Sea Eagles desperate for funding

[nqboy]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21416408-23214,00.html

MANLY chief executive Grant Mayer has gone cap in hand to New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma in a desperate bid to keep NRL matches on the northern peninsula.

Mayer said the club urgently needed a minimum $5 million to upgrade Brookvale Oval, with the embarrassing blackout during the match against Canberra Saturday night "the last straw". Mayher issued his plea as Mr Iemma pledged to grant $30 million for a new grandstand at EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle as he continued on the campaign trail ahead of Saturday's State election. Mr Iemma's pledge to Newcastle was conditional on the grant being matched by the Federal Government. EnergyAustralia Stadium only last season saw the completion of a $22 million government-funded grandstand.

"It's great to hear sporting teams and in particular rugby league teams getting extra funding," Mayer said. "Good luck to Newcastle if that's true. I've also heard that Leichhardt Oval has picked up some money, and some other venues. All we're saying is it's our turn. $5 million dollars will give us the seating we need and do the capital improvement we need to bring it back to where it should be."

Asked whether a lack of support from either federal or state level could result in Brookvale losing home games, Mayer said: "That's the last thing you want to contemplate. We're going to exhaust every avenue to ensure that we get some form of funding from either the Federal Government or State Government to bring Brookie back to where it needs to be. We're ready. And Saturday night - even though it was exceptionally embarrassing on the night - has given us a little bit of leverage to speak to the right people and try and get the money we really do deserve.

"I've written to Morris Iemma yesterday in light of what happened regarding the lights, and simply said our approach to the State Government is not about getting a brand-new facility. It's about upgrading what we've got to make it suitable for the 15,000 people we have here."

Newcastle - a former Labor heartland - is expected to be hotly-contested between former Labor Party member, now Independent, Bryce Gaudry; Independent Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate; and Labor candidate Jodi McKay. Manly on the other hand is expected to be battled out between Independent sitting member David Barr and Liberal candidate Mike Baird, meaning Labor-backed funding could be hard to come by for the Sea Eagles.

"There's a top-four side that the club's worked very hard to put together and now all of a sudden that we're winning football games regularly we're getting 15,000 people there," Mayer said. "Quite simply, 15,000 people at a venue like that makes it very uncomfortable for most people, and the lights going out the other night just made it more uncomfortable."

 

[taxidriver]

maybe manly shouldn't have screwed the bears over, they had a pretty good stadium a few years ago.

 

[innsaneink]

The blackout was timed very conveniently.

 

[hrundi99]

The blackout was timed very conveniently.

That's what I thought.

:x

Having said that, there are blackouts on the Northern Beaches pretty regularly, if my in-laws place is at all typical.

 

[Ziggy the God]

The blackout was timed very conveniently.

.

 

[herbert henry1908]

the thing that blew me away in that article was that Iemma has pledged a grant of $30 million to newcaslte for marathon, but only on the condition that the federal goverment match there pledge.

thats $60 million ! you could make marathon an amazing stadium for $60 million dollars.

anyway i would have though $5 million is nowhere near enough to spend on brookvale. Realistically the whole place needs to be leveled and start again. Two stands of 10K on each side and two big hills at the end. with a capacity of 25K.

 

[innsaneink]

What was the score when the lights went out in georgia?

 

[m0j0]

Realistically the whole place needs to be leveled and start again.

How much would it cost for just the levelling part? That'd be enough for me.

(Just a joke, people! Don't get your knickers in a knot.)

 

[mattyg]

What was the score when the lights went out in georgia?

pretty sure it was 14-4 with a kick to come to canberra, and then again at 14-6. 99% sure of this.

 

[wittyfan]

I would've have thought Uncle Max would provide the funding.

 

[perverse]

How much would it cost for just the levelling part? That'd be enough for me.

(Just a joke, people! Don't get your knickers in a knot.)

i'm sure it can be arranged for free if you know the right terro.. i mean people..

 

[Raider_69]

The blackout was timed very conveniently.

Indeed.

Anyways, Brookvale is a f**king hole, they'd need a 10mil upgrade, then another 20 mil to buy some fans with class and dignity, of which few were present on saturday night

 

[dubby]

Relocate them to North Sydney Oval.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

hahaha manly
when in doubt, turn off the lights!

anyway back off topic. whats the go with this 30 million to marathon? was that the amount the new grandstand cost or are they building ends/ 90 foot gold statue of johns to go with it?

 

[keeney]

It's the biggest false promise to Newcastle, Iemma makes it conditional on the federal govt cos he knows the federal govt is never gonna cough up 30m.

 

[Quidgybo]

Realistically the whole place needs to be leveled and start again. Two stands of 10K on each side and two big hills at the end. with a capacity of 25K.

Definitely. Of all the grounds in Sydney, Brookvale is most in need of the Gosford / Parramatta Stadium treatment. A modern boutique stadium to serve the entire north shore. Not necessarily on the same site (if they're going to do a full rebuild then it'd be better done somewhere closer to rail and road links) but either way it's an awfully big area that's only being served by third class facilities.

Leigh.

 

[Perth Red]

Don't manly have a Leagues club/s? Thought these places made millions each year, surely they could be funding stadium upgrades?

When ever i see clubs like Manly planning for 15,000 I cringe, is that really there target attendances?

Not sure of the answer for these outdates suburban grounds but sounds like alot of them are reaching the end of their natural lifes. I hope clubs can find the funding to redevelop them like the SL clubs have done in the UK.

 

[Quidgybo]

When ever i see clubs like Manly planning for 15,000 I cringe, is that really there target attendances?

If it is, they haven't got a long future in the big league. That's why I see suburban grounds as a charming but obsolete relic of the past. The game has outgrown them. Not necessarily in shear numbers yet but certainly in terms of expected standard of facilities and entertainment experience. In the medium term we've got to be aiming to average 20,000-30,000 every game and long term we need to be aiming for NFL proportions with 50,000+ at every game. That's the future and it's what every club should be planning and working towards. Charming suburban grounds are the future home of the second tier competition/s, not the multi hundred million dollar elite mega competition.

Leigh.

 

[mattyg]

$30 million should see a grandstand go right around EnergyAustralia. It will be the best ground in NSW if that happens. It's a pity they don't have the best fans to go with it though ;-)

 

[gregstar]

What was the score when the lights went out in georgia?

LOL!

prick - that song will be in my head for ages now!!!