Council puts debt collectors on to Manly over Brookvale Oval debt
Warringah Council has engaged debt collectors to retrieve a six-figure sum from the Sea Eagles after the bottom-placed club refused to pay their hiring fees for Brookvale Oval.
Fairfax Media can reveal Manly is in arrears in their payments for the use of their home ground as they prepare to host the Panthers on Monday night. The development raises fears games may be shifted from Brookvale Oval, a ground where the Sea Eagles have a high success rate.
It's understood the club has pointed to the poor state of the pitch during their round three encounter against Canterbury when Council raised the issue of the outstanding debts. While the NRL had its own concerns for player welfare after the ground was covered in sand and potholes, council has subsequently worked hard to ensure it is up to first-grade standard. While it was presented in good condition for the next home fixture - last Sunday's win over Newcastle - the Sea Eagles are yet to settle the accounts. Council has now passed the matter onto 'collections', which is only reserved for cases which are long overdue or are for large amounts.
Manly CEO Joe Kelly did not return calls, while a Warringah Council spokesperson said: "We are working together on the management of Brookvale Oval. We continue to have a good working relationship and we wish the team every success this weekend."
Manly issued the following statement: "Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have withheld payments to Warringah Council whilst resolving a number of matters including the recent inaccessibility of Brookvale Oval (for almost two months) and the renegotiation of contractual terms for the venue at an applicable market rate.
"We have always had a positive working relationship with Warringah Council, and we are confident that we will reach a mutually beneficial outcome for Members, Supporters and residents of the local community."
There have been ongoing issues around the hirer's fee for Brookvale Oval. The club baulked when Council sought to double its hiring fee for 2014, from $350,000 a year to about $710,000. Both parties share concerns over the long-term viability of a venue which is arguably the most dilapidated in the NRL.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is Manly's No.1 ticketholder and has pledged $10 million of federal funding towards Brookvale's redevelopment, but that figure is nowhere near the money required to bring it up to standard. The NSW Government remains committed to a stadia strategy that channels funding towards larger stadia, leaving boutique grounds such as Brookvale and Leichhardt Oval under threat.
Manly chairman Scott Penn has previously stated he wants to turn 'Fortress Brookvale' into a multi-purpose stadium, replicating the venue of baseball heavyweight San Francisco Giants' home ground AT&T Park. The bold plan would involve the provision of 20,000 undercover seats as part of a capacity of 40,000. However, funding remains an issue for a club still behind in rent payments.
Warringah Mayor Michael Regan was unaware of the payment situation but said he was keen to work with the club and the NRL on any solution which would guarantee the Sea Eagles remained at their spiritual home.
"I'd like to see us do a revitalisation there and hopefully the NRL will see it as a boutique ground and help," Regan said.
Regan said Council didn't have the funds required to bring the ground up to the required standard and said an NRL-government partnership could be a potential solution.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...over-brookvale-oval-debt-20150512-gh01yv.html
