What does this mean for Brookie?

[Andrew..]

I could only see the grounds current condition on tv, because I'm up near Ballina...but I thought the atmosphere looked great on Monday. The hill seemed near capacity and the place seemed to have a real community feel about it...man was I jealous!

Manly belong at Brookie. It's been that way for the past 65yrs...lets hope they're there for the next 65!

 

[Dan]

Works well in the AFL.

However Rugby League isn't read for it yet. That is the difference. Maybe in another 5 to 10 years but it certainly is far from being ready

 

[bones]

Fluffy, why do you really think membership numbers would drop so significantly?
Most will support the club irrespective of where the Sea Eagles play.
If there were improved transport options why wouldn't fans head to the SFS if it became the Sea Eagles home ground?
Cut through the B.S and it's 'upgrade' or 'move' they are the only two outcomes.

WAMF, I'm loving the debate, even though I think you are misguided.
I for one would cut my membership from a 10-game season to a three-game season if matches were moved from Brookvale. I'm prepared to go to the occasional match at the SFS, but it would need to be on a Sunday. I think I am representative of a lot of full member fans.
Also, as I've said before and it hasn't been refuted, the Leagues Club and some businesses surrounding Brookvale that sponsor the Sea Eagles benefit greatly from home matches. Are they going to be compensated for a downturn in trade?

I agree. I go to approx 8 home games a year at the moment. If we played at the SFS I would go to 3-4 and if we played at ANZ 1 max. I hate that joint.

If a move to the SFS makes it physically impossible to get there then that's fair enough, but if it's just because you don't like the SFS then I disagree with your cutting back on games. I live near the SFS (Randwick) so a move there wouldn't bother me too much. But I still attend every game at brookie, not because I love the place (which I do), but because I love watching manly play. I would hope that if manly do have to move to ensure their survival, that our fans would continue to support them by attending as many matches as they can.

 

[The Who]

I don't mind the SFS at all. It is a great football ground. But logistically it is difficult. It requires public transport, as trying to get out of the parking lot is mind-numbingly slow. Therefore, any Friday or Monday night matches would be out for me.
As for Homebush, the only matches I've attended there are SOOs and grand finals. There it is the size of the ground that is the issue. It's just too big for rugby league. And unless there is a crowd of 60,000 or more the atmosphere is flat.
I am, however, making an exception when we play the Dogs in a few rounds time.

 

[Fluffy]

Fluffy, why do you really think membership numbers would drop so significantly?
Most will support the club irrespective of where the Sea Eagles play.
If there were improved transport options why wouldn't fans head to the SFS if it became the Sea Eagles home ground?
Cut through the B.S and it's 'upgrade' or 'move' they are the only two outcomes.

WAMF, I'm loving the debate, even though I think you are misguided.
I for one would cut my membership from a 10-game season to a three-game season if matches were moved from Brookvale. I'm prepared to go to the occasional match at the SFS, but it would need to be on a Sunday. I think I am representative of a lot of full member fans.
Also, as I've said before and it hasn't been refuted, the Leagues Club and some businesses surrounding Brookvale that sponsor the Sea Eagles benefit greatly from home matches. Are they going to be compensated for a downturn in trade?

I agree. I go to approx 8 home games a year at the moment. If we played at the SFS I would go to 3-4 and if we played at ANZ 1 max. I hate that joint.

I believe this would be the common outcome, member numbers down and those that stay would be on significantly smaller packages.

WAMF can keep his head in the sand but reality is beaches people are not going to make it to the SFS as much as Brookie. Your "IF there were improved transport options" point should tell you right now how wrong you are, there is no improved tranport options happening. IF the goverment were to spend 100's of millions on improving transport you might get some better numbers sure but why would they do that when they can spend 50 million and we stay at brookie? Cannot see logic in that.

We will have to come out $2 million better off to move there, or an extra 200K per game just from corporates and thats just to break even.

