Unfortunately the rain has taken its toll and the grounds are to remain closed today. Any game scheduled at Marks Oval will not be played today.

The grounds have been inspected today and have been deemed too wet to open and therefore will remain closed at this stage but will be reviewed tomorrow.

Marks Oval is open tonight for the scheduled game however will not be accessible for training tonight, Wednesday 14/07/2021.

One of the most common question themes we get asked (as do other clubs) is whether or not grounds will be open today for training or tomorrow for the games etc.

It’s hoped that that this post helps clear up the best way to find out.

For training, the current status of the ground is always shown on our Grounds tab on the Belmont FC website (http://belmontfc.com.au/grounds). The website is updated as soon as as a decision is made. Asking if it will be opened later will be answered with something to the effect of, we don’t know until it’s inspected.

For games, on all fields in all of Macquarie, Newcastle and Hunter regions, the Wet Weather page (link below) found on the Macquarie Football website (and is linked to on the Grounds tab of our site) is the best way to tell. For weekend games the spreadsheet is updated up until 7:30am and if it doesn’t say closed, you should head to your game. The clubs are not able to close the ground for the day beyond this point. It is possible that games will be called off during the day if the referee(s) deem it as unplayable or unsafe.

Wet Weather page link – https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hLpwal_TuVJ79Ib8-MzDZCeWIbtNBXTqFh8zI81q1Zg/edit?usp=sharing

Sometimes clubs will advise early that the ground won’t be available all weekend other times clubs will leave it until the morning to decide. For mid week including Friday night games, the spreadsheet will be updated as early as possible in the afternoon but it is recommended to check before leaving for the game in case of a late update.

For our ground, we get asked why we don’t make an early call to decide so people can plan just as often as we get asked why an early call was made when it might dry out. If we know without doubt one way or the other, the decision can be made early, but there is usually doubt and our fields to tend to dry quickly which makes an early call difficult.

The ground is regularly checked by our volunteers to decide whether the ground needs to be closed or opened. The ground is able to be closed by one committee member if they deem that it is unsuitable however at least two committee members must agree to open the ground back up. As a club, we’d love nothing more than to never close the ground however the welfare of players takes priority as does ensuring that the fields stay in a suitable condition for use over time.