Our Supporters
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CURRENT STATUS OF GROUNDS
Check status at Council websites below
CHECK THE STATUS OF THE GROUNDS WITHIN EACH COUNCIL
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(26/5/22) WET WEATHER
Well what a past three years we have had...... With the grassroots football community finally being let loose again after two years of Covid effected seasons, we have certainly been hit with some amazingly tumultuous wet weather. We thank the Football Community for its patience, however thin, in riding the wave of wet weather we are all currently experiencing. NWSF and its 34 member Clubs have been making every effort to provide the best experience possible only to be washed aside by the significant levels of heavy rain over the past three months. NWSF aims to provide a space for the community to play football when it is available. We do so in conjunction with our 5 local Councils who are also experiencing significant disruptions to regular operations. While it is not possible for any of us to stop the rain and remedy the waterlogged fields, we certainly share your frustrations and hope by explaining some of our procedures and factors that shape the decisions, you will have a better understanding of the factors and challenges faced. |
Wet Weather - When, Why and How fields are closed
The majority of the fields used in NWSF competitions are run by Councils, with a small number located at a university or schools. Councils determine if fields are to be closed in the event of wet weather and they post information on their websites (links above) - in the case of weekends, this is generally determined by 3pm on Fridays.
NWSF then determines if the round is to be played based on the number of fields closed. Note that every Saturday afternoon timeslot is used every weekend, and there is generally only a handful of vacant timeslots on Sundays. Therefore, where fields are closed, there is very limited opportunity to move any affected matches to other fields on that weekend. In a normal season, all washed out matches from U12s upwards, except for 10 team competitions, are rescheduled to a later date, and we have one or two weekends (depending on the competition) set aside for these at the end of the season, or where there are a limited number of washed out matches, these may be rescheduled on Sundays as double headers or mid-week if there are grounds available.
Where there is rain after 3pm on Fridays or over the weekend, the decision to close a field rests with the club. The club will consider whether it is safe to use, or whether there is a likelihood of damage to the field. The referee also has the final say as to whether a field is fit to play on. Therefore, in some cases, fields will be closed even if the Council website says they are open. And some fields may be closed on a sunny day because of the volume of rain in previous days.
Ryde Council is the only Council that inspects fields on Saturdays to determine if they are playable for Sundays. Their decision is made around 3pm on Saturdays and they update their website above. All other Councils leave this decision to the clubs.
Remember that the aim of NWSF and the clubs is to get the players on the park, but in some circumstances, its just not possible.
The majority of the fields used in NWSF competitions are run by Councils, with a small number located at a university or schools. Councils determine if fields are to be closed in the event of wet weather and they post information on their websites (links above) - in the case of weekends, this is generally determined by 3pm on Fridays.
NWSF then determines if the round is to be played based on the number of fields closed. Note that every Saturday afternoon timeslot is used every weekend, and there is generally only a handful of vacant timeslots on Sundays. Therefore, where fields are closed, there is very limited opportunity to move any affected matches to other fields on that weekend. In a normal season, all washed out matches from U12s upwards, except for 10 team competitions, are rescheduled to a later date, and we have one or two weekends (depending on the competition) set aside for these at the end of the season, or where there are a limited number of washed out matches, these may be rescheduled on Sundays as double headers or mid-week if there are grounds available.
Where there is rain after 3pm on Fridays or over the weekend, the decision to close a field rests with the club. The club will consider whether it is safe to use, or whether there is a likelihood of damage to the field. The referee also has the final say as to whether a field is fit to play on. Therefore, in some cases, fields will be closed even if the Council website says they are open. And some fields may be closed on a sunny day because of the volume of rain in previous days.
Ryde Council is the only Council that inspects fields on Saturdays to determine if they are playable for Sundays. Their decision is made around 3pm on Saturdays and they update their website above. All other Councils leave this decision to the clubs.
Remember that the aim of NWSF and the clubs is to get the players on the park, but in some circumstances, its just not possible.
