chileman said:
Central Coastie, I'd be very very careful if I was you, don't be negligent in your duty of checking the facts! :roll:
Peter Peters words:
"The Manly Sea Eagles has come in for a barrage of unwarranted criticism over the cost of a signed jersey for 11 year old James Booth from the Central Coast.
A letter from the Wyoming Rugby League
Club was sent to the Sea Eagles with a request for a donated signed jersey.
It was one of 40 requests received weekly.
Some of the cases are as bad or worse than young James and the club has great sympathy and understanding for every request received.
There was a column by an by an unknown (to us)journalist in a Central Coast publication suggested the "SILVERTAILS MANLY THUMB NOSE AT CENTRAL COAST AGAIN".That was nothing more than a cheap shot at the Manly Football Club by a journalist who was negligent in his duty of checking the facts.Had the author of the column checked with the club he would have found out that there never was a mention of a demand for $165 for a signed jersey.
A letter of reply was sent out from the club outlining the club had a policy of assisting charities and similar cases in its own district.
However,an offer of purchase for $135 was made...way down on the price of $225 normally charged for an autographed jersey.And less than the ficticious $165
price mentioned.
(Some clubs in the NRL charge $400 for a signed jersey).
If the Manly Sea Eagles gave jerseys for every sick kid in NSW and Queensland we would be out of business.
It is a shame that the illness of a sick boy was used to slander a football club which goes out of its way to support community services.
For every sad story like the one surrounding James Booth there is another one of assistance which goes un-noticed.
Supporters can be certain that every effort is made to answer all requests and help where possible but again I highlight that we concentrate on our own area.
We don't seek publicity about our assistance to local charities - it is part of our charter to be better citizens.
As for Manly owing the Central Coast a truck load of cash from our time on the Coast
our answer is this - we owe nothing and we never had any time on the Coast.....THAT WAS A NIGHTMARE! - Admin"
My understanding is that other NRL clubs donated jerseys despite the fact that the boy is a Manly fan (and so they should) - this puts Peters comments into perspective and it does not look good. Trying to "sugar-coat" the issue only makes Peters look even more ignorant and uncaring.
Basically, those comments have excacerbated an already embarrassing situation and anybody that supports those "excuses" should be ashamed of themselves. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, I normally would not comment, but those "excuses" from Peters are ludicrous in the extreme, and to then, in the same breath, refer to a petty argument about owing this and that, well that shows a total lack of compassion.
I'm sure if the boy were your son, you would find cold comfort in Peters words - the whole incident is a disgrace, and to try and justify it beggars believe.
