United to Build for Future, A-Leagues Participation Paused

Saturday 6 September 2025

Western United acknowledges today’s update from the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) confirming that the Club’s participation agreement will be placed into hibernation for the 2025/26 A-Leagues season.

This decision, made in close consultation with the APL, is a strategic step that will allow us to reset and position Western United for a stronger future in Australian football. While our elite program will pause for a season, our dedication to the people, football participants and the vibrant community of the west is unwavering and undiminished. 

Our Academy, Development Centres and community programs will continue to operate at full pace, ensuring that aspiring players and passionate supporters across the region have every opportunity to remain engaged with the game they love. We will work diligently with Football Victoria to ensure our WUFC Academy program remains in place for the upcoming 2026 season.

We also respect that due process must be followed as legal and regulatory matters continue, and we accept that time is now needed to reset and prepare the Club for a sustainable future. Regarding the current matter with the Federal Court, the case remains stayed until a review of the case is heard, we are working directly and collaboratively with the ATO to resolve the matter. 

To our A-Leagues players, coaches and staff, we say simply and sincerely: we are sorry. The uncertainty you have faced is not what you deserved.

We acknowledge this has been an incredibly difficult period. We sincerely share the disappointment felt by our players, coaches, staff, members, fans and partners who have lived through weeks of uncertainty about the future of the green and black.

Since the beginning, Western United has achieved more than many thought possible.

We have lifted the Isuzu UTE A-League Men Championship trophy, competed in three consecutive Ninja A-League Women finals campaigns, and created a clear pathway from grassroots to national teams for the football community in the West. 

In partnership with Wyndham City Council, we’ve made Ironbark Fields a bustling centre of football activity for the local community with matches, training and clinics running almost every day of the week. From juniors taking their first steps in the game to elite players preparing for competition, Ironbark has become the home of football in the west and a foundation for the growth of the game in the region.

Our proudest achievement, and a key focus for the future, is our community involvement across Melbourne’s west and regional centres such as Geelong and Ballarat.  Over 4,000 junior footballers have participated in a Western United community program including Western United Cup tournaments, school programs and community club partnerships. These events have become a celebration of football in the west, creating opportunities for kids to dream, for families to connect and for the game to grow. 

None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of our staff, the dedication of our volunteers, the trust of our partners and the unwavering support of our members and fans. Each of you have played a role in shaping Western United into the Club it is today, and we hope you will continue to do so.

To our fans, thank you. You have stood with us through every challenge, from a global pandemic to a rotation of venues on the journey to Tarneit and everything in between. You have travelled across Australia and New Zealand to show your colours, made Ironbark Fields your home, built friendships that will last a lifetime and, most importantly, believed in the Club against all odds.

Let us be absolutely clear: this is not a farewell, nor is it a step back. This is an investment in our future, a proactive move that will empower us to reset and come back revitalised. Throughout the 2025/26 A-Leagues season, we will work tirelessly behind the scenes to build an even more sustainable and successful club. We are determined to return in the 2026/27 A-Leagues season with renewed energy and an unwavering commitment to reach new heights.

The story of Western United is still being written. The green and black has already made its mark on Australian football, and together with our people and our community, the best chapters are still to come.

Our belief will never break.

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