Shire’s Sylvania Heights Unveils $2.9m Pitch Upgrade

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Shire's Sylvania Heights Unveils $2.9m Pitch Upgrade.
Image Credit: Pxhere

Grassroots football in the Sutherland Shire has received a massive shot in the arm with Sylvania Heights Football Club unveiling a remarkable $2.9 million upgrade to their home ground at Box Road Reserve just weeks before the season opener.

The comprehensive redevelopment features two re-levelled grass pitches complete with irrigation and enhanced drainage systems designed for year-round use.

The upgrade also includes cutting-edge smart-control LED floodlighting, a purpose-built viewing platform, and improved fencing and pathways to bolster safety and accessibility for players and spectators alike.

This ambitious project was delivered through a collaborative effort between Sutherland Shire Council and the club’s parent organisation, the Sylvania Heights Community & Youth Club, with crucial backing from the State Government, Cricket NSW and significant contributions from the Club itself.

In a ceremony held last Saturday, the transformed facilities were officially opened with a host of dignitaries in attendance, including Sutherland Shire Mayor Jack Boyd, Dr. Sarah Kaine MLC, Miranda MP Eleni Petinos, and councillors Carmelo Pesce, Jen Armstrong and Haris Strangas.

Representatives from Sylvania Heights Community & Youth Club, Cricket NSW, Football NSW, and Sutherland Shire Football Association were also on hand to celebrate the milestone.

Chris Plakias, Vice President of Sylvania Heights Community & Youth Club, highlighted the crucial role Football NSW played throughout the funding process.

“Football NSW’s support was invaluable to us during the critical bid stage and greatly assisted us in successfully securing funding from the NSW Government,” Plakias mentioned via official FNSW media release.

“We are extremely pleased to have realised our vision of creating a modern, high-quality and accessible community sporting facility.

“Football is the Club’s largest activity and what a fantastic way to launch into the 2025 Winter football season than with these state-of-the-art facilities.”

Helen Armson, Football NSW’s Head of Strategic Partnership and Corporate Affairs, emphasised how the redevelopment aligns perfectly with the organisation’s broader infrastructure goals.

“It’s very rewarding to witness the commitment and persistence of the many volunteers who oversaw this project through to completion,” Armson commented via official FNSW media release.

“This upgrade aligns perfectly with Football NSW’s Infrastructure Strategy of advocating for better facilities leading to connected communities and this was evident today.

“We look forward to seeing teams from Sylvania Heights FC benefit from this upgrade and playing under lights on their new pitch in May.”

The multi-purpose venue isn’t exclusive to football, as it also hosts cricket and OzTag competitions, along with various school and community events throughout the year.

The updated facilities will be a huge bonus for the area and a fantastic space to develop the footballing and sporting prowess of the community.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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