WELLINGTON S FUTURE FOOTBALL HUB

WELLINGTON S FUTURE FOOTBALL HUB APPLICATION BY AND SUPPORTED BY ARTIFICIAL FOOTBALL TURF AT HUTT CITY S MEMORIAL PARK APPLICATION FOR FUNDING TO PUB CHARITY - JULY 2011

Early artist s impression of turf and grandstands Awakening Wellington s Football spirit We re building a regional football hub with a new artificial turf at Lower Hutt s Memorial Park, that will host over a thousand games each season and thousands of players all year round. Capital Football wishes to develop Memorial Park as a Centre of Football Excellence for our federation and for the lower North Island. This is a long-term vision for Memorial Park, with the first step being the installation of an artificial pitch. This project would be ready to start as soon as the GOAL funding is approved by FIFA. An artificial pitch dedicated to football use at Memorial Park would significantly increase the capacity of football grounds in the greater Wellington region. We anticipate that an artificial pitch at Memorial Park could be used for up to 60 hours a week during the football season. This would enable well over a thousand games to be played throughout the winter. Over a year we think the pitch would be used for almost 2,500 hours. This is 10 times more than the normal usage of the existing natural turf ground. In wet months this ratio will increase as we can use artificial surfaces regardless of the weather. Football in our region has undergone significant growth - an increase of 7.8% between 2008-2009 and 8.2% between 2009-2010. This year the growth has been 5.1% and we now have over 14,500 affiliated club players. On top of that there are 3,000 more players aged 15 and above who play in college leagues run by College Sport. We also have a large number of coaches, club volunteers and parents involved, giving football a significant presence in the community. Despite this we have a shortage of quality grounds and this means our competitions are heavily affected by cancellations during winter. Although there are currently three full-size artificial pitches in Wellington, there are none elsewhere in our federation. Capital Football Women s team vs. Northern Suburbs

IMAGE OF WAKEFIELD PARK FROM AARON spage@sti-sports.com Example of artificial turf surface

BRACKEN STREET Sladden Park Memorial Park 4 B 1 A 2 3 1 Number 1 pitch as artificial turf 2 Number 2 pitch 3 Number 3 pitch 4 Number 4 pitch A - Existing Petone Soccer clubrooms B - Existing Capital Football building Proposed all-season turf at Memorial Park Memorial Park s an ideal hub located at the centre of our three main playing districts. It ll provide a base to create a properly integrated technical and coaching facility. This will be the first artificial football turf in the Hutt Valley. Together with more football facilities at Hutt Park we ll be able to host national tournaments in Lower Hutt. With the new turf Memorial Park will be able to host games through all seasons and at all levels - from First Kicks teams through to premiership games and the Chatham Cup. Memorial Park is currently home to Capital Football s headquarters. They are the regional managers of 14,500 football players from Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, Kapiti, Horowhenua and the Wairarapa. Football games will be played each day throughout winter. In summer the turf will be used by representative football squads, schools, various community groups and many other sporting codes. Memorial Park has four pitches, and is dedicated to football all year round. The artificial pitch would be located adjacent to these four existing full-size natural pitches. There is also good parking around the fields. Sladden Park borders Memorial Park and essentially adds another field to the complex. The new turf will enable games to go ahead in all weather. This will reduce the negative impact on teams that is caused by cancellations and ground closures because of poor weather. This project has been independently assessed and endorsed by Sport and Recreation New Zealand. See the report at the end of this document.

Artist s impressions of the proposed turf and future stands

Our long term vision is to develop a medium-size, 1000-spectator facility and redevelop adjacent buildings to provide modern indoor coaching and technical facilities. We ll upgrade adjacent natural turf pitches with a sand-base to create first-class dual surface football grounds. We ll integrate the three full-size pitches at Hutt Park (five minutes away) and motel / cabin accommodation at Hutt Park Camping Ground to provide a seven-pitch tournament venue. Community benefits Benefits to the Football community Benefits to the wider community Clubs and players will have access to a quality playing surface throughout the year and can plan their timetable with greater confidence. Clubs will have access to scheduled training times unaffected by weather. Supporters will be able to enjoy the matches more because of a significantly improved playing surface and drier spectator stands. Representative squads and coaches will have increased training and playing opportunities between October to March. Other districts in the lower North Island will benefit by having access to a multi-ground football facility and training camp facilities. During summer the pitch would be available for wider use by other codes and community groups e.g. touch, school events, marching, frisbee competitions, social football, futsal. During the day, school use for football and other activities will be encouraged. The presence of a quality pitch and first-class surroundings should boost local community interest in football matches played at Memorial Park. The ability to play football in the evening will promote further participation during the week. Over time the development of adjacent facilities would allow the wider football community to use the venue for a variety of coaching and technical programmes. Economic benefits to Hutt City will be generated through the hosting of national and regional tournaments and, potentially, Team Wellington and pre-season Phoenix games. We can create a wonderful social facility for the region and an enduring asset that will be enjoyed by the public for decades to come.

