Junior soccer players ‘locked out’ of toilet block in suburban turf war

On weekends in winter, Box Road Reserve at Sylvania is a picture of suburban routine: children in bright jerseys chasing footballs across the turf, parents clutching coffees on the sidelines, and volunteers slicing oranges in preparation for the halftime break.

But as the 2026 season nears, a bitter governance dispute between a local youth club and members of its own soccer committee has placed that ritual under threat, leaving hundreds of junior players facing the prospect of playing without access to toilets, change rooms, or a canteen.

At the heart of the conflict is a breakdown in relations between the Sylvania Heights Community and Youth Club, which holds the lease on the ground’s amenities buildings, and members of one of its subcommittees, the Sylvania Heights Football Club.

Junior sports competitions have become increasingly difficult to run in Sydney as clubs face copious red tape, increasing insurance premiums, and a fight for playing space.

“I just want the kids to play, and politics shouldn’t be getting in the way,” Sylvania Heights Football Club coach Aiman Gouda said.

“That’s what community sport is about at the end of the day – it’s a family community, and it’s a shame it’s been tarnished in this way.”

The dispute at Sylvania Heights was triggered in October last year when Sutherland Shire Football Association introduced rules requiring affiliated clubs including Sylvania Heights Football Club to operate as independent legal entities with their own ABNs and bank accounts to ensure legal compliance and transparency.

But for decades, the Sylvania Heights Football Club has not operated as a standalone organisation, instead it has been run as an “activity” under the youth club, which represents about 1300 members including netball, cricket and martial arts groups.

Football officials say they must establish an independent administrative structure by May 31 to comply with SSFA rules but the youth club’s management committee has strongly resisted the move, describing it as an attempt to “break away” from the youth club.

That disagreement now underpins a standoff football volunteers say could result in locked toilets and change rooms for their 600 junior players during the peak of the upcoming season.

While the football club retains the right to use the reserve’s playing fields through allocations from SSFA, its amenities building – including toilets, change rooms and the canteen – is leased by the youth club from Sutherland Shire Council under a “peppercorn rent” arrangement of $651.98 a year. The youth club is responsible for maintaining and operating the building.

Youth club president Trent Jordan said access to the amenities had historically been tied to membership within the youth club structure and that football representatives understood they would lose access if they moved outside it.

“To be clear: ‘Sylvania Heights Football Club’ is not a separate club. It is simply the soccer activity of the club, not some independent entity,” he said.

Football club president David Crisp rejected suggestions the football committee was attempting to “break away” from the youth club, saying volunteers had tried to find a compromise that would allow the club to comply with SSFA rules.

But Crisp said discussions had deteriorated, culminating with the youth club issuing a cease and desist letter to several football committee members in December, warning of Supreme Court proceedings if social media accounts and records weren’t handed over.

At an urgent meeting convened this week by Sutherland Shire Mayor Jack Boyd, the parties reached an interim agreement allowing players access to amenities at the start of the season.

But football club secretary Russ Strudwick said uncertainty remained beyond that, leaving the club facing a dilemma: comply with SSFA requirements by May 31 to remain in the competition, or risk losing access to toilets and change rooms during games.

“To comply with the SSFA rules, we would then have to apply to the youth club to use the facilities and there’s been no guarantee they won’t be denied,” he said.

“We’re now organising to have portable toilets brought in during games just so the kids have somewhere to go.

“All we’re trying to do is run weekend football for seven, eight and nine-year-olds. It shouldn’t be this hard.”

The dispute has drawn the attention of Sutherland Shire Council, particularly given the significant public funds invested in facilities at Box Road Reserve.

Councillor Carmelo Pesce, speaking at a council meeting last month, said: “Despite this public investment, football clubs and community users are now being threatened with restricted access and escalating fees.”

But the youth club dismissed as “complete rubbish” claims that players could be locked out of facilities, saying the soccer subcommittee continued to have normal access to the building and that it still held keys

“Since January 28, we have asked council to produce any evidence that access has been denied. None has been provided,” Jordan said.

Councillor Haris Strangas said the dispute risked overshadowing the work of community volunteers.

“There are a lot of good people who give up their Saturday mornings to get kids out on the field and this type of tension doesn’t belong in the shire,” he said.

In response to the conflict, the council has begun reviewing its lease policies to determine whether existing sub-leasing arrangements comply with the NSW Local Government Act.

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