Words: Michael Flynn
Image: Beth Bolt / Souths United FC

Souths United will put their best foot forward in their debut PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Senior Women’s season after work commenced on $2 million worth of ground improvements.

The clubs Wakerley Park base will benefit from $1.8 million dollars in field renovations this summer to complement $250,000 in lighting upgrades already completed.

The works are anticipated to be completed by early March and will see FIFA-approved synthetic playing surfaces installed on three of the club’s secondary fields.

Investment will also be made on the main field with new fencing and surrounds complemented by a renovation of grand stand seating, with a view to increasing seating capacity.

Souths United President Tracey Confessore explained the renovations, funded with support from Brisbane City Council, were part of Souths' vision to deliver high quality facilities to complement their PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Women's licence.

“The NPL girls will get the priority on the field usage,” Confessore said.

She added, “We must provide coaching and player environments and programs suitable to support our emerging needs and this must include superior playing surfaces.”

“Souths recognises the importance of being able to move in directions that support the longer term future of the playing environment to support particularly Women’s NPL.”

Confessore also outlined the club’s vision for increased seating to provide a better viewing experience for supporters.

“In the main field we currently have room for 150-250 people there, but we want to at least double or triple our capacity for seating in the next 12 months,” Confessore said.

Confessore said she was confident the ongoing works wouldn’t affect Souths’ readiness for the 2015 season, with the club also fielding teams in community competitions run by Football Brisbane.

“We’ve worked with all competitions so that we can cater for play on Field 1, so it won’t be an issue.”

“It will only be a month or so that we will need to worry about the overlap, but it’s not going to compromise the training because we have secondary training facilities we can utilise.”

Once the works are completed Souths will investigate the possibility of hosting friendly matches against Westfield W-League sides to add further value to their NPL programme.

“We want to give our juniors the experience of seeing elite women playing at that level in their local community,” Confessore said.

“Bringing the world game to Souths is a vision we wish to achieve and to promote to our members and aspiring players and coaches,” she concluded.