Facilities newsletter 5 December 2017

Newsletter December 2017

football

facilities

Photo by Northern NSW

Facilities Forum flourishes in Newcastle MacDonald Jones Stadium was a fitting backdrop for the 2nd Annual Northern NSW Football Facilites Forum on Saturday 2nd December.

Over 90 attendees from zones and clubs across Northern NSW attended the forum with State MPs and local councillors.

GROW, DEVELOP & PROMOTE THE GAME

This Issue

The Facilities and Advocacy Unit’s vision is to grow, develop and promote the game by supporting our members, stakeholders and the football family through effective governance, strong leadership, transparent communication, professional administration as well as a clear strategic direction.

The forum had several guest speakers present during the day, ranging from A-League clubs, Newcastle Jets CEO Lawrie McKinna and Melbourne City Director of Football, Michael Petrillo to local club Lochinvar FC all explaining the journey they have taken to build their facility and the relationships they have made.

Northern NSW CEO, David Eland was ecstatic with the attendance which saw the attendees double from the 1st Facilities Forum last year in Lake Macquarie.

Zones and clubs received quality information for their venues with presentations on turf management and the benefits of LED lighting.

Funding opportunities were discussed with presentations from Office of Sport, Peter Britt and Daniel Ristic, Manager – Government Relations, Funding and Infrastructure.

The afternoon was wrapped up by State Member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp who provided clubs with valuable information on “How to Engage with your State MP”.

02 Football Facilities to prosper from

09 Upgrades underway at Proctor

04 New lights for Pottsville 05 Local sport defibrillator grant

10 Synthetics in Strathfield 11 Snap shot of Synthetic projects

NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund

program now open

Park

06 Funding opportunities 07 Football Facilities audit set for 2018 08 Dilapidated amenities to be upgraded

Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter | 01

Continued from page 1

The running theme which surfaced in numerous presentations during the day was the importance of relationship building with all levels of governments. Engagement with all three levels of government (local, state, federal) is such an important aspect that all football clubs must grasp to better their facilities.

To finish the day, attendees enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City battle it out on McDonald Jones Stadium.

The forum was a raging success with clubs and zones taking away valuable information which they can put to use in the 2018 season which is just around the corner.

Thank you to Tim Crakanthorp (State Member for Newcastle), Sonia Hornery (State Member for Wallsend), local councillors from Newcastle and Maitland and all the guest speakers that presented at the forum and made it such a valuable day for all the club volunteers.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Football facilities to prosper from NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund More than $1.8 million in grants have been announced in the First Round of the NSW Government’s Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund to support clubs across the state from as far north as Kempsey and as far south as Shoalhaven.

This funding will be spread across 16 projects to assist much needed facility improvements and upgrades. Refer to the tables below for a list and further details regarding the successful projects.

Football is the most popular sport in Australia and NSW with recent AusPlay

statistics highlighting that there are over 1.1 million players playing nationally.

ranging from amenity upgrades to a new synthetic pitch.

Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said the funding will help deliver better community facilities to local football clubs across NSW.

“These clubs will now be able to meet the needs of their members by providing more appropriate facilities to enable participants to play football more consistently throughout the year in safe and inviting settings”.

“I encourage local football clubs to apply for up to 50 per cent of the cost of building amenities or upgrading facilities, with a funding contribution of $50,000 – $150,000 per project,” Mr Ayres said.

“We know that improving local sports infrastructure helps build stronger communities and improves participation amongst children and adults alike.”

Football NSW CEO Stuart Hodge said, “Football faces real challenges at all levels of the game to access enough facilities of the right quality to play.

“Many pitches across the state are over used, in poor condition and demand often outstrips supply due to the popularity of the sport. Facilities are recognised as a key factor in keeping and attracting players by providing spaces that not only enable participation, but also inspire people to play the World Game”.

Northern NSW Football CEO, David Eland said, “The 16 clubs, associations and zones who have received funding in Round One will greatly benefit with improvements

02 | Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter

Round Two of the NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund is now open and will close on Friday 2nd March 2018, with the remainder of the $4.1 million total funding being distributed.

Football NSW and Northern NSW Football encourages clubs across the state to commence their planning in consideration of an application for funding to improve local football facilities.

For information and details on Round Two of the NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund please visit the Office of Sport website.