 

[WAMF]

WAMF can keep his head in the sand but reality is beaches people are not going to make it to the SFS as much as Brookie.

Head in the sand? I don't think so.
I put it to you, Fluffy that fans like yourself who choose to carry the attitude of Brookie or nothing, will be partly responsible for the eventual demise of the Sea Eagles.
Yep, do you feel better now?

I suppose as long as you have a reserve grade team to watch at a delapidated Brookie, all because we lacked the vision and fortitude to make no brain decisions and the club ultimately listened to the loudest whingers, that will be good enough for you right?

From what I understand, the club have the stats to show that while their is a healthy 'local' supporter base, the club has it's wings spread much further these days and plenty of people from outside of the Northern beaches are members/season ticket holders who attend home games.
I fear that 'locals' who feel that a footy team on the Nthn beaches is their god given right, will stuff this for the rest of us.

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto

 

[Shoe1]

You're really arguing strongly to move now wamf, by the sound of it. I appreciate the debate, but let's not actively advocate moving?Ps we would have sat in same stand pretty often in the 90s by the sound of things.

 

[Thehill]

Fluffy, why do you really think membership numbers would drop so significantly?
Most will support the club irrespective of where the Sea Eagles play.
If there were improved transport options why wouldn't fans head to the SFS if it became the Sea Eagles home ground?
Cut through the B.S and it's 'upgrade' or 'move' they are the only two outcomes.

WAMF, I'm loving the debate, even though I think you are misguided.
I for one would cut my membership from a 10-game season to a three-game season if matches were moved from Brookvale. I'm prepared to go to the occasional match at the SFS, but it would need to be on a Sunday. I think I am representative of a lot of full member fans.
Also, as I've said before and it hasn't been refuted, the Leagues Club and some businesses surrounding Brookvale that sponsor the Sea Eagles benefit greatly from home matches. Are they going to be compensated for a downturn in trade?

I agree. I go to approx 8 home games a year at the moment. If we played at the SFS I would go to 3-4 and if we played at ANZ 1 max. I hate that joint.

If a move to the SFS makes it physically impossible to get there then that's fair enough, but if it's just because you don't like the SFS then I disagree with your cutting back on games. I live near the SFS (Randwick) so a move there wouldn't bother me too much. But I still attend every game at brookie, not because I love the place (which I do), but because I love watching manly play. I would hope that if manly do have to move to ensure their survival, that our fans would continue to support them by attending as many matches as they can.

If I just wanted to 'Watch Manly Play' then I'd watch on TV because it's such a good product to watch on TV. You can see every ruck close up, you know who's been interchanged, clear replays etc. I go to Brookie because the atmosphere adds to the thrill of the highs and the lows throughout the match. I don't get that at the SFS/ANZ.

That's just me though, I'm not speaking for everyone.

 

[Shoe1]

Also quayle's agenda is clear - he runs the board of the sfs so it's his job to get more games there.

 

[DSM5]

Same with me Thehill. I go there to have a beer with mates, yell at the ref, abuse the opposition and scream when we score. It's the 'atmosphere'. I've sat in a corporate box and it's crap. Just like sitting at Homebush.

 

[Fluffy]

Given we have a cross section of manly fans on this forum its the best guide we have and so far we have so far WAMF and Bones moving, although only Bones wil goto games, about 12.5%, about 75% going to less games and 12.5% stopping going all together.

You can put it to me all you want WAMF but i have put up numbers, estimates etc to prove how this will not work and you have put "I understand the club has stats"..... I put it to you that you understand very little about what makes manly manly, without our home we are dead anyway, its just a matter of time.

 

[simon64]

The most important thing is ATMOSPHERE and for that the crowd must fill the ground. (or near enough to it)

I was at the World Cup qualifier where the Socceroos played Uruguay and the atmosphere amazing. But there wasn't an empty seat. Look at SOO or the GF. If we could pull a crowd like that, then no problem. But we all know that isn't going to happen any time soon.

