially/scaled back. 

Or it will be built but if WU fold it'll be bought up and converted into a league ground. Who knows. The whole thing seems on very thin ice...🤷‍♂️
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
League is a very minor sport in Victoria. Union is bigger (is in some of the private schools).

Don't let the success of the Melbourne Storm con ya. All the players are from outside the state. For years they were owned by News Corp, as they wanted a league presence there.

The Vic State Govt and local CouncIl will want that Wyndham stadium (West Melb) built. It's a big popn growth corridor, with expanding infrastructure, and they will want tenants for their shiny new ground.

Wouldn't surprise if they charge Western United zero rent to play games there. That in it's own right would be a big cost saving for WU, if they did. Don't the Nix need 6-7K match day crowds to break even, hosting games at the ROF?
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Endorsed by
NiWanderingSheep
about 1 year ago
coochiee
League is a very minor sport in Victoria. Union is bigger (is in some of the private schools).

Don't let the success of the Melbourne Storm con ya. All the players are from outside the state. For years they were owned by News Corp, as they wanted a league presence there.

The Vic State Govt and local Councl will want that Wyndham stadium (West Melb) built. Wouldn't surprise if they charge Western United zero rent to play games there. That in it's own right would be a big cost saving for WU, if they did. Don't the Nix need 6-7K match day crowds to break even, hosting games at the ROF?

I thought it was more like 9k? I remember (don't quote me) Dome saying they were always losing money on home games so it would surely have to be higher than 6-7k
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about 1 year ago
Noah4thenix
coochiee
League is a very minor sport in Victoria. Union is bigger (is in some of the private schools).

Don't let the success of the Melbourne Storm con ya. All the players are from outside the state. For years they were owned by News Corp, as they wanted a league presence there.

The Vic State Govt and local Councl will want that Wyndham stadium (West Melb) built. Wouldn't surprise if they charge Western United zero rent to play games there. That in it's own right would be a big cost saving for WU, if they did. Don't the Nix need 6-7K match day crowds to break even, hosting games at the ROF?

I thought it was more like 9k? I remember (don't quote me) Dome saying they were always losing money on home games so it would surely have to be higher than 6-7k

Think it might be 10k actually but that was a few years ago. Could even be more now...
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Endorsed by
newzealandpowertheprof
about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History


Nothing earth shaking in the article tho
https://archive.is/tqlm1
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12 months ago
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Endorsed by
kwlap
12 months ago
Not a good sign. Usually means they haven't been paying players
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Endorsed by
BullionkwlapnewzealandpowerOi Oi Edgecumbe+1
12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
2ndBest
Not a good sign. Usually means they haven't been paying players

Wonder if they stiffed Prijovic on the way out? Domestic players would have submitted a grievance via the PFA. They would have to go via FIFA to get a transfer ban like this. 
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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
Apparently they have 11 million in debt. Along with Macarthur suing the FA citing financial hardship based on not getting promised revenue from the league, it's not looking good for the expansion clubs.

Wonder if we would have reconsidered Chief if Aloisi was available.
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Endorsed by
Bullionkwlapnewzealandpower
12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
You would have to think this is close to the end of the club. That much in debt and unable to sign new players for a year and a half. 

They will just have to play kids and you woud imagine any decent pro there would be wanting to leave.

Imagine if the Nix or AFC could not sign anyone new for a year and a half.

I see Botic is off contract. Imagine he would head for Europe but if not what a signing for an A league club.

Auckland will rise once more

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12 months ago
Will be interesting with the salary cap floor.
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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
True hadn’t thought of that

Looks like they have 9 players off contract as well

Auckland will rise once more

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12 months ago
Bullion
Will be interesting with the salary cap floor.
Some youth players could be seeing a nice pay increase! Assuming Western actually start paying players of course!
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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
Bullion
Will be interesting with the salary cap floor.

But that is 2 seasons away still, and APL need to get the PPA to accept it first.
3 transfer periods equates to 18 months?

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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
According to Vince Rugari on Twitter this is an automatic ban based on a dispute with Prijovic and can be lifted if WU makes a full payment. The team has a new owner ready to buy them and they will release the funds to pay Prijovic tomorrow.

It's Western United's owner who owes 11 million, not necessarily the club. 
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Endorsed by
coochieenewzealandpower
12 months ago
Bullion
Will be interesting with the salary cap floor.
They can't sign new players, so will just pay players more to stay.

They are already one of the youngest ALM sides & were in contention for the title. I don't think the ban will hurt them all that much.
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12 months ago
RR
Bullion
Will be interesting with the salary cap floor.
They can't sign new players, so will just pay players more to stay.

