Soccer Australia has denied confirming a deal with English First Division club Reading, to host two Socceroo internationals this year.
Reading had announced that Australia would entertain Argentina at the Madejski stadiumon 30 March and Cameroon on 30 April. But Stefan Kamasz, Soccer Australia’s chief executive has set a 48-hour deadline to agree the proposal.
Being just 30 minutes from London and having a ground capacity of 24,200 the club’s marketing manager, Boyd Butler believed Reading would be an ideal UK base for the Socceroos.
We think we’d sell out the Argentina match and probably come close to filling the stadium for Cameroon,” said Boyd.
Reading has successfully staged a number of England Under-21 fixtures.
But Kamasz said: “We’re talking to them but we’ve got huge logistical problems and the odds are less than 50% that it can take place.”
He added that a number of options were still being explored and that only a game verses Nigeria on 19 August in London had been confirmed.
Last week Soccer Australia chairman Remo Nogarotto announced plans to create a four-nation tournament between Australia and any three from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. But FA spokesman Paul Newman declared the proposal impractical. “Given the difficulties we have with friendlies to start with, I can’t see that being much of a goer.” he said.
