Race for Comets’ turf

By Marc McGowan
THE Casey Comets remain in the dark about their playing future as Cranbourne Turf Club officials swarm in on their Comets Stadium fortress.
Cranbourne Turf Club officials want to use the land as part of their new multi-million dollar Cranbourne Racing Centre, where they will relocate their race meets by 2011.
But Casey Council officers are yet to indicate where the Comets will play their home games if their current location is used for the new complex.
The soccer club’s Women’s Premier League coach Debbie Nichols admitted it was frustrating not knowing where they would play in the future.
“We know the Cranbourne Turf Club wants this ground and we’ve been pushed more towards Casey Fields,” she said.
“If we can get our own identity and clubrooms and facilities (at Casey Fields) that would be a great move for the club.
“But it’s just making sure we retain our identity there and don’t just go into a multi-purpose area that’s not really ours.”
Nichols believes she and fellow club officials could still be in for a long wait yet.
“We’ll probably still be talking about this in five years’ time; it’s the sort of thing it is,” she said.
“They won’t do any more development here (Comets Stadium) at the moment, so we’re hoping a decision is made one way or the other.”
City of Casey director of planning Peter Fitchett, in a prepared statement, said the Comets’ situation was one ‘that needs to be worked through’ and ‘clarified’.
Fitchett said council officers had not received timelines regarding the development of the racing precinct apart from the upgrade of the training facility at the rear of the site.
He also said that council officers would speak with officials at the Cranbourne Turf Club and the Comets about the issue.