If you require any assistance or guidance regarding your application please do not hesitate to contact Daniel Ristic, Manager – Government Relations, Funding and Infrastructure on (02) 8814 4451 or via email at danielr@footballfacilities.com.au Successful applicants from Round One of the NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund shown in the table below.

Football NSW Club/Association/Zone

Venue

Project

Abbotsford Junior Football Club

Campbell Park

Fit out of dressing room, shed, canteen and clubhouse

Bathurst District Football

Proctor Park

Drainage and irrigation for three fields

Blue Mountains Football Club

Knapsack Park

Irrigation and field upgrade

Cranebrook United Soccer Club

Andromeda Oval

Floodlight upgrade, field reconstruction and canteen upgrade

Doonside Hawks Soccer Club

Glendenning Reserve

Upgrade of canteen, floodlighting, seating and fencing

Dubbo & District Football Association

Lady Cutler East Oval

New amenities building

Forbes & District Soccer Club

Botanical Gardens

New amenities building

Northern Suburbs Football Association

Norman Griffiths Oval

New synthetic field

Orange & District Football Association Soccer

Sir Jack Brabham

Extension to amenities building

Orange Waratah Junior Soccer Club

Waratah Playing Fields

Development of a small sided field including floodlighting and irrigation

Shoalhaven District Football Association

South Nowra Football Fields

Installation of floodlights

Wentworth Falls Football Club

Pitt Park

New clubhouse Northern NSW

Club/Association/Zone

Venue

Project

Cooks Hill United Football Club

National Park Sportsground

Regrade, level and returf playing field and drainage

Great Lakes United Football Club

Boronia Park

Floodlight upgrade

Kempsey Saints Football Club

Eden St Playing Fields

Floodlight upgrade

Northern Inland Football

Gipps Street Playing Fields

Floodlight and irrigation upgrade

Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter | 03

New Lights for Pottsville Pottsville Beach Football Club (PBFC) are very fortunate to have received a grant of $58,750.00 under the NSW Community Building Partnership to assist with the costs associated with the installation of the sports field lighting.

Along with PBFC’s contribution of $20,000, we must also acknowledge the Tweed Shire Council for covering the balance of costs to enable the project to be fully completed which also included the upgrade to the electrical distribution board.

Over recent years PBFC’s membership has doubled in size. Having two lit playing fields will allow for more flexible training schedules and will allow PBFC to host more evening games. It will also allow for the entry of more teams in PBFC’s 6-aside competition.

The NSW Community Building Partnership offers grants to support projects that encourage community participation.

Everyone here at PBFC is very grateful to the NSW Government for selecting our club as a recipient after a tough application process. Acknowledgement must also go to Mr Geoff Provest (State Member for Tweed) for recognising the need for such a project at our club.

PBFC would like to extend our thanks to the NSW Government for making this project possible.

Acknowledgement and thanks also goes to the Tweed Shire Council (in particular Stewart Brawley, Peter Ganser and David Hannah) for their assistance in meeting the program’s deadlines and also to all the tradespersons involved throughout the project.

?KNOW

DID YOU

We would also like to extend a huge THANK YOU to Kayleen who has worked tirelessly applying for this grant & continuing to work on it over a very long period. Without volunteers like Kayleen this would never have come to fruition and we can’t thank her enough!!!

Read more...

Photo from Pottsville Beach FC

There are over 13,000 registered football administrators and general club volunteers across NSW who contribute on average 6.2 hours of volunteer time to their club each week.

04 | Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter

LOCAL SPORT DEFIBRILLATOR GRANT PROGRAM NOW OPEN! The Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program will allocate $4 million over four years to assist sporting clubs across NSW in the purchase and maintenance of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs).

An AED is a life saving device which delivers a controlled shock to an individual experiencing cardiac arrest, increasing their chances of survival.

Each year Sudden Cardiac Arrest strikes approximately 30,000 Australians.

Without defibrillation, for every minute that passes, the chance of survival is reduced by

10%. Application of an AED within minutes increases the survival rate.

Football NSW Manager – Government Relations, Funding and Infrastructure, Daniel Ristic said, “the Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program is a fantastic opportunity for football clubs across NSW to purchase a defibrillator for their club and community”.

Program Details The Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program provides NSW sports clubs the opportunity to acquire an AED package for their club or sports facility at a reduced cost.

