City of Ryde Mayor, Bill Pickering and Clr. Roy Maggio welcomed Football NSW, Gladesville Hornsby Football Association (GHFA), Cricket NSW and AFL NSW/ACT to ELS Hall Park in North Ryde on Friday, 10 February 2017 for the unveiling of the new synthetic surface at ELS Hall Park #1.
ELS Hall Park #1 is the first synthetic field in the City of Ryde, with two more fields scheduled for construction at the home of football in the Gladesville Hornsby Football Association, Christie Park in early March.
The synthetic field at ELS Hall Park has a cork infill base, which is the first of its kind being rolled out nationally and will also help decrease the heat that emanates off the synthetic in warm weather.
The new synthetic field has been built for the community in mind with a number of sports having the opportunity to use the facility all year round, rain, hail or shine.
Football will share the field with AFL during the winter season for both training and competition.
The City of Ryde have done a fantastic job in catering for the needs of the community and all sports in the ELS Hall Park precinct.
The synthetic surface has been marked out with a full sized football field, a junior AFL field and 4 small sided football fields with the cricket pitch situated in the middle of the field on a hydraulic system, which is lowered and covered during the winter season for football.
ELS Hall Park is home to the Ryde Panthers Football Club and the North West Sydney Koalas. Both clubs will look to make good use of the facility, which has floodlighting capable to host night competition games during the season.
City of Ryde Mayor, Bill Pickering was ecstatic with the result of the new synthetic surface at ELS Hall Park and can’t wait till the two fields at Christie Park are built and ready for use later in 2017.
Clr Maggio has hinted that Council will look to further invest in synthetic surfaces in the City of Ryde to cater for the growing demand in the future.
With football playing numbers continuing to grow and the large injection of housing that is being introduced in the City of Ryde, additional synthetic surfaces across the council area will assist in providing further opportunities for the residents of Ryde to use open space to its maximum capability.
The final touches to the synthetic field at ELS Hall Park are being made with the first football game to be played in the coming weeks.
Congratulations to the City of Ryde and all the sporting organisations that have come together to make this project such a great success.