A Leagues Club lacking

[Avenger]

On the weekend and for the first time in several years I went to our Leagues Club to watch the Newcastle game as I had a booking to the new Firehouse Restaurant. (more on that later.) I appreciate it wasn’t game day but seriously how bad is our Leagues Club ? It is stuck in the early 90’s and has zero atmosphere. My friend and I asked a number of people to lead us to the area to watch the game and we were finally led to the Wentworth Room which resembled an auditorium purpose built to watch the 1969 moon landing. It was nothing short of pathetic. Old decor, a closed bar, curtains from a bygone era and a screen with awful resolution. I asked other people for a better alternative and a young man and his girlfriend suggested the Rose and Crown.


Now I can see one of the reasons why we were losing money. The general appearance of the club, the drab atmosphere, the seemingly total reliance on the gambling area is a reflection of all that was wrong with the old regime. An organisation simply lacking in ideas and not adjusting to the times. The current joint is embarrassing and stuck in a time warp. What I want to know is if the old mob ever went to a modern Leagues Club like Canterbury’s to see what can be done ? Did they ask someone or were they just obsessed with their own survival?



Roy Spagnolo and co are heading in the right direction with Firehouse. It was refreshing compared to the rest of the club. The food was great and the vibe was miles ahead of anything else at the club. I was not vocal during the 3P uprising but I did sense that there was time for change. However after visiting the club for the first time in years I can now see why Denis and his mob were thrown out on their ear.

 

[ParraSteve]

They should redo the autidiroum and use that to screen our away games, I went in there last week and I swear they've got the same chairs and tables from 20 years ago

 

[Bigfella]

Bloody clean though Avenger.

Might be a shithole but we were paying blokes $4k a minute to clean the joint.

 

[Gronk]

I stopped going there 5 years ago and don't see any reason to change that. For mine it's still a pokie palace with little interest in families.

I can book a table at the R&C, park within 50m of the joint, have a quality feed and walk 300m to the ground. Why would I bother going to the club ?

 

[mickdo]

They should redo the autidiroum and use that to screen our away games, I went in there last week and I swear they've got the same chairs and tables from 20 years ago

I think that's on the cards. Sadly they can only do so much at once.

 

[TheParraboy]

We should burn the place down and go to Belmore for 5 years

 

[mickdo]

We should burn the place down and go to Belmore for 5 years

If we win the comp, there might be a line of people willing to burn it down :lol:

 

[Avenger]

The carpark is a waste of space. The club should be extended over it and an underground parking built in its place.

 

[Gronk]

The carpark is a waste of space. The club should be extended over it and an underground parking built in its place.

Don't waste your breath. MITS has posted before that much or all of the carpark is leased from the Parra Park Trust. The tree huggers won't have a bar of it.

 

[Eels Dude]

I stopped going there 5 years ago and don't see any reason to change that. For mine it's still a pokie palace with little interest in families.

I can book a table at the R&C, park within 50m of the joint, have a quality feed and walk 300m to the ground. Why would I bother going to the club ?

Agreed. When you walk into Parra Leagues it's like walking into a casino with the pokie noise. A lack of free entertainment keeps people away also. Sadly, I don't think they can improve it like other major clubs are doing because they just don't have the space. It'd be good if they could put a decent sports bar in. Back in the day Sterlo's was frustrating because the room was too long meaning unless you were seated near the front you couldn't see the footy too well and couldn't hear the commentary because you were stuck in the TAB where the races were being called. But unless they get rid of the carpark and re-model the club there's only so much they can improve.

 

[Avenger]

Does anyone know what is in the pipeline ? I saw that the Hall of Fame was no more or has it been moved ?

 

[mickdo]

Sports bar is next on the list I think?

 

[born an eel]

Some of our future plans include ...

1. Escalators to each floor to be installed this year;
2. Renovations to Cafe 88, including the introduction of a children's play area;
3. Renovations to conference/function areas to make them more marketable and appealing to the community;
8. Investigating future club expansion & growth to provide improved additional benefits to members;
9. Diversifying revenue sources to anticipate proposed Government Leagues Club tax changes. As an example, one of the initiatives we are currently exploring is the installation of a Health Club for our members which will be offered to them at reduced rates.

 

[Suitman]

Some of our future plans include ...

1. Escalators to each floor to be installed this year;
2. Renovations to Cafe 88, including the introduction of a children's play area;
3. Renovations to conference/function areas to make them more marketable and appealing to the community;
4. Investigating future club expansion & growth to provide improved additional benefits to members;
5. Diversifying revenue sources to anticipate proposed Government Leagues Club tax changes. As an example, one of the initiatives we are currently exploring is the installation of a Health Club for our members which will be offered to them at reduced rates.

That's more like it!!!

Suity

 

[born an eel]

Don't waste your breath. MITS has posted before that much or all of the carpark is leased from the Parra Park Trust. The tree huggers won't have a bar of it.

I don't think there is anything stopping us expanding the other way, in fact I think we already own several units in the adjoining block.

 

[Suitman]

I don't think there is anything stopping us expanding the other way,

Neighbourhood objections??

Suity

 

[born an eel]

Neighbourhood objections??

Suity

just do what mounties did, buy the neighbours out.

Except the one who didn't want to sell and is now surrounded on 3 sides by carpark. :lol:

 

[Suitman]

just do what mounties did, buy the neighbours out.

Except the one who didn't want to sell and is now surrounded on 3 sides by carpark. :lol:

What a view!! :lol:

Suity

 

[Gronk]

just do what mounties did, buy the neighbours out.

Except the one who didn't want to sell and is now surrounded on 3 sides by carpark. :lol:

:lol: There's always one stubborn old prick who won't sell.

 

[Eels Dude]

just do what mounties did, buy the neighbours out.

Except the one who didn't want to sell and is now surrounded on 3 sides by carpark. :lol:

Didn't the club own property on the other side of O'Connell Street but sell it off to get out of the red early last year?

I'm willing to be corrected if i'm wrong about this I just remember reading something like that.