Sydney FC Centre of Excellence

The Sydney FC Centre Of Excellence colloquially known as Sky Park is the training and administrative headquarters of professional Australian soccer club Sydney FC, located in the sporting precinct of Macquarie University in North Ryde, New South Wales. The club has based its training and academy facilities at Macquarie University since 2007.

Sydney FC Centre Of Excellence
Sky Park[1]
LocationNorth Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
OwnerMacquarie University[2]
OperatorSydney FC
Capacity1,000
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundJuly 2021
OpenedMay 2023
Construction cost$20 million[3]
Tenants
Sydney FC (men) (Training and administration)
Sydney FC (women) (Training and administration)
Sydney FC (NPL/Academy)
(Training, administration, NPL)
Website
sydneyfc.com/sky-park

History

Sydney FC has been a long-term tenant of the university, having based its training facilities out of the University's sporting fields since 2007. In 2019 former CEO Danny Townsend announced that the club would be transitioning into new facilities, either at the university or in the sporting precinct of Moore Park, adjacent to the Sydney Football Stadium[4]

In May 2021 it was announced that the club would be extending its partnership with Macquarie University on a 25-year lease, with the construction of the centre of excellence to begin shortly thereafter, with the club choosing to stay at the university over other sites in Moore Park, Tempe, St George and Leichhardt. The construction of the centre of excellence was partially funded by the NSW Government under its Centre of Excellence Grant scheme with the club receiving $5 million towards the program.[5]

Facilities

The facility is used by the Sydney FC mens, women's, and National Premier League teams, in addition to both the men's and women's Academy. The elite facility includes 3 full sized training fields, including a marquee pitch with grandstand facilities, high tech training and medical facilities, gender inclusive change rooms, hot and cold recovery aquatic pools, and a multi-purpose lecture theatre. In addition, within the administrative section of the main building there is a museum hosting the club history and trophy displays.[6]

See also

References
  1. "WELCOME TO SKY PARK". Sydney FC. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  2. "Sky Park, Sydney FC's training base to open on campus". Macquarie University. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  3. "Sydney FC Centre of Excellence". Bridge 42. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  4. Rupolo, Nicholas. "SYDNEY FC TO COMPLETE 'CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE' IN 2021". FTBL. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  5. "Centre of Excellence Fund 2021-22 Recipients". NSW Government. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  6. "Sydney FC unveil plans for Centre of Excellence". AusStadiums. Retrieved 7 April 2023.

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