The Canberra for A-League bid is persistent if nothing else. 

First mooted 12 years ago, the bid has been regularly brushed aside for other expansion clubs. 

After missing out between 2008 and 2012, the bid’s most recent campaign ended in failure in late 2018 with Macarthur and Western United being admitted into the A-League.

Canberra is hoping it’ll be third time lucky whenever that opportunity arises, with the city's A-league bid remaining ready to go according to local reports. 

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For many, it remains a mystery why Canberra isn't already in the A-League. 

But the fact the bid remains intact and upbeat is welcome news for former Canberra Cosmos player and ex Socceroo skipper Paul Wade. 

“I know things are a bit up in the air with the A-League right now, but when you think of expansion, it makes sense for Canberra. It really does,” Wade tells FTBL. 

“They’re in the W-League and have been successful with a decent fanbase, so it’s logical they are also put in the A-League and the clubs plan to join together for one powerful club for women and men. 

“This is the nation’s capital after all. 

“The five NSW A-League teams could save on air travel getting there and you can fly internationally from there for Champions League games,” he said.

What’s more, Wade believes Canberra club has the potential to be a hub for the best young Australian talent that is currently needing opportunities to play in the A-League. 

Socceroo and Celtic star Tom Rogic is a good example. George Timotheou is another. 

Canberra hosted A-League football in 2017 with the Reds and Mariners facing each other

Both came through the Canberra system, as did many more. 

Rejected by A-League clubs and playing in the second-tier NPL, powerfully built Canberran defender Timotheou made his debut for Bundesliga powerhouse Schalke aged just 19 in 2019.  

NPL to Bundesliga is an extraordinary leap. 

“You’ve got the AIS in Canberra. A perfect place for an A-League team to have a training HQ",  added Wade, who played over 100 times for the Socceroos in the 80s and 90s. 

“Being based there [at the AIS] would make it one of the best training centers in the A-League. 

"And I’m sure this would help attract the best young players who are good enough to play A-League football. 

"You want clubs to have good facilities and if the club can come to a deal with the AIS that would be huge. 

“Canberra has always produced decent talent.

"This is the chance for younger players to aim for professional A-League football all around the ACT region and even beyond, in Wollongong and down the south coast,” added Wade. 

Wade played for Canberra Cosmos towards the end of his NSL career in the late 90s. 

Former ACT goal machine Thomas “TJ” James added his voice to the A-League bid for Canberra. 

The Wollongong Wolves striker banged in an astounding 80 goals in 83 games over four years in the Capital Football NPL before a move to the south coast in 2019. 

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In Thomas James’s words, if he stayed in Boston, ‘by now, I’d probably be in jail’.

The English-born striker lit up the local league in the ACT.

He told FTBL from Wollongong there is young talent everywhere in Australia.

"If you are expanding the A-League you are also expanding the opportunity for young players to come through. 

"Not having an A-League team in the capital city of a country is stupid. 

"I think they [Canberra sports fans] would get behind it for sure, I mean it only needs 2000 spectators for it to be deemed a success if you were going to compare it to some other teams in the A-League.

"If they are going to make changes and expand the A-League they need to expand the talent, also.

"They need to get some quality players in.

"If money is going to be an issue then raise the A-League salary cap or do something, because it’s an absolute eyesore watching some of these donkeys run around for 90 minutes," James added.