Eels move two games to Telstra Stadium

[B-Tron 3000]

Get over it peeps. We play Dogs at Telstra in round 1, we used to play a Sydney team there for a double header anyways. So realistically were taking one home game to Telstra, its better than taking it to New Zealand when you cant even go.

See, you're who I'm angry at.

"Oh well, whatever"

It's NOT better than taking a game to NZ because - as we saw this year - games at home against NZ are averagely attended anyway!!

It's taking one of the real showcases of Parramatta football club - a packed ground against our main rivals - and screwing it over.

 

[MarkInTheStands]

B-Tron,

I just wanted to say that I wish you all the best in your quest. But I can not say you will be successful. Others have tried to rouse Parramatta fans from their Apathy, non more so then the club. But It does not work. Until we win a few premierships Back to back. No one will care about Parramatta.

I will also note, if you feel it is a good thing for our club to publicly acknowledge we are being hurt by the pokie tax, then I am sure you will relish the other publicity that goes with it. Like Players leaving, as well as all hope for any sort of success in the future.

Also the NRL screwed up with the Ads on O'Connell Street, not the West Tigers.

You say we are screwing over a showcase of Parramatta football and you are right, but we don't have any other choice thanks to the Apathy our fans and sponsors feel about us. If you think you can do much better, then i beseech you. Fix it. I have tried and failed. so Please go for you life.

 

[eels_fan_01]

See, you're who I'm angry at.

"Oh well, whatever"

It's NOT better than taking a game to NZ because - as we saw this year - games at home against NZ are averagely attended anyway!!

It's taking one of the real showcases of Parramatta football club - a packed ground against our main rivals - and screwing it over.

Your the one im angry at, no i couldnt stay mad at that face.

If they actually got 40 thousand to either game can you seriously say thats a bad look for the club? Ill say right now Dragons/Eels will pull 25 thousand or more and Dogs/Eels will pull 30 or more. I do find 40 unrealistic but im just giving you a scenery.

 

[Stagger eel]

Thank you for expressing so well what has been beyond me due to my annoyance!

Not to mention the fact that we have already agreed to five years of this. What's in store for us in 2009 - Manly and Dogs games at Telstra?

Hey, here's an idea - why don't we have ALL the Sydney derby games there, and totally defeat the point of a derby!!




Exactly.

Talking to an English friend about the A-League, and he said they should have it in smaller grounds until it is more popular. That way, they sell out, good atmosphere, looks good on tv, people get interested. Then, when you keep selling out you move to a bigger ground. That's what they do in England, and that's what Melbourne Victory did. They didn't start at the Dome first, but now they're regularly getting 30+ and have hit 50 for normal league games v Sydney.

The games we have at Parra stadium next year are mainly sh*te, and will do nothing to encourage people to come. If someone goes to Parra stadium to watch the sh*te atmosphere of a Raiders game, will they come back? Maybe, but it's less likely than if they see a Dogs game, isn't it.



And I fail to understand why that hasn't been communicated to us. Is Denis worried that his image is purely that of a financial controller, and that if he loses that good fiscal image he will be seen simply as a terrible man manager who pisses off everyone else surrounding the club?

As i have said, the club is consistently failing us. We're run by geriatrics. Where's the new managerial blood? Ron Hilditch? f**k sake, from all accounts Ron's a good bloke but it's jobs for the boys. We knew the poxie tax was coming, what have we done?

Is it not true that the Wests Tigers were advertising in O'Connell St - the very street that our ground is on? What were we doing?
Is it not true that Wests conduct recruitment drives for their members?
Is it not true that Souths have sent out letter-box drops to people in their area, on the fringes of their area, and beyond (and by all accounts their brochure and options are far superior to ours)?
Is it not true that some clubs have now taken private investment (not that that's perfect either) in order to stave off financial troubles? I don't see the Sea Eagles leaving Brookvale.
Is it not true that the club won't partake in after game functions (a fantastic way for the fans to feel a valuable part of the club), yet the players seem to manage to hike down to the Rose every time. Is their two block walk the warm-down?

