Great Lakes United and Gloucester SC have been awarded a near combined $340,000 in NSW Government infrastructure funding, with the grants addressing two of the most persistent and practical barriers to football participation in regional communities: poor drainage and inadequate facilities.
The funding comes through the NSW Government’s ClubGrants Category 3 Infrastructure Program, which drew 424 applications in this round and approved 22 projects. The program is designed to fund construction, renovation and fit-out of community infrastructure for disadvantaged NSW communities, including regional and remote areas, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people with disability. Both successful football clubs fall under the Football Mid North Coast zone, administered by Northern NSW Football.
Gloucester SC received $254,603 to construct all-abilities toilets, showers and referee facilities. Great Lakes United secured $84,200 for drainage installation at Boronia Park Sports Complex, a project aimed at reducing weather-related disruptions and improving field usability across the season.
Infrastructure gaps that are holding the game back
Football is the largest participation sport in NSW, with close to 300,000 registered players using approximately 1,000 sites and 2,250 playing fields every week, yet the facilities supporting that participation aren’t built to handle the scale or diversity of the game as it exists today.
Northern NSW Football’s own assessment of the problem is frank. The federation has previously identified drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms as the foundational infrastructure gaps most likely to determine whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.
Female football participation in NSW has grown by 26% since 2014, placing particular pressure on clubs whose amenities were not designed with women and girls in mind. Gloucester SC’s all-abilities toilet and shower block, while framed as an accessibility upgrade, carries that broader implication: facilities built for a narrower participation base are increasingly inadequate for the game being played in them.
NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the outcomes reflected the kind of community-driven football the federation exists to support. “Great Lakes United and Gloucester SC are wonderful examples of community football driven by dedicated volunteers, passionate families and strong local spirit,” Fisher said. “This funding will make a meaningful difference in helping both clubs continue to grow and provide positive experiences for players of all ages and abilities.”
A federation building its case for government investment
The grants also reflect a deliberate shift in how Northern NSW Football engages with government funding. The federation has previously described football as under-funded and committed to engaging more diligently with government, including appointing a full-time government relations manager to advocate for the region. The ClubGrants outcome is a direct product of that approach.
NNSWF’s recently released Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies are designed to strengthen the federation’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning.
“Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future,” says Fisher.
NNSWF’s own Facilities Fund, established in 2019, has invested more than $1.6 million in community infrastructure since inception, with partnering funding bringing the total project value to over $3.7 million. The ClubGrants wins for Gloucester SC and Great Lakes United extend that pattern of layered, multi-source funding.
Across 2025/26, a total of $12.75 million was allocated through two rounds of ClubGrants Category 3, building on the $12.6 million provided in 2024/25 for 83 projects. For two volunteer-run clubs on the NSW Mid North Coast, competing against 424 applications to land a place among 22 funded projects represents a significant outcome, and a sign that NNSWF’s government relations infrastructure is beginning to pay off.
