We Need Your Help!

Access to sports fields is our club’s biggest challenge, you are currently experiencing. With our membership growing in recent years we are approaching 1,500 members which equates to over 100 teams. McFetridge Park and Becroft Park can no longer meet our needs when combined with the council's maintenance requirements. There are no artificial turfs in the Kaipatiki Local Board area, forcing players to travel 25+ minutes for training.

Auckland Council & Kaipatiki Local Board are currently seeking public feedback on funding priorities , so this is out opportunity to push for:

Lighting of field 1 at McFetridge Park

Development of an artificial turf at McFetridge Park 2&3

If you can please take 5 minutes to submit your support! Every voice counts. The deadline is tomorrow, Friday March 28 at 11:59pm. Have your Say here

Let’s make sure our players have the facilities they deserve!

The development of new sports field assets is NOT currently a priority for the Kaipatiki Local Board. But please do not underestimate the power of our collective voice and the importance of this opportunity to advocate for our club and the football community.

We need your help today as the opportunity to Have Your Say closes on Friday 28th March at 11.59pm. 

The first section of the submission process relates to the Auckland Council Annual Plan, but our focus are the Local Board priorities for 2025/2026 (section 4b).

Key points for your consideration 

Please put these in your own words and highlight your own sports field experiences for a more powerful submission:

1. The NRF Facility Plan (2025) shows there is a shortfall in the floodlit sports field network equivalent to 28 artificial turfs to meet CURRENT (not future) football demand across Auckland.
2. The NRF Facility Plan (2025) shows there is a shortfall in the floodlit sports field network equivalent to 2 floodlit artificial turfs to meet CURRENT (not future) football demand in the Kaipatiki Local Board. 
3. Northern Rovers FC's playing membership has grown from 900 (2008) to 1,450 (2024), with a 40% increase in our Junior & Youth playing membership over the last 5 years.
4. Northern Rovers FC is classed in the top 20 largest football clubs in New Zealand. 
5. Northern Rovers FC has a waiting list of players in many junior and First Kicks grades as it does not have sufficient sports field capacity to meet community demand. Meaning our Tamariki are missing out on opportunities to play and connect.
6. Many teams are unable to train and play pre-season games in March due to Council renovation windows (meaning fields are closed), which increases the likelihood of early season injury. 
7. The volume of demand on McFetridge Park and Becroft Park is increasingly leading to mid-season sports field closures, with no alternative venues available to transfer programs. Grass is a living asset and will die if not appropriately maintained. Council staff have accepted its current facility maintenance contracts do not deliver optimum outcomes, but these cannot be changed until 2027.
8. There is potential to fund an artificial turf through a combination of funding from the Sport & Recreation Facility Investment Fund (regional council funding), local board opex (perhaps in the form of a grant), Schools/MOE, the Birkenhead Licensing Trust and other community funders and community fundraising.
9. We would like to see:

• The lighting of field 1 McFetridge Park as a quick win. 
• Development of two artificial turfs at McFetridge Park, ideally in partnership with a school to maximise use of this valuable community asset and to share development, maintenance and future replacement costs. This approach will ensure the natural beauty of McFetridge Park is maintained for all the community to enjoy, and with the turf being based at a neutral venue, means it can be easily shared with other clubs and codes.

Thank you again for your support!

Article added: Thursday 27 March 2025