A League: Campbelltown Stadium surface given green light
The Bulls will return to Campbelltown Stadium for the first time this season with the playing surface ruled to be safe following a pitch inspection by A-Leagues officials.
NSW
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The Bulls will return to Campbelltown Stadium in less than two weeks in an early Christmas present for fans following a horror pitch surface debacle which saw the club roam across the state for the early rounds of the A-Leagues Men season.
A site inspection took place on Tuesday which saw the Campbelltown Stadium playing surface given the tick of approval.
“A-Leagues has deemed the pitch is now at a standard suitable for professional football, after significant remediation work,” Macarthur FC said in a statement.
The club will play in front of their home fans for the first time this season on Sunday December 19 against Newcastle Jets.
The club was forced to relocate matches to Newcastle and Penrith in recent weeks due to the Campbelltown Council-operated stadium being deemed “unsafe” for players last month.
Tickets will be available for the Newcastle Jets clash from Friday afternoon.
‘It’s embarrassing’: Macarthur FC issued show cause, blasts council
– November 23
A show cause notice has been issued to Macarthur FC by the A-Leagues following the Campbelltown Stadium pitch debacle which saw the playing surface declared unsafe two days before the Bulls’ opening game, forcing a hasty relocation to Newcastle.
The field was declared “unsafe” by A Leagues officials and Macarthur FC on Friday with leaked photos later revealing the shambolic condition of the playing surface.
Macarthur FC chairman Gino Marra has broken his silence on the fiasco, describing the ordeal as embarrassing and putting the blame squarely on Campbelltown Council, the operators of Campbelltown Stadium.
“As of today, we are yet to see a report from council or any horticulturist,” he said.
“The safety of the players and our staff is paramount. Council has not just let the club down, but the community that supports us.
“We would expect the field to be at 100 per cent as (A-Leagues Men) is the pre-eminent sport in the area.
“The council should take full responsibility for the shortcomings in providing a safe and professional field to play. Council has let our community down.”
Marra said the club was working with the A-Leagues in response to the show cause notice received on Monday.
“It’s embarrassing we received a show cause based on the incompetence of a third party which has let our club down.”
The chairman said he was of the understanding that council was aware of a potential issue with the playing surface five weeks ago and, if the club was informed immediately, matches could’ve been moved in consultation with the A-Leagues.
Marra made clear the responsibility was with council’s operational staff, not the elected councillors.
The Bulls are working with the A-Leagues to come up with a solution for the upcoming games scheduled at Campbelltown Stadium.
The stadium’s turf contractor has said he didn’t expect significant change in the visual appearance of the pitch before the next scheduled match on December 5.
‘By the book’: Turf contractor says Campbelltown Stadium ‘playable’
The ‘unsafe’ playing surface of Campbelltown Stadium has attracted unwanted headlines and marred the opening round of Macarthur FC’s A-Leagues season.
After leaked pictures emerged to reveal the true nature of the playing pitch, which ultimately led to the Bulls’ opening fixture to be relocated to Newcastle on 48 hours notice, questions have been asked on how the pitch fiasco occurred and how the Bulls were kept in the dark until two days before season kick off.
Campbelltown Council, which manages the stadium, said nothing was unusual in preparations for the upcoming A-Leagues season with “routine” turf renovations taking place in September.
The sentiment was shared by council’s turf contractor Green Horticultural Group with managing director Geoff Green telling NewsLocal turf preparations, which take several months, were following the same timeline as last year.
“We’ve done everything the same, everything by the book,” Mr Green said.
Both council staff and Green Horticultural Group contractors were at the Campbelltown Stadium precinct almost every day in the lead up to the season.
When asked for an explanation on the state of the playing surface, Mr Green disagreed with the A-Leagues and Bulls who both said the field was “unsafe”.
Mr Green said it was “playable” despite patchy grass cover.
Campbelltown Council’s city lifestyles director Scott Grant shifted the blame onto Green Horticultural Group, saying council was following the contractor’s advice.
“Despite its appearance, we were advised by our turf management contractor Green Horticultural Group that the playing surface was suitable for play,” he said.
Mr Green said the company was “caught out” by “unseasonally cool” conditions but was adamant the preparation process was appropriate.
“We have turf consultants giving us some feedback and we have told them exactly what we’ve done and they’ve said you have done nothing wrong,” he said. “They’ve said it is just so unseasonally cool.”
Council was asked when were the A-Leagues and Macarthur Bulls notified about the visual irregularities in the playing surface. No answer was provided.
It is understood the Bulls only became aware of the issue when the team arrived for a training session on Friday morning, two days before their opening fixture.
Mr Green said he wasn’t confident the Bulls’ next scheduled home game on December 5 would be held at Campbelltown Stadium as there would be little visual change to the field in light of predicted cool conditions.
“I suspect the governing body for the football probably won’t want to play on it as it still won’t visually look very nice,” he said.
The company is now doing everything possible to fast-track and remedy the situation, with slow release fertiliser to be reapplied, foliar feeding to be implemented and a thick turf cover installed in a bid to warm up the soil temperature and improve turf growing conditions.
