Brighton Oval Under The Spotlight

The State Government provided $55,000 for the new lights, which was matched by the Brighton Council, Betfair contributed $10,000 with sporting clubs also providing $10,000 for the project.

The Labor Member for Derwent, Michael Aird attended the twilight opening of the newly equipped oval with Brighton Mayor Tony Foster, Brighton Football Club president Brett Williams and Hobart United Football Club president Adrian Pickin.

Mr Aird said the new lighting system – funded by Sport and Recreation Tasmania’s 2006-07 Facilities Grants Program – would benefit the many clubs and organisations already using the facilities.

“It will also create more opportunities for the Brighton community to participate in sport and recreation,” Mr Aird said.

“The ground is already home to the Brighton Football Club and Hobart United Football (soccer) Club, who will now be able to host competition games at night and have more flexibility sharing time between the two sports.

“Both Australian Rules and football (soccer) are fast growing sports in Tasmania, particularly the round ball game, which has continued to boom since the Socceroos success at the 2006 World Cup.

“Both football clubs can now focus on growing their clubs in both the junior and senior ranks and provide a pathway for the development of their up and coming players, as well as a home for those people who play for the social aspect of sport.

“The new lighting system also opens the grounds for extended hours to other groups such as cricket, dog and horse training, athletics, and the Brighton Show.

“This project is a great example of how the state government, local council and sport and recreation clubs can work together for the benefit of the entire community.”

Brighton Mayor Tony Foster said Brighton Council was happy to match the State Government grant of $55 000, injecting much-needed funds into the project.

“The new lighting system has turned Thompson Oval into a true multi-use facility and will be well-received by Tasmania’s youngest and fastest growing municipality,” Cr Foster said.

“It’s always a challenge to provide for a diverse range of sport, recreation and interest groups on a week-to-week basis, especially with the numbers of participants on the rise.

“Now the senior players can compete at night, we will be able to cater for more junior teams during the day – it’s a win-win situation.”

Brighton Football Club president Brett Williams is excited about the future of his club.

“Now the project is completed, we can focus on increasing our club numbers even more and work in cooperation with Hobart United to find a real synergy between the two codes of football,” Mr Williams said.

“We can now host Friday and Saturday night games and may even have a double-header featuring both Brighton Football Club and Hobart United – the possibilities are endless.”

Betfair's marketing and communications manager, Hugh Taggart said Betfair was delighted to make a contribution to help boost grass roots sports in the area.

“We sincerely hope the contribution to the installation of the floodlights goes some way to making a lasting positive impact on the community," he said.