Club achieves its home goal

By Marc McGowan
CARDINIA United Cougars Junior Soccer Club players and officials finally gained access to their long-awaited clubhouse at Lakeside Oval on Sunday.
Member numbers have surged past 100 as the Cougars prepare to play their first Football Federation Victoria (FFV) matches on 26 April.
The progress has occurred despite club president Rob Hastings admitting officials have had to deal with less-than-ideal conditions since moving onto the ground.
“Without trying to be crying about anything, it’s pretty bloody rugged when you’re standing behind a table out in the middle of a paddock on a blowy, windy day in Pakenham and you lose half your papers,” he said.
“Membership forms have been seen sailing over the tops of houses some days, but that’s all behind us now.
“We’re waiting for the mayor (Bill Pearson) to give us an official day and that shouldn’t be too far away, but we’re pretty excited that we’ve now got a home, a great playing area and we’re going to be playing ridgy-didge competition very soon.”
Hastings is glowing about the new facility, but most appreciates being able to store equipment that previously had to be lugged back to club officials’ home garages.
“There’s a referees’ room, two big changerooms separated by partitions, showers, disabled toilets, a meeting room and a kitchen/kiosk area – it’s made in heaven,” he said.
“We are extremely lucky to have such a great facility.”
Most Cardinia United players have a two-week break for school holidays after tomorrow’s (Thursday’s) training session before returning on Sunday 19 April.
The Cougars will have three non-scoring small-sided squads and under-13 and under-14 FFV sides.
The two FFV teams will compete in the Southern Metropolitan region.
“We’re looking at travelling to some interesting places, including Aspendale and Rosebud, but that was the area we requested because we wanted the strongest competition,” Hastings said.