Vale Brookvale?

[Matabele]

I heard John Grant on ABC radio last night emphatically saying the SeaEagles/Sharks/Panthers will NOT be playing at suburban grounds within 5 years. Will the Football Club fight this and kill the club or bend to 21st Century realism is my question.

It might happen sooner than we think. I made a submission to Warringah Council about their rates for this year, telling them to be realistic, and this is what I received on Friday:

Proposed Amendment of 2015/16 Fees and Charges for Brookvale Oval Hire Fees
Dear *********


Thank you for your interest in the Proposed Amendment of 2015/16 Fees and Charges for Brookvale Oval Hire Fees.


The purpose of proposing the new fee was to ensure that the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (MWSE) would be able to play at Brookvale Oval in the 2016 season after having chosen to terminate their 2015 license. If a new fee is not adopted and the MWSE don’t sign a formal license then it will not be possible for NRL games to be played at the ground. The proposed new fees are comparative to the 2015 fees.


The Council will consider the proposal next Tuesday 16 February, 6pm in the Council Chambers, Civic Centre Dee Why.


·View the Council Report (item 7.4)

You can also view the background in the library on theproject page.


Thank you once again


Kind regards


Steve Johnson

 

[Frogz]

John Grant is a farkwit. And wont be around in that time frame.

 

[Matabele]

John Grant is a farkwit. And wont be around in that time frame.

Insightful....

 

[Rex]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...e/news-story/ee4d682a702039d382d21a408040849d

Manly now has been called in as an interested party re the Gov't revamp of Alliance/ANZ.

That is significant IMO.

The article implies the writing is on the wall (if it wasn't already) for Brookie. And the strategy would seem to be forcing us into ANZ or maybe Alliance?

 

[Frogz]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...e/news-story/ee4d682a702039d382d21a408040849d

Manly now has been called in as an interested party re the Gov't revamp of Alliance/ANZ.

That is significant IMO.

The article implies the writing is on the wall (if it wasn't already) for Brookie. And the strategy would seem to be forcing us into ANZ or maybe Alliance?

How @Rex can they force us??

 

[Chip and Chase]

I would presume that the Football Club will do what is necessary when and if the situation arises. Having their hand forced by the games controlling body is different to being bullied by the clubs owners.

Is the NRL including, Saints, Parra and Tigers in that list of teams that cannot play at their suburban ground ??

I personally can't see a time when playing all the NRL games out of Homebush or SFS would happen. Stupid concept.

 

[Rex]

How @Rex can they force us??

The state government has asked the ARL Commission, as Sydney’s major sporting tenant, to consult its clubs and return with a uniform policy for the game. ARL Commission chairman John Grant confirmed that position would be finalised by midyear. He also confirmed the commission had included Manly in talks — the state government’s $1.6 billion investment in Sydney stadiums will come with the expectation that NRL clubs would play the majority of their games at the venues.

Manly, currently locked in a bitter fight with their local council over hiring fees for Brookvale Oval, have been lobbying to have money invested in their home ground for years without success.

“The whole proposition from the government is we will invest a bucketload of money in rectangular stadiums,” Grant said.

“In order to get a return out of that investment, the content — all premierships rounds or games we have to play in those stadiums — are consolidated across those three stadiums.

“We have to work with the clubs to get to that point. We’re talking about things that are a few years out yet and Brookvale should remain their (Manly’s) focus for the immediate future.

“But the game for the Sydney clubs has to have a bigger proposition, putting content — not all content but the majority of content — at the stadiums where the investment is being made because their fans will demand it. We’re just about to start conversations with clubs. Ultimately these conversations are about new stadiums in Sydney for Sydney clubs.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...e/news-story/ee4d682a702039d382d21a408040849d
---------------------------------
The thrust of this, in my reading, is that there will be a united approach from the game to the State Govt - and that that is based on moving to centralise games in 3 stadiums. I assume ANZ, Alliance & one at Parra are the 3.

If we're not in the ARL united submission to State Govt, then no funds come our way. And the language being used - return on investment blah, blah, blah - suggests Brookie is a short term vision for them. The use of the phrase "immediate future ... But ..." in relation to their vision for Brookie seems to suggest it all.

 

[Duff]

@Matabele
Either way the club dies. Manly fans can't make it to the SFS for kickoff on weeknights and as we aren't a QLD club, we won't get favourable scheduling.
It's not progress, it's an attempt to reduce the number of Sydney clubs again.

 

[Snake]

I don't understand the desire to reduce the amount of Sydney based clubs. Have a look at the AFL and the amount of clubs that are within a bees dick of each other in the heart of Melbourne?

These morons keep talking about expansion all the time, but the TV networks already fork out a billion dollars for our product so hardly see the game of rugby league going kaput anytime soon...so what if it's not played the "world over" or even the "country over"....we've got a good product for the city of Sydney, a thriving QLD interest, a Melbourne franchise, and a team across the ditch. Don't fix what ain't broken!

 

[Darren]

Manly fans will follow eventually. We heard this with Carlton and Collingwood and now they are loaded. It had to happen and SFS will be central for a lot of people. If Brookie locals were so parochial we would be filling 19k every game easily. Big reason we lose so much money.

 

[ManlyArmy]

I can't see us staying at Brookie, especially if they're gonna surround the place with apartments with next to no parking.

The sooner we approach for an upgraded Rat Park, the better. Brookie with an small upgrade will be lucky to be even good enough for another 7-8 years.

If they knock down Allianz and rebuild. The Waratahs and Syd FC are going to need a new home ground. If we had a new home ground by then, both could play a few of their home games at Rat Park in the 3 year period of the Allianz rebuild.

