The central Newcastle club was one of sixteen organisations to benefit from an injection of $85,010 from the NSW Liberal National Government’s Asian Cup Legacy Fund, and now the second round of applications are open.

$2.3 million in funding still remains in the legacy fund for the second round, and 2017/18 applications are being accepted. Applications will close March 2.

The benefits of the fund are influential in grassroots football, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald has said, and urged local organisations to prepare their submissions soon.

“Through the allocation of surplus funding from the elite level Asian Cup in 2015 to community football, it ensures that we continue to see Australia succeeding on the international stage, while getting kids more active at the same time,” MacDonald said.

Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres also called for clubs to get involved with the legacy funding, and said the $4.1 million fund will help deliver better community facilities to local football clubs across NSW.

“I encourage local football clubs to apply for up to 50 per cent of the cost of building amenities or upgrading facilities, with a funding contribution of $50,000-$150,000 per project,” Mr Ayres said.

“We know that improving local sports infrastructure helps build stronger communities and improves participation amongst children and adults alike.”

Cooks Hill has already begun work on the installation of drainage and re-turfing at the National Park Sportsground No. 4 field, as well as regrading and laser levelling for the playing pitch.

It was a boost for the local club that boasts more than 1,000 members, said facilities manager Lee Bateman, especially on the eve of their 20^th anniversary.

“We have over 1000 players who will directly benefit from this grant, and it will immeasurably improve the surface where the grass roots, community level of our club trains and plays” Bateman said.

The funding across the state comes at a crucial time in football development, as the sport is now the largest club-based activity in Australia.

Recent AusPlay statistics highlighted over 660,000 participants in NSW, and more than 1 million active players nationally, a statisic that can still be increased according to Football NSW Chief Executive Stuart Hodge.

“The decision to allocate a surplus from the Asian Cup competition to community football improves the overall experience for the 765,000 football participants in NSW through social, health, educational and cultural benefits,” Hodge said.

The NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund is an initiative of the NSW Government, Football NSW and Northern NSW Football, which was established to share the surplus from the 2015 AFC Asian Cup with local community football clubs.

Northern NSW Football CEO David Eland has confirmed there will be further funding rounds. More information can be found at sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants.