Matabele
Journey Man
*Disclaimer* This is from the Bec and Buzz Column, so perhaps it could be treated with a grain of salt.
THE Penn family is on the verge of a complete takeover of the Sea Eagles by shelling out $15million to buy Manly Leagues Club.
The Sea Eagles' part-owner Scott Penn signed a heads of agreement for the purchase yesterday and is now waiting for approval from leagues club members before taking ownership. We understand he would be the first person to privately own a leagues club in the NRL.
We're told Penn's next step will be to offer Sea Eagles co-owner Max Delmege $5million to buy out his share of the football club. "We're buying the leagues club to redevelop it and ensure it remains a viable business in the future,'' Penn told us.
"A successful leagues club is critical for the future of the football club and our long-term plans to keep Manly at Brookvale Oval. This will surely put to bed any suggestions that we ever wanted to move away from Brookvale Oval.''
As for buying out Delmege's share of the football club, Penn said: "It's still early days. We're trying to resolve our differences. "We've been quite clear that we support the current management team of Des Hasler, Grant Mayer and Peter Peters. They're a proven winning team, but the board hasn't shown that same support. At the end of the day, the only way to solve it is maybe for one of us to buy the other out.''
Penn telephoned Delmege last Thursday night to float the proposal but the Sea Eagles co-owner refused. The next showdown in the battle for control of the Sea Eagles will come at Wednesday night's board meeting.
The Delmege faction, who have the numbers in the boardroom, 5-2, plan to call for media manager Peters to be made redundant and Penn to be dumped as chairman. "My answer to the Penns wanting to buy me out is, well, I'll buy them out. It's not a monetary thing, it's what I think the supporters deserve,'' Delmege said. Where were the Penns in 2002 when Manly needed them?''
THE Penn family is on the verge of a complete takeover of the Sea Eagles by shelling out $15million to buy Manly Leagues Club.
The Sea Eagles' part-owner Scott Penn signed a heads of agreement for the purchase yesterday and is now waiting for approval from leagues club members before taking ownership. We understand he would be the first person to privately own a leagues club in the NRL.
We're told Penn's next step will be to offer Sea Eagles co-owner Max Delmege $5million to buy out his share of the football club. "We're buying the leagues club to redevelop it and ensure it remains a viable business in the future,'' Penn told us.
"A successful leagues club is critical for the future of the football club and our long-term plans to keep Manly at Brookvale Oval. This will surely put to bed any suggestions that we ever wanted to move away from Brookvale Oval.''
As for buying out Delmege's share of the football club, Penn said: "It's still early days. We're trying to resolve our differences. "We've been quite clear that we support the current management team of Des Hasler, Grant Mayer and Peter Peters. They're a proven winning team, but the board hasn't shown that same support. At the end of the day, the only way to solve it is maybe for one of us to buy the other out.''
Penn telephoned Delmege last Thursday night to float the proposal but the Sea Eagles co-owner refused. The next showdown in the battle for control of the Sea Eagles will come at Wednesday night's board meeting.
The Delmege faction, who have the numbers in the boardroom, 5-2, plan to call for media manager Peters to be made redundant and Penn to be dumped as chairman. "My answer to the Penns wanting to buy me out is, well, I'll buy them out. It's not a monetary thing, it's what I think the supporters deserve,'' Delmege said. Where were the Penns in 2002 when Manly needed them?''