Sydney FC’s Northern Oval at Sky Park has been officially opened with the club’s Academy and Female Development squads starting training on the pitches immediately.
The synthetic field, which sits adjacent to Sky Park’s main building and the elite training pitch, has been under construction for the past six months.
Sydney FC’s junior Academy teams will play all their homes games and train at the facility during weekday evenings, while the seniors will train on weekday mornings.
Having spent many nomadic years training at different grounds and venues across the city, the Sky Blues are now completely at home at Macquarie University.
“It is a game changer for our club and is the final piece of the puzzle, bringing the entire Sydney FC family together,” said Sydney FC Chief Executive Officer Mark Aubrey.
“Our elite Men’s and Women’s squads sit alongside our Academy players and Female Development squad, symbolising the unity fostered by this facility.
“We have a quality home venue at which to play games and train and the development enhances our commitment to nurturing young talent and sporting excellence.”
The state-of-the-art sports facility embodies the latest sports technology with the surface aligned to FIFA standards and using FIFA approved shock pad technology.
It has cork infill for a sustainable approach, with the main benefit being its heat reducing properties when ambient temperatures rise above 30 degrees, compared to old, recycled rubber material infill.
The pitch has two large football fields and has been built in collaboration with Sydney FC’s Principal Partner Macquarie University and Redlands School.
The Sky Blues Academy played their first games on the field last weekend with Melbourne Victory’s under 14’s and 15’s flying up for pre-season friendly matches.
Sydney FC won the under 15’s clash 3-2 but were defeated 2-1 at under 14 level.
By having the Academy on site for the first time, it enhances the junior pathways within the club, with the proximity to the elite squads giving the players better chances to learn and the elite coaches more chance to see our junior players.
The sports field will also be accessible to the local community bringing the club closer to its heartland.
