Club renovations

[gunnamatta bay]

Went to the club yesterday for a feed at the King Wan. Peking duck was very good.

At present the club is undergoing renovations. Had a look at the plans and artist impressions. It looks interesting and should be nicer for those not disposed to playing the pokies. Basically there will be a much larger area devoted to serious drinkers, like me, and party animals.

They reckon it will be finished by the end of March, hopefully in time for the Manly game on Saturday, 27 March 2004 5:30 PM.

 

[fatshark]

It seems its a constant thing these renovations. Should of knocked the whole thing down and started from scratch making the grand stand twice as big.

 

[Dean Moriarty]

At present the club is undergoing renovations. Had a look at the plans and artist impressions. It looks interesting and should be nicer for those not disposed to playing the pokies. Basically there will be a much larger area devoted to serious drinkers, like me, and party animals.

Interesting to hear that. I've always hated the fact that you're jammed in crappy little spaces unless you're playing the pokies, which I don't. Hopefully this means the club will be more focused on other revenue streams instead of just pokies. It's not as if there's no space in the market for decent drinking venues in the shire - if Hunters can turn a profit, surely it's not beyond the leagues club too.

 

[gunnamatta bay]

It's probably only a stop gap thing really. The club has potential for sweeping views of the city skyline and botany bay which would prove a big drawcard on it's own. Hopefully we will see some real changes in the future like:

1. Large top floor bars/restaurants with balconies.
2. Convention centre and motel (close proximity to the airport).
3. Pool area with access to bistro and bar.
4. Gymnasium.

Surely this would pull in the people as per Panthers. Think of anything else?

 

[shadowboxer]

the current renovations are just a band aid. The place is falling apart - the renovations are just a short term fix up and should do for the time being

 

[cheese]

the current renovations are just a band aid.

Agreed.....The place is a granny infested sh1thole.

Until they make some serious changes, it will never appeal to the crowd that it has to. No offence to the elder statesman, but they really should be trying a helluva lot harder to target the youth/non-dinosaur markets. I dont really wanna bring back the gow argument, but you could really sense that this was something he was working hard for, ever since he "left", its back to the same ol' same ol'

 

[Sharkie73]

Hey Cheese what age do people start to fall into the dinosaur market????? hahahahaha

 

[cheese]

haha ....judging by your alias, you're still safe sharkie.


I dunno ...pensioners i spose

 

[sharknows]

Maybe the club is trying to spend all its money before Anderson gets it!!!!

 

[Sharkie73]

Thats great my mind is at ease now Cheese. hehehehehehe

 

[King of the Hill]

Agree with cheese

and Dean:

I've always hated the fact that you're jammed in crappy little spaces unless you're playing the pokies, which I don't. Hopefully this means the club will be more focused on other revenue streams instead of just pokies

The shire has a MASSIVE affluent youth population who spend an ENORMOUS amount of money on grog and entertainment etc. They are about the only venue who hasnt attempted to latch onto this market. Someone must have failed Marketing 101, seriously.

The fact that the club only concentrates on bringing in gambling pensioners is a disgusting joke and I expect better from the nameless, faceless wonders who allegedly run the club.

 

[bubs]

The fact that the club only concentrates on bringing in gambling pensioners is a disgusting joke and I expect better from the nameless, faceless wonders who allegedly run the club.

Have to disagree there.
Unfortunately, poker machines are and always will be the chief source of revenue for the club. Not just ours, but ALL clubs.
It unfortunately makes financial sense to attract pokie players to the club. All clubs do it.
Grog sales make only a VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE of the clubs income.
And the buffet LOSES hundreds of thousands each year.
The club really has no choice.

 

[Cometshark]

Have to agree with bubs you wouldnt believe how much money gets placed in a single poker machine every week, its easily a few thousand and unless the club opens up a twenty-four hour danceparty and has it constantly packed it cant compete with a few rows of pokies.
I dont agree with it but since the club isnt into as much development as panthers, the pokies are a necessary evil until the new development is completed.

 

[King of the Hill]

It unfortunately makes financial sense to attract pokie players to the club

I know
You'll note I said "The fact that the club only concentrates on bringing in [gamblers]..." is a joke

Grog sales make only a VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE of the clubs income.