Where are crowds on a weekly basis? They're not there because they are not being enticed to come. I have lived pretty much all my life in Parramatta - over 30 years - and I have never receieved anything from the club that I didn't ask for or had already laid out fees for. NOT ONCE!! Not a flyer, nothing.

You ask why the hysteria Eela, it's because it has come to this. If I thought the club were doing an awesome job and hunting down every prospective fan and sponsor it could, then there'd be no hysteria. There'd just be a kind of quiet resignation that sport these days is kinda sad. But, whilst I am sad it has come to this, I'm f**king angry too. And I'm angry at the fact that hardly anyone else is angry. It's so ingrained in us now to accept these 'business' decisions that we don't even question why they have to be made. I'll tell you why:

THE CLUB HAS FAILED US!!

And this won't help. Ok, it might fix the monetary short-fall at current, but what is it doing for the future? What is the long-term plan? Do they have one? If so, what is it?

and the irony of your arguement is, that I generally agree with you, difference is having 2 games at Telstra will enable a healthy stream of income into the club, I'd like the club to do more in other areas also, but that's another arguement all together.

 

[Stagger eel]

If you read the clubs media release, thats what it is about.;-)


Oh you mean it's about getting a financial windfall because club management have been lazy and too slow to find alternate revenue streams, and sell ourselves short with sponsors ;-)

What facilities? Will the seats be in the members area, or reservered elsewhere in the stadium?

All I'm interested in, and I'm sure most sth, is the match, and the atmosphere - which is pretty safe to say wont be a patch on a full house at parra.

well you can be our hero fishy..go out and show our "lazy board" how easy it is to whoo a movie star and property developer and all our problems will be solved...;-)



only issue is, the last movie star who took over a club decided to shift it 25kms west of it's heartland to all places...Telstra stadium. :shock: ;-)

 

[Glenn]

not sure..does that line appear in your terms and conditions???

Not a STH atm (considering it), but I was under the impression all tickets are sold with the right to change venue attached to the conditions.

 

[Quidgybo]

only issue is, the last movie star who took over a club decided to shift it 25kms west of it's heartland to all places...Telstra stadium.

Minor point, but the movie star didn't do that, the previous management did - the traditionalists. The movie star only took over the club half way thru the second year of a three year deal at Telstra Stadium. The first such decision the movie star will have the power to decide is whether to keep them there.

Leigh.

 

[Tyler Durden]

just out of interest -

is anybody NOT going to renew their season tickets or apply for a season ticket because of this decision to move 2 games to telstra ?

 

[Stagger eel]

Minor point, but the movie star didn't do that, the previous management did - the traditionalists. The movie star only took over the club half way thru the second year of a three year deal at Telstra Stadium. The first such decision the movie star will have the power to decide is whether to keep them there.

Leigh.

that may be so, but I'd still put my house on the fact that the movie star would gladly except the money coming his way from calling TS their home, especially after the way the club was treated by the Cricket ground trust.

 

[Parraletic]

What a load of SH*T! Screw you Fitzy you money hungry ******!

 

[Hellsy]

Why answer a question with a question? A simple no would have been suffice. If you haven't asked if a refund is possible then why jump up and down about them just because it isn't contained in the media release.

You bought the ticket. If you are unhappy with it ask for a refund. Simple process. The FT laws cover that at the very least.

It is my god given right to have a f**kin whinge at something that pisses me off about this decision.
It is a poor decision in my opinion - and that is what this forum is about isn't it? Bitching, whinging, supporting, praising, having fun, having discussions, having disagreements, having agreements, seeking info, reading stories, jumping up and down etc etc etc

 

[B-Tron 3000]

just out of interest -

is anybody NOT going to renew their season tickets or apply for a season ticket because of this decision to move 2 games to telstra ?

Yep. Me and my Dad.

 

[Timmah]

(Aimed solely at B-Tron so far)... you're free to do what you want... but what happened to the breed of supporter that will follow their team anywhere?

