This investment will create an integrated sporting, recreational and community facility that will be a benchmark both in Australia and overseas.

With over 200,000 participants from over 650 clubs who take part in over 100,000 matches a season; football boasts the highest number of registered players amongst all sports in NSW, with the upgrade of the Valentine Sports Park facility creating a true Home of Football in NSW.

This redevelopment project will directly benefit all participants including players, coaches, referees, as well as football associations and clubs in NSW.

Football NSW’s redevelopment of Valentine Sports Park will see the installation of three state-of-the-art synthetic, all-weather football pitches, as well as a complete upgrade of the existing Futsal courts, allowing for the game to be played in all weather conditions, both indoor or outdoor.

The existing accommodation at Valentine Sports Park will also be upgraded, providing opportunities for players from country NSW, interstate and overseas to be housed on-site.

Further to the redevelopment of the facility will be the learning centres, allowing for enhanced coach and player education at a specially designed football facility.

Football NSW Chairman Greg O’Rourke outlined what the new multi-purpose community football facility at Valentine Sports Park will mean to the football community and beyond.

“Football NSW is grateful for the support of the NSW Government, Minister Annesely and ClubsNSW for their support of the redevelopment of Valentine Sports Park.

“Developing an iconic facility that reflects and embraces football culture, integrates within the site, is functional, increases the user’s football experience in a sustainable manner in servicing the football community are Football NSW’s intentions with this project.”

NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation Graham Annesley commended Football NSW’s initiative in the planning of the Valentine Sports Park upgrade.

“I congratulate Football NSW for its vision and commitment to the continued growth of the world game in NSW.

“These improvements will allow national level teams to use the venue as a training base, and potentially it could be a training site or base camp for teams in the AFC Asian Cup in 2015.”

ClubsNSW was supportive of the redevelopment as Chairman Peter Newell OAM echoed Minister Annesley’s thoughts.

“Hundreds of registered clubs across NSW support junior and senior football and Futsal teams every week.

“Clubs and sport have a wonderful relationship stretching back more than 100 years and football, especially in Western Sydney, is a huge part of that.

“ClubsNSW is proud to help grow football in Western Sydney through our assisted funding of the redevelopment of Valentine Sports Park.”

Through the redevelopment, an expansion of Football NSW community and social programs in line with government priorities in health and education will be used as key objectives, in addition to supporting sport and recreation infrastructure to encourage social interaction in the community.

Local primary and secondary schools and students as well as other sporting clubs and community groups such as the Indigenous community, athletes with a disability, new immigrants will also benefit from football’s new and improved headquarters in Sydney’s West.

Football NSW will commence a detailed design process for the redevelopment of the Valentine Sports Park precinct with the facility remaining open for use throughout the construction period and the total program planned to be completed in April 2014.