Save Ray Price Lounge: Fitzgerald
December 12, 2007 - 3:53PM
Parramatta boss Denis Fitzgerald has put a personal feud with a club legend aside and asked the Parramatta Stadium Trust to overturn its decision to rename the Ray Price Lounge.
Dual international Price, who won four grand finals with the Eels, and Parramatta's blue and gold army of fans were outraged when the trust announced the amenity, at Parramatta Stadium, would be renamed the Cumberland Lounge.
"On Monday morning I sent a letter to the Parramatta Stadium Trust on behalf of the board of the Parramatta Eels requesting the Parramatta Stadium Trust overturn their decision to rename the Ray Price Lounge," Fitzgerald told a news conference.
"That letter is going to be tabled at the meeting of the Parramatta Stadium Trust tomorrow morning for consideration.
"So I'm hopeful and confident that the trust will change their minds and keep the Ray Price Lounge where it has been since the stadium opened in 1986."
Fitzgerald, who is a stadium trustee, admitted to an earlier falling out with the former Parramatta warhorse, but denied he'd had anything to do with the name change, which was reportedly made for "business strategy" reasons.
"It's well documented that I don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with Ray Price and haven't for a long time," Fitzgerald said.
"But it was never my intention to do anything with changing the name of that lounge because it's recognition of the great service and the legendary status that Ray Price has well earned here at Parramatta Stadium.
"The fan reaction (was) overwhelming but the disappointing factor as far as the Parramatta Eels club were concerned was that the trust did not consult the Parramatta Eels club nor me prior to them making that decision.
"And, whilst I'm a trustee of Parramatta Stadium, I was overseas when that decision was made and had nothing to do with that decision.
"I've told the trust general manager that I won't be voting since I didn't vote on the original decision.
"I'd like to think that the trustees who originally voted, that they'll be the ones who appreciate ... that there's overwhelming support to not change that name and that they will recognise that that decision shouldn't have been made in the first place and they'll rectify it tomorrow morning."
© 2007 AAP