Sporting organisations will be able to choose from a panel of approved AED Panel Service Providers and a variety of AED packaged services with the level of customer service that meets their needs.

Who is eligible: • I ncorporated, not-for-profit grassroots sports clubs in NSW. •A pplications from licenced sporting clubs may be considered providing the project directly benefits the sport and not the licensed premises.

•A pplications may be considered from sport clubs associated with a school, church or university providing they are an incorporated not for profit club in their own right.

• Applications may be considered from councils on behalf of several eligible sports clubs that currently share facilities based in NSW and will be involved as partners in any project to acquire one or more AED for the shared facilities.

Dates: Opening: 1 November 2017 Closing: 20 December 2017

Funding Available Grants are available for up to 50 percent of the AED package to the maximum amount per zone as outlined below: Zone

Maximum Grant Amount

1

$1,250

2

$1,300

3

$1,400

Note: See the zone map available on the Office of Sport website to see which zone your club is situated in.

Clubs and associations should refer to the Office of Sport website and the Guidance Notes for further details of the Grant Program.

Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter | 05

Funding Opportunities

NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund – Round 2 Round 2 of the NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund is now open for clubs, associations and zones across NSW. The fund is an initiative of the NSW Government, Football NSW (FNSW) and Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) which has been established with the NSW Government’s surplus from the 2015 AFC Asian Cup to provide funding assistance to community football clubs to partner with local stakeholders to improve the quality, availability and standard of their facilities.

Who is eligible Incorporated clubs, member zones and associations, bodies or other deliverers that are affiliated, recognised and/or sanctioned by FNSW or NNSWF are all eligible to apply for funding.

Applicants must contribute 50% or more of the funding required for the project, which could include contributions from the local council or other grants, voluntary labour or donated materials.

What types of Projects are eligible for funding?

The Fund can be used for all community football facility development or enhancement. Funds can be used to upgrade existing pitches, amenities or facilities, or for the development and construction of new pitches, amenities or facilities.

Some examples, include; drainage, irrigation or resurfacing, seating, canteens, floodlighting, fencing, change rooms, match official amenities or storage spaces.

Important Dates

How to apply

Fund Opening Date: 22 November 2017

For information on the application process please visit the official website on

Fund Closing Date: 2 March 2018 at 5:00pm

How much funding is available?

Contact Details

There is a maximum funding contribution of $150,000 per project.

The minimum amount an applicant can apply for is $50,000.

Daniel Ristic I Manager – Government Relations, Funding and Infrastructure, P: 8814 4451 E: danielr@footballfacilities.com.au

More information

Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund Up to $100 million is now available through the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund.

• increase the number and type of regional level sporting facilities

The Regional Sports Infrastructure fund has been established by the NSW Government to create a network of spaces and places that enable communities to enjoy quality sport and participate in physical activity. It will invest in new and existing venues to improve participation and performance in sports at all levels.

• increase regular and on-going participation opportunities in sport

Fund objectives The fund’s objectives are to:

• improve the standard of existing regional level sporting facilities • provide infrastructure that enables economic growth and boosts productivity.

Project nominations involving partnerships between groups are encouraged.

The fund remains open to applications year-round.

For further information and to apply, click here.

06 | Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter

Funding Opportunities Liquor and Gaming NSW Liquor & Gaming NSW offers grants to communities across NSW to support the building, renovation and fitout of infrastructure. Funding is available for sport and recreation, arts and cultural infrastructure, and projects that enhance facilities used to shelter communities and provide emergency services.

Infrastructure Grants are made possible by the ClubGrants Category 3 Fund, which reinvests 0.4 per cent of clubs’ gaming machine profits over $1 million back into community projects. Funding can be used costs such as construction, purchase of capital equipment and professional fees.

Organisations have two opportunities to apply for grants in the first half of the year: February and May 2018.

Funding Available: Sport & Recreation $100,000 to $300,000 available per project For further information and to apply, click here.

Football Facilities Audit set for 2018 The State Wide Football Facilities Audit is a collaborative venture between Football NSW, Northern NSW Football and Capital Football.

This initiative is designed to establish what existing facilities football utilises and the future facility needs of football across the state. The audit will capture the most up to date set of facility data from over 1,000 facilities and will be the catalyst for developing future facility audits in each state and territory for Football Federation Australia.

