A-League football club Western United will likely continue to play home matches in Ballarat for another two years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The club, which joined the competition this season, is in the process of building a privately-owned 15,000-seat stadium in Wyndham City.
With the stadium set to be ready for the 2023 season, Western United director of football Steve Horvat said the club would continue to operate out of Ballarat and Geelong in the meantime.
READ MORE
"Even after the stadium is built there will be opportunities to play games in those regional areas," he said.
"There will always be FFA Cup and preseason games, so we want to maintain that great relationship with Ballarat and Geelong going forward."
Western United played three games in Ballarat during the 2019-20 season, and was set to play a fourth prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The club won the city over, drawing more than 3000 spectators to both games, despite coming up short in both matches.
READ MORE
"The support from Ballarat has been phenomenal all the way from the mayor, the fans and the football clubs in the region," Horvat said.
"They've embraced us and made us feel really at home and we will look to continue the relationship for many years to come."
After a COVID-19 shutdown, the club has been on a tear, winning four from five matches since returning to the field.
The club's 2-1 victory over Sydney FC on Saturday all but locked up a spot in the finals with one match left to play. A win over Melbourne City on Wednesday might see the club finish as high as third on the ladder.
United will play off in an elimination final this weekend.
