Central Coast Football abandons matches as council fines for ‘damage’

Central Coast Football has cancelled all local games scheduled for Saturday after the council issued fines for pitch damage for the first time in nine years. The sport’s boss warns that if fines are the future then fees may rise.

Killarney take on table-topping Avoca in the 16A Youth Football competition at Edsacc last weekend. Picture: Sue Graham

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Central Coast Football’s decision to postpone all local soccer games tomorrow could be a sign of things to come, after Central Coast Council fined the association for perceived damage to fields due to football activity for the first time in nine years.

CCF posted to social media at 1pm today that they had “taken the decision to postpone all local football games scheduled to be played on Saturday the 6th of July after consultation with Central Coast Council”.

When questioned about the decision association CEO Darren Sprod said the association had contacted the council and asked which grounds could not be played on tomorrow.

Mr Sprod said his staff were told the council would not tell them what grounds to close but would issue a fine next week for each ground where it determined any damage had been done.

Mr Sprod said the association had received $500 fines for two grounds after last weekend’s matches. He would not disclose which grounds were deemed.

“We believe the council’s approach is heavy-handed and without basis but we understand they are the landlords and we are the tenants,” Mr Sprod said.

Central Coast Football’s Darren Sprod.

Players on the grounds. Picture: Sue Graham

Mr Sprod said CCF pays council $277,000 a year for seasonal ground hire from April until the end of August.

He said that was a $50,000 increase since the merger of Gosford and Wyong councils, which the association had absorbed.

But Mr Sprod was clear that CCF and its clubs “can’t afford fines” and that the council’s decision to start issuing fines would change the way they operate.

“It needs to be transparent that this is the model we are working with,” Mr Sprod said.

He said fines would have an ongoing impact on the sport, with possible increases to playing fees to pay for fines.

“I can’t say whether it will happen on every occasion but if there is any doubt at all, we will have to postpone football,” Mr Sprod said.

Central Coast Council has been approached for a response.

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