Anyone open the Herald article about the use of N02 sports ground?Newcastle's premier rugby clubs could forced out of home fields if council adopts consultant's ideas
Anyone open the Herald article about the use of N02 sports ground?Newcastle's premier rugby clubs could forced out of home fields if council adopts consultant's ideas
I couldn't find the Herald article, but it refers to a discussion paper for the Newcastle council's strategic sports plan. A couple of quotes:
Sport Specific recommendations - Football (soccer):
Regional and District Facility Master Planning - Arthur Edden Oval« Designate Adamstown No 1, Darling St Oval and Arthur Edden Oval as venues for NPL games
« Utilise National Park No 2 Sportsground as a venue for NPL games. Prioritise highest level of competition/ events in all rectangular field sports when allocating use
« Ensure infrastructure at these grounds complies with NPL standards
« Develop a Master Plan to guide development of Arthur Edden Oval as a football centre of excellence and venue for NPL competition games (including possible synthetic surface)
« Progressively upgrade other grounds - playing surfaces, lighting, amenities, drainage/irrigation - in accordance with criteria to be developed (e.g. budget, designated hierarchy, usage levels, condition audits and code standards)
« Include football in the development of additional shared use fields as part of new land provision in the western growth corridor.
I assume the paper itself will appear on the council's website at some stage.Develop a Master Plan to guide redevelopment of this facility as a football centre of
excellence and to host National Premier League (NPL) competition games, and possible
installation of synthetic surface. (Other grounds designated for staging of NPL games are
National Park No 2, Adamstown No 1, and Darling St Oval).
With Cookers not getting the NPL nod, who would use No2?
Interesting figures in that article indicating that football (soccer) is far and away the biggest sport. Miles ahead of league and glaxies ahead of rugby. Rugby, according to the article, will be the big "loser" out of this.
Pressure will be on for the other Councils to keep up.
I'd love to know if there was any reference to ground sharing in the report. Is Harker Oval provately owned or a Council asset, and if so, should it be shared? Same applies to other sporting grounds with sinlge users including football grounds.
"It is not that I am afraid to die; its just that I don't want to be there when it happens" - Woody Allen
Harker is privately owned I believe. I know that Rugby would give the surface a once over at No.2, but I can’t believe that No.2 has never been mentioned as a possibility to host the NPL Grand Final. Mcdonald Jones failed as it was too big and cavernous - and certain clubs shouldn’t profit from hosting the grand final.
The article discusses the report as mentioned above. Council have sent out consultations to current ground users to open discussions on the idea to convert Wickham Park into two AFL and use No.2 Sportsground as a venue for National Premier League soccer games. National Park to be upgraded so one side will be entirely for netball. Council have bought land in Maryland to build a new sports complex.
The article mentions Cooks Hill wanting to share No.2 with Wanderers, but the tone of the article suggests Council want it used for the most played sport in the city. Rugby people quoted as saying they'll "defend their turf vigorously" but you'd hope Council will push on and do what's best for the city. I agree NPL grand finals at No.2 make a lot of sense. Perhaps the Jets might look at No.2 as well when their lease is up at McDonald Jones?
I was always under the impression that Newcastle Rugby chipped in to the cost of the No#2 refurb.
If not then yeah, they are a tennant and can get in line like the rest.
Also if not, and the council spent all that coin on a rugby ground yet NNSW couldn't get a similar deal doesn't make NNSW look that good does it.
Cheers. Lots of good suggestions thrown around. But we have to pay billions for Sydney's rail, road and tunnel projects first.
Wouldnt mind Wallarah & Blackley oval to be turned into synthetic football facility. Was hoping that district Pk would be one originally
The consultants report basically ignored football. The NPL clubs are happy with the grounds they have but they want to mess with that.
The WPL teams need access to better grounds #2 for games only would be great - shared on Sundays between New Lambton and Merewether perhaps?
The report said that there are "sufficient" sports fields in Newcastle, but that they would have to be allocated better.
Seeing as a lot of clubs in the city turned players/teams away this season due to field constraints (Cooks Hill, New Lambton, Kotara, Merewether that I know of - but not really mentioned)
This is where we need Newcastle Football and NNSW to get together with the clubs and present a unified response during the comment period.