More to the point, it's 2 of 12 games at a stadium which boast the most, cleanest and best facilities (food, drink, loos etc). Surely you can look past the "cavern" concerns and attend these two games?

A further question - how many times have you actually been to Telstra?

 

[B-Tron 3000]

what happened to the breed of supporter that will follow their team anywhere?

What happened to a club representing a specific area?

If the Eels were to move to the Central Coast they would no longer be Parramatta, would they? No-one would hassle people for not following them. So it comes down to when you think a club is not representing you, doesn't it?

Buying a season ticket now supports this move. I don't support it.

More to the point, it's 2 of 12 games at a stadium which boast the most, cleanest and best facilities (food, drink, loos etc). Surely you can look past the "cavern" concerns and attend these two games?

Telstra is sh*t, but look, it's not as simple as that mate. It's about what my club is, and what it is becoming.

I might go. Might not. I rarely walk away from Telstra satisfied, so it's no real concern. I can get worked up watching on tv.

A further question - how many times have you actually been to Telstra?

Too many.

I can't remember them all, but here's a snapshot (not that I get where you're going with this):
SOO - 3 times. Twice I paid (both sucked, the best part was Grinspoon), once i got a freebie. Not a bad seat in the members section. Not great, but not bad.
Socceroos - three times I think
Eels games - a few Wests, a few Dogs, a couple of finals
2006 GF
Olympics athletics (Cathy Freemen Semi-Final)
The first double-header.

The only time it was exceptional was the Uruguay World Cup Qualifier.

But this is not just about how bad Telstra is, it's about what our club has done/can do to avoid this move.

 

[eels_fan_01]

What happened to a club representing a specific area?

The game will be in Sydney, we are Western Sydney its not that far of a change really.

To me the Eels arent just an area, their are Eels fans and all different sorts of fans who have never been to the "specific area" that their team represents.

 

[Stagger eel]

What happened to a club representing a specific area?

.

that went out the window in 1982 when Newtown decided to move to Campbelltown or even earlier when Wests moved from Ashifield to Lidcombe.

 

[The Colonel]

It is my god given right to have a f**kin whinge at something that pisses me off about this decision.
It is a poor decision in my opinion - and that is what this forum is about isn't it? Bitching, whinging, supporting, praising, having fun, having discussions, having disagreements, having agreements, seeking info, reading stories, jumping up and down etc etc etc

Not saying it isn't your right. I am simply asking have you contacted the club yet and asked for a refund for the two games at Telstra? Seems to be a lot of jumping up and down about two games being moved, not just by you but by a whole lot of people. Simple side of the equation jumping up and down is one thing but not actually doing something about the situation you are complaining about is another.

See, you're who I'm angry at.

"Oh well, whatever"

It's NOT better than taking a game to NZ because - as we saw this year - games at home against NZ are averagely attended anyway!!

It's taking one of the real showcases of Parramatta football club - a packed ground against our main rivals - and screwing it over.

And you are the one of the people I am angry at. A narrow minded person who can't see the forest for the trees.

If you stepped back and looked at the big picture you will find that the club is trying to ensure the long term viability of the club at Parramatta rather than "screwing" you over. You whinge bitch and moan about the fact that our CEO has in the past tried to change the name of the team and merge with other clubs - Over five years, 10 games will be moved to Telstra which with some luck should help keep the club at Parramatta by giving it a consistent stream of income of which they don't have to outlay any costs for. This should then enable Parramatta to remain Parramatta and ensure its long term viability rather than having to move permanently or merge with another entity.

 

[MarkInTheStands]

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.

 

[The Engineers Room]

One of the best elements of supporting the Eels is the Stadium.

I think you must also factor into the equation the extra revenue that having the stadium next to the leagues club generates.

 

[The Colonel]

The extra revenue is hampered by the fact that most patrons don't go back to the club anymore - the lack of functions involving the players are a big reason for that. Most fans just go home.