IMAGE Artificial turf at Wakefield Park in Newtown, Wellington

Funding model We re seeking $500,000 from Pub Charity to bring this $2million project to life Funders will include: FIFA $550,000 Hutt City Council $500,000 Capital Football $450,000 Pub Charity $500,000 Our supporters New Zealand Football Hutt City Council Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) Sport Wellington We will also have the benefit of FIFA expertise, and FIFA involvement will ensure the football focus of this facility. Our future vision for this facility, as a regional centre of excellence, fits well within FIFA s development goals for Oceania.

Memorial Park Artificial Turf Development Independent Review Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

Contents 1 Introduction... 3 2 Process... 3 3 The alignment and significance of this project to the findings of the national football facility review... 4 4 The commitment and alignment of key partners to the project... 5 5 The projected benefits of the project to the region and NZ.... 8 6 Summary... 9 Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

1 Introduction Visitor Solutions was appointed by SPARC to undertake an independent review of the potential development of an artificial turf at Memorial Park, Hutt City in May 2011. Capital Football is leading an initiative to provide a dedicated artificial turf for football at Memorial Park. The project is well developed and financial contributions have been secured from Hutt City and Capital Football. Further support is identified through FIFA Goal Funding (to be confirmed in June 2011) with the balance to be sought from gaming and charitable funding, sponsorship, and a loan secured against the operational revenue of the game. The purpose of the review is to provide an independent view focusing on: The alignment and significance of this project to the findings of the national football facility review The commitment and alignment of key partners to the project The projected benefits of the project to the region and NZ. In undertaking the review the underlying project assumptions and design have not been revisited. 2 Process The findings of this review are based on: A review of available documentation including: o New Zealand Football Facility Strategy o Submission to Hutt City Council s LTCCP 2009 2019. Capital Football April 2009 o Oral Submission to Hutt City Council LTCCP. Capital Football May 2009 o Development of an Artificial Pitch at Memorial Park. GOAL funding submission to FIFA. Capital Football October 2010 o Hutt City Council Draft Annual Plan 2011-2012 Initial meeting with Grant Herman, Capital Football; Aaron Marsh, Hutt City Council; and Peter Cox, SPARC on 11 th May 2011. Meeting with Grant Herman, Capital Football on 11 th May 2011 Meeting with Aaron Marsh, Hutt City Council on 11 th March 2011 Telephone interview with Marty Grenfell, Hutt City Council on 2 nd March 2011 Telephone interview with Glyn Taylor, New Zealand Football on 12 th March 2011 Telephone interview with Craig Deadman, Chairman Petone Football Club on 20 th May 2011. Meeting with Glenn McGovern, Wellington City Council, 27 th May 2011. Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

3 The alignment and significance of this project to the findings of the national football facility review This National Facility Strategy developed in 2010 provides a framework for the development of football facilities in New Zealand at the regional and local community levels. The framework enables clubs, Federations, NZ Football, Territorial Authorities and other partners to: Identify current demand for football fields. Consider changing population demographics and to identify the potential future demand for football fields. Prioritise future investment to ensure that the right facilities are provided, in the right locations and for the right reasons. This strategy focuses on the demand for grass roots participation and identifies that the demand for access to football fields has a direct relationship with the range of activities offered and the participation numbers within the clubs. The Strategy identified seven local authority areas as a priority for future investment, one of which is Wellington. The strategy identifies that the main pressures facing football in the Capital Football region are: Significant pressure on fields from Wellington teams. Senior team entries to competition are capped due to the availability of fields. Many grounds have reduced capacity (one game per week) due to their poor condition. Access for training is a major barrier, with fields regularly closed for training. Very few facilities have training lights. This can further restrict access even if the field is open. It was further identified that for the Hutt Valley: There are theoretically sufficient fields to meet the demand for football at the current time and projected through to 2021. The reliance on Hutt Valley fields to meet the shortfall from Wellington reduces the available supply of fields and this is likely to turn the future surplus into a shortfall. In considering the National Facility Strategy the following key actions are identified to be of direct relevance to the proposal: Strategy 1 Providing Additional Capacity for Priority Areas 1.2 That New Zealand Football partners with the Federations and the Councils to develop a plan for Local Football Centres* within the identified priority areas. Local Football Centres should: Have football as the primary year round user. Have artificial turf field(s). Be a base for junior football and football training. Consider co-location with schools to maximise day time usage. Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

