Central Coast Bears, 2013.

[Red&BlackBear]

This is an over stated argument. Of course the Bears have got support on the CC both communal and financial. Whilst the branding and community engagement is strong, the bid itself is strong. It's initiatives which keep the bid ticking over, commitment from thousands of supporters and volunteers which are the heart of the bid. Arguments like CC people have a team already is silly, that applies for CQ, BNE, IPS and even WA if that's the case. It very much is a one size fits all argument as the distribution of fans of the code is there already. What the Bears do have as opposed to other bids is exactly that, Bears fans built up from the foundations of 1908. It's an argument which ha been clarified time and time again, year after year. I don't understand how some of you guys can keep bringing it up, almost as if it exclusively only applies to us.

Also to madhatter it's one game pre season and one game during season. Why? Because they can. After all if it wasn't for the Bears, the CC wouldn't have bluetongue and therefore wouldn't have any NRL games or even ALeague games period.

 

[Perth Red]

I am totally in agreement that 99% of RL fans in WA already follow a NRL team, from afar! Difference is we don't have an option of driving an hour to do so in the flesh.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

I am totally in agreement that 99% of RL fans in WA already follow a NRL team, from afar! Difference is we don't have an option of driving an hour to do so in the flesh.

No you don't. But the point still stands that fans of pre existing clubs are there and whilst they are there the apparently all important tv viewers and pay tv subscribers are there. It's an argument which can be twisted to fit any shape or form.

 

[docbrown]

Newcastle was filled with people who supported Sydney teams then the Knights came in and offered a local team to support.

A large percentage of the local population dumped their Sydney club and became Knights supporters - polling currently shows it to be around a 250,000 solid base with around 200,000 bandwagoners).

Other kept their Sydney club but became a part of that bandwagoner base. They attend Knights games when the Knights are performing well and/or when their original Sydney club is performing well or simply playing in town. The rest remained loyal to their original Sydney club and constitutes the typical away support that attends Knights home games. Overall by placing a team in Newcastle interest in the competition grew as a result in all three of these demographics.

There's no reason why the Bears can't do something similar in Gosford. And keep in mind that further to that they will have an active away supporter base to attend Sydney away games plus two solid rivalry games already against the Sea Eagles and Knights. Those Tigers & Souths fans that currently attend the games in Gosford will go to Bears home games instead in conjunction with a large percentage of the other local NRL supporters.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

But I guess it's one of the down factors for CC.

The Knights are an hour up the road.

Manly, or even ANZ, is an hour down the road.

Those fans have choices for a team.

With a bid, say Perth, they're getting a whole city and a whole state. It's an expansion region, with all new sponsors, potential viewers and juniors, and gives the NRL an option of another time zone match which they get with having a NZ team also.

It would also justify the whole NATIONAL bit of the NRL and put a team in the AFL's backyard after they did it to us twice in two years (which is not a justification for expanding...but...).

Perth have 1.74million residents, with diverse backgrounds AND diverse tastes. WA has 2.4-2.5million residents which can be tapped in to.

As at 2006 census, Gosford had 155,000 odd in population, the CC 300,000 approx. and is the 3rd largest urban area in NSW.

For mine, CC would be better off with the 9 games from each Sydney team in the short term, and in the mid term, a relocated Sydney team. Let's face it, if people will go for the bears who don't go for the bears now, just because there is a team in town, there is no reason why they wouldn't go for another existing Sydney based team relocated permanently to Gosford.

Plus the CC sponsors/corporate, would they not already, if they want to be connected to NRL, have their money in to the Knights/Sydney teams already. Not saying they wouldn't switch.

Finally, in all the polls undertaken, has the CC support been unanimous for the BEARS only, or are there segments, or larger groups of RL supporters who want a CC team but one of their own?

And as Bears supporters, if they didn't bring in the bears, but the CC WHOEVERS, would you stop watching RL, or would you for the CC WHOEVERS?

 

[Red&BlackBear]

At the end of the day it's the Bears who initiated relocation to CC and pushed for Bluetongue. From personal experience there is heaps of Bears support on the CC both from every day people and businesses.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Is it true that the whole stadium precinct is to be remodelled?

My brother lives in Gosford and was muttering something about it, which I did not catch, but something about the stadium being redone to take in the foreshore, training area between the RSL and the school?

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Is it true that the whole stadium precinct is to be remodelled?

My brother lives in Gosford and was muttering something about it, which I did not catch, but something about the stadium being redone to take in the foreshore, training area between the RSL and the school?

Probably mate. Even the back grandstand was purposely built for a future upgrade. All comes down to money.

 

[Broncos thats my team]

Why was there no media there, I would of thought FSN would of covered it? To busy with stupid AFL I guess.

 

[papabear]

I think people who bag the cc bears bid are forgetting that they are moving an old nswrl and arl club who were buttf**ked by manly out of the competition into a regional area, its not like a brand new thing, sort of like souths coming back in but with a regional area as well.

Honestly, I am all for Perth if the NRL is going to put serious money into junior and school programs over there so it isnt just another storm. But really CC / NS bears should never have been booted and deserve to be in the comp more then clubs like manly.

 

[rednblack]

Is it true that the whole stadium precinct is to be remodelled?

My brother lives in Gosford and was muttering something about it, which I did not catch, but something about the stadium being redone to take in the foreshore, training area between the RSL and the school?