Grog doesnt make as much as pokies but it's still a big money spinner, especially in pubs. Our club could be so much more...and not only would bringing in the young crowd create money in drink sales, it would create brand loyalty and help replace the hundreds or thousands of fans who turned away from the code and club during the late 90s. This in turn would create more cash from drink sales, entry fees, food etc etc etc, and yes, gambling. These new fans would also bring their mates.

I reiterate: The shire has a MASSIVE affluent youth population who spend an ENORMOUS amount of money on grog and entertainment etc.

Pull these kids in...they could gazump Coyotes and put on a big dance party on Thursday nights with $2.50 drinks in the auditorium. It would rake in thousands...especially if they put 30-50 poker machines upstairs.

Trust me...I know the young drinking sector better than most!

 

[The Popper]

It's probably only a stop gap thing really. The club has potential for sweeping views of the city skyline and botany bay which would prove a big drawcard on it's own. Hopefully we will see some real changes in the future like:

1. Large top floor bars/restaurants with balconies.
2. Convention centre and motel (close proximity to the airport).
3. Pool area with access to bistro and bar.
4. Gymnasium.

Surely this would pull in the people as per Panthers. Think of anything else?

Panthers is chock a block full of pokies. Went there last week. No doubt it does pay divvies with a ski park, first class entertainment and a premiership winning football team (that's for you, Blacktip ;-) )
As for pool and gymnasium:
- We have (or had) a pool. It was part of the original club plan and is/was underneath where the summertime bar is. It's probably still there, although the disco we had some time ago with the sunken floor may have put paid to that. The pool was never used as, I was told, the pool water was there in case of fire...something to do with inadequate water for fire safety, low water pressure or whatever. That matter came up at an AGM many years ago.
- we used to have a gymnasium but that was bulldozed years ago. It was run by ET and contained free weights and two different brands of exercise machines...I forget the brand names. Cost to members was only about $3 to $5 per workout so it was pretty reasonable. Monique used to run exercise classes too.
IMO, over the years, members facilities have suffered to make way for extra gambling facilities. This is understandable due to the high cost of running an NRL team. Perhaps the current public backlash against gambling will mean club funds may be put to other areas. I reckon the State Govt. got it wrong. Pokies should NEVER have been put in pubs, and Clubs should have as many as they wish. Michael Egan wouldn't agree with this though. Pokies in pubs are `the goose that laid the golden egg' for the State Govt. so to hell withdrawing them to alleviate gambling problems. Let's just let the clubs suffer accordingly, and slam an extra tax on them as well. Greed!

 

[Macca]

The problem with trying to draw the kiddies from coyt's will always be transport. There is no public transport to Sharkies is there? I would love to make it my local as I can walk there easily but the Grandma scene just isn't for me. If the could work out a way to get a regular young 'norhties' type crowd down there, I am there. Til then it's Northies and Taren Pt pub.

 

[King of the Hill]

If the could work out a way to get a regular young 'norhties' type crowd down there, I am there. Til then it's Northies and Taren Pt pub.

Easy, they just link up with the drunk bus, aka Shire Shuttle.
It doesnt run on Thursdays but then again, where there's a will there's a way.

 

[Macca]

You yourself,, say you don't even like to use it SS. They need something better than that. Maybe they could run several. I don't know. The yougsters don't seem to run it either.

 

[King of the Hill]

You yourself,, say you don't even like to use it SS. They need something better than that. Maybe they could run several. I don't know.

I dont enjoy using the drunk bus but that's because I prefer to get cabs. Most drunken young guns are too tight ass to pay for a cab and no one dislikes the drunk bus as much as I do. Part of the reason I dislike it is because it drops me off too far from my house. Just cos I dont like it doesnt mean it wouldnt be popular if put in place.

They do run a courtesy mini bus between Kurnell and Miranda and everywhere in between, perhaps they could hire a big bus on whatever night and get everyone out of there efficiently.

Maybe I'm just dreaming?

 

[Wobbygong]

We need to go back to the good old days, yes pokies are a necessary evil and we need to have plenty of them BUT I remember back in my hayday, in the late eighties when the old Captains was on fire. The placed was packed all the time and then the RBT's went wild and the place was then known as the Morgue. We need the club to bring this back and supply shuttle buses back to major centres ie Cronulla, Station, Miranda and possibly Sutho.

We need to attract the youth and their disposable income for food (bistro and existing chinese restuarant) and beverages via a night club format with cover charge. What do you guys think?

Maybe we can share the load and income with Northies, the RSL and Biggles LOL!