Sun setting on suburban stadiums

[swoop]

NRL Sea Eagles: Light on the hill is fading
Rugby League

10 Dec 12 @ 04:58pm by Jon Geddes


Fortress Brookie, despite the enthusiasm of its loyal patrons, needs an injection of funds to make it NRL viable.


SEA Eagles co-patron Kerry Sibraa has declared that the club has to "get off their bums" and examine all options to ensure the NRL team continues to play games at their spiritual home Brookvale Oval.

His strong words came as the reality of the situation is starting to hit dedicated Sea Eagles' supporters for whom watching games at "The Fortress" has been a time-honoured ritual.

And a meeting of key stakeholders is being held late today to thrash out a rescue plan.

The club's owners Penn Sport and Quantum will be joined by representatives of the football club, Warringah Council and some prominent business people from the One Eyed Eagles.

The moves come in the wake of the State Goverment's stadia report that says money should be put into maintaining Allianz and ANZ Stadiums rather than refurbishing suburban grounds like Brookvale Oval.

"We are looking at the best way of going forward and how we involve the federal, state and local governments," Sibraa said.

"And we are going to be examining all options to make sure that we stay at Brookvale."

Sibraa said there had to be a project to get Brookvale elevated up to a tier-two ground.

"There could be Federal Government funding, there could be a State Government loan to the council," he said.

"To meet this criteria we have to get off our bums and do something."

NSW Sports Minister Graham Annesley and NSW Treasurer and state MP for Manly Michael Baird, have agreed to meet with the club next month.

"But we can't just sit around and hope that somebody will come along with a pot of money - we have to get out and be active," Sibraa said.

Asked if he was feeling optimistic, the former federal Labor senator replied: "I think it is going to take plenty of hard work, put it that way."

Nobody knows better what is involved in the fight to upgrade Brookvale than Sibraa.

He has been involved in raising about $12 million in funds for the ground since 1998.

And he admits that on occasions he has felt like he has been banging his head against a brick wall.

http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/nrl-sea-eagles-light-on-the-hill-is-fading/

 

[Narly]

I don't get all this fuss. I would still go to a run down Brookvale oval. So what ! It our home, I love the hill..

Moving grounds doesn't mean more money, it's actually been proven to lose money. Last years semi showed that.

 

[Mals]

and about 0.0010 like Rugby League.

10 bonus points for you Darren for leading the negativity stakes

 

[The Who]

So, Mr Sibraa says all we need to do is "get off our bums and do something", and that will save Brookie.
Easy.
We'll all stand on the hill from now.
Problem solved.
Anything else Mr Sibraa?

 

[Hamster Huey]

So, Mr Sibraa says all we need to do is "get off our bums and do something", and that will save Brookie.
Easy.
We'll all stand on the hill from now.
Problem solved.
Anything else Mr Sibraa?

He's talking about the various bodies associated with the club and government not just whinging about the recent reports, and instead getting on the front foot and being pro-active in pushing for improvements; not the fans.

 

[Mals]

So, Mr Sibraa says all we need to do is "get off our bums and do something", and that will save Brookie.
Easy.
We'll all stand on the hill from now.
Problem solved.
Anything else Mr Sibraa?

He's talking about the various bodies associated with the club and government not just whinging about the recent reports, and instead getting on the front foot and being pro-active in pushing for improvements; not the fans.

HH - think The Who's comment was tongue in cheek

 

[swoop]

It's a bit of a worry when your state treasurer Mike Baird can't add up. He made 30 odd errors and when they checked his budget they found that NSW had an extra 1billion dollars. Yes, 1 billion.

Yes, he personally did the sums...

Didn't he look at it before he signed off on it?

He will sign off on what he's presented. With an organisation that big, the expectation is that all the elements have got their financial houses in order.

I'd be pointing fingers at the financial delegates that actually count the pennies for collation to form the bigger picture.

After such a long period of Labor g'ment, the issue is for the new ministers to get the experience to know when something doesn't look right, without getting into the reeds.

That those departments errors added up to so much in just one year, makes you wonder what the hell was going on prior to the change of g'ment.

I'm not trying to have a political debate about it. I was pointing out that the NSW state government are a billion dollar better off than they thought, now why can't some of that money be used of venues such as brookie?

 

[DSM5]

Hamster H your point about the various NSW govt depts not being up to financial scratch belies the fact that these days those depts are run by political appointments. Gone are the days of frank and fearless advice and honest reporting. Replaced, I'm sad to say, by flunkies who grovel at the feet and only report what the various Ministers want to hear. That is then shoveled up the chain. Lobbying for a 'grand North Shore stadium' (situated at Brookvale) is a way to go, given there's never going to be a rail line. Abbott could use it for grand 'Nuremburg' style rallies of the faithful, in the Summer months.

 

[Hamster Huey]

It's a bit of a worry when your state treasurer Mike Baird can't add up. He made 30 odd errors and when they checked his budget they found that NSW had an extra 1billion dollars. Yes, 1 billion.

Yes, he personally did the sums...

Didn't he look at it before he signed off on it?

He will sign off on what he's presented. With an organisation that big, the expectation is that all the elements have got their financial houses in order.

I'd be pointing fingers at the financial delegates that actually count the pennies for collation to form the bigger picture.

After such a long period of Labor g'ment, the issue is for the new ministers to get the experience to know when something doesn't look right, without getting into the reeds.

That those departments errors added up to so much in just one year, makes you wonder what the hell was going on prior to the change of g'ment.

I'm not trying to have a political debate about it. I was pointing out that the NSW state government are a billion dollar better off than they thought, now why can't some of that money be used of venues such as brookie?

There is still plenty of infrastructures issues to be resolved in NSW prior to consideration for a Brookie upgrade.

Perhaps the healthier state of finances may see a plan to instead of propping up Brookvale, look at a suitable 'Northern Sydney' stadium to service the Hornsby/North Shore/Northern Beaches region.

Might be a better course of action than trying to get the old girl up-to-date on a patch of dirt that suburbia has fully surrounded.

---

Hamster H your point about the various NSW govt depts not being up to financial scratch belies the fact that these days those depts are run by political appointments. Gone are the days of frank and fearless advice and honest reporting. Replaced, I'm sad to say, by flunkies who grovel at the feet and only report what the various Ministers want to hear. That is then shoveled up the chain. Lobbying for a 'grand North Shore stadium' (situated at Brookvale) is a way to go, given there's never going to be a rail line. Abbott could use it for grand 'Nuremburg' style rallies of the faithful, in the Summer months.

It's been something that has developed over the last 10-15 years and it is to the detriment of councils, state and federal levels of government.

There are fewer and fewer respected department heads out there and each election appears to see a clean-out at many as either their incompetence is noted and they're removed, or a capable body is moved on to make way for a 'mate'.

Sadly, I don't see it changing anytime soon.

 

[Phantar]

From the Thursday MD:

http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/nrl-sea-eagles-ground-rules-to-be-set-for-brookvale-oval/

 

[Napper]

If there is only one sun, how can it set on all suburban grounds?

Also, will the sun setting on these grounds happwn on 21/12/12?