Get off our turf!
SELINA STEELE
23jul06
THE Gold Coast Titans have threatened to transfer their home games to Brisbane next season after a falling out with the Gold Coast City Council over the shared use of Carrara Stadium.
Titans CEO Michael Searle said the club had already held informal discussions with Suncorp Stadium officials about playing 12 home games in Brisbane in their debut NRL season.
Central to the dispute is the use of Carrara as both an NRL and AFL venue. While their Robina stadium is being built, the Titans are scheduled to play at Carrara and this week, the AFL's Kangaroos announced they would also play 10 games at the Gold Coast stadium for the next three seasons.
The Titans believe Mayor Ron Clarke and the Gold Coast City Council have broken a contractual agreement in regards to the stadium's reconfiguration.
The Titans believed temporary grandstands would boost the ground's capacity to 20,000 and transform Carrara into a rectangular stadium. But the AFL has since lobbied the council to keep the current oval shape.
"Going to Suncorp is an option we've already spoken to them," Searle said.
"Unless a solution can be reached, Ron Clarke is going to have every rugby league fan on the Gold Coast asking 'why has our team been forced to Brisbane?'
"If we lose 3000 in temporary seating, we're down to 17,000. Apparently, the proposal currently on the table will reduce capacity further.
"We can't be playing at a stadium that houses 14,000 fans. It's ludicrous the council is supporting an interstate business over a local business."
Searle, who will wait "eight to 10 weeks" before making a final decision, has sent a letter to the council outlining the Titans' position.
There is also concern the playing surface could become over-used with the Titans, Kangaroos and local soccer games all scheduled for the venue next year. "Carrara is supposed to be a multi-purpose venue," Searle said.
"I want to make it clear I'm excited for Kangaroos fans in south-east Queensland, it's great they can come and watch their games.
"I've always said the Gold Coast is big enough to host two codes. But I have difficulty with the Gold Coast City Council reneging on an agreement with the NRL and us. By not allowing us the seating, they are going to lock out 3000 fans.
"That's 36,000 fans over 12 games and there's no doubt this is going to be critical to us and our fan base in 2007."
Clarke, whose brother Jack was a premiership captain with VFL side Essendon, said the council would not shift on the issue of temporary grandstands.
"We've spent three million and the AFL has spent a million on Carrara's ground surface. That would be money down the drain if we allowed temporary seating on the actual ground," he said.
"The Titans knew they were going to play there for a year and they knew they were playing on an AFL ground. We wanted to protect Carrara, which is why we're spending $20 million on another another (stadium) for rugby league at Robina."
Clarke said there was no contractual agreement between the council and Titans for temporary seating to be built on the ground surface.
Kangaroos chairman Graham Duff was oblivious to the turf wars between the Titans and council, but said Roo officials would meet with the Titans soon.
"I think both codes can exist side-by-side.
"But obviously our interest is in the surface being maintained to AFL standards," Duff said. "That's something we'll sit down and discuss with the Titans."
The Sunday Mail
