By Stuart Honeysett
September 23, 2008 IT has only ever been known as Brookvale Oval.
Now Manly is contemplating giving up the naming rights to its spiritual home for the first time in more than 60 years.
Sea Eagles' chief executive Grant Mayer confirmed he was looking at several options to maximise revenue for the club as it continues its search for a major sponsor. It is believed the ground could fetch a price tag as high as $300,000 a year.
There are no shortage of sponsored grounds in the game, including North Queensland's Dairy Farmers Stadium, Cronulla's Toyota Park and Newcastle's EnergyAustralia Stadium.
However, Manly's home ground has only ever been known as Brookvale Oval since the club was admitted to the competition in 1947.
"It would be something along the lines of 'XYZ' Oval, Brookvale, so it would still retain the heritage of the organisation," Mayer said.
"That doesn't contravene anything we have with council and doesn't contravene anything we're doing. We're the only unbranded ground in the NRL."
Mayer said he wasn't expecting a backlash from fans over the prospect of re-naming the ground.
He said it made economic sense, given New South Wales clubs reliant on grants from their leagues clubs were battling the effects of the state government's poker machine tax increase.
"If it comes down to the survival of the club against the naming of Brookvale Oval I think they'd all go for it," Mayer said.
"As long as it retains the basic heritage of the ground and the word Brookvale is still there, I don't think anybody would be too concerned about it."
Manly is in the hunt for a major sponsor after Delmege Commercial, a property development group owned by the club's part-owner Max Delmege, announced it would end its six year-association with the club after this season.
Mayer said the club could follow the le0ad of South Sydney and divide its playing strip into home and away games for any prospective sponsors.
However, while Souths put a $2 million price tag on its jumper, Mayer said he was starting at $1 million and looking at other means such as re-naming Brookvale Oval to sweeten the pot on top of that.
Manly's boss said the club could also look at giving up naming rights to its Toyota Cup team and new feeder club for the Queensland Cup competition in 2009, the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles.
Mayer has also bravely offered a spotters' fee of $100,000 to any member of the public who leads the Sea Eagles to their new sponsor.
"It's created a bit of a stir and I've had thousands of e-mails today," Mayer said.
"We are the innovators and we'll work with anybody."
Mayer has not given up hope of securing a partnership with Colin Tidy's betting agency, Betchoice, after the NRL blocked its involvement as a major sponsor in a potential $3 million deal. The NRL's $1 million a season deal with Tabcorp prevents any club from securing a naming rights sponsor from a rival betting agency.
Not to be deterred, Mayer has organised a meeting with Betchoice chief executive Mark Morrissey about coming on board as a training gear sponsor.
The training kit deal could net the progressive seaside club $250,000 a year.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24387886-23214,00.html
Just think if it were something like Delmege Oval - a manly loving company, that could inject cash to rebuild the ground and then have their name on it. The fans and EVERYONE would still call it Brookvale anyways so i don't see what's to lose if they go ahead. Certainly not money.Â
September 23, 2008 IT has only ever been known as Brookvale Oval.
Now Manly is contemplating giving up the naming rights to its spiritual home for the first time in more than 60 years.
Sea Eagles' chief executive Grant Mayer confirmed he was looking at several options to maximise revenue for the club as it continues its search for a major sponsor. It is believed the ground could fetch a price tag as high as $300,000 a year.
There are no shortage of sponsored grounds in the game, including North Queensland's Dairy Farmers Stadium, Cronulla's Toyota Park and Newcastle's EnergyAustralia Stadium.
However, Manly's home ground has only ever been known as Brookvale Oval since the club was admitted to the competition in 1947.
"It would be something along the lines of 'XYZ' Oval, Brookvale, so it would still retain the heritage of the organisation," Mayer said.
"That doesn't contravene anything we have with council and doesn't contravene anything we're doing. We're the only unbranded ground in the NRL."
Mayer said he wasn't expecting a backlash from fans over the prospect of re-naming the ground.
He said it made economic sense, given New South Wales clubs reliant on grants from their leagues clubs were battling the effects of the state government's poker machine tax increase.
"If it comes down to the survival of the club against the naming of Brookvale Oval I think they'd all go for it," Mayer said.
"As long as it retains the basic heritage of the ground and the word Brookvale is still there, I don't think anybody would be too concerned about it."
Manly is in the hunt for a major sponsor after Delmege Commercial, a property development group owned by the club's part-owner Max Delmege, announced it would end its six year-association with the club after this season.
Mayer said the club could follow the le0ad of South Sydney and divide its playing strip into home and away games for any prospective sponsors.
However, while Souths put a $2 million price tag on its jumper, Mayer said he was starting at $1 million and looking at other means such as re-naming Brookvale Oval to sweeten the pot on top of that.
Manly's boss said the club could also look at giving up naming rights to its Toyota Cup team and new feeder club for the Queensland Cup competition in 2009, the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles.
Mayer has also bravely offered a spotters' fee of $100,000 to any member of the public who leads the Sea Eagles to their new sponsor.
"It's created a bit of a stir and I've had thousands of e-mails today," Mayer said.
"We are the innovators and we'll work with anybody."
Mayer has not given up hope of securing a partnership with Colin Tidy's betting agency, Betchoice, after the NRL blocked its involvement as a major sponsor in a potential $3 million deal. The NRL's $1 million a season deal with Tabcorp prevents any club from securing a naming rights sponsor from a rival betting agency.
Not to be deterred, Mayer has organised a meeting with Betchoice chief executive Mark Morrissey about coming on board as a training gear sponsor.
The training kit deal could net the progressive seaside club $250,000 a year.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24387886-23214,00.html
Just think if it were something like Delmege Oval - a manly loving company, that could inject cash to rebuild the ground and then have their name on it. The fans and EVERYONE would still call it Brookvale anyways so i don't see what's to lose if they go ahead. Certainly not money.Â
