Sea Eagles CEO Joe Kelly will push for more Sunday arvo games at Brookie

[ManlyArmy]

SEA Eagles CEO Joe Kelly says the club is committed to getting more games at Brookvale Oval on Sunday afternoons at the right price.

He revealed the club is currently engaged in talks with Warringah Council about coming to more favourable commercial terms in regards to leasing the ground.

“Sunday (against Cronulla) was a really successful day in terms of the result, in terms of having families here and we got a crowd of 14,881,” Kelly said.

“But from a financial point of view that game only barely breaks even.

“What we have to do is go back to the drawing board in terms of our agreement with council in particular and work out a fair and reasonable leasing cost to play here at the ground on a per game basis.

“At the moment we are certainly in good dialogue with the council and that is continuing and we are hopeful that going forward we can resolve that situation and come to a fair market value.”

Kelly would not reveal the costs involved in hiring Brookie, but the Manly Daily understands the figure is $45,000 a game before the gates are opened.

The Manly boss was commenting after club legends Steve Menzies and Max Krilich called for more home games to be held at Brookvale on Sundays.

“Sunday afternoon football- absolutely we want more of it,” Kelly said.

“Our core activity is putting on games of football and they have to be profitable for us to do what we do in all other aspects of the business including putting the playing personnel on the field.”

He also revealed the harsh reality is that over this season the club will actually lose money on their 10 home games, including the two they stage away from Brookvale.

The matches in Albury and Gosford help prop up the games at Brookvale.

“On a number of games we are not even covering the hiring fee,” Kelly said.

“We have to make match day more profitable.

“We are committed here, we know that playing inside ‘the fortress’ is what we want.

“We are very conscious of the fact that Brookvale Oval is a competitive edge for us on field.

“And that on field competitiveness has to be matched with off-field competitiveness.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...games-at-brookie/story-fngr8iii-1227432526741

 

[mickqld]

Setting us all up for the inevitable move to Gosford or SFS.

 

[sheridanstand78]

The issue is Nine and Fox who control when fixtures are played and not the NRL. In a perfect world we would get Sunday games like the donkeys get Friday nights but it aint going to happen till the next TV contract.

I hope the club can get a better deal with Warringah council, It would be really nice to have all 12 games at Brooky if it was viable or if we shift a game away make it on a public holiday weekend, ie Easter or June at either Homebush of SFS.

It is hard for Manly to continue to play 14 away games out of 24 each season.

 

[ManlyArmy]

The real problem for Brookie is the lack of reserved seating and undercover seating. At the moment there's roughly 4,000 seats that can be used as reserved.

Realistically that needs to be upped to at least 8,000 with 80% of those being undercover. That would drop prices for all types of admission around the ground and still making more than we are now.

 

[ManlyArmy]

The issue is Nine and Fox who control when fixtures are played and not the NRL. In a perfect world we would get Sunday games like the donkeys get Friday nights but it aint going to happen till the next TV contract.

I hope the club can get a better deal with Warringah council, It would be really nice to have all 12 games at Brooky if it was viable or if we shift a game away make it on a public holiday weekend, ie Easter or June at either Homebush of SFS.

It is hard for Manly to continue to play 14 away games out of 24 each season.

We should target an Easter Saturday triple header game with NSW Cup, U20's and NRL on at the SFS with NRL kicking off at 3 or 4pm. Play it against the Dragons, Sharks, or Roosters. Guaranteed at least 20,000 if the pricing is right and members tickets are included in memberships.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Setting us all up for the inevitable move to Gosford or SFS.

Nailed it there buddy, on the cards within a year or two I feel.

 

[HK_Eagle]

Setting us all up for the inevitable move to Gosford or SFS.

Yep, PR BS 101. Plant the thought in the media and set up for the longer term goal... moving the team from Brookie. Agree with a move or not, we truly allow ourselves to be played by media. Passive fast fix generation.

 

[The Who]

The real problem for Brookie is the lack of reserved seating and undercover seating. At the moment there's roughly 4,000 seats that can be used as reserved.

Realistically that needs to be upped to at least 8,000 with 80% of those being undercover. That would drop prices for all types of admission around the ground and still making more than we are now.

On Sunday the Hill and standing areas were close to full, yet there were plenty of vacant seats in the various grandstands. Undercover seating is only needed in inclement weather. We Hillites will sit/stand anywhere if the game promises to be a good one.

 

[Duff]

@ManlyArmy , can you confirm if all the current undercover, reserved seating has been pre-sold?
I understand what you're saying about them being able to generate higher profit from reserved seating and I know that those with an agenda to push for an all-seater stadium always bang on about seats but I just don't think they're that popular.
Even on a rainy day thousands of people prefer to get wet on the hill rather than go into the stands. I'm one of them. I was offered a seat for free in the half empty Arko stand for the previous game but it just didn't interest me. A look around at any game will tell you that the last places to fill up are the stands.

