Dunno about one, I thought he approached the club
Read the article on page one. That's Peter Gow in the picture.
The club rolled out the red carpet for Edelsten. They put a dollar value on the team, and had the players line up with flowers for Edelsten's wife Leanne. She even went up and pointed at players saying stuff like, "can I have that one?"
No wonder Mike Cleary wanted to vomit.
If the NSWRL didn't step in, the deal would have gone through with Gow's blessing, and the club would have sold the team to a businessman with a dodgy reputation.
Edelsten was later disgraced and gaoled.
Link:
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/e2/0c01a8e2.asp
fatshark said:
Umm Cronulla NEVER tried to merge...it may of been put to a vote but got hammered by a big NO. The Sharks did however ask Souths-FACT
You're very much wrong. Cronulla desperately wanted to merge with Saints.
It was Peter Gow again. He approached St George. The Sharks even mocked up a 'confidential poll' to try and say Saints supporters supported the merger, effectively showing that they were willing to lie to make it happen.
The proposed deal itself was pretty pathetic, but Saints officials, and also Illawarra officials, looked at it before sending Gow and his 'vision' on their way.
From Ian Heads' book,
Saints: The Legend Lives On:
(Pages 283-285 - most relevant extracts)
Sometime in late Novemeber 1994,
Warren Lockwood took a call from an old workmate - Cronulla official, later president,
Barry Pierce. The Sharks wanted to talk "partnership" ...could that be arranged? Soon afterwards a highly confidential document arrived at the club - from Cronulla's controversial, high energy chairman,
Peter Gow. It was headed "St George/Cronulla - The Future", outlining a scenario of league's "new future" and sharing "the following findings, many of which have been confirmed by a current (unnamed) NSWRL Director". The document postulated: "It may not be the ARL or (Kerry) Packer calling the shots, but NEWS LIMITED. There would be only four teams in Sydney. Whether we like it or not, or think it a good idea, it will happen. We cannot stop it," the document continued. "Therefore we must be pro-active in positioning ourselves so our individual clubs are appropriately represented." At some length, the document proposed a joint Sharks-Saints team. St George's
Geoff Carr was to be CEO of the new club and on a day that Sharks marketing man
Richard Fisk (representing Gow) met Lockwood for an informal talk, Carr lunched with Gow, who outlined his "vision". A confidential poll, conducted on behalf of Cronulla in early December, was announced to have revealed an overwhelming desire among St George supporters to merge with Cronulla rather than any other club, should Super League become a reality.
On January 16, 1995 Peter Gow came to the St George boardroom and presented his proposal. His theme was: "It's going to happen whether you like it or not - you might as well join us now and get in on the ground floor." Warren Lockwood recalled how the Sharks chairman had a jumper already "dollied up" for the new team. "It was mainly bloody blue," said Lockwood. "Imagine how that would have gone over." The new team was going to be called "The Gladiators".
...[Meeting with News Limited]...
Warren Lockwood recalls
[David] Smith raising his voice in disagreement in the face of Gow's strident incidence that he should have the franchise for the "new club". Shortly afterwards it was suggested that Illawarra should be in the mix too. "News were pushing for it ... they were adamant that Illawarra couldn't stand alone," said Lockwood. In the car on his way back from the meeting, Lockwood rang Illawarra chairman
Bob Elvy. Elvy was to say to Lockwood later: "I nearly fell over when you told me Gow was in the same car." Illawarra wanted no truck with Cronulla - but their representatives Elvy and
Peter Newell came up for a preliminary meeting anyway, a small seminal moment considering the events to come several seasons later. The meeting was held late afternoon on Monday January 23, 1995 in the board room at Saints Leagues Club, involving Cronulla trio of Gow, Crowley and Pierce as well as the Illawarra officials - Plus News Limited representaitives David Smith and Robert Topfer. At the meeting, Smith was adamant that Illawarra could not go it alone. Their "spot" had gone to Adelaide. Join St George and Cronulla in a Southern franchise or be left out - that was the stark message.
Saints-Cronulla-Illawarra of course never happened, and was never going to.
Warren Saunders: "To be honest there was
never any chance of St George and Cronulla voluntarily getting together. Our board were adamant they wouldn't touch it ... wouldn't have anything to do with it."
fatshark said:
3. And look at the handout the Sharks got compared to the others..lol. no wonder they jumped ship. A good decision seeing as Manly puppets were running the comp for so long.
Got a link for that?
I think you're getting handouts mixed up with loans.
fatshark said:
Better start saving for that St George membership...they are counting on it.. lol.
Where did you dredge that up from?
Sorry, but kiddy pissheads holding court at Northies doesn't count as a credible argument.
