GUILDFORD AND SOUTHS JUNIORS GOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEE

[roosters_one]

My mail if correct today suggests Guildford has announced to the NSWRL and other JBC Clubs they will not be participating in the 2004 JBC. This is quite dissappointing for a club that has played in every year of the old Metro Cup Comp and the innaugural jbc comps.

Souths Juniors players have also been told to start looking else where for next season after announcing they will not partake in next years comp as jersey flegg comp has gone back to 22 rounds and they were only using the jbc as adevelopment grade.

Its a shame but what can you do, i will be upset my teams no longer thetre but will find another team to cheer on this next season giving me support to the jim beam cup concept

 

[mono_mal]

GUILDFORD LEAGUES SACRIFICES RUGBY LEAGUE TO PAY POKIE TAX.

The affect of the planned pokie tax increase has shown its true effect with Guildford Leagues Club ceasing their involvement in the NSW Rugby League Jim Beam Cup for the 2004 season.


The decision did not come easily but has been forced on the Leagues Club following the State Government’s announcement of the increase in poker machine tax effective 2004.


Participation in the Jim Beam Cup (a modification of the Metropolitan Cup) involved an investment of up $300,000 for Guildford Leagues over the past few years, which equates to approximately the same amount required for the first pokie tax payment.


"It is just such a shame. We are a Leagues Club and will no longer have a first grade rugby league team in the NSW Jim Beam Cup" said Guildford Leagues Club Sports Administrator Tony Metcalfe. "Unfortunately, tax cannot be avoided so football at that level had to go".


The Club re-examined its priorities and its ability to maintain support for its 23 junior league teams, 15 other sporting intra-clubs and its ongoing community involvement, however Mr Edwards, Club CEO, said he was worried that these too will be threatened as the tax is phased in over the next seven years


"The strain that is going to be placed on every area of our Club may mean more cutbacks in every field. It will be other local community organisations that will feel the pinch next from what may have normally been seen as the club’s generosity. There may be no more "in kind" donations or free room hire to the Rotary, Lions & Probus clubs. The dinner vouchers and bottles of wine to local schools, churches and other sporting groups will also need to be reviewed. Now the decision has been made to drop out of the Jim Beam Cup, we will concentrate on the survival of our other Sporting Intra Clubs for the future".


Guildford Leagues Club is one of only three remaining foundation Clubs of the Metropolitan Cup since its introduction in 1990. Over the past 12 years Guildford has remained in the competition, and continued to be involved when the new format of the Jim Beam Cup was introduced last year. The Club now fears for the future of the competition and Rugby League at all levels as the new tax starts to have its full effect.

* From the Newtown Jets e-mailing service.

 

[mono_mal]

RIP Guildford Owls.
You will be missed by all the boys in the Owls Nest.
I can honestly say I only started supporting Guildford strongly over the last two years but have followed them to an extent my whole life.
Will miss the coach trips up to the coast with the boys, the after match bbq, the many nights at McCredie drinking and supporting the boys with such vigour hardly seen in the Jim Beam Cup with drum in hand and voices at full blast, and the recognition given to us fans throughout the year.
Thanks for the memories boys.
And a big F*#% YOU to Egan, Carr and the new pokie tax!

 

[bazza]

Perhaps a more effective way to save the club and see them compete in the JB cup would be to form some sort of supporter organisation to raise money and the team profile.

It seems to have worked in the UK with some of the lower division RL teams

 

[mono_mal]

i have considered it but Guildford has a small supporter base these days, probably only having a crowd average of around 200.
and of that 200 i dont know of many that are all that passionate. before we started 'the owls nest' McCredie resembled a library on game day and The Owls Nest itself only had 5 people on most occassions.
The lack of crowds can be largely put down to the clubs lack of effort in promoting the games.
In the early 90's Guildford regularly had crowds over the 1000 mark but since then the Board has not been very rugby league orientated.
Its a joke really, whilst the blame can be put on the tax as it caused the eventual demise of the club, in reality the board is largely to blame.
They will continue to fund their 15 intra sporting clubs. This has to be questioned as afterall the club is a Leagues Club which are founded to support and promote the sport of rugby league.
If Guildford had bothered to promote themselves as a football team the team would still be playing in the Jim Beam Cup this year as crowds would mean gate takings and canteen revenue and also possible sale of merchandise and increased sponsorship if they had promoted themselves well.
I hope we can one day return but until the Board becomes more Rugby League orientated this wont happen.
I dont even know if we'll be funding a Parra Cup side next year though im hoping so otherwise the C-Grade could end up as our first grade side which would be more than a joke.

 

[bazza]

The lack of crowds can be largely put down to the clubs lack of effort in promoting the games.

That seems to sum it up. Are you a member of the club?

Remember as a member you are able to vote for the board and even run for it yourself.

If you and a group of football minded members could get enough votes together you should be able to get a few seats on the board.

 

[mono_mal]

Can't say I am a member of the club. Age restricts this as I am only 17 although upon turning 18 i will definately become a member.
I will definately look into the option of running for the board or supporting a like minded Guildford fan, one more know to the members in the club, to try and obtain a position on the board.
I will definately not sit back and watch my team dissapear and will do all i can to see the Owls return to the top flight, though in all honesty theres not much I can do and its highly unlikely.
Thanks for your help though Bazza.

 

[metroman]

Directorship is the issue. How many directors of Guildford football club are directors of the leagues club. At Wenty and Ryde Eastwood it is at least 80%.

