Under-utilised Fields / Grounds

[Jolly_Roger]

I thought i would create this thread to see what pops up.

We are all aware that football is growing on the coast and placing demands on our sporting fields /space and also enjoyment of the game when teams have to be restricted, or have there playing time reduced to accomodate all concerned. I read an article some time ago about growth projections for football on the coast where some figure was quoted at around 20,000 registered players in years to come. All this is well and good but without the fields, how can it possibly occur?

Clearly more fields are required for the future, but given the position we are in now, what grounds are there in your area that would be suitable for football that are being under-utilised as winter playing fields.

I am happy to start being a woy woy Peninsula Local.

1) McEvoy Oval Umina - Would accomodate two full size fields, excellent playing surface, has canteen and amenties block, parking area. To the best of my knowledge, it is not used at all for winter sports. (Definately could be used right now).

2) Ettalong Oval - Good playing surface, i believe it may be used for league on saturdays??. I am not aware of a permanent tenant. Perhaps others may know more. (Perhaps a candidate for combination league/football posts for duel use).

3) Rogers Park (Not the afl field) - A full size field was established over the Baseball Field about two years ago. Last year it did have league posts erected but i cannot recall it ever being played on. Again, perhaps others may know more. (Perhaps a candidate for combination league/football posts for duel use).

Anyway, theres three possibilities, what others exist??

 

[soundsdifferent]

2) Ettalong Oval - Good playing surface, i believe it may be used for league on saturdays??. I am not aware of a permanent tenant. Perhaps others may know more. (Perhaps a candidate for combination league/football posts for duel use).

nah this is taken all day saturday by woy woy juniour rugby union the buil;ding is theres i think

 

[marinermick]

great thread

i am always pissed off that ourimbah has so little room in football and rugby yet there is a severe under-utilisation of the vast expanse that is sohier park

 

[nutmeg]

great thread

i am always pissed off that ourimbah has so little room in football and rugby yet there is a severe under-utilisation of the vast expanse that is sohier park

sohier park has rugby league in winter

 

[From the dug out]

You would be better off asking council/s what ovals are free, if any?

Council have ground alocation inwhich clubs have to book in advance regarding usage.

Some ground are alocated only for football whilst others are only for League and so on.

 

[Jolly_Roger]

To optimise the utilisation of fields, perhaps some neutral grounds should be dedicated to certain senior divisions. Ie McEvoy oval which I used as a potential playing field above. Two fields could be established. Perhaps on Saturdays, field 1 is dedicated to Over 35s B division (south) The second field to the 35s C (division South). It means that all teams playing in these divisions share this field every week at different time slots throughout the day. On Sunday, Perhaps the ground is Dedicated for mens AA1, & AA2. The cost of the field is shared among clubs fielding teams in these divisions.

This would free up clubs home grounds for junior, premier league, under 21s football.

Yeh sure, it means that the after game beer might happen at 10.30 in the morning for some teams playing in the earlier time slot,

I am sure there would be other neutral grounds around the coast that could be utilised in a similar way for the senior teams.

 

[marinermick]

great thread

i am always pissed off that ourimbah has so little room in football and rugby yet there is a severe under-utilisation of the vast expanse that is sohier park

sohier park has rugby league in winter

my point exactly

it is only ever 50% used with rugby league and the ground is configured for only two fields when they could easily fit three

 

[nutmeg]

it is only ever 50% used with rugby league and the ground is configured for only two fields when they could easily fit three

The main field was moved because they kept using it in the rain and kept stuffing up the turf wicket. Maybe if they cleared that area over near the road, you could get a field there but they won't go near the turf

 

[marinermick]

it is only ever 50% used with rugby league and the ground is configured for only two fields when they could easily fit three

The main field was moved because they kept using it in the rain and kept stuffing up the turf wicket. Maybe if they cleared that area over near the road, you could get a field there but they won't go near the turf

leaving the turf wicket aside you could easily get three fields in

do up the one near road and you have four

 

[nutmeg]

it is only ever 50% used with rugby league and the ground is configured for only two fields when they could easily fit three

The main field was moved because they kept using it in the rain and kept stuffing up the turf wicket. Maybe if they cleared that area over near the road, you could get a field there but they won't go near the turf

leaving the turf wicket aside you could easily get three fields in

do up the one near road and you have four

but if you look closely at the field there is a cement drain around half of it. it used to have a cement drain around the whole field but they took half of it off when they moved the main league field, but the other half is still there.

 

[marinermick]

it is only ever 50% used with rugby league and the ground is configured for only two fields when they could easily fit three

The main field was moved because they kept using it in the rain and kept stuffing up the turf wicket. Maybe if they cleared that area over near the road, you could get a field there but they won't go near the turf

leaving the turf wicket aside you could easily get three fields in

do up the one near road and you have four

but if you look closely at the field there is a cement drain around half of it. it used to have a cement drain around the whole field but they took half of it off when they moved the main league field, but the other half is still there.

there is no reason for it to be there

drainage can be underground

 

[nutmeg]

i agree. i have just found the Ourimbah District Sports Precinct concept masterplan. It shows rugby will be moved over to the area at sohier that needs to be cleared. The soccer fields will be redone.