So what we need is a stadium like Parramatta stadium. Modern. Configured for rugby league. Big enough to accommodate the fans but not so big that three quarters of the seats are empty. Quality corporate facilities and toilets that weren't built in the 60's.

I don't live anywhere near Brookie. In fact, Homebush would be very convenient for me. But I won't go. When I yell at the ref, I don't want to have my profanities to echo back at me.

Our best hope, as sucky as it is, is the Liberal government finally being even handed and sinking the same amount of money into Brookvale that they did to Parramatta, Kogarah and WIN Stadium.

I remain eternally optimistic that it will happen and that Brookvale Oval will one day be called Brookvale Stadium.

 

[bones]

Given we have a cross section of manly fans on this forum its the best guide we have and so far we have so far WAMF and Bones moving, although only Bones wil goto games, about 12.5%, about 75% going to less games and 12.5% stopping going all together.

You can put it to me all you want WAMF but i have put up numbers, estimates etc to prove how this will not work and you have put "I understand the club has stats"..... I put it to you that you understand very little about what makes manly manly, without our home we are dead anyway, its just a matter of time.

Hey Fluffy....I didn't say I would prefer us to move. I just said it wouldn't bother me because I like watching manly where ever they play. My preference is always to stay at Brookie, but only if we can not just survive, but prosper there. If we can, then great. If we can't , then move. I don't profess to know the finances of the club, how much we would make from moving, or how much we make at Brookie so I can't say which way is the best option. Whichever way is best for the longterm survival is the way I want the club to take. Whichever way that may be. I'm just not one of those that would rather see the club die than move, and I make no apologies for that.

 

[WAMF]

You're really arguing strongly to move now wamf, by the sound of it. I appreciate the debate, but let's not actively advocate moving?Ps we would have sat in same stand pretty often in the 90s by the sound of things.

No shoe, I'm most certainly not saying that we move now and none of my comments allude to anything of the sort.
Brookvale upgrade is the no.1 option.

I'd like to ask what Jono's, The Who's and your contingency or back up plan would be, should the significant upgrade funding not be forthcoming?

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Brookvale upgrade is the no.1 option.

Does anyone not see this as the No.1 option ?

 

[Fluffy]

WAMF - the numbers dont stack up for moving, your contingency is to move, lose identity and die, mine is to stay, keep identity and die.

 

[WAMF]

Given we have a cross section of manly fans on this forum its the best guide we have and so far we have so far WAMF and Bones moving, although only Bones wil goto games, about 12.5%, about 75% going to less games and 12.5% stopping going all together.

You can put it to me all you want WAMF but i have put up numbers, estimates etc to prove how this will not work and you have put "I understand the club has stats"..... I put it to you that you understand very little about what makes manly manly, without our home we are dead anyway, its just a matter of time.

Fluffy, I don't want the Sea Eagles to move either BUT what's your contingency should the money for the upgrade not come through?
Death by a thousand cuts?

 

[Duff]

Given we have a cross section of manly fans on this forum its the best guide we have and so far we have so far WAMF and Bones moving, although only Bones wil goto games, about 12.5%, about 75% going to less games and 12.5% stopping going all together.

You can put it to me all you want WAMF but i have put up numbers, estimates etc to prove how this will not work and you have put "I understand the club has stats"..... I put it to you that you understand very little about what makes manly manly, without our home we are dead anyway, its just a matter of time.

Fluffy, I don't want the Sea Eagles to move either BUT what's your contingency should the money for the upgrade not come through?
Death by a thousand cuts?

Nobody has ever explained where the money to survive is coming from if we move.

Fluffy is right, no increase to corporate facilities at Brookie, we die either way, we might as well go down with an identity.

The club may have numbers saying that members are from far and wide but what about the walk ups? I'm sure the majority of them are locals, most of whom would only go becuse it's not too much trouble. That's thousnds per game.

 

[Normie]

cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes, cornflakes

That won't win Vyvyan!
Nobody ever says Futumsch.....