 

[Duff]

Manly fans will follow eventually. We heard this with Carlton and Collingwood and now they are loaded. It had to happen and SFS will be central for a lot of people. If Brookie locals were so parochial we would be filling 19k every game easily. Big reason we lose so much money.

It's a quick tram ride into the city from Carlton, then a short walk to the G.

Peak hour across the harbour bridge, followed by buses no longer going to Central, and then a half hour walk to the ground is a whole different story.
The locals do go to Brookvale. Who the hell do you think those people at the game are. We'd pack it if we were a western suburbs team with the population and correct demographic, but we aren't. We get the best crowd figures a team from an area like ours can expect. The casual fans, not the ones with merch or the ones who post on silvertails, just the local surfie guy and his mates who go down for a few games a year are at least half the crowd. They won't go to the SFS. They'll watch it at wharf bar or the Mona.

 

[Fluffy]

we move to SFS then crowds will halve at best.

How many years will that be OK?

 

[Rex]

@Matabele
Either way the club dies. Manly fans can't make it to the SFS for kickoff on weeknights and as we aren't a QLD club, we won't get favourable scheduling.
It's not progress, it's an attempt to reduce the number of Sydney clubs again.

I don't know whether we die. I have no crystal ball.

SFS is convenient for people from the Eastern Suburbs, but not from the North Shore. The transport there from the North side is a deterrent. We'd lose a lot of local supporters moving to either ANZ/Alliance stadium. But then could we pick up new supporters from Western Sydney? Souths moved to SFS with poor crowd numbers, Then they moved west to ANZ and they've now got the highest member base in the league. I mean, if you lived out west would you really want to support the Bulldogs or the like?

If forced into a move to one of these stadiums (not my preference), ANZ may give us the best long-term shot at surviving and thriving - by getting new supporters on a rail line.

 

[Duff]

I don't know whether we die. I have no crystal ball.

SFS is convenient for people from the Eastern Suburbs, but not from the North Shore. The transport there from the North side is a deterrent. We'd lose a lot of local supporters moving to either ANZ/Alliance stadium. But then could we pick up new supporters from Western Sydney? Souths moved to SFS with poor crowd numbers, Then they moved west to ANZ and they've now got the highest member base in the league. I mean, if you lived out west would you really want to support the Bulldogs or the like?

If forced into a move to one of these stadiums (not my preference), ANZ may give us the best long-term shot at surviving and thriving - by getting new supporters on a rail line.

I doubt it very much. Souffs are the "pride of the league". They get a lot of media help and are associated with an area more palletable to the rest of Sydney than the much maligned Northern Beaches. They're an easier option.
We'd be moving to where they come from too. If the local team won't work there, why would a bunch of imports?

 

[Christol74]

The New South Wales Govenment should be doing all it can to ensure that all NSW based teams remain in the competition including upgrading Brookvale. Why are they willing to spend $1.5billion of NSW money to fund the NRL's stadium strategy which will without doubt lead to the end of one or two successful Sydney based teams. These licences will then end up in Qld, NZ or somewhere else but it won't be in NSW.

Other codes would give anything to have the support Rugby League has in NSW but it appears our State Government wants to assist the NRL in culling a few NSW based teams. Its ludicrous.

What happens if the Premiere of NSW loses his own seat in an election but his party wins? Because that is the choice Baird should be given, No Brooky, No Job.

 

[Rex]

I doubt it very much. Souffs are the "pride of the league". They get a lot of media help and are associated with an area more palletable to the rest of Sydney than the much maligned Northern Beaches. They're an easier option.
We'd be moving to where they come from too. If the local team won't work there, why would a bunch of imports?

Souths had amongst the lowest crowd numbers and lowest memberships in the League. They were also called the "pride of the league" back then before Save Our Souths. And they struggled for a long while after too.

Why have they been able to grow their membership so remarkably? Joe may have some insights there, seen from the inside. And it seems to me beyond coincidence the link between their move out of their heartland to ANZ and their remarkable growth of members. People associate clubs and players with an image. And they like to have that image attached to themselves. Souths image might be the disadvantaged and oppressed working class who struggle and come good.

Manly are winners, winners, winners. And unafraid of being hated by the ignorant jealous. Even among the haters, there is begrudging respect of who we are and what we've done. Our image is at least as marketable as Souths - to the portion of the population to whom that image appeals.

 

[bones]

If everyone 'bent to 21st century realism' there would be no place for that ancient idealogy we call religion.
So maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

 

[Snake]

At least Allianz has some sort of atmosphere...ANZ is a morgue. For that reason alone, I vote Allianz if we do have to part ways with Brookie. The semi-final against the Dogs in 2014 at Allianz was a great atmosphere in the Eagles nest.

 

[Duff]

Souths had amongst the lowest crowd numbers and lowest memberships in the League. They were also called the "pride of the league" back then before Save Our Souths. And they struggled for a long while after too.

Why have they been able to grow their membership so remarkably? Joe may have some insights there, seen from the inside. And it seems to me beyond coincidence the link between their move out of their heartland to ANZ and their remarkable growth of members. People associate clubs and players with an image. And they like to have that image attached to themselves. Souths image might be the disadvantaged and oppressed working class who struggle and come good.

Manly are winners, winners, winners. And unafraid of being hated by the ignorant jealous. Even among the haters, there is begrudging respect of who we are and what we've done. Our image is at least as marketable as Souths - to the portion of the population to whom that image appeals.

I don't see anything but hate out there for Manly. Unfounded hate. It's not even jealousy. They don't know why they hate us.

Is that the Manly you want to support? A compromised, hollowed out, watered down McFranchise version of our club?

We should have died with dignity rather than disgracing our name by associating with the scummy cellar dweller bears fifteen years ago. It's been one compromise after another since then.