They are already one of the youngest ALM sides & were in contention for the title. I don't think the ban will hurt them all that much.
yeah, my thinking is that they will be paying above market for certain players to meet the salary floor if their expensive talent were to leave during this period. All moot if this gets sorted out.
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12 months ago
Where's the promised stadium? The latest update was construction to begin September 2024 at the latest. Heard nothing since. Absolute crickets. I think they're realising it was a bad idea. They should've built the stadium (8k capacity, 10k max) before their training base. Would've made more sense to me.
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12 months ago
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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
Shame. Compared to Macarthur they actually seemed to have a well thought out plan for the future but I guess it wasn't enough. Hard to see them lasting much longer tbh

edit: started writing this before the tweet above was posted
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12 months ago
InsulinMachine
Where's the promised stadium? The latest update was construction to begin September 2024 at the latest. Heard nothing since. Absolute crickets. I think they're realising it was a bad idea. They should've built the stadium (8k capacity, 10k max) before their training base. Would've made more sense to me.

It’s to seat 15k and last update I saw was a Match this year start
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12 months ago
Seven years and waiting. If it does ever get built, and that will be highly dependent on how much cash any new owner shells out, it'll probably be 10+ years at least. It's a reminder of how big money, big talk and the lure of derbies could once win you a franchise. Meanwhile poor old Canberra gets kicked to the kerb year after year.
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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
I still think Western Melbourne as a location has promise. Strong popn growth corridor, big ethnic football loving community and a lack of any other locally competitive pro sports teams. Even the AFLs Western Bulldogs play their games in the two CBD oval stadiums 

Plus the VIC Govt and local Council want WU to succeed. Pretty sure they are sharing the new stadium build costs

I think WU was a better expansion idea than MAC, if likely a poorer choice than say South Melbourne 

They need the stadium built to give the area a bit of a buzz, and show a team in the local community is there to stay
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Endorsed by
kwlapMarto
12 months ago


From the outhouse to the penthouse in 24 hours.
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Endorsed by
Ou
12 months ago
Hopefully this works out, although a little worry given these new owners history with clubs like Panaitolikos & Kortrijk of almost buying the clubs only to miss their first payment
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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
Critically they have deep pockets, and seem driven to get the stadium built.
Sounds more like they are real estate moguls, the football secondary.

But hey if it works for the club and the wider Western Melbourne community so be it. Again it's a large popn growth corridor, and you also have Geelong (popn 275K) just down the road.

https://aleagues.com.au/news/who-are-western-united-new-owners-kaminski-background-details-plans/

Code Sports reports the investment is worth $100 million and is ‘believed to be the richest deal in Australian sporting history’ with big plans in the works for the future of the club.

Inaugural owners Western Melbourne Group embarked on an ambitious vision in 2019 to build a dynamic sport-driven retail and residential precinct, with a 15,000-seat stadium to be the centre-piece of the project in partnership with Wyndham City Council.

The club’s new owners will now work to turn that vision into reality and have also announced an intention to form a ‘wider football-focused multi-club international strategy, providing elite pathways for Australian footballers in the coming years’.


Meet Western United’s new owners: Maciek and Mikhail Kaminski
KAM Sports is led by father-son duo Maciek and Mikhail Kaminski. 

Maciek, born in Poland in 1958, has a net worth estimated at over $1 billion, with the duo’s wealth largely coming from real estate.

They were reportedly in negotiations to buy Premier League club Everton in 2021 and Belgian top-flight outfit KV Kortrijk in 2023, but those deals fell through, leading to the investment in Western United which looks set to be the start of something bigger.

Maciek’s son Mikhail serves as CEO of KAM Sports. He has no plans to relocate to Melbourne any time soon, but told Code Sports he will be hands-on in the club.

“[WMG] has something that we feel we can really bring a lot of value to — involving the real estate, the development and the rest of that,” Mikhail Kaminski told ESPN.

“It’s very interesting, when you talk about those big projects, all of the fans really want to hear about [is] what’s going on with the club.

“Obviously, that’s important, but for us here, it’s the infrastructure play and bringing our historical [knowledge], where we made our family money, to bear, and getting this project moving and getting the stadium built. That’s really what drove us to this project.

“[The stadium is] priority one, number two and number three, frankly, to get shovels in the dirt, to get a stadium that WMG promised to the community. That’s where we are going to take the first steps to focus on and get that started.

“Our background is in real estate and real estate development so for us this was really a real estate play,” Mikhail told Code Sports.

This deal does not just see the Kaminskis purchase Western United, but also comes with an 800-home property development and the promise of a 15,000 seat stadium.

When completed, Western will become the first A-Leagues side to own their stadium.

“Making sure the stadium is built and working with Wyndham City Council is our number one priority,” Mikhail added.

“After a 12-month due diligence process and multiple visits to Melbourne, we are delighted to inject our capital, expertise and passion into Western Melbourne Group and its related entities,” said Maciek (MG) Kaminski.
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12 months ago · edited 12 months ago · History
Maybe they would like to build a 15K stadium plus 800 homes in the capital of NZ!

In way what these rich Americans are looking to do, sounds pretty similar to what Foley plans to do at Western Springs. And the local Councils loving them for it, ie needed infrastructure getting built by private money.
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12 months ago
All well and good if it comes off but reading that article 2ndbest posted they wouldnt fill me with confidence.

GET YOUR SHIRTS OFF FOR THE BOYS

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