Kyneton District Soccer Club gets funds for new pitch, three years after missing out in sports grants scandal

Three years after it missed out on federal government funding in a scandal-ridden sports grants program, the Kyneton District Soccer Club has received funding to upgrade its pitch.

But it is not from the federal government. The state government has committed $500,000 for the works.

Club president Ron Cole said the funding would go towards replacing the pitch, which is currently unusable during parts of winter. 

«It will include the whole surface being taken off the pitch, both grounds being re-drained, irrigated, top dressed and resurfaced with new grass,» he said. 

«At the start of June, we get heavy rain and basically after that the ground chops up … we can't train on it, we can't play on it.

»It's useless to us."

Mr Cole hit out at the federal government after the club missed out on a $470,000 federal sports grant, despite being considered by Sports Australia to be in the top 20 priorities.

«Stop treating us like political pawns,» Mr Cole said.

The Kyneton District Soccer Club's application for federal funding under the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program scored 87 out of 100, meaning it was deemed in the 20 highest priorities by Sports Australia. 

«To have the money stripped away from us … was absolutely devastating for all the people that put the hard work in,» Mr Cole said.

A senate inquiry into the misuse of funds heard from clubs including the Kyneton District Soccer Club, as well as then Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie.

State Labor Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas announced the state government funding for the upgrade. 

But she said it should have been funded by the federal government. 

«This was an absolute disgrace,» Ms Thomas said.

«This is a club that was a victim to the Morrison's government sports rorts