Stars need help to shine

By Bridget Cook
SOUTHERN Stars Football Club members turned out in force to Greater Dandenong’s council meeting to step up their fight for full use of facilities at Ross Reserve.
More than 40 members attended Monday night’s meeting in an attempt to get answers to their five-year battle to have access to the function room during home games.
Southern Stars senior teams have shared Ross Reserve with Springvale City Soccer Club for the past five years. During that time they have only had access to change rooms and a canteen.
Club president Tony Kiranci said their request for full use of facilities was reasonable.
“We only want a place where our players, supporters and sponsors can sit back, relax and enjoy the game,” he said.
A letter submitted by the Southern Stars was read out at the council meeting this week.
“We don’t want any more or any less than other clubs, we just want to be treated equally,” the letter stated.
“We are the only club not to have access to a function/social room.”
Mr Kiranci said he attended a meeting with Kingston City Council and representatives from Greater Dandenong council on Tuesday to discuss the club’s needs and the possibilities that existed for training and match play in the coming season.
“We are certainly not happy with the outcome,” Mr Kiranci said.
“Kingston offered to try and get Chadwick Reserve in Dingley up to standard where we can play our home games on it,” he said.
But Mr Kiranci said he would knock back the offer, as the playing surface and pitch at Chadwick was terrible and the ground had no seating or undercover area.
“The feeling I got from Dandenong council was that they wanted us to take the offer so we cut all ties with them and make way for a third team to come in,” he said.
Greater Dandenong community services director Mark Doubleday said the council did not work that way with clubs when it came to ground allocations.
“It is a process of asking clubs to advise council of their expectations and intentions and council working to achieve the best possible outcome, taking into account the condition of the grounds, the level of competition and the demand for playing spaces overall,” Mr Doubleday said.
“The club has indicated a preference for the seniors to play at Ross Reserve, as they have in the previous year and this will be taken into consideration when finalising the ground allocations for the coming football season.”