It's rare to hear of a sport suffering from being too popular, but that is the reality soccer is facing in NSW, and the Southern Tablelands Football Association is struggling to cope.
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According to a press release sent out by Football NSW, some young players are being turned away from their clubs as there are currently too many players and not enough playing surfaces to sustain competition.
While the STFA has not yet had to turn players away, president Craig Norris said that only having two changerooms and barely sufficient lighting at Cookbundoon is taking its toll.
From 2017 to 2018, the STFA's number of registered players jumped from 1,100 to 1,400, and while they have dealt with it so far, insufficient infrastructure will make things more difficult in years to come.
"The numbers don't look like slowing down anytime soon," Norris said.
"I hope it never gets to that point [of turning players away] here, that'd be terrible."
Figures indicate that, if the STFA wishes to avoid that fate, it might have to act quickly. A study completed by Soccer NSW in 2018 found that the STFA's numbers were likely to double by 2028.
While the Cookbundoon playing fields and other playing areas in Goulburn will likely be able to cater for the ever increasing number of players for some time, Norris hopes that the association will be able to find the funding to improve the infrastructure.
"We've got a great facility as far as area and enclosure and water, we're blessed in that regard," Norris said.
"The grounds are there, they're in good condition, but as far as anything to go along with them, we're in all sorts of trouble.
"We've got two changerooms, that's not adequate for 12 to 14 hundred people."
An audit undertaken by Football NSW, Northern NSW, and Capital Football showed that based on current participation and annual growth rates, by 2030 Football in NSW will be 700 pitches short and will need to work with Councils and Governments to find additional fields of play for as many as 120,000 participants.
“Football engages with so many individuals in every suburb across NSW, therefore facilities at the grassroots levels are so crucial, and we need action now,” Northern NSW Football Chief Executive Officer David Eland said.
