Promises, promises, promises...
On 7 March 2019, I posted the following article on this blog:
“The largest single investment in Tasmanian football was announced at North Chigwell today with the Federal Government granting $12.8 million for the construction of a Northern Suburbs Junior Football Hub at Metro’s ground.
“Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley and FT Director Jim Lange joined MP Andrew Wilkie to announce the $12.8 million in Federal Government funding.
“Also present were Mayor of Glenorchy City Council, Ald Kristie Johnston, Metro FC President Darrin Chaffey and Northern Suburbs Junior Soccer Association President Bianca Tolputt.
“The grant will fully fund the construction of a Junior Football Hub that will boast five separate pitches, two of them with a synthetic surface.
“In addition, the new facility will have high-quality lighting, new female-friendly change rooms, a function centre, spectator stand and increased car parking.”
As of today, 1 September 2022, three-and-a-half years later, as far as I know, not a single sod of earth has been turned.
The soccer fraternity is being taken for fools.
This sort of inaction in many other fields would have demonstrators out in force, complete with placards.
It won’t happen with football, however, because administrators, players and fans of our game are largely apathetic.
There was no NPL report in the local paper on Sunday about the weekend’s games. Unbelievable! Not even a photo, despite photos having been provided free of charge.
I’m afraid that football, the World Game variety, is just not part of the Tasmanian culture.
If it were, there would have been uproar years ago.
I am told that some of that $12.8 million has been diverted to renovations at KGV Park and some has been used to pay for failed project management.
I am told that work at North Chigwell will start at the end of this month, but it will not be anywhere near as extensive as initially promised.
There won’t be five new pitches, including two with artificial surfaces.
I am told there will now be just two new grass pitches.
What a let down and what a huge disappointment, and yet we followers of football sit back and meekly accept it.
That’s all we deserve then.
What has happened with the South Hobart Oval grant of $1 million?
Nothing. The ground, which used to be the home of football in Tasmania, is a dog-walking park.
One volunteer at South Hobart told me recently he has had to pick up dozens of dog turds from the ground before games. So much for responsible dog owners.
That ground has been used for many decades as a football ground and that’s what it should be.
Try walking your dog on North Hobart Oval and leave dog turds everywhere.
It’s unhygienic and unacceptable.
There is at least one lawyer on the Board of Football Tasmania. I wonder if avenues for redress for the current situation at South Hobart have been explored?
*****
Tasmania will be sending four football teams to the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast in November.
The teams will be for the age groups over-60s, Over-55s, Over-50s and Over-40s.
Some of the Over-60s players are original players from Dad’s Army Over-35s from a couple of decades ago.
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