Dissenting councillor Mia McGregor said the council had an "ethical obligation" to reject the soccer academy proposal outright, rather than conutine to investigate it, which she described as a "sleight of hand". "The community have not given us a mandate," she said. "We went out to test the waters and it divided the community like nothing I have seen before. I fear those who oppose it in this location have won the battle but lost the war." Cr Megan Bridger-Darling said she was positive the academy was "a gift to Footscray". "What a bin fire this has absolutely been. If this had been something I had seen on the side of the street, I would have called a fire brigade." The proposed soccer academy has been the most polarising issue in the inner west since Yarraville’s "Arab spring", when division over paid parking culminated in a brawl in the council chambers. Maribyrnong Swifts have formed a partnership with Melbourne Victory to use the proposed soccer academy. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Supporters argue it is a much-needed sports facility for female and junior soccer players, on under-utilised green space that could be accessed by community groups and schools when not in use by Melbourne Victory. The A-League club announced on Saturday it has formed a partnership with the all-female Maribyrnong Swifts soccer club, allowing its players to train and hold matches at the site. But opponents believe the academy – which Melbourne Victory want to lease rent-free for 21 years in exchange for building and maintaining the facility – represents a loss of public open space. Loading A council report said most concerns related to the fencing of one of the soccer fields for ticketed events, which was seen as privatisation of the park and a barrier to community access. The council received a whopping 1500 submissions, 54 per cent supportive of the park masterplan (mostly due to the soccer academy) and 45 per cent opposed.

The council meeting was told that of those submissions that included an address, 59 per cent who lived in the City of Maribyrnong were opposed and 25 per cent in favour. Hostilities have spilled onto social media, with both sides accusing the other of misinformation campaigns. Mayor Martin Zakharov told The Age it had not been an easy time for the council, which was trying to find a reasonable compromise. "There are passionate beliefs on both sides, unfortunately, which makes it harder to discuss rationally what is the best way forward," Cr Zakharov said. "There have been demands to sack the council over this. We have had to wear these attacks – it is not a pleasant part of the job." Under the tie-up with Melbourne Victory, Maribyrnong Swifts could participate in a professional coaching and mentoring program, to develop a pathway for female players and coaches.

Swifts technical director Henrik Steenberg said the academy would be a game-changer for the club, which struggled to accommodate its 130 players. Maribyrnong Swifts technical director Henrik Steenberg says the academy will be a game-changer for the club. Credit:Paul Jeffers He said club rooms at Johnson Reserve in West Footscray were not fit for purpose, with men who needed to use the toilet having to walk through the women’s change rooms. Soccer training had been cancelled several times this winter because the pitch was so waterlogged, and the club had only recently obtained floodlights after lobbying the council for five years. "The founders of Maribyrnong Swifts felt that female soccer players were second-ranked citizens and always got the worst fields and the worst balls ... it is a very male-dominated environment for the most part," Mr Steenberg said. "Melbourne Victory have offered us two pitches for training one night a week – it would be unheard of to be able to use such a facility."