The A-League Women (ALW) have been forced to relocate their marquee Unite Round matches due to poor pitch conditions. The six games of a weekend-long festival of football from Friday will no longer take place at Leichhardt Oval, with all 13 clubs to move to Jubilee Stadium in Sydney’s south. It is yet another speed bump for the cash-strapped Australian Professional Leagues (APL) as they host the second iteration of Unite Round – an initiative similar to the AFL’s Gather Round in Adelaide and the NRL’s Magic Round in Brisbane. The quality of the inner city Leichhardt Oval pitch came under fire after Saturday’s ALW Sydney derby and an inspection on Monday confirmed the surface was not up to standard for the league’s “pinnacle” round. “It is imperative that we have the best possible playing surface to ensure quality football, player safety and the most entertaining product for our fans,” A-Leagues commissioner Nick Garcia said in a statement. “Our team has been monitoring the pitch condition at Leichhardt Oval over the last month – and regrettably we have had to make the decision in the best interest of all stakeholders. “Our product is important – this is the pinnacle round of professional women’s football – and we think this decision will ensure the best possible event for our players, officials and fans. “Jubilee Stadium is a fantastic venue for football and fans, and has a world-class pitch. It has recently hosted AFC Champions League 2 fixtures and has great facilities for players, officials, broadcasters and fans.” Because of the move, the APL has made all six games free entry, with current ticket holders to be refunded. Garcia confirmed planned shuttle services from A-League Men venue Allianz Stadium would go to Kogarah, while planned fan zones and gala days would proceed as planned. Sydney FC are next scheduled to play at Leichhardt against Newcastle Jets on 15 December but are considering moving their remaining matches elsewhere unless there is a significant improvement in the playing surface. “As much as we enjoy the atmosphere we create when we play at Leichhardt Oval and we’d like to create a hub at the ground for our women’s team, the playing surface is currently unacceptable for professional football, particularly considering we are three rounds into the new season,” Sydney FC chief executive Mark Aubrey said. “Unless there is a major improvement we will be forced to make alternative arrangements and if things go well elsewhere, who knows if we will return.” It is not the first time this season matches have been moved due to poor surface quality. Newcastle have had their home matches relocated twice in the opening three rounds of the women’s season, playing Western Sydney at Cessnock Sportsground in round one because their No 2 Sportsground home was not ready for play. The Jets were later made to host Wellington at Maitland Sportsground in round three after the Wanderers found the Cessnock pitch too hard and gave it the minimum rating of one star for its smoothness and overall quality. One player told the players’ union it was one of the worst pitches they had played on. The Suncorp Stadium pitch was also under scrutiny after a men’s match between Brisbane and Sydney FC in round three was played just six days after a concert.