 

[marinermick]

i agree. i have just found the Ourimbah District Sports Precinct concept masterplan. It shows rugby will be moved over to the area at sohier that needs to be cleared. The soccer fields will be redone.

possible in my lifetime

the masterplan has been around for years with no action on it whatsoever

 

[nutmeg]

i agree. i have just found the Ourimbah District Sports Precinct concept masterplan. It shows rugby will be moved over to the area at sohier that needs to be cleared. The soccer fields will be redone.

possible in my lifetime

the masterplan has been around for years with no action on it whatsoever

The masterplan i have says 2007

 

[marinermick]

i agree. i have just found the Ourimbah District Sports Precinct concept masterplan. It shows rugby will be moved over to the area at sohier that needs to be cleared. The soccer fields will be redone.

possible in my lifetime

the masterplan has been around for years with no action on it whatsoever

The masterplan i have says 2007

to be completed 3007 knowing council

 

[offtheball]

Terry Oval Springfield.

No parking or canteen but has toilet block and is adjacent to shops.

Also is Paul Oval at Matcham used for anything in winter. Has an artificial wicket in the middle but that isn't a problem at Maiden's Brush

 

[Andy]

I thought i would create this thread to see what pops up.

We are all aware that football is growing on the coast and placing demands on our sporting fields /space and also enjoyment of the game when teams have to be restricted, or have there playing time reduced to accomodate all concerned. I read an article some time ago about growth projections for football on the coast where some figure was quoted at around 20,000 registered players in years to come. All this is well and good but without the fields, how can it possibly occur?

Clearly more fields are required for the future, but given the position we are in now, what grounds are there in your area that would be suitable for football that are being under-utilised as winter playing fields.

I am happy to start being a woy woy Peninsula Local.

1) McEvoy Oval Umina - Would accomodate two full size fields, excellent playing surface, has canteen and amenties block, parking area. To the best of my knowledge, it is not used at all for winter sports. (Definately could be used right now).

2) Ettalong Oval - Good playing surface, i believe it may be used for league on saturdays??. I am not aware of a permanent tenant. Perhaps others may know more. (Perhaps a candidate for combination league/football posts for duel use).

3) Rogers Park (Not the afl field) - A full size field was established over the Baseball Field about two years ago. Last year it did have league posts erected but i cannot recall it ever being played on. Again, perhaps others may know more. (Perhaps a candidate for combination league/football posts for duel use).

Anyway, theres three possibilities, what others exist??

I'm pretty sure that Woy Woy Rugby Union train there during the week.

Don't play games there though.

 

[Davo]

I work for Wyong Council and am involved with several of the sportsfield upgrades.  From what I have experienced inside Wyong Council they do dedicate a large portion of funding to new sportsgrounds and the upgrade of existing grounds. 

When the new sporting complex opens at Wadalba I recommend for anyone who is interested to visit the site,  it really is a top class ground.  Other recent projects include Jubilee Oval at Long Jetty, which was opened last year, and Pat Morley Oval at Bateau Bay where further works are underway for the provision of other football code grounds.  There also plans for a new sportsfield at Woongarrah and as previously mentioned the Ourimbah District Sports Precinct concept design is progressing.

 

[offtheball]

Wyong Councilleaves Gosford for dead in this regard.

Yesterday's paper reports Oznam for Kincumber Colts League will not be ready for 2008. Looks like they will be sharing Fost again. How long has this fiasco been going on?

 

[dibo]

Has anybody contacted the relevant councils? Each council will have an officer through whom you can get information, offer feedback etc.

I remember this time last year there was a lot of noise on our old forum about drought management of grounds on the coast and that the councils are doing nothing etc. It started off as a complaint about field restrictions for preseason training.

As it happens, there had been some serious work going on around that time that had resulted in the Central Coast Sportsground Management Strategy being implemented. There had been an open consultation process and submissions had been invited from all concerned parties.

Only one submission was received from a football group - the Northern NSW Christian Soccer Association. Other codes had clubs and associations making submissions and putting forward their views, but local football was essentially not represented at all.

That didnt stop 11 pages of furious debate on the forum to do with how crap the strategy was and how it was a kick in the teeth for football that fields had been so badly mismanaged etc

If there are to be better outcomes for football on the Coast in the area of field allocation and management, then people need to be involved in the process. Encourage CCF to take advice from and make representations on behalf of the Central Coast football community in order to push for better outcomes. Its a big organisation with some serious whack behind it if its pointed in the right direction. Knocking things on the internet wont get anything done though.

Write a letter to the council. Encourage people in your team and your club to do the same. Maybe ask your club committee to pass a motion, push it on to CCFA to get involved. You can then force the councils to explain either what is being done and why or why certain things arent being done.