Calls for new playing fields and upgrade of soccer facilities in NSW

One of the biggest junior soccer associations in NSW could be forced to cap registrations unless new fields are found.

Canterbury and District Soccer Football Association chief executive Ian Holmes. Picture: Craig Wilson

One of the biggest soccer associations in NSW could be forced to follow the lead of a number of clubs in Victoria and restrict on player registrations unless there are major changes to facilities and pitches in their district.

Canterbury District Soccer Football Association chief executive Ian Holmes told The Australian his board has been discussing capping registrations for the past two and a half to three years because the inner west of Sydney has run out of green space for new fields and some existing amenities have become outdated.

Holmes’s comments came as Football Federation Victoria launched its State Football Facilities Strategy to 2026, a plan with state and local governments to upgrade facilities and ­ensure they meet the ­demands of Australia’s fastest growing club-based sport.

As revealed in the The Australian yesterday, the plan comes in the wake of many Victorian clubs being forced to turn away hundreds of new registrations because they don’t have the facilities to cope with increasing demand.

NSW has a similar situation.

Holmes said: “There are major gaps in the local football infrastructure that prevent the association from maximising delivery of local football to the community. We will not be able to service future demand unless the three tiers of government are prepared to make a substantial investment in local sporting fields and amenities that meet community expectations and in particular, cater for female participation.

“Governments cannot allow the unrestricted construction of vertical villages in Sydney without providing community sporting facilities to cater for sport. Pocket parks are not the answer.

“Our board might have to cap registrations. It has been under discussion for some time.”

Holmes said the district, which has 16,632 players (men, women, boys and girls) and 25 clubs, and is the fourth biggest in the state, has 25 fields, most ­operating above maximum capacity.

He said: “Over 50 per cent of the fields were at or over capacity this season. King George Park (in inner-west) Rozelle) has a 30-hour per week capacity but is used for 47 hours per week.”

Holmes said the district needed 15 new fields but “councils cannot create any more green space”.

“We are at a tipping point,” Holmes said. “Apart from new fields, we need to upgrade pitches to synthetic and that would increase capacity significantly. We need lighting and amenities upgraded, especially for female football, the largest growth factor.”

A report commissioned by Football NSW reveals there are almost 300,000 registered soccer players in the state and that participation growth is more than 6 per cent since 2015.

Holmes said: “This is something governments and councils need to look at seriously.”

The FNSW report shows “football in NSW has seen a 23 per cent increase in the overall contribution to the NSW community” and that “this increase validates our ability to advocate to all levels of government … about the valuable contribution football makes to communities in NSW, and positions the administration to continue to grow investment in our game”.

The report says soccer contributes $515.3 million to the NSW economy, a figure expected to reach $1 billion by 2025.

Holmes said: “For every dollar invested in community sport, $7 is returned to the health budget.”