Mid-season nightmare as Camden football club loses clubhouse to fire

A devastating fire has gutted the clubhouse of the Camden Falcons FC, an 800-strong football club in south-west Sydney, forcing them to abandon their home ground mid-season. The blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning, caused part of the building at Belgenny Reserve to collapse.

“

It's been such an emotional roller-coaster.

Cindy Fielder, the club's president, described the situation as an "emotional roller-coaster." She highlighted that the club, built by volunteers over 35 years ago, represents third generations of players and coaches. "It's more than just playing football on the field," Fielder stated, emphasizing the loss of irreplaceable trophies and club memorabilia.

The fire has impacted 30 teams of all ages, leaving them unable to play or train at their usual venue. The field itself is deemed unusable due to potential contamination and the risk of the adjacent building collapsing. Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire.

“

We're up to third generations of players who have played with the club, who have had their children play in the club, and are now coaches coaching their grandchildren. The club was built by volunteers over 35 years ago. It's more than just playing football on the field.

The local football community has rallied around the Camden Falcons, with neighboring clubs offering to host games. Fielder is seeking support from Camden Council for clear guidance on handling community donations and the rebuilding process. Camden Mayor Therese Fideli expressed hope that the team could return to their grounds within three weeks, pending investigation, insurance, and safety assessments, though she did not commit council funds at this stage.

“

That's going to go a long way to rebuilding the Falcons' Nest to its former glory.

This is not the first disaster for the club, which also experienced flooding at their field and clubhouse in 2022 just before the season began.

“

As a council, we have to wait for the outcomes of the investigation, together with insurance assessments and site safety requirements. Once this is all finalised … we will be hopefully getting them back onto their grounds.