The thing that gets me with this debate. Is people who want to see this club sponsored up the yohoo. I am not sure if anyone will remember but when we went to Newcastle, we got so annoyed at the constant, Blah blah made a great tackle and that tackle is brought to you by Local Merchant.
So the Fans are willing to sell this club for sponsorship like this, but unwilling to Play a game 10 Km's away from Parramatta City, 5 Kms from Parramatta City Raceway and on the Parramatta River.
I for one, don't want to have to rely on Sponsors Dollars, to meet the bills, they are too fickle just like fans. I am one for Long Commitments and providing for one’s self. We have been trying to do that since Jack Argent built the Leagues club. Yet you people want to flush that away. Yes we have been hit hard by the Pokie Tax, yes the Smoking bans have put an even tighter grip on the profitability of the leagues club. But I know we will get through, I know we have the resources to get to the new income model for league, regardless of what the State Government does. We have the ability to survive in our own right on our own two feet.
Parramatta Stadium is a great Venue, it is a nice little specialist ground, and we are lucky to have it. But more and more it is becoming cramped. It is unfortunate that I cannot search the parraeels.com.au website for how many times we have released this year that School and Junior Passes will not be accepted. Because that is the number of times we have come close to a sellout. But That Release also has its problems. It states that we are close to full. It denies those that are casual home fans the ability to come to see Parramatta play. People like Ron Jeremy have stated, as soon as they see that release, the think to themselves, it will be much easier to watch it at home.
For these two games next year we won’t have to worry about that, and if we are lucky enough to get more that 21,000 to the ground. In the 41,000 Seat bowl section, It will still have empty seats, but there will be more people there and that is what will matter. That and the Tidy return our club will receive, to continue to pay players like Luke, The Two Nathans, Fui, Jarryd and Kris.
A Club from Parramatta means that the club comes from Parramatta, that everyone of the players is from Parramatta, which we know and have known for years is a fallacy.
In case you didn't catch up with the numbers, over the last 2 financial Statements, the football club made $77 Profit, and the leagues club, a shandy over a million. This is total profit for the year, after all expenses. We can hardly say that we are out to make mega bucks with this club. We are out to get a good team, capable of winning the Premiership on the football park each year.
I would also willingly move a game like our Home Clash with North Queensland to Brisbane, or the Gold Coast, if they were willing to pay us to play there.
Parramatta Stadium is a great place but is an expense, and we have to wonder, is it an expense we can continue to afford.