Campbelltown Council has also engaged independent consultants to assess the playing surface and provide advice to fix the problem.
No firm timeline has been provided for when the A Leagues will return to Campbelltown, but it is hoped football will return this year.
Macarthur FC will play Sydney FC at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Saturday night.
Bulls’ coach says Campbelltown return ‘looked a long way off’
The Bulls have walked away with an opening round 1-1 draw against Wellington Phoenix at a wet and windy McDonalds Jones Stadium, with Macarthur coach Ante Milicic saying post match he can’t see a swift return to the club’s Campbelltown Stadium base.
Capping off a difficult pre-season for the Bulls which included the unexpected departure of captain Adam Federici, the club arrived for a training session at their Campbelltown Stadium home on Friday to discover the field more closely resembled a cow paddock than a playing surface fit for a national professional football league.
Speaking post match, Milicic said after witnessing the surface first hand he couldn’t predict when the club would get the chance to return to their home stadium.
“I couldn’t put a time frame on how long but all I can say is I was there on Friday and it looked a long way off,” he said.
“When we’ll be back there, that’s something for the stadium and the club to work on.”
A penalty goal saw the Phoenix enter the dressing room at half time with a one-goal lead, before a classy back-post volley by fan favourite Lachlan Rose equalised the game and secured the Bulls a draw.
“Overall, on short notice the game getting changed to come here (Newcastle’s McDonalds Jones Stadium) – we’ve had a difficult period of late so I thought the boys put in a good performance in difficult circumstances and we go home, so to speak, with something,” Milicic said.
New goalkeeper Filip Kurto had a strong performance for the Bulls after recently joining the club.
‘We apologise’: Council respond to Campbelltown Stadium pitch fiasco
The council behind the Campbelltown Stadium pitch fiasco which has marred the opening of Macarthur FC Bulls A-League Mens season has taken ownership and “sincerely apologised”.
The home of the Bulls is operated by Campbelltown Council with the playing surface once the envy of visiting teams and lavishly praised by Macarthur FC head coach Ante Milicic.
Two days before the Bulls’ opening season fixture against Wellington Phoenix, the substandard quality of the playing surface was revealed when the Macarthur-based team attended Campbelltown Stadium for a training session.
Following a pitch inspection by the Bulls and A-Leagues officials, the surface was ruled to be unsafe and the match was shifted 200km to Newcastle’s McDonalds Jones Stadium.
Leaked pictures of the uneven and patchy surface have horrified football fans with many in shock about the entire situation.
In a statement, Campbelltown Council blamed the colossal mistake on “several factors”.
“We sincerely apologise to local fans for the need to relocate tomorrow’s game,” a spokesman said.
“Due to several factors, grass laid in preparation for the summer and the 2021-2022 A-Leagues Men season failed to take in time for the first match.
“The low temperatures and high rainfall experienced over spring have impacted growing conditions.
“We understand how disappointing this situation is for Macarthur FC and will work with the club and our turf contractor to improve the quality and appearance of the surface.”
Macarthur FC Bulls will take on Wellington Phoenix at McDonalds Jones Stadium at 6.45pm Sunday in the round one fixture.
Leaked pics reveal Campbelltown Stadium’s horror surface
Leaked pictures have revealed the horror condition of the Campbelltown Stadium pitch which has forced an opening round A-Leagues Mens clash to be relocated just 48 hours before kick off.
Macarthur FC Bulls were set to host Wellington Phoenix in a round 1 fixture at 6pm Sunday but have been forced to shift the match 200km away to Newcastle due to the unsafe surface.
Pictures reveal the playing pitch to be uneven and littered with bare patches, a far cry from a traditional surface prepared for professional football fixtures.
An A-Leagues official told NewsLocal the Macarthur-based club arrived at the stadium on Friday for a training session to discover the shocking state of the surface.
The Bulls said the decision to relocate the fixture was made by the club, alongside A-Leagues officials, following a Friday pitch inspection.
“The pitch was deemed not at an acceptable standard that is safe for players, staff, and match officials for this weekend’s game against Wellington Phoenix,” a club spokeswoman said.
“We are disappointed we won’t be able to play in front of our home crowd this weekend and look forward to working with Campbelltown Stadium in the lead up to our match against Mariners on December 5.”
It is understood five stadiums in the greater Sydney region were contacted to host the match, however the fixture was ultimately shifted to Newcastle for an A-Leagues Men double header.
Last year a Bulls spokesman praised the Campbelltown Stadium surface despite the relocation of a NRL match due to playing surface concerns.
“The ground staff at Campbelltown Stadium have prepared fantastic surfaces for football in the past and we have no reason to believe this will change,” he said.
Campbelltown Stadium is managed by Campbelltown Council, which has been contacted for comment.
Campbelltown Mayor George Brticevic, one of the Bulls’ biggest supporters, has also been contacted for comment.
A Macarthur FC Bulls spokesman declined to comment.
Macarthur FC Bulls members will be able to redeem a ticket to the match at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium, now kicking off at 6.45pm.
Those who purchased tickets to the Campbelltown fixture will be contacted by Ticketek for a refund.
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Originally published as A League: Campbelltown Stadium surface given green light
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