The Audit will help to improve the quality and experience of playing football to sustain and increase participation. Increasing the quality and capacity of a facility encourages more people to improve their physical and mental health through regular sport.

The State Wide Football Facilities Audit will provide an important insight into current and future trends as well as facility demands to guide the development of strategies and lobby government to ensure football facilities are developed for the largest participating sport in Australia.

InsideEDGE have been engaged to create the database and digital platform that will be used to collect the facility data. InsideEDGE have the track record and capacity to capture a state-wide facilities audit, database and GIS mapping software utilising five key fundamentals to deliver these projects: 1. Locate - Upload existing site information and locate sites using GPS coordinates 2. Audit - In-field auditing using tablet based checklists and photo evidence 3. Analyse - Statistical analysis, graphs and Excel exports to analyse provision, capacity, compliance and risk 4. Report - Multiple reporting outputs with customised filters 5. Prioritise - Utilise data and reporting to prioritise and advocate for resources The Football Facilities audits will be completed primarily by local clubs and associations via an online digitalised platform capturing data anywhere, anytime. The Facilities & Advocacy Unit will be working closely with each stakeholder from clubs, associations, councils and schools to collect the information that is available.

At present, the data capturing system is being built and it is envisaged a full roll out of the audit will take place in early 2018.

If you have any queries about the audit, you can contact the Facilities & Advocacy Unit on 1300 213 771 or visit www.footballfacilities.com.au

Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter | 07

Dilapidated amenities to be upgraded Construction of the new $1.8 million amenity building is underway at Campbell Park based in the City of Canada Bay council and home for over 50 years to Abbotsford Juniors Football Club’s (AJFC).

AJFC plays in the local Canterbury District Soccer Football Association and is the fourth largest club in the association with over 1,000 registered members. The new building will replace the existing dilapidated building with a new series of pavilions housing store rooms, change rooms and toilets, a new canteen/cafe, and community hall.

The existing amenities block leaks water, has a cracked roof, the foundations have sunk, showers have no hot water and storage is inadequate for the needs of the club. The Club has also experienced a spectacular increase in female participation from less than 40 players to over 300 in just 8 years and the state of the old amenities did not impress the new members of the Club at all.

The new building will provide the Abbotsford Junior players, together with the many others who use the park, with some fantastic community facilities.

6. The amenities block which will include a large storage room, public amenities, two change rooms (interchangeable to Male/female or home/Away), a referee/first aid room, modern canteen and a small community hall.

Further as of 2018 we will also be growing to a fourth full size pitch with irrigation and subject to DA approval we have funding to include lighting for this fourth field as well.

Our success for the Club has been brought about through many years of relationship building with government, especially the local Council. Getting to know everybody in the hierarchy from the Mayor and General Manager down to the local park maintenance people as well as working positively with State and Federal members of parliament has been the key element in our achievements thus far.

The results of this work have also seen the Club grow from 430 to over 1,000 members in just 8 years and we have developed a strong reputation in the local community as a whole.

Club President Gilbert Lorquet said “The achievements the Club has made over the last 10 years has been the result of lots of hard work by a succession of Club representatives and positive engagement with all levels of government. What we have achieved are modern facilities that support not just the Club and the game of football but the whole community. The ability to properly develop our juniors, welcome so many new players to the Game and to the Club is very satisfying to me personally as well as representatives of the Club both past and present�.

The works are due for completion in the new year, funded courtesy of $800,000 from Council and $1 million Federal Government grant.

The works provide a capstone project for the work that has been done over the last 10 years. During this period the Club has worked closely with the local Council, City of Canada Bay, as well as State and Federal Governments to achieve the following: 1. Increase the fields from two to three full size pitches 2. Complete night game specification lighting for the three pitches 3. Complete a fence around the perimeter to prevent damage to the fields 4. Worked with a local developer to donate a 160,000L water tank from the roof of the development to hook into the existing irrigation system 5. Extensive work with council to level the surface and improve the grass quality each year over many years

Photos by Abbotsford FC 08 | Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter

Upgrades underway at Proctor Park A long-awaited upgrade of Bathurst’s football facilities is quickly becoming a reality as Bathurst Regional Council pushes ahead with plans to reconstruct three local fields.

The new redeveloped pitches will add to ongoing upgrades at Proctor Park.

Floodlights for field two were recently installed and are awaiting power connection.