 

[ManlyArmy]

@ManlyArmy , can you confirm if all the current undercover, reserved seating has been pre-sold?
I understand what you're saying about them being able to generate higher profit from reserved seating and I know that those with an agenda to push for an all-seater stadium always bang on about seats but I just don't think they're that popular.
Even on a rainy day thousands of people prefer to get wet on the hill rather than go into the stands. I'm one of them. I was offered a seat for free in the half empty Arko stand for the previous game but it just didn't interest me. A look around at any game will tell you that the last places to fill up are the stands.

Most games, Jane Try and FM Stands are usually sold out, if not single seats only. Concourse seats in front of the Jane Try Stand usually go for minimum $40 a game, which is pretty high for seating that gives a pretty crappy view and aren't undercover.

 

[Lyonstomenzies]

Can someone please tell me when the so called "refurb" is happening to Brooky?
I've been hearing of it for years but we never seem to hear anything concrete (builing pun unintended).

I was at Brooky again on Sunday and although it was great, better facilities I'm sure would attract a better crowd. The place ran out of that crap stuff they tried to call food just after half time my son had to settle on some half cooked soggy hot chips. He didn't mind though because we won.

 

[StuBoot]

"At the moment we are certainly in good dialogue with the council and that is continuing and we are hopeful that going forward we can resolve that situation and come to a fair market value.”

“Our core activity is putting on games of football and they have to be profitable for us to do what we do in all other aspects of the business including putting the playing personnel on the field.”

Don't you just love CEO speak - good dialogue, going forward, market value, core activity, other aspects of the business, playing personnel...

Yes, I know it's the NRL but he's talking about the F%$king MWRLFC

Faark.

Playing personnel ? - please Mr Kelly, call them "the team", they are representatives of the mighty Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

Don't get me wrong, he looks like he's meeting the KPI's and ticking all the boxes which is great but it seems like he's in the business of herding cats whereas he should be aiming for core competency, being more client centric and hyperlocal. Could also value-add the game day experience with content marketing which could greatly enhance the B2C experience and in turn the ROI and sustainability of the club ( whoops, I mean business).

Note: This post is buzzword compliant.

 

[simon64]

Can someone please tell me when the so called "refurb" is happening to Brooky?
I've been hearing of it for years but we never seem to hear anything concrete (builing pun unintended).

I was at Brooky again on Sunday and although it was great, better facilities I'm sure would attract a better crowd. The place ran out of that crap stuff they tried to call food just after half time my son had to settle on some half cooked soggy hot chips. He didn't mind though because we won.

That refurb is scheduled to begin on the 12th of never.
No government body, be it local, state or federal has any intention of building a modern stadium at Brookvale.

They are too busy pumping money into WIN, Parramatta, Kogarah or Penrith.

Pretty much anywhere as long as it's not to the benefit of Manly.

 

[castle eagle]

That refurb is scheduled to begin on the 12th of never.

you got the date wrong, it will start on the 31st of feb.

 

[Loobs]

This is pretty easy to fix. Barely break even with $2 pies so Joe, try $3 pies. Boom. Problem solved.

 

[The Wheel]

I wonder if the profit/loss includes membership 'fees" that Re paid for seating or ground access? Probably half the ground don't actually pay to come into the ground as it is part of their membership package

 

[Peter C]

@ManlyArmy , can you confirm if all the current undercover, reserved seating has been pre-sold?
I understand what you're saying about them being able to generate higher profit from reserved seating and I know that those with an agenda to push for an all-seater stadium always bang on about seats but I just don't think they're that popular.
Even on a rainy day thousands of people prefer to get wet on the hill rather than go into the stands. I'm one of them. I was offered a seat for free in the half empty Arko stand for the previous game but it just didn't interest me. A look around at any game will tell you that the last places to fill up are the stands.

I have a reserved seat in the Jane Try stand, around the 40m line, usually there is no one around me, people on my left only come 50% of the time, if that, on my right no one has sat there all this season,and most of last season, yet if you try to book a seat it will say that those seats are taken.

 

[Wombat64]

Most games, Jane Try and FM Stands are usually sold out, if not single seats only. Concourse seats in front of the Jane Try Stand usually go for minimum $40 a game, which is pretty high for seating that gives a pretty crappy view and aren't undercover.

Not true. My family and I have had the same reserved seats in the Jane Try stand for the last 5 years and there are always plenty of vacant seats around us.

 

[bob dylan]

There goes our Sunday matches.

Bit like asking for Beavers final match to be on a Sunday. Didn't happen.

 

[Wombat64]

Can someone please tell me when the so called "refurb" is happening to Brooky?
I've been hearing of it for years but we never seem to hear anything concrete (builing pun unintended).

I was at Brooky again on Sunday and although it was great, better facilities I'm sure would attract a better crowd. The place ran out of that crap stuff they tried to call food just after half time my son had to settle on some half cooked soggy hot chips. He didn't mind though because we won.

Bloody Zorba ...... that fat bastard got all the food again.