Wednesday 29 June 2005

Hyundai A-League side Melbourne Victory today announced Melbourne’s Olympic Park Stadium as their permanent home venue, ending months of speculation.

The club will play out of the existing stadium for three years, before moving into the brand new Olympic Park Stadium due for completion in 2008.

Melbourne Victory Chief Executive, Darren Gosling, said it was important for the club to have a clearly identifiable home venue that fans could adopt as their home from day one.

“We were faced with the question of where to play while the ‘new’ Olympic Park Stadium was under construction, and we felt it was important to make a commitment to this precinct,” Gosling said. “This is one of the premier sporting precincts in the world and Melbourne Victory is delighted to be an integral part of it.”

“It’s vital that our fans have an appropriate venue so they can generate an authentic football atmosphere,” Gosling said. “When you walk out onto the grass here at Olympic Park you can almost here the echoes of the crowd from the 1986 World Cup Qualifier between Australia and Scotland and some of the great NSL finals which graced this park.

“Of course we want to attract ‘new’ supporters to games, but by playing at Olympic Park Stadium we are making a clear statement to all the traditional supporters of the game that we are committed to providing the very best venue possible for genuine football fans.”

Marketing Manager, Tony Ising, said that established Melbourne Victory members would receive priority membership when the new stadium is completed in 2008.

“Our market research indicates that demand for tickets will outstrip supply, so fans are urged to buy a membership ticket to avoid disappointment,” Ising said. “There are only so many seats available at Olympic Park Stadium and members will obviously be given priority. Members who continue to renew year on year will also get first pick of the seats at the new Olympic Park Stadium, so we believe there is a real incentive to join straight away”.

In welcoming Melbourne Victory to the stadium, Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust Interim CEO, Sue Nattrass, indicated that the club had played a key role in the planned redevelopment of the precinct.

"MOPT is looking forward to football returning to Olympic Park Stadium where it has a rich history and exciting future,” Nattrass said. “Melbourne Victory has been integral in our plans to develop the precinct and so it is fitting that we embark on this partnership just as football enters a new era in Australia."

Melbourne Victory’s Olympic Park Stadium odyssey commences with the pre-season challenge on July 30th against Perth Glory and continues on 6th August against Adelaide United.

Melbourne Victory’s first Hyundai A-League home game at Olympic Park Stadium will be against Perth Glory at 5pm on Fathers Day, Sunday 4th September.

If the Melbourne Storm’s experience at the venue is anything to go by, the first home game is expected to be a lock out, so fans are encouraged to either buy a membership ticket or pre-book well in advance. Fans are urged to register at mvfc.com.au to receive priority information regarding memberships and ticketing.

Part of the arrangement between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust includes the club’s administrative headquarters being based at Vodafone Arena until the new stadium is completed.