Council announced its master plan for Proctor Park back in April 2015, which included redeveloping the grandstand and resealing the main car parking area.

This included purchasing neighbouring land to expand the complex to feature more football fields.

Article amended from the Western Advocate

Work on the new fields at Proctor Park is now well underway and will be completed by the start of the new Bathurst District Football (BDF) season in 2018.

BDF president Andrew Speed said the reconstruction work marked an exciting time for football in the region.

“It’s well welcomed. We’ll have three new fields, re-surfaced and redrained,” he said.

“I don’t think its happened before in about 60 years. It’s the first time we’re getting new stuff like this.

“It should not be as waterlogged any more. Weather shouldn’t affect the fields.”

The three new fields are a part of council’s “master plan” for Proctor Park, which will see significant capital investment into the future growth and development of football in Bathurst.

“The field reconstruction which commenced in October, is the ideal time for reconstructing turf fields and following the current winter football season,” Bathurst mayor Graeme Hanger said.

“The field reconstruction works will provide our community with football fields that conform to national standards, with the ability to cope with higher usage.

“These fields will be constructed with substantial in-field drainage, an efficient irrigation system and items such as new goal posts, fencing and player benches.”

Proctor Park is regularly unusable during the winter months as the clay base struggles to cope with rainwater on its surface.

New drainage systems in the fields of Proctor Park will make the surface playable all year round, as the field was frequently shut in 2016 because of the winter rain.

Mr Speed, who has been president of BDF for a year and on the committee for four years, said the redevelopment was the most exciting move he has experienced in Bathurst football.

Photos by Bathurst District Football Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter | 09

Synthetics in Strathfield Strathfield Council has recently installed two synthetic sports fields at Strathfield Park and Mason Park.

99% compaction. Approximately 4,000 tons were imported to achieve a solid base.

Following a Design and Construction Tender process for the synthetic grass installation, the contracts were awarded to Tuff Turf Australia.

These fields are designed for local community use and can facilitate soccer, cricket and touch football.

Council has received positive feedback regarding the Synthetic Sports Field.

The all-weather playing fields are consistently left with a perfect surface, rain, hail or shine, enabling increased community usage. While natural turf requires a period of recovery after average utilisation of 25 hours a week, the synthetic fields can endure heavy use of 60 hours per week, allowing residents more enjoyment of the field and the benefits of fitness through sports and passive recreation.

The construction of the synthetic field at Strathfield Park was undertaken with Strathfield Council acting as the principle contractor. The existing turf field was sprayed with herbicides and the topsoil recycled to Bressington Park for construction of a new grass field. The field was excavated to achieve a 1% cross fall and an integrated subsurface drainage system was installed before a 1,500mm recycled road base and sub base was installed to

see summer football in operation in early 2018 with the winter season kicking off in April 2018.

(Article written by Strathfield Council)

The grass surface included a 100mm drainage layer of aggregate rebound and a 60mm grass pile surface in-filled with sand and rubber. A removable cricket pitch was installed with permanent line markings, grandstand and goal posts.

Strathfield Football Club commented “How wonderful it is - looking forward to having our first year playing football on an allweather synthetic field for the community game to grow” After school, work or university hours are done, on any given weekday you can already find people running, practicing and trying to improve their game. Never has Strathfield Park seen this level of football activity.

With so many statistics about Australians heading towards unprecedented levels of obesity, it is reassuring Strathfield Council took the initiative. Working with Strathfield Football Club and our local Association CDSFA we got this project not only out off the ground, but delivered to the community all within less than 8 months.

Strathfield Council joins a number of councils across the state embracing synthetic technology. Strathfield Park will

Western Sydney Wanderers Centre of Excellence Construction for the permanent home of Western Sydney Wanderers of their centre of excellence and training academy in Rooty Hill, NSW, which is worth more than $18 million is underway.

for Blacktown City Council, includes 2 elite-grade natural turf pitches, as well as administration facilities and offices.

Stage 2 of the facility will see construction of the remaining 7 fields, including a hybrid pitch, 2 FIFA Quality synthetic pitches, and 4 more natural turf pitches.

The Wanderers’ complex is part of Blacktown City Council’s plans to turn the area into a high-profile professional sports and community precinct. There are plans for an indoor entertainment and convention centre accompanied by hotels, to be built south of Eastern Road.

