i have a legit question for those close to the bid - i really want to support this bid, because the more i hear about b2 and cc, the more i dislike their like structures.
but, with the reds, theres a very obvious problem - the fact that its been tried and failed. reds fans seem to insist they were a victim of the super league war, despite being a thriving club.
however the reds, after 3 seasons, with relatively good crowd numbers and super league/news ltd backing were still $10m in the hole.
why will this time be different? would we be doing what the afl does and admitting a club that will have to be propped up in the name of expansion?
It's a fair and valid question. A few reasons why I believe it will be different this time:
1. Travel costs - as mentioned the Reds had to pay all travel and accomodation costs for visiting teams, officials and reserve grades as well as our own every other week (somewhere around $3mill a year all up) . Back in '95 it cost an avg $900 one way to Sydney from Perth, now you can do it return for $400 plus the NRL will pick up the travel costs this time.
2. WACA agreement- it was decided that the WACA was the only suitable ground in Perth and the deal that was done was very expensive rental plus we lost out on ground sponsorships and bar revenue. The NIB stadium deal will be far far more financially viable.
3. Fans base - A combination of the SL war, News taking over the Reds and ousting the WARL and very poor viewing at the WACA saw a massive drop off in crowds. That won't happen this time and we are aiming at a starting avg of 15k and growing it as RL once again becomes more established here.
4. Perth - in the early 90's Perth was still a sleepy country town type city. Since then the place has boomed, big business, lots of $'s, rich potential owners, one of the highest avg expendibile incomes in the country, growing population etc
5. Player salaries- as we know the SL war pushed salary inflation through the roof, income did not match it and it was a crazy time for having to pay players. News were happy to foot the bill for the Reds then turn around and claim they were $10mill in debt when in reality that was money News had spent making sure the Reds were playing in SL. It was a convenient way of culling the Reds to appease the ARL when numbers were being cut. This time we have a salary cap and no war to worry about.
So those are the legitimate reasons why it will be different. Add in a much stronger fan base, some good jnr programmes, a quality stadium, a strong business backed WARL, WARL ownership, TV value, real expansion of the game and an opportunity to take the fight to the AFL and RU and you have plenty of reasons to get behind the bid supera!
