I posted this in another thread, but seeing that this thread is more relevant and that I didn't get a reply in the other one, I'll post it here too. Tony over to you.
I firstly need to qualify that I intend on running for the Football Club Board in December as an independent, not the Leagues Club Board and that my main aim is to have some representation on the board that places the fans as the clubs number one priority.
As far as my work background is concerned I have been self employed for close to 20 years and have been the managing director of my own Pty Ltd Company in structural landscaping for the past 13 years. In that time I have employed hundreds of staff and subcontractors and managed all facets of the business successfully without ever being insolvent, bankrupt or going into liquidation.
On a personal level I live on the Gold Coast and I have a wife I am lucky to have been with for the last 21 years along with three beautiful girls who are all doing extremely well, the eldest of which is now 19 years old.
Apart from business acumen I believe that what more importantly makes me a good candidate is having integrity, accountability, confidentiality and the right set of priorities in that our fans come first.
On top of this I have proven that I am dedicated to our club by going to every home game, spending time on our fan forums, setting up a supporters bay in the Swarm, organising fan forums and spending a lot of time working with those involved in our club etc.
My aim has always been to run according to what I have accomplished rather than what I merely promise.
Hopefully I have done enough to earn the respect of my fellow supporters and if I haven't then I'm not too concerned. So long as I raise awareness that the fans should come first, I have accomplished what I set out to do politically.
Irrespective of this I have already achieved what I set out to do and that is to have the first family friendly supporters bay in the NRL and the first home supporters bay with decent seats in our clubs recent history so I'm happy.
I will either be putting more of my spare time into the club we love post December or spending it surfing so whether you vote for me or not you will be doing me a favour.
Thanks Tony, I like what you have written, they are great achievements and qualities that you speak of. You sound like a decent fellow. I know that it is early days yet, but what plans, direction, systems or initiatives would you be trying to implement if elected?
For example, I really want to see our admin declare and then work tirelessly towards reaching 40 000 paid up members over the next 10 years.
I think by publicly stating this and then really creating initiatives, goals, continual public awareness at every opportunity, drive programs with never ending enthusiasim and so forth would be some of the things that we should be looking at. Also look around the world and study how other succesful sports and or clubs go about signing up fans into paid supporters.
I mean we now have a high profile coach who knows how to use the media and extract publicity for his team and club, we should not let this opportunity be wasted.
We also have potentially the most gifted NRL player in the league playing for us in Hayne, not to mention when Hoppa arrives even more ideal marketing opportunities. Again these sorts of guys and everyone associated with the club, should be living and breathing the Parra mantra of the membership drive dogma.
I really think this club moreso then most others in Sydney can get 40000 members if done the right way and HYPE is a huge factor in all of this. The idea needs to be sold correctly and shown to be fun, cool and our duty to support the club. We need to be made to feel that this IS OUR CLUB and we have a huge part to play in it to make it successful.
Sure we only have a stadium that fits, I think 22000 full capacity, and that is why I say we need to look at ANZ as an alternative in the intermediate to long term. I know that this is not a popular decision with many, but I say stuff the state and fedral govt's, if we don't use what is available we can never, ever grow that pie.
However I think if you were to be elected starting imediately, we should be at the forefront of organising a commitee task force that won't ever be disbanded until it accomplishes its sole purpose of successfully lobbying the two gov'ts for a 40-45000 seat with roof rectangular stadium built on a site no further then 500 metres from a train station in the west.
Now with the new ARLC being in place, the AFL threat, Phil Gould's involvement in the fight for the west and the gov'ts desire for teams to play out of less stadiums, we need to use all of this to our advantage. With the help and resourses of the people on the ARLC and their professionals and lets say contacts, add reps from the Dogs, Tigers and Panthers, this task force should be able to show the logic of building such a stadium that can host so many NRL games even if they all only played 2/3 of them there and the other 1/3 wherever they sore fit depending on the circumstances, i.e. bigger ANZ, or their traditional home grounds for lesser games or interstate. Then there would also be the other codes that would use it giving it further justification.
Sh*t, I didn't realise how much I have gone on. Sorry mate, but I hope you get what I am trying to say? In a nutshell we need to dream big and plan even bigger. F*ck all these nay sayers attitudes that we have in this country and start to think the impossible is POSSIBLE.
Your thoughts and Ideas Tony? Thank you.
