The Cove Football Club was advised Wednesday morning that in a confidential meeting on Tuesday night, Marion Council passed a resolution to terminate their occupancy at the Cove Sports and Community Club within 30 days.

Cove Football Club are working with the SANFL and the SFL to explore all options to challenge this decision.

Marion Council statement

Marion Council has cancelled the CCFC’s tenancy of the Cove Sports and Community Club.

The CCFC have until midnight, 25 October 2019 to vacate the ratepayer-owned premises.

The independent investigation concluded:

• Inappropriate behaviour, disrespectful language and intimidating conduct by numerous CCFC members and associates has resulted in other sporting clubs not using the facility because they feel unwelcome or unsafe.
• Insulting sexist language directed at a female staff member and sexual harassment of female netball players.
• The CCFC has a sense of entitlement and ‘ownership’ of the facility, with other clubs experiencing territorial or unwelcome acts when they attempt to use it.
• The behaviour is widespread and part of a club culture that is condoned and, in some cases, practised by some senior members of the CCFC.

Council made the decision to cancel the CCFC’s tenancy after considering the report at its meeting of 24 September 2019.

Cove Football Club statement

The Cove Football Club and it’s volunteers have worked tirelessly since it was founded in 1984 to create a strong and successful football club for the Hallett Cove and surrounding areas. We are devastated by the news that the City of Marion is terminating our lease at the Cove Sports and Community Club.

This is a difficult and emotional time in our club’s 35-year history and the council’s decision will have a far-reaching impact on our club and the community at Hallett Cove. We do not believe we have had a fair opportunity to respond to the Council and our committee is working extremely hard to ensure the right outcome is achieved and that our great club can continue.

Of all football participation within the City of Marion, 15% is played at the Cove Football Club. The majority of these players – 72% in fact – are aged between 5 and 14.

The Cove Football Club has enjoyed sustained growth, increasing our player numbers by 11.5% in season 2019 alone. We have continued to attract new female players to the club and our female program has more than doubled in player numbers in the past three seasons.

It is these junior and female players who will suffer the greatest loss if the Cove Football Club no longer has a future at the Cove Sports and Community Club.

Quite simply, we have nowhere to go. There are no spare ovals or facilities in the Southern region to accommodate the Cove Football Club. Ovals are already at capacity and losing the Cove Sports and Community Club will have a severe and negative impact on football as a whole in the region.

An information night for members, players and their families will be held this Friday (27th September) at 6:30pm at the South Adelaide Football Club and we believe this will be a true indication of the impact of this decision by Council.