Vikings to build multi million International Futsal centre (QLD)
VIKINGS FUTSAL STADIUM GETS GO AHEAD IN NORTH QUEENSLAND
It was big news in North Queensland yesterday when Vikings Futsal FNQ new 6 court stadium was finally approved by council. The stadium has been in the planning process for 2 years and now has come to fruition.
Besides the six courts the centre will also house a gym, four change rooms, meeting room, offices for 4 people, kiosk and THE FUTEBOL SHOP CAIRNS on site.
The building of the stadium is being managed and funded by local futsal identity and benefactor Charlie Marino, who has been sponsoring futsal in the north for years. Besides the indoor stadium in the area, there will also be a major shopping centre, tavern with accommodation and major fast food outlets. With the building of the centre, Cairns will now be in a position to hold major events.
News Article from the Cairns Post :
Work to start on $6m futsal complex in Cairns
Cairns is to have a $6 million international standard futsal (indoor soccer) stadium next year.
The stadium will be built at Redlynch following agreement by the Cairns Regional Council to allow commercial facilities – including a tavern and fast-food outlets – to be built at the same time.
In November the project put forward by Charlie and Joe Marino and their companies C20 and Jored Holdings was in doubt after the council imposed a condition that the six-court stadium be built before the commercial aspects of Redlynch Central Sports.
Charlie Marino argued at the time that for the project to be viable, the commercial part of the development needed to be built first to give a cash flow for the sport stadium project.
Last week, the council agreed to allow the restaurants and tavern to be started before the stadium, but they all have to be stage 1 of the development.
Mr Marino said while he accepted the condition, it still imposed a heavy impost to organise the finance to build both components at the one time.
“We are now looking to move ahead with the project,” Mr Marino said.
“Civil engineering works will start this year and the likelihood is some of the commercial aspect will also be started.
“The futsal stadium will be ready next year,” he confidently said.
National attraction: An artist's impressions of the $6m indoor soccer centre, including a tavern and fast-food outlets, that will be built at Redlynch by next year. Click for bigger pic
Design work was continuing on the stadium which will feature four open-sided courts designed specifically for the region’s weather conditions.
There are more than 2000 registered futsal players in Far North Queensland, 1500 of them in Cairns.
Despite its growth, the sport has been held back by a lack of facilities, being forced to share courts with established basketball, netball and volleyball competitions.
The establishment of the stadium had the potential to see Cairns become a national centre for the sport as a venue for regional, state and international tournaments as well as a major training centre for national teams.
There was only one objection to the development proposal and time has now expired for an appeal to the Land and Environment Court.
Source : Vikings Futsal & The Cairns Post
By : Tony Cifuentes (Vikings) & Greg Punshon (Cairns Post)
Published : 26/3/2009
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This is great news for Futsal not only in Cairns but all over Australia, as people will see that the sport is growing and Vikings is doing something for the sport.
Why doesn’t the newspaper article mention the Vikings?
I Don’t know why the paper didn’t mention Vikings, they interviewed myself and Charlie Marino the Developer, but as reports or editors do they publish what they want.
Sorry Reporters!!!
The centre is being built for futsal development as well as elite competitions so its obvious to all that its a “VIKINGS” centre ! lol
Vikings are the ‘quiet achievers’ who dont need fanfares everytime they do something for the sport ! OMG if they did there’d be no room for the FFA to write anything on here !
Well done Charlie and Tony…she’s looking good !
The local council will not have a bar of this! There will not be any exclusivety! As soon as the stadium is built, netball and basketball will takeover and the Vikings will have to share space with Football Queensland the Governing body of the Sport. Waste of energy to build something that the Vikings will not even be able to us in the end!
I have to laugh when I read F. Sala declaring that “vikings are “quiet achievers” who don’t need fanfares everytime they do something for the sport”. F. Sala’s self promotion and promoting Vikings at every minor instance in evident in this article as with most articles. Vikings do not have any financial ownership in this centre (I think any new sports centre is great by the way), yet the headlines put out by Vikings is “Vikings to build multi million dollarFutsal Centre”. Vikings is not building the centre. A developer is doing it to get approval for his other commercial development. 1,500 players in Cairns is the size of a small club in Sydney. Cairns Council requirements are that the centre is open to all sports.
I made you laugh Paul ?, Just read Alistair M’s joke about Football Queensland being the Governing body of the sport…he had me in stitches ! lol
1,500 players in Cairns is the size of a small club in Sydney ?
Huh !
1,500 is the size of a Futsal club committee in China !
LOL Yes Football Queensland have a lot of Futsal activity going on in Cairns…about as much as the rest of Queensland….. Tony C must be quaking in his boots.
Another slow day for you Tim
Alistair M and Paul, to my understanding the council has approved the building as a specific Futsal center as it reads in the article, this is a private developer that is building the stadium for Vikings to operate as a Futsal center, they will be developing the sport from grass roots threw to the highest possible level on an International standard Futsal facilaty, you should be proude that someone in Australia is seeing the growth in the sport and has chosen the only Futsal body in Australia actually doing anything for the sport to run it.
