‘Way too long’: Upper Ferntree Gully FC slams council’s ‘slow’ reaction to building repairs

An EFL club has slammed the council’s ‘slow’ reaction to facility repairs, operating without social rooms for 12 months while facing a financial loss of tens of thousands of dollars.

A local football club in Melbourne’s outer east has been left frustrated by a lack of council action on facility repairs, causing significant financial heartache.

Upper Ferntree Gully Football Club, which competes in the Eastern league’s Division 1, has been without social rooms for more than 12 months owing to water and mould damage to the building.

It has been operating out of council-supplied marquees with gas heaters and shipping containers for storage at its home ground, Kings Park, since June last year.

President Mark Godfrey says Knox Council has been “slow to react” as his club faced a loss of more than $20,000 this season through its limited scope to host functions.

‘Way too long’: Upper Gully president Mark Godfrey has been left frustrated as his club continues to operate out of marquees, facing significant financial loss. Picture: Daniel Cencic

He said home-game attendances were down as a result, while post-match bar sales and Thursday night meals had also been significantly decreased.

“It’s taken way too long,” Godfrey said of the Knox Council’s delay to repairs.

“It has put people off. People don’t come down to the game because it’s not inviting.

“There was water damage which ended up causing a mould issue and it ended up being bigger than they (the council) thought.

“We used to do 100, 110 meals on a Thursday night – I think we did 48 last week, the week before that was 40 … after-game (functions), the vets when they play, we’re not talking $20,000 (lost), we’re talking upwards of that.”

Thursday night meals and after-match functions had been forced into marquees. Picture: Upper Ferntree Gully FC

Godfrey said recent weather damage to the marquees and a lack of council maintenance had made matters worse.

Thursday night meals had been shifted to the club’s junior ground Dobson Park – more than 4km from its home base – but players and families had been put off by the travel.

“What’s annoying me most is it’s three weeks since the Tuesday after the Queen’s Birthday, and with all that wind one of the marquees got blown over and we also reported five weeks ago that the big marquee was ripping internally,” he said.

“The council hasn’t done any maintenance on it, even though we keep telling them there’s other problems, some of the side panels were falling in.

“It’s just frustrated me at our last home game against Lilydale, they’re all asking questions and I’ve already got unhappy supporters … I said to the council to tidy it up and make it look presentable, but it’s still laying down.

A recently weather damaged marquee has dealt the club a further blow and is yet to be tidied up, the UFTG FC president says. Picture: Daniel Cencic

“Because of the damage to the marquees, in the last two weeks we’ve had to go down to the junior club for meals … when you get out of the showers do you turn left to go to the junior ground or right to go home?

“It’s cold, you know it’s not inviting to go into the marquees, but when you have to go down to the junior ground, it’s just putting guys off.”

The council had proposed the Kings move their home matches to Dobson Park this season, but Godfrey rejected the notion as “the ground’s too small for senior football”.

He said a club proposal of financial compensation in lieu of marquees had been put to the council.

“(I said) actually cover us for what we would lose on Thursday night meals, after the game and stuff like that, and they said then we’re setting a precedent for other clubs if something like this happens,” Godfrey said.

“We were happy that if we got the cash, that takes the pressure off cash-flow-wise.”

Mr. Godfrey said he was thankful to sponsors for sticking by the club. Picture: Daniel Cencic

The time frame for the facility’s completion had been questioned at a Knox Council meeting on May 23 by a cricket club representative, ahead of the slated October clubroom handover for cricket season.

Director of infrastructure Grant Thorne responded the football and cricket clubs had been provided with updates detailing the “works required to complete the facility” but could not guarantee a completion date.

“This update indicated that although completion in October is achievable, until such time contractors are appointed and underway this is subject to change,” the meeting minutes detailed of Thorne’s response.

Rehabilitation work commenced last week according to Godfrey but a completion date still remained up in the air.

“As of today, there’s still been no time frame. Once we’ve got dates, people then understand and it takes the pressure off us as well,” Godfrey said.