Brisbane Roar Considers Permanent Move to QSAC After Pitch Woes at Ballymore

49

Merely a fortnight after establishing their operations at the new Ballymore premises, Brisbane Roar found themselves obliged to relocate due to an overused training pitch, worsened by a prominent dearth of rainfall.

Dissatisfactions clouded the Brisbane Roar men’s squad regarding the uneven nature of their Ballymore training pitch, which prompted them to undertake their Monday training regimen instead at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre – the very same locale that served as the base for the Matildas throughout the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup.


Trusting in their adaptability during this period of change, the Roar anticipates that the detour to QSAC shall continue for the foreseeable month, at the least. Following that, they hope their Ballymore pitch – one of the two at the Herston premises – will have recovered sufficiently to meet the rigorous training standards of the A-League.

Despite their optimism for Ballymore, Zac Anderson, Roar’s Chief Operations Officer, remains open-minded. He concedes that if the Queensland Rugby Union-owned training pitch fails to ascend to an acceptable standard, QSAC, already hosting the Roar’s women’s squad, may evolve into the men’s teams’ permanent training base.

“The ultimate priority is ensuring our A-League men’s and women’s teams maintain utmost professional standards,” affirmed Anderson. He expressed gratitude and admiration towards QSAC, stating, “They’ve been phenomenal, opening their stellar-standard pitch for our training. Things may change over time, QAAC could potentially become a more permanent solution.”

Despite these statements, Anderson and his team remain committed to remedying the issues at Ballymore in collaboration with QRU.

“The surface is definitely not perfect and its repair requires a significant undertaking,” Anderson conceded. “Given the field’s high usage during the rugby season, we chose to provide it with a much-needed rest. Persevering with training on it will impede its recovery. In the event the pitch doesn’t recuperate, we’ll be forced to reevaluate the situation.”

During the Roar’s hiatus from Ballymore, the club has established a financial understanding with QRU regarding the lease.

David Hanham, QRU Chief Executive, confirmed that Ballymore’s second and third pitches took a toll from heavy usage and harsh weather conditions. This in turn influenced the Roar and the Queensland Reds to seek alternative training sites.

“We’re hopeful it will recover in a fortnight. However, it may stretch to three or even four weeks based on weather conditions, given the prevalent dry spell,” Hanham noted.

The Roar, who initiated their A-League campaign with a 1-1 stalemate against Macarthur FC at Campbelltown, are gearing for a Friday night match at Suncorp Stadium, marking their first play at this ground following their decision to abandon Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium in favor of their inaugural and victorious ground.

Previously, the Roar hosted three home games last season at Suncorp Stadium, recording its highest attendance of 12,063 during their 2-0 defeat to Sydney FC on April 24th.

Although this Friday’s challenger is Sydney, who kicked off their season with a 2-0 defeat by Melbourne Victory, Anderson remains hopeful of attracting a crowd of at least 10,000.

“We’re coming home. Ticket sales are starting to bounce back,” he said optimistically.