Upper Ferntree Gully: Football club’s Kings Park marquees blown over again

A Knox football club is thousands of dollars in the red and faces a grim future after its temporary clubrooms were blown down in the recent wild weather.

An outer east football club which has spent its season in pop-up marquees has been dealt another blow, with its temporary home damaged by the recent wild weather.

But Knox Council is “hopeful” of repairing Upper Ferntree Gully Football Club’s facilities — three marquees which remain damaged on the ground — in time for its final round of home games next weekend.

One of the marquees previously blew over in June in more bad weather, while the club had also reported rips and side panels falling in.

The club has been using the temporary facilities since April while its clubrooms, also used by the cricket club, are repaired following extensive mould and water damage.

Despite the council’s recommendation to move to its junior ground at Dobson Park for the 2022 season, the club opted to stay put, with the council supplying the marquees and gas heaters.

Club president Mark Godfrey previously told Leader it refused the move because the ground was “too small for senior football”.

He also claimed the club was facing a loss of about $20,000 this season due to its inability to host functions and declining numbers at Thursday night team meals.

Mr Godfrey declined to comment on the latest damage when contacted by Leader, referring queries to the council.

Leader understands the council met with club officials and ordered them not speak to media outlets after they became frustrated by progress on the project and its impact on game-day takings.

But the council’s director of infrastructure, Grant Thorne, denied this was the case.

Mr Thorne said the council would work to fix the latest damage by August 13, when Upper Ferntree Gully would host three games at Kings Park.

“Council has in no way ‘banned’ the club from talking to the media,” Mr Thorne said.

“We have people onsite today assessing the damage … we will repair and rectify the wind damage to the marquees as we have previously.

“We’re hopeful that damage to the marquees can be fixed by August 13 but if they need to be replaced this may take longer.”

The council was unable to provide a date for when the overhaul of the mould-affected clubrooms would be completed, as it was looking to appoint “a new contractor” for the project.

An information page on the council’s website stated it expected work to continue “into the first few months of next year”, and it had advised the cricket club it would impact its upcoming season which begins in October.

“The club is assessing the options of staying at Kings Park and using the temporary facilities which are currently in place or moving to another site for the upcoming season,” the council stated.