With a National Second Tier of Australian football now firmly on the horizon, a new club has emerged with the goal of becoming one of Queensland’s representatives in the new national competition, mooted to kick off in 2024.

Led by current Wynnum Wolves President Rabieh Krayem, Brisbane United FC’s collaborative model has been established to bring the local football community together and ensure the city’s grassroots clubs and players are real stakeholders in the future of the sport.

The club has three main strategic goals – to represent all of Brisbane in the new National Second Tier; unite the local community for the good of the game; and make the sport more affordable for young players.

Founding members Wynnum Wolves and Brisbane Strikers have been joined by Virginia United FC, who are the first tier one club to join the Brisbane United network. Soon, other interested clubs will be invited to join and access the benefits of a holistic coaching program designed to develop and prepare local players for top level football.

Brisbane United’s collaborative governance structure allows local clubs to become members in a connected pyramid and benefit from what will grow to be an expansive football network, consisting of all levels of government, corporate Brisbane, education providers and fellow grassroots clubs.

If the National Second Tier application is successful, United will play out of Queensland’s home of football, Perry Park, and promote an unashamedly Brisbane-centric identity.

It’s important to note that this concept didn’t happen overnight. The idea was hatched back in 2018 and we’ve been actively working on Brisbane United FC for more than 12 months.

The club’s logo is a modernisation of the logo used by the original Brisbane United, which was formed in 1991. It features the colours of the city, with the iconic Story Bridge and compass point star device a nod to history. The ’91 side was created to compete in the NSL (National Soccer League) with similar intentions – to collaborate and ensure the city was visible on the national stage.

With the EOI submission deadline expiring on Friday 3 March, Football Australia will begin reviewing the expressions of interest proposals before inviting selected clubs to move to the next phase and submit a more detailed proposal for inclusion.

Krayem says the support shown for the concept so far positions the club strongly for a successful bid.

“All levels of government need a compelling reason to support and help develop any sport. Our discussions so far with the Lord Mayor’s office and State Government agencies have been very, very positive,” he said.

“It’s important to note that this concept didn’t happen overnight. The idea was hatched back in 2018 and we’ve been actively working on Brisbane United FC for more than 12 months.

“We presented a vision, a story, a project and a solution – we haven’t tried to tell all levels of government what to do; we’ve presented a compelling reason for them to work with us by demonstrating what we can give back to the whole community, not just a small portion of it.”