The pokie tax is a convenient excuse for Guildford. In mid 2002 Guildford said they would have to abandon the leagues club because they could not afford to pay increased rates to Holyrold Council. A few weeks later they start a $6 million extension to the club. If they had not done that they would be paying $0.5 million less interest per year.

Wenty and Ryde have so much spare money that they have each purchased 50 houses in their local areas. They are reaping the benefits of increased real estate values. For these clubs the pokie tax just means they will not be able to buy any more.

The clubs doomesday predictions rely on poker machine receipts remaining flat for the next 10 years yet in the last 10 they have increased by 2000%.

 

[Red Bear]

Would there be a possibility of the Bears being in the JBC next year with these withdrawles?
Hey Mono_Mal, are you the same mono_mal from the Mighty Bears messageboard? And were you the guy i came up to and said good onyou for weraing the Jets gear to the Frenzal gig in August. If so good onya mate, if not then ignore everything i just wrote.

 

[roosters_one]

I can tell you now at one of the last Jim Beam Cup Meetings this year representatives from North Sydney Bears (Flo) and representatives from the Asquith Magpies (North Sydney Junior League Club) + representatives from other clubs interested in competing for next season clubs such as cabramatta and nareallan jets but from what i hear out of the North Sydney Bunker either they will go in or Asquith will go in and if Asquith go in expect them to feed to the BEars Premier League Tean

 

[mono_mal]

Hey Mono_Mal, are you the same mono_mal from the Mighty Bears messageboard? And were you the guy i came up to and said good onyou for weraing the Jets gear to the Frenzal gig in August. If so good onya mate, if not then ignore everything i just wrote.

yeah mate thats me. might see you at some bears games next year if i get the time to get out to nso.
will be interesting to see what happens in regards to the bears and asquith. asquith were said to be certainties for the 2004 comp when this years comp started and wanted to have a year to get a good team together and prepare well. they are yet to confirm their intentions for next year though and this could be due to the new pokie tax. i noticed a largish group from the asquith club at the axe the tax rally.
i actually mentioned the idea of a asquith feeder side in the jim beam cup for the bears on the bears site and it would be good if it comes to fruition.
with the new flegg structure a jb cup side is no longer necessary for the bears but would be beneficial all the same.
would be even more interesting to see a third magpies side going round next year in the JB Cup. Could get confusing!

 

[Jeffles]

Mono mal. You cannot blame the tax if Guilford just don't have RL as their priority. Metroman is right. The tax is an excuse.

I am not a fan of the tax. But it's not because of the government. It's because I know what thecontemporary Leagues Club director is like. They care less and less about RL. The thing to do about this is try to change the boards or hope that the government can work for an equitable redistribution of income that will help RL.

 

[mono_mal]

double post

 

[mono_mal]

thing is jeffles i do not completely blame the tax and understand that Guildfords directorship is also a contributing factor.
but the point is if this tax had not been implemented Guildford would still be around next year. meaning their fans would still have their team and the players a club which they belonged to.
the tax is a joke. the politicians are simply making up for their financial inadequacies and as a result are punishing rugby league and the community as a whole.

 

[Jeffles]

but the point is if this tax had not been implemented Guildford would still be around next year. meaning their fans would still have their team and the players a club which they belonged to.

I disagree. Like I said, the tax is an excuse and not a reason. If the tax was not around Guilford would've pulled out anyway citing "financial difficulties" or whatever other generic term they could've found. Blame th directors.

 

[mono_mal]

but jeffles a vote was held on the jim beam cup entry next year due to the tax issue amongst the directors.
and from what i've heard the vote only just swayed in favour of the withdrawl of the owls. if the tax hadnt cause a problem then its most likely more votes would have voted to keep the owls in the jbc.

 

[metroman]

The tax cannot have any impact on rugby league in 2004. The first of 7 increases occurs in September 2004 at the end of the season. So Guildford will be stashing away the usual level of profits for all but the last few weeks of the season. Guildford are out because they could not afford the extensions to the club without sacrificing the team.

I have just received a copy of the Ryde Eastwood annual report. After paying pokie tax of $2.9 million they still had $3.5 million free cashflow, which was applied to (1) renovation of the Eastwood Bowling club, which they took over this year; and (2) futher house purchases.

Even if the tax doubles, which might be the case in 2011, but smaller increases up to that point, Ryde will be able to pay it without increasing membership, beer or food prices or reducing money put into rugby league. Ryde's capital works budget more than 12 times the amount it spent on rugby league.

Ryde's turnover was up 56% over the last 5 years. They can expect similar increases over the next five years, regardless of the propoganda put out in Club NSW's doomsday scenarios.

 

[Mighty Tiger]

It is a joke! Guilford have been trying to find an excuse for them to stop spending their money on a top grade team...

The stupid thing is that they not have more money than some of the leagues clubs involved in the NRL but they are now trying to enter 1-2 teams into the Parramatta Compition in Division 1!

Now this has been discussed many times before but has never happen so whats the odds that they will keep going around the same merry-go-round ?

 

[Bluebag]

In the paper recently the Guildford players said they had to take a paycut to keep the team going last year and that was before any announcement of the tax. Metroman is on the money about what happens and if the club really wanted to compete they could it would just mean instead of a handout they would have to become more proactive in the community and raise money the hard way.

 

[metroman]

Does anyone know who was the Guildford player that was banned for 2 years for using stimulants?