Junior sport clubs band together in bid to get gutted Yagoona clubhouse back on its feet

JUNIOR sport clubs have called for their much-loved “home”, gutted by a suspicious fire on New Year’s Day, to be restored in time for winter season kick-offs.

Bankstown Dragons Football Club president Andrew Powell and Bass Hill Broncos president Matavai Kaivaha with Bankstown MP Tania Mihailuk (middle) at the burnt out clubhouse. Photo: Tim Clapin.

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JUNIOR sport clubs have called for their much-loved “home”, gutted by a suspicious fire on New Year’s Day, to be restored in time for winter season kick-offs.

Emergency services arrived at Middleton Park in Yagoona to find flames pouring out of the clubhouse from an internal blaze about 10.45pm.

Although the fire was extinguished, the roof, change rooms and canteens were significantly damaged.

Bankstown Dragons Football Club president Andrew Powell said he rushed to the scene about midnight after receiving a call from police.

The fire destroyed the clubhouse’s change rooms.

“It was still on fire, they were still extinguishing it and there was smoke billowing everywhere,” he said. “We’ve essentially lost a home. All the training facilities are out of action now.”

A skylight was damaged at the newly renovated clubhouse in mid-late November but was in the process of being repaired. Following the blaze, a mesh grill which had covered the skylight was found to have been removed.

Bass Hill Broncos Junior Rugby League Club president Matavai Kaivaha said about 80 kids would have nowhere to train and play if the building wasn’t restored, or replacement grounds found, before the winter rugby league season.

Equipment and more than 20 decades of trophies and memorabilia were destroyed in the fire.

Both clubs are uncertain where they will go if the building isn’t repaired before the winter sporting season.

Mr Powell said training for Dragons players may have to be suspended.

“The club doesn’t function. There are no training facilities,” he said. “We won’t have access to this and still we haven’t heard from council whether there is a potential for a replacement.”

Bankstown state Labor MP Tania Mihailuk called on Canterbury Bankstown Council to prioritise its efforts to restore the clubhouse. She said junior clubs were “the backbone of our community”.

The council was working closely with the police and insurers and has begun preliminary processes to get the clubhouse up and running, a spokeswoman said. Police are appealing for witnesses who have seen a red or maroon 4WD or SUV in the area at the time.