The Wanderers’ will now have a long-term training base, offices and they will locate all their teams from youth, men’s and women’s first grade teams at one venue.

Construction of the Wanderer’s administration and training base is being undertaken in 2 parts; the first stage, now under construction by H&M Civil working

This photo shows construction works on the 1.5 megalitre underground water storage tank that will feed the irrigation system for the turf pitches. Courtesy of Murray Fraser – Soil Scientist at Benedict Industries

010 | Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter

Snap Shot of Synthetic Projects Council increase pitch funding - Ian McLennan Park Wollongong City Council will inject a further $700,000 into the region’s first ever synthetic pitch, allaying any concerns that work on the long-awaited project could stall because of a cost blowout.

The council had already planned to provide $700,000 to upgrade the surface at Ian McLennan Park, but agreed to double that total last week after several issues emerged during the design process.

Costs rose due to problems with the surface at the ground, with changes also required to the pitch size, venue security and lighting.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery told the Illawarra Mercury last month he felt the project would now exceed the $2 million mark and encouraged council to increase its contribution.

The $1.4 million total, coupled with an additional $500,000 from the NSW Government’s Club Grants and a substantial contribution from Football South Coast, should ensure the project is completed in 2018. After several years pushing for the pitch, Football South Coast chairman Eddy De Gabriele was pleased to see the project edging closer to becoming a reality.

“It’s great for the region that this is happening,” he said.

“The ground will be put in, in 2018, whether that is mid or late in the year.”

It is hoped the synthetic pitch will be the first of many in the region and Cr Bradbery said that motivation was a key contributor to the push for added funding to the project.

“To get the first of a series of pitches throughout the city – which we are working towards as part of our sports strategy – this would be the first one to get across the line,” he said.

“That’s why there is urgency and as far as I am concerned, $700,000 for a project is relatively [small]. We did have sufficient funds in reserves to be able to meet that need.”

As the Illawarra isn’t considered regional by the NSW Government, the project is unfortunately ineligible to receive additional funding from the newly announced $100 million Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund. Cr Bradbery believes that needs to change.

“The mayoral minute at our last meeting was all about saying to the State Government that we want to be considered regional so we can make use of those sort of opportunities,” he said.

Article amended from the Illawarra Mercury

More wins for the club Major victory: Rydalmere FC president Peter Bacha welcomed news that its main field at Rydalmere Park will be upgraded to a synthetic field, thanks to the support of Parramatta Council.

Rydalmere FC has booted more goals following its recent promotion to the National Premier Leagues 2 competition.

Parramatta Council endorsed a club proposal to jointly fund improvements to its main field at Rydalmere Park.

The club will also receive financial support from the council while its first grade, under-20s and under-18s teams play its 2018 home matches at Glenwood’s Valentine Sports Park while its home ground is upgraded to satisfy Football NSW requirements.

The council will also write to Football NSW outlining its short and longer term strategies in support of the future growth of Rydalmere FC. The club will still play junior games on the other two fields at Rydalmere Park.

“We’ve got a club that since 1979, has been there for the kids and has gone from strength to strength,” Parramatta councillor Steven Issa said. “It has been promoted to play at the elite level alongside the Marconi Stallions of the world and is the only club in our LGA to play at this level. The club has installed dug outs and spectator seating at its own cost.”

Rydalmere FC president Peter Bacha described Monday’s outcome as a fair result.

“It’s a major step for the club,” he said. “We’ve been fighting a long time for the field upgrades. This will also benefit all of the kids and our women’s teams.”

Negotiations continue regarding a memorandum of understanding between the club and council regarding the long term use of their home ground.

“Council officers will continue to have constructive discussions with RFC to further develop options for Rydalmere Park and/or alternative sites within the Parramatta LGA,” the council report states.

The ground is part of the council’s masterplan for the 6.4 hectare site, which is expected to be presented to the council in April 2018. The plan will also determine the future use for the nearby bowling club site.

“Talks are in progress and things are starting to clear up, so we’re hopeful of a good outcome,” Mr Bacha said. “Thank God, we have the council back on board, as the community will be better off. Our intention is to create a community facility for the entire community, not just for football.”

Taken from the Paramatta Sun

Photo by: Illawarra Mercury

Picture: Geoff Jones Football Facilities | Facilities & Advocacy Unit | December 2017 Newsletter | 011