Tara Murray
History will be made on Saturday as Western United runs out onto the field for its first A-League Women’s match.
After years of preparation, United faces Melbourne Victory in their heartland in the west at City Vista Reserve in Caroline Springs on November 19, from 3pm.
United chief executive Chris Pehlivanis said this was a massive moment in the history of the club.
“It’s something we have been working towards for a couple of years,” he said.
“To come to fruition, we’re super proud and super excited after all the hard work that has been done.
“This is one of the most significant milestones in the club’s history. The club is now a complete club, represented by both men and women.
“Boys and girls in the west have the opportunity to aspire to play for Western United.”
Pehlivanis said a lot of hard work had gone on behind the scenes to put this team on the park.
A partnership with Calder United was a key part in that, as they looked to get the foundations right.
“Everyone in the club believed in this project,” he said.
“It’s been really good to see the girls come in and buy into the culture and brand already.”
Making the women’s first match even more special, the match will be played at Caroline Springs.
It’s the first time the club has hosted an A-League match of any sort in the west.
Pehlivanis said you can’t take the smile off his face.
“There is no infrastructure for A-League men’s games at the moment,” he said.
“Any opportunity to play in the west, we can’t wait to take the field.
“We want people to come and see these girls make a statement and be the pride of the whole west.”
United will set up a number of family friendly activities on the day as they try to get the whole family involved.
There will be activities on the synthetic pitches outside the stadium, with female tall footballers roving the grounds and engaging with families.
Young fans will be able to look the part for the match with special hair braiding and air brush tattoos.
Tickets are $15 and children get in free.
For more on Western’s United’s first match, turn to page 23.
