Glen Eira FC has grown significantly in recent years, but its facilities are bursting at the seams trying to service the demand. A proposed synthetic pitch and lighting upgrade at Marlborough Street Reserve could provide the capacity the club needs to take its next step.
Football is growing at a rapid rate right across Melbourne, and Glen Eira FC is a clear example of that growth.
The club now has more than 1,100 participants, including more than 340 female and diverse players, with almost 95 per cent of its members aged 18 or under. Across the Bentleigh electorate specifically, total football participation has increased 18 per cent in recent years, while female participation has grown by 76 per cent.
The challenge is no longer whether people want to play football. It is whether there is enough quality space for them to play.
At Marlborough Street Reserve and many other pitches across Victoria, wet weather, heavy use and limited field capacity can restrict training and playing opportunities, particularly through winter. The lack of reliable off-season access also places pressure on development programs, social offerings and the club's ability to offer a consistent experience for its growing membership.
A proposed project at the reserve would convert the existing pitch to a synthetic football surface and deliver new lighting, creating a significantly more reliable playing and training environment.
For Glen Eira FC, that means more than a better pitch. It means being able to accommodate more players, provide greater opportunities for women and girls, support player development and give local families a facility they can rely on throughout the year.
Glen Eira FC President Odilia Wijburg explained that “Our club, and the sport in general, has experienced significant growth in recent years, and our facilities are struggling to keep pace with demand. A new sporting precinct with a synthetic pitch would be a gamechanger, providing year-round access, supporting participation growth and creating a lasting community asset that will benefit local families for generations.”
Football Victoria Head of Government Relations & Facilities Lachlan Cole said investment at Marlborough Street Reserve would help address one of the key challenges facing football across Melbourne's south-east.
“The story at Glen Eira FC is one we are seeing right across Victoria and specifically in Metropolitan Melbourne. Participation is growing, particularly among juniors, women and girls, but the infrastructure needed to support that growth is buckling under the weight of demand,” Cole said.
“Marlborough Street Reserve presents a clear opportunity to change that. A quality synthetic pitch and appropriate lighting would unlock three times the amount of usable hours per week, give the club greater certainty and create capacity for more people to play.”
Cole reinforced “The project is an opportunity for government to make a targeted investment that would deliver benefits well beyond the football club. This is about making sure a growing community has somewhere to play and turn the demand we are seeing into more opportunities for local people to participate.”
Marlborough Street Reserve has been identified by Football Victoria as a priority project for the south-east metropolitan region. With the club continuing to grow and demand for football remaining strong, the next step is securing the investment required to deliver the upgrade.
Football Victoria is calling on the Victorian Government to partner with Glen Eira City Council to fund and deliver the Marlborough Street Reserve synthetic pitch and lighting project, providing Glen Eira FC and the wider community with the capacity to harness the growing demand for football.