I back the board with questioning Tinkler about these holes in his newer draft, but by pissing him off in front of the media wasn't the way to go about it IMO.
i hope he's as sharp with clauses and stipulations as he is with a bat and ball, then.Can play cricket. Very good player.
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/lo...knights-fans-from-nathan-tinkler/2083097.aspxOpen letter to Knights fans from Nathan Tinkler
NATHAN TINKLER
22 Feb, 2011 04:00 AM
Dear fellow Knights fan,
I was disappointed yesterday to reluctantly withdraw from negotiations to purchase the Newcastle Knights. This is not just for the many people who have worked tirelessly to present an exciting new future for the club but more importantly, all members and fans.
The integrity of not just the deal, but the Tinkler Sports Group has been challenged.
In response to attempts to diminish the value of our deal, no sporting club in Australia has a standing deal that can deliver them a minimum $10million per year for 10 years. Under our proposal the Newcastle Knights would have received exactly that. Additionally we had proposed to immediately pay out the clubs debt, estimated to be in the vicinity of $4million.
Im passionate about all things Newcastle, the Hunter and Northern NSW (the region). I have been successful in business and I can think of no greater benefit I can give back to the community than to have a rugby league team we are all proud of and financially secure.
The Newcastle Knights is one of the strongest sporting brands in the region and there is nothing more I would like to see than for them to put their financial difficulties behind them and focus on success on the paddock.
Unfortunately, it is now clear that we will have no further involvement or negotiation with the current board of directors. We have been frustrated in our attempts to reach an amicable outcome on such a significant issue for the club.
It appears the board has lost sight of the key objective of building a winning club.
The Newcastle Knights would have operated as a not-for-profit organisation under the privatisation arrangement and all of the surpluses would have been re-invested into both the Knights and a junior development program.
I have made no secret of the fact that over the years I believe we have lost too many of our local juniors to other clubs. With the input of a proposed Newcastle Rugby League Advisory Board and coaching staff we aimed to remedy that situation.
Our business model would have ensured the Knights would be around for our children and our childrens children and that every rugby league junior in the region only dreams of one thing playing for the Knights.
Our goal was to return the club to those famous watershed days of 1997 through to 2003 when the Knights never failed to reach the play-offs while developing home grown champions.
In spite of my personal disappointment, as a long-standing supporter of the club I wish the Knights players and coaching staff every success.
Kind regards,
Nathan Tinkler
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/lo...ower-forces-officials-to-explain/2082603.aspxPeople power forces officials to explain
BY IAN KIRKWOOD
22 Feb, 2011 04:00 AM
AS a revolution, it fell a little flat.
But Lambton man Mark York, who called a meeting of Knights members at the Mark Hotel at Lambton yesterday evening, had more than half the signatures he needed by meetings end to get what he wants.
Mr York, who described himself as a businessman and long-term season-ticket holder of the Knights, said he needed 100 signatures to force an extraordinary general meeting of the Knights and its board.
Mr York had posted his intention to hold the meeting on the Newcastle Herald website yesterday. Radio picked up the rallying call and by the time he fronted the crowd and the media last night, he had about 70 people paying attention.
I am in no way trying to get rid of the board of the Knights, Mr York said.
I think theyve done a fantastic job under trying circumstances over quite a number of years. But I do, however, disagree with the way they have gone about the Nathan Tinkler proposal.
I implore them to reconsider their position until they and the Knights board have a clear view about if this is what the members want or not.
Mr York said events seemed to have overtaken him, with the Knights board calling next Mondays meeting of members.
But he vowed to take his 100 signatures with him, and to deliver it to that meeting.
Knights director Leigh Maughan told the Herald yesterday afternoon he intended to go to the meeting but apparently changed his mind.
Former premiership-winning Knights Tony Butterfield and Stephen Crowe did turn up, and chatted happily to a bevy of fans.
Butterfield said the board had to act in the interests of the club members.
The club is in a parlous financial situation but if the offer on the table is as the chief executive officer [Steve Burraston] has described then clearly its not good enough, Butterfield said.
Anyone who knows Tinkler knows he doesn't do things at half measures. If $15M a season needed to be put into this club, then he'd do it - forget any minimum clauses.
Um...the co-owners and the participants in Supercar Club probably beg to differ.
And as for the minimum clauses, he was the one suggesting it. Don't blame the board for that.
the trust proposal has been in development for 8 months or more. Tinkler was initially involved... but he probably got impatient with it or something.I just dont know what to think.
Supremely unimpressed with how as others have said Tinklers offer was taking weeks but this trust is pretty much ready to go at a moments notice.
if he's promising us 1 thing, but offering something else, then i'm sorry but he's pissing on us and calling it rain. once again, you don't know where the truth lies any more than i do unless you've read the proposal. care to respond to that?
the trust proposal has been in development for 8 months or more. Tinkler was initially involved... but he probably got impatient with it or something.
Owning a sports team he has ties to and a passion for, is far different to a business deal gone wrong mate. I don't think Tinkler quite has the same passion for renting out uber expensive cars to make a buck.
Any concerns are solved by writing in a clause of a minimum term of commitment to ownership.
Like I said, even if Tinkler was a disappointment, it can't be much worse than what we have now.