‘It is incredible’: Roosters crowing over new complex

Local footy club finally has a place it can call home.

Former Calliope Roosters president Stuart Claridge said the new multi-sport complex would be great for the club and town.

RUGBY LEAGUE: A local footy club finally has a place it can call home following the construction of a multi-sport complex at its ground.

Former Calliope Roosters Rugby League Club president Stuart Claridge said the complex’s construction was not only massive for the club, but for the town also.

“The complex has a multitude of uses but it will be predominantly used as the Calliope Roosters Rugby League Club’s clubhouse,” Claridge said.

“It also has the ability to host sports such as netball, basketball and indoor soccer, and a broad range of community-based events and functions.”

Claridge said he was hopeful of the complex being open to the public by mid-July, with the Roosters board working around some Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issues.

“The complex has been finished now for quite a few months, we have just had some issues meeting the QFES requirements,” he said.

“We are in the throes of installing booster pumps and things like that, it should be open by mid-July after obtaining all our approvals.”

Claridge said the inspiration behind building a complex was founded over a couple of beers on a club night.

“We never had a clubhouse where we can have presentation nights and display historical trophies and boards,” he said.

“Around 10 years ago the club’s board sat down with a beer and we wanted to get a boxing club in Calliope for the kids, we had nowhere to put it.

“Then, we were talking to council about three years ago about funding and we saw the opportunity to create a multi-use complex which was open for the wider community.”

Claridge said that after travelling across regional Queensland and being involved in junior sport for decades, nowhere he has been has the facility the Roosters do.

“I still pinch myself that little old Calliope has got what it does, it is incredible,” he said.

“We only get positive comments, people cannot believe what we have down at our footy grounds.

“It is a huge boost for Calliope footy club and a huge boost for Calliope.”