Adelaide Comets Football Club have appealed for council to overturn fence decision

One of the SA’s top soccer clubs wants to erect a fence around one of its pitches, but instead is forking out thousands for its two premier league teams to play away from home because Adelaide City Council won’t let it upgrade.

One of the SA’s top soccer clubs is forking out $35,000 a year for its two premier league soccer teams to play away from home because Adelaide City Council won’t let it upgrade its home-ground.

Adelaide Comets Football Club wants to erect a 1.1m high fence around one of its pitches in the Adelaide Park lands to comply with Football Australia requirements to host National Premier League matches.

WNPL players, Yuka Sasaki and Izabel Czechowicz, with president, Jim Tsouvalas from the Adelaide Comets Football Club, where Adelaide City Council have knocked back a request for a 1.1m fence to be built. Picture: Matt Loxton

The club will appeal to the council at Tuesday night’s meeting to overturn its decision made earlier this month that stopped the erection of a fence, in a move which was labelled by Premier Peter Malinauskas as being “crazy”.

It has also prompted a 1500-signature petition gathered in two days in support of the Comets – a club with 600 registered players.

Comets board member Daniel Raschella said the fence was a safety requirement to host its National Premier League and Women’s National Premier League teams at home, instead of at ServiceFM Stadium, at Gepps Cross, which costs it about $35,000 a year in fees.

“We have no grand plans to develop anything further, we generally want to get our senior teams home,” he told The Advertiser.

“What’s really disappointing is that we know there are multiple venues in our parklands that have higher fencing and some of those are closed (to the public) unless you’re a member.

“This fence is strictly there as a safety measure and as a requirement by FIFA and the intent is that we would make sure the gates (to the field) were open when games aren’t on.”

The Comets had received $1.7m in state government funding to upgrade its home-ground at Ellis Park which included erecting the fence around a pitch – which would be accessible to the public on non-game days.

Mr Raschella said the club had worked with council staff for a number of years on the proposal, which had received support from the Adelaide Park Lands Authority and had been recommended for approval.

However, after a lengthy debate councillors earlier this month voted 5-4 that the proposal for the fence be rejected due to the possibility it could set a “precedent” for the parklands and create an illusion that the public would be excluded.

Councillor Mary Couros has tabled a motion in Tuesday night’s agenda for the council to overturn its original decision to ensure it supports recreational sports and grassroots clubs in the park lands.

Adelaide City Councillor Mary Couros. Picture: Claudio Rashella

“I’m hoping over the last two weeks some councillors have had the opportunity to reflect and ask questions of administration to make an informed decision on Tuesday night,” Cr Couros said.

Councillor Carmel Noon has also tabled a motion to see the matter sent back to a council committee for ‘further workshopping’.