Where possible enable multi sport usage when not utilised for football. Strategy 2 Developing a Home of Football 2.1 New Zealand Football and Federations work with Councils to support the development of a Home of Football within each Federation area. A Home of Football should have a dual role as a Local Football Centre. Implications of the National Facility Strategy The proposed development aligns closely with the National Facility Strategy enabling the implementation of Strategy 2 - Developing a Home of Football. While the location was not identified as a Priority Area the proposed facility has a region wide focus and will support the development of football in the Capital Football region. The proposed development therefore supports Strategy 1 - Providing additional capacity in Priority Areas, in particular Strategy 2.1 - Local Football Centres. It was identified that the provision of increased capacity (primarily through the provision of artificial surfaces in Wellington) has enabled the cap of senior teams to be removed and participation to grow by 17 senior teams; and junior participation to increase by 5% within the Capital Football region. However it is considered that if additional capacity is not made available Capital Football will not be able to accommodate additional growth leading to a reintroduction of the player cap. Overall it is considered that the proposed development aligns closely with the National Facility Strategy and is considered will have a significant impact on the implementation of the strategy in the Capital Football region. 4 The commitment and alignment of key partners to the project New Zealand Football / FIFA Goal Funding FIFA Goal funding is available to support the development of football specific projects through New Zealand Football. New Zealand Football has identified that the priority for GOAL funding is to support the development of artificial turf facilities within the major population centres. to support the development of homes of football. Discussions with New Zealand Football indicated that there were no formal written criteria for GOAL funding, however potential projects should: Provide for an academy of football Support and enable training programmes and the development of football Be dedicated football specific facilities allowing year round usage Be compliant to the FIFA standards. Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

The development of these facilities assists in the implementation of the National Facility Strategy with a number of potential projects considered by the New Zealand Football Board. From discussions with New Zealand Football, the specific projects have been prioritised based on how far advanced the proposals have been developed within the Federations to ensure that projects can progress in a timely manner. New Zealand Football identified English Park in Christchurch as the first priority followed by Memorial Park. Under the FIFA Goal funding New Zealand Football are only allowed to apply for funding for one project at a time and can only apply once each project has been completed. As such New Zealand Football can not formally apply for FIFA Goal funding for Memorial Park once the project at English Park is completed. (This is estimated to be by the end of June 2011). GOAL funding is normally allocated at FIFA meetings in February and September, however New Zealand Football has secured approval from FIFA to consider an application for Memorial Park outside the normal funding cycles to ensure that the Memorial Park project can proceed as soon as the English Park project is completed. Hutt City Council Hutt City Council has started working on a 20 year city-wide Community Sport, Recreation and Leisure Plan to be completed in detail as part of next year s long term plan process. While this is being prepared $5.5m has been reallocated to support the reorganisation and upgrading of facilities, enabling the development of leisure hubs around the city. Part of this funding is to provide artificial turf for a number of codes traditionally played on grass. It is recognised that these facilities will provide for sporting activity at a number of levels, including junior participation and sport specific skills development. While the 20 year city wide plan is under development a clear delineation has been articulated differently between sports sites in the region, this is to provide a hierarchy of provision based on the needs of individual sports codes and to include community participation and more specialist facilities to support the development of individual codes. This identified community provision, for example Fraser Park, was seen as: A community multisport venue Junior and club focus Managed by Trust to meet wider community sporting needs. In supporting the hierarchy of facilities, Memorial Park was identified as the premier football facility in the city which provides: Specialist high quality football facility managed by football, for football. A home of football. Potential for National League Games. Representative competition and training. Available to community football / clubs when not used by other activities. The Council is fully committed to the project which has been identified within the Long Term Council Community Plan as a priority project, initially to be developed during the Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

