Western United has appealed against the Federal Court’s decision to wind up the embattled A-League club.
The court on Friday rejected a bid from the club to pay – via creditor Johnson Controls – a reported debt of $15.5 million, ordering that Western United Football Club, WMG Holdings and three other companies that underpin the club to be wound up in insolvency.
However, the matter is yet to be fully resolved, with United – which was stripped of its A-League licence earlier this month by Football Australia – understood to have lodged an appeal against the decision.
United’s appeal against FA’s decision had been scheduled to be heard on Tuesday.
However, that might now become redundant, depending on the outcome of United’s appeal against the Federal Court’s ruling.
United players – who include arguably the A-League’s best midfielder Angus Thurgate, emerging talent Rhys Bozinovski and Japanese striker Hiroshi Ibusuki – are set to become free agents should the appeal fail.
It’s understood Thurgate has already attracted interest from a handful of A-League clubs in the aftermath of United’s demise.
The club’s hopes of survival had suffered a significant blow on Wednesday when proposed new owners KAM Melbourne abandoned its $100 million acquisition of Tarneit-based United and WMG.
It was an ownership change that was announced in May by United, however KAM Melbourne failed to submit its proposal to the Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League.
APL executive chairman Stephen Conroy said in a prepared statement: “We are extremely disappointed to learn that WMG Football Club Limited, the company which owns and operates Western United Football Club, has been placed into liquidation.
“This is a difficult time for all of the fans, staff, players and coaches of Western United,
and we acknowledge their hard work and commitment to the club through challenging
circumstances over the last six years.
“We will now work with the liquidator, PFA (Professional Footballers Australia) and Wyndham City Council, to ensure the impacted staff, players and coaches at the club have access to the support they need at this difficult time.
“While this is tough news, we remain steadfast in our commitment to continue the sustained growth across our (men’s and women’s) leagues, and our planning is ongoing to ensure another strong and successful A-League season.”
United’s problems included being banned by FIFA from registering players due to a financial disputed with the club’s former striker Aleksandar Prijovic.
United, which joined the A-League in 2019 and won the title in 2022, had also been late with player and staff payments in April, May and June.
PFA chief executive officer Beau Busch said the priority was the “wellbeing of the players”.
“We are working directly with the APL to ensure that the future of our members’ professional careers are safeguarded,” Busch said.
Based in the western Melbourne suburb of Tarneit, United has become the fourth club to have lost its A-League status since the competition’s inception in 2005, joining the New Zealand Knights, North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United.
The Gold Coast club still exists under different ownership in the NPL Queensland competition.
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