Bankstown Lions Football Club: Upgrade push to changerooms, toilets at Jensen Park
The “embarrassing” state of the facilities at the home one of the biggest football clubs in southwest Sydney – the former club of a Matildas star striker – has been put under the spotlight as part of an upgrade push.
The Express
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A former club of one of the Matilda’s biggest stars is fighting for desperate improvements to its sporting facilities, as the “embarrassing” state of amenities resulting in the southwest Sydney venue struggling to attract big-ticket sporting events.
The home of the Bankstown City Lions – Jensen Park on Clapman Rd, Regents Park – has been the club’s home since the late 1990s and was once recognised as a regional sporting facility for the Canterbury-Bankstown area.
The club, formed from Macedonian immigrants, play in the NSW League One Men’s and National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition and have more than 400 registered players with some famous names which donned the red and black jersey including current Matildas striker Mary Fowler and former Socceroo Sasho Petrovski.
A master plan was created to upgrade the venue in 2014 by the former Bankstown Council, with the grounds undergoing a $2m refurbishment in 2019 with a new synthetic pitch and upgraded spectator seating with capacity for 4000 people.
Despite the recent upgrades, Bankstown Lions Football Club director and grants co-ordinator Grant Lee said the state of the facilities, including toilets and change rooms, were “pretty embarrassing”.
“There are things that are very high standards, including our surface and lighting but when it comes to other facilities we are lagging behind the other regions,” Mr Lee said.
“Our facilities, when you compare them to other teams we go and play against in New South Wales we would have the worst facilities.”
The park has previously hosted international fixtures – including hosting Malaysia in an Asian Cup warm up match in 2000 – but now only local games are played at Jensen Park.
Mr Lee said the facilities were “lacking in the basics you would expect when you go to a sporting facility”.
“All I can say is if you’re using the disabled toilet, it’s pretty embarrassing,” he said.
“The change rooms, they don’t respect people’s privacy … we have showers with no cubicles and if you’ve got younger girls using them they don’t have privacy and it’s disappointing that we cant provide it to them.”
Canterbury-Bankstown Council resolved at the last meeting to commit up to $35,000 to prepare a concept plan for a new amenities building, and update the 2014 Jensen Park masterplan.
Councillor Chris Cahill tabled the motion and said the revision of the masterplan would include investigating upgraded and modernised lighting and clubhouse facilities, change rooms, carparking and further improvements to grandstands.
Mr Cahill said previous calls for facility upgrades were not met by council as it came down to money.
“The vision of the Lions is going to have to go out to the state and federal government for funding as the council is never going to be able to build the facilities they deserve and need,” he said.
Mr Lee said the club had submitted an application for a $17m grant through WestInvest to overhaul the stadium, but was rejected.
“The big dream is for a state-of-the-art brand new stadium and purpose built facilities underneath with a referee room, change room, mens and ladies toilets, club rooms, grand stand and integrated disabled access,” he said.
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