Not part of the stadium per se, but the Gosford city master plan involves that area.
The state government has approved the sale and relocation of the school, which itself was a massive sticking point up here with the locals who almost unanimously disagreed with it. The plan then includes rezoning the school for commercial and medium density residential use (this includes the park/training area to which you refer, but I'm not sure how much "open space" remains there after the proposed revamp). It also includes a revamp of the city centre, the waterfront precinct near the yacht club and pool, and around to the stadium (amongst other initiatives)
Details of the city master plan can be found on the GCC website or from council.

The stadium itself, as pointed out already, has been designed with extensions in mind at the northern end.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

When the Manly / Bears merger dissolved, the NRL should have said that it was a Central Coast licence, and until someone wanted to buy it to base a team in Gosford, then they'd hold on to it.

Even if it took 10 years to get a bid/new licensee to take it over.

Why they allowed Manly to move back to Brookvale is beyond me.

And yes, I do sympathise with the bears, and have done so for 10-12 years. I remember 1998-99 well up on the coast where they got in to all the schools and basically said Norths are moving to the CC. But then the stadium delays and the rationalisation process fked them.

Personally, I'd like to see them back...but as noted, I think the NRL have other plans or moved on completely, which is sad, because a lot of good people are doing the Bears bid and it'd be a shame if the NRL is stringing them along.

 

[Perth Red]

Agreed, the NRL was stupid for not dictating that the license was for CC, if Manly wanted to move there fine, if Bears did and Manly didn't fine, if neither club wanted or was abvle to then so long both of them until someone was ready to take up the CC license. Just another FUBAR decision by the NRL at the time.

Manly are treading water on borrowed time. They neither have the fanbase or facilities to be a sustainable club into the future in their curtrent set up.

 

[Beowulf]

As at 2006 census, Gosford had 155,000 odd in population, the CC 300,000 approx. and is the 3rd largest urban area in

Plus the CC sponsors/corporate, would they not already, if they want to be connected to NRL, have their money in to the Knights/Sydney teams already. Not saying they wouldn't switch.

And as Bears supporters, if they didn't bring in the bears, but the CC WHOEVERS, would you stop watching RL, or would you for the CC WHOEVERS?

1. Fans in northern Sydney who will/would only return to league with bear readmission need to be added to the 300000 cc base to form a fair analysis of the support base for the cc bears side.

2. Two of the major backers of the bears bid are the norths group and JJ Lawsons, fanatical bear only sponsors. Plus most of the corporates who have signed up to be revealed upon license grant are doing so because of the 'fairy tale' of the bears story. No bears link and no access to the north shore demographic severely reduces the corporate appeal of a cc only side.

3. That's ones purely individual. I wouldn't watch nrl if the bears are rejected, but I would have a soft spot for souths and any cc side. I would watch nsw cup only plus SOO and the g.f but primarily revert to being a swans supporter (my habits from 2000-2007 before this incarnation of the bears bid surfaced).

 

[Beowulf]

Agreed, the NRL was stupid for not dictating that the license was for CC, if Manly wanted to move there fine, if Bears did and Manly didn't fine, if neither club wanted or was abvle to then so long both of them until someone was ready to take up the CC license. Just another FUBAR decision by the NRL at the time.

Manly are treading water on borrowed time. They neither have the fanbase or facilities to be a sustainable club into the future in their curtrent set up.

Pretty accurate. With the dissolution of the license, if manly had moved there permanently as the bears were going to do and have done while in waiting, they would probably have turned sentiment against them around on the coast somewhat and be viable. They burned their bridges to such an extent they can't do that now, and I doubt a safe liberal seat will ever receive millions of dollars of funding to upgrade brookvale when there is no political gain- if anything there would be a backlash outside the peninsula.

Their future is either to change their manly-centric image and become the Sydney eagles playing out of Sfs, or relocate interstate. The ARLC might let them remain in situ, but they'll become a nth Melbourne afl equivalent and eventually be unable to keep up with financially stronger franchises, affecting their onfield performance. Manly survives because it performs on the field....everything else is a dogs breakfast. Miss the finals a few years in a row and things look grim I agree.

 

[The Eagle]

Lol

First there will be no new Sydney team period, Manly die and they'd put in another interstate team

Second 300k supporters will die before the bears even get a sniff

Third they died through mismanagement and stupidity

Fourth, Manly didn't kill the bears, the bears tried to make Manly die and got caught and hot removed as a cancer

Fifth Manly isn't going anywhere

Sixth Brookvale is owed many dollars from the council who thinks they van reappropriate funds specially given to brookvale plus our next pm has promise 10 million to brookie when he gets elected (unfortunately, the bloke is a f**kwit and a godsend to us)

Seventh we have a number of companies interested in. ownership shall the Penns run off, including Kaspersky who isn't going anywhere

Eighth and finally this club has survived to much, been to strong and to fiercely loved by our fans for us to go anywhere, ever

If the bears were readmitted it will be at expansion 19-22, they will not join us on the next boat

 

[The Eagle]

Oh and we'll be in the black sure to David Perry and the new TV deal, you need us to point your finger at and go "there's the bad guy"

 

[Expansion]

First there will be no new Sydney team period

Who is trying to bring in another Sydney team?

 

[LJC]

Eagle

Superleague killed the Bears!

 

[WayneBennett]

A North Sydney superleague kit woulda looked pretty cool