If 1500 members is a small club in Sydney, then ask yourself, why haven’t we done something like this?? or even what are we doing now for the sport we all love?????
Well done Charlie Marino and Vikings for taking on such a large venture and actually doing something for the sport, not just talk about it.
Not just taking about it? It is my understanding that FNSW is building a facility at Riverstone with 2 international futsal courts that can ‘normally’ be configured into 4 general play courts. I don’t think they’re building this as a restaurant. Hopefully both organisations can help build the sport and give it the appropriate recognition. 1500 members is maybe not a small club in Sydney, but it is definitely a club in Sydney, and there are MANY more than one club in Sydney.
PJ it sounds like you think having a restaurant attached ia negative ?
go to FNSW website I think you will find
*
Licensed club and function centre
*
Hotel accommodation
mentioned in their Riverstone project.
Nothing wrong with either it makes smart sense that another income stream that will help reduce the costs that otherwise may have to come from increased fees
After looking at the plans online they are most definately noted as Futsal Courts with Futsal dimensions. 4 courts in total with 1 full size field marked over the top. Great thing for the game.
Not sure the headline above is completely accurate, but a good thing never the less.
Aren’t FNSW GIVEN money to develop the sport? Whereas a private developer is spending his own money for (we’ll see in time) Vikings to get a great new facility?
Not surprisingly, he’s hoping to see some returns for his $6 Million dollar investment, whereas i would EXPECT a government body to be spending money purely to DEVELOP the sport. Which i’m not seeing FNSW or ANY other state body doing.
side note: it’s another year for WA without a Futsal committee at Football West. Hurrah for growth! At least Vikings are doing something over here…
I know for a fact that Vikings Futsal will not have full control of this centre as i have a colleague who works in the LGA. Guarantee that this will not occur! Basketball and Netball will come first! They are laughing their socks off that someone else is doing all the hard work for the other sports to prosper.
I guess if you have no friends , a “colleague” in the LGA is the next best thing ! Thank you for that mind blowing contribution Alistair M !
He has a colleague in the Ladies Golf Association… wow…. how does that relate to Futsal?? lol
I think a call to the Cairns City Council, a member of the Local Government Association may clarify the situatiion.
Alistair M you have to be kidding?? does that mean that the shed i lease, i now have to give to Basketball and Netball, oh no my business is doooomed!!! LOL
You will find that this is being built by a “private developer” and LGA will have no say in what sport is played there, as the people that will have the lease of the centre (Vikings) will play whatever sport they want in there, and you will also find that Vikings will be making some financial contribution to the building of this centre otherwise it would not get done.
Also well done to FNSW for their plans on a centre in Riverstone, I was unaware of this, imagine what the sport would accomplish if both groups could put their differences aside and work together for the benefit of the sport
ha ha…. nah I think Tim only has colleagues in the Ladies Golf Association.
Is pretty funny how Cairns of all places is now the centre of the Futsal world in Australia and I’m not surprised that Tim is out their knocking what they are doing. Those that can’t do in Futsal knock it aye Tim
Just to keep the topic going, it will be announced by the end of May that another Vikings supporter/benefactor is building them a three court futsal only facility at the Gold Coast which should also be ready for beginning of next year.
Spanyard. Councils do have a lot of say as to what a developer can do. On the ex ABC site at Gore Hill, Willoughby Council has made a condition of approval that the developer builds an indoor centre which can be used for futsal, basketball and badmington. Willoughby Council will run the centre as it sees fit and the developer has no choice but to agree if he wants to get approval for his office development.
Thanks for that Paul, I’m not sure what conditions the council has put on the developer for this facility, but it does state that it will be a a Futsal centre and i am led to believe that Vikings will have a lease on the facilaty to run it, not the council, so if this is the case don’t you think Vikings will be putting their own interests (Futsal) first???
Well done Charlie Marino &Tony C. Vikings this center will bring more than 1500 players in the futre considering ssf games are at the end of the day out door futsal not that FFQ will agree.
All FFQ has to do is look at the numbers of kids leaving the game ot out door football.Why pay 2 regos 1 outdoor and 1 indoor.
How is this development progressing?
Simon, works have started on the building as advertised and we hope to have it operational By April 2010, as we will be participating in the NQ Games and holding the Skyrail Northern State Futsal Championships then as well.
Tony Cifuentes.
Why has it gone from 6 courts to 4?
Unfortunately the financial times we live in, and this is being built by a private developer, so no Federal, State or local Government money, so now it will be a 4 court stadium with an International size court.
Still very good for Futsal in our area as it will be a dedicated Futsal centre, and hopefully it will attract some major events to Cairns
spanyard re Vikings putting their own interest 1st [ Futsal ].The amount of time & effort from Tony c. & crew to get this project off the ground to further promote the game is great for all the kids & adults that will benefit from this facility.Hopefully this centre will concentrate on Futsal as 1st interest as I think the other codes all have centres promoting those games.
Keep up the great work.
F SALA OF OR WHO YOU ARE CALLING Y/SELF
TODAY PROMOTE THE GAME NOT YOUR EGO
this game needs parents and people behind it
and people to sponser the whole set up. People or parents being the main sponser and support of the kids.
rgds T.F.