2014/2015 financial year. Funding for the project had subsequently been brought forward to be included within the 2011/2012 Annual Plan to reflect the need for the project and the ability to secure additional partner support. Capital Football Capital Football are fully committed to the project and identify the development of an artificial turf as an integral part of the wider development of Memorial Park as the Premier football venue within the Wellington region with the ability to host national league games and Women and age group international games. Capital Football has been actively working with Hutt City Council and New Zealand Football to support the development of the project. The development of artificial turf fields is seen as part of the solution to increase the capacity for football in the region. Prior to the completion of the first artificial turfs by Wellington City Council a cap had been placed on the number of senior teams. It is considered that if additional capacity for football (including the development of artificial turf fields) is not made available that Capital Football will be required to consider capping player numbers within the next few years. The current provision of artificial turf fields are centred on Wellington City. The development of an artificial turf at Memorial Park will provide greater access to artificial turf across the Capital Football region. Petone Football Club Memorial Park is the home of Petone Football Club. It has been indicated that there was some initial concerns by the Club towards the development of the artificial turf, due primarily to the proposed location of the field; however these concerns have now been resolved. The development of the artificial turf is now supported by the club and is seen as potentially playing a central role in the overall development of football at the club. It is acknowledged that the artificial turf will result in a number of changes to the way that the club has traditionally operated resulting in greater flexibility required over the times and days when football will be played. Securing access to quality fields for training is seen as one of the main pressures the club faces with the number of cancellations at a junior level being a major cause of concern over recent seasons. The club identifies a number of potential benefits including: A dedicated training area which is not weather dependent A good quality surface assisting with increasing the standard of play Significant potential benefit for junior participation during winter months Potential to generate additional income through the clubrooms due to the increased use of the facility. Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

The club are supportive of the project and are keen to ensure that the potential benefits are maximised through the development of additional training / warm up area adjacent to the proposed field (as identified in initial proposals). As an indication of the Club s commitment to the project, it was highlighted that the Club is considering how it can support the project as a partner, including the potential of investing financially to assist in the capital cost of construction in order to secure future access. This would be subject to wider approval of the club and negotiation with Capital Football to ensure a mutually beneficial outcome. Commitment and Alignment of Key Partners Overall there is a high level of commitment by the key partners and a strong alignment to their stated objectives. The development of the artificial turf at Memorial Park has been supported by the NZF Board and identified as the next priority for development after the completion of English Park in Christchurch. The project aligns well with the FIFA criteria and while the funding is not yet secure, dispensation by FIFA to consider the application for Goal funding outside the normal funding windows indicates a high level of support. It is therefore considered that the project aligns with the priorities of both NZF and FIFA and that both organisations are committed to the project. The development of the artificial turf aligns with the development of a hierarchy of facilities that meet the needs of both wider community sport and football specific development. 5 The projected benefits of the project to the region and NZ. The development of the artificial turf at Memorial Park provides for a number of potential benefits. These include: A dedicated football facility. The home of football helps support a hierarchy of facilities and provides for the development of year round football programmes. Increased demand for summer programmes has helped support the development of a Girl s / Women s only summer league which has grown from 39 teams to 79 in 2 years. Providing a regional focus. Developing the artificial turf with Capital Football enables a neutral venue to be developed, independent of clubs, to enable the priorities for football across the region to be met and the use of the facility to be maximised. Increasing overall capacity. The development of the field as a home of football supports other infrastructure developments to ensure that the usage of assets is maximised. Providing the additional capacity for training reduces the over utilisation at other sites within the region. This has the potential to reduce the Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

level of on-going field maintenance, as fields are less likely to be over utilised, resulting in potential operational savings. Meeting Future Demand. The development of artificial turfs by Wellington City Council has demonstrated that access to facilities was a barrier to participation and that once additional field capacity was made available participation increased. Increasing access to quality, high capacity artificial fields will enable future participation to grow. The high capacity of the artificial field with floodlighting enables demand additional football activities to be met during the week, for example business house and social leagues that do not want to participate at traditional leagues or times of the week. Developing a hierarchy of provision. Ensuring that a hierarchy of provision is available is essential to enabling progression and football development in the region. Supported the implementation of the National Facility Strategy. The development supports two of the key strategic actions of the national facility strategy. A significant step towards a nationally significant venue. While the artificial turf is unlikely to provide a significant impact at the national level it is an essential part of a planned approach to develop Memorial Park as a nationally significant football venue. 6 Summary Overall there is strong strategic alignment and commitment of partners to the development of the artificial turf at Memorial Park. This development delivers on a number of key strategic initiatives and supports the implementation of the National Football Facility Strategy. The project provides for a number of significant benefits for the development of football primarily at the regional and local levels. While the not currently providing significant benefits at a national level, the provision of the artificial turf is an integral part of a plan to develop Memorial Park to a nationally significant facility capable of hosting National League, Women s and Age group International competition. Memorial Park Artificial Turf Independent Review

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