Pfitzy will tell us it’s the field of Dreams, which is an amazing surface and ground. But do other factors come into it? Like facilities, accessibility, parking, quality of fence, clubhouse etc.
That's the real issue for newer clubs: facilities.
I'd back our playing surface against pretty much everyone in terms of drainage and quality - tho Balmain seem to have benefited from the work done to Leichardt #2.
What we lack is a club house on the ground. The nature of community sport now is shared facilities, and unless you started with a bit of private land and/or a shitload of money, you're unlikely to ever achieve that. Those days are long gone.
Maybe if I win a stack of cash in Powerball I can convice the various bodies that Renegades deserve their own setup (which will simultaneously claim my marriage
), but that is deeply unpopular with Councils who need to squeeze every minute out of the grounds they have.
Hills Council are getting a pushback against their original proposal for Castle Hill Pony Club to be given to Eastwood on both environmental and community grounds - which is ironic given a Pony Club is hardly all-inclusive, or environmentally friendly.
Upgrades to amenities are possible, but it is likely we would still have to share with someone, whether it be TAFE Polecats during regular season, or the Jersey Flegg squad at Eels, local high school league, etc. That's the nature of either Council-run facilities, or our situation where Parra get a nice precinct provided they allocate enough to community sport.
The amenities are currently still what they were 5 years ago when Junior Soccer had the pitch: small change rooms, one shower each. It is due for upgrade once everything else in the facility is done, and will depend on how much money is left (Parra Eels Centre of Excellence and Community Grandstand on Fields 3 & 4 underway now) .
