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Campbelltown Lures Old Enemies; Frustration of being ignored by Wests
Topic Started: Mar 22 2008, 11:16 AM (1,222 Views)
Gobbs
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By Josh Massoud | March 22, 2008 12:00am

CAMPBELLTOWN Stadium has drawn up a hit-list of rival NRL teams to play in Sydney's south-west out of frustrations that the venue is being ignored by Wests Tigers.

The Roosters, Bulldogs and Rabbitohs will be invited to transfer at least one home game to Campbelltown from next season onwards.

The Saturday Daily Telegraph can also reveal the Roosters are eyeing off the famed league nursery to compensate for its shortage of local juniors, having purchased land at nearby Narellan to build a new licensed club.

The upheaval comes as tensions over Wests' ongoing decision to play only three matches a season at Campbelltown intensify.

On the verge of receiving an additional $8 million Federal Government funding to upgrade the 20,000-seater, stadium officials and the local council believe the Tigers are giving them a raw deal.

The issue of how many games to play at Campbelltown has also been a hot topic of debate on the joint venture's highly politicised board.

When the Tigers' deal to play selected matches at ANZ Stadium expired last year, there was an immediate push from the sole Campbelltown-aligned director to return to a six-six split between Campbelltown and Leichhardt.

But that motion was scuppered by the other nine directors, five of whom represent Balmain and four Wests Ashfield. The fact the remaining Magpies board members voted against playing more matches in the faction's territory has increased ill-feeling within the black and white bloc.

Campbelltown-based Magpies feel their Ashfield brothers are content to stay at Olympic Park, because of its proximity to the thriving Wests club on Liverpool Rd.

Campbelltown's interests are reduced to one voice on the board because of its smaller commitment to finance guarantees for the Tigers. While Balmain guarantees the joint venture $1.5 million and Ashfield $1 million every season, Cambelltown is only in for $500,000.

Hosting matches at Campbelltown and Leichhardt has traditionally been far more expensive because the Tigers must pay for video screens, ground hire and lighting.

But Campbelltown Council now argues that the impending upgrades to its stadium - including lighting, a permanent video screen, and improved corporate facilities - mean there's no longer a commercial case to call Olympic Park home.

The Tigers' current deal with ANZ Stadium is for this season only, but Campbelltown interests feel the joint venture's status quo at board level will never see it allocate more than three matches to the south-west.

And that's why council voted last month to court the Roosters, Bulldogs and Rabbitohs to help maximise use of the newly developed venue.

"If the Tigers only want to play three matches here, that's fine," a council source said.

"But we can't sit around and let the stadium turn into a white elephant. We have to look for other occupants, even if they are from clubs outside the region."

Tigers CEO Steve Noyce was aware of Campbelltown's desire to embrace the club's rivals.

"Obviously they have an obligation to their ratepayers - of which I am one - to make a return on investment," he said.

But Noyce is adamant he wants to lead the Tigers back to splitting all their games between Leichhardt and Campbelltown.

"That's the model we ultimately want to aim for, but we've had to make a commercial decision to play four matches (at ANZ Stadium) in the meantime," he said. "There's a guaranteed return and no costs against guaranteed costs and no guaranteed return."

The Tigers are in a relatively secure financial position, and had to only ask for $540,000 in Leagues club funding last season.

But the Roosters' advance on their junior nursery is creating concerns. "That's an issue for us," Noyce said.

"It means we've got to get our own backyard in order and get smarter. The Roosters don't have a lot of juniors and I can see why they want to move in."
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galahs
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Lets hope the push to get games back to Campbelltown gets stronger and stronger.
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Staks
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Article has been done before.

Nothing new in that, we heard about the Roosters threat at AGM 3 years ago with the council tring to lure other clubs.
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innsaneink
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gr8_1
Mar 22 2008, 11:41 AM
Article has been done before.

Nothing new in that, we heard about the Roosters threat at AGM 3 years ago with the council tring to lure other clubs.

Yet WE still have done nothing about the situation.
Thats the point.
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Magpie
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This is the same council that kicks the Magpies games off so soccer can play there??
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Gobbs
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innsaneink
Mar 22 2008, 01:55 AM
Yet WE still have done nothing about the situation.
Thats the point.

Exactly!! :angry:
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shinlee
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well the question is when is campbelltown staduim going to be updated?
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Staks
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Magpie
Mar 22 2008, 12:59 PM
This is the same council that kicks the Magpies games off so soccer can play there??

What you mean ?
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Gobbs
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shinlee
Mar 22 2008, 02:47 AM
well the question is when is campbelltown staduim going to be updated?

Once Govt. funding arrives. Plans, drawings and submissions have been lodged by Campbelltown City Council to Federal Parliament. The Council expects the upgrades/re-development to begin 'hopefully' by the end of the 2008 Season.
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shinlee
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Gobbs
Mar 22 2008, 04:45 AM
Once Govt. funding arrives. Plans, drawings and submissions have been lodged by Campbelltown City Council to Federal Parliament. The Council expects the upgrades/re-development to begin 'hopefully' by the end of the 2008 Season.

good i would love to see in 2009

6 games at campbelltown
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Gobbs
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I'd say 2010 would be more of a realistic goal for an increase in games, due to construction to surely eat into the 2009 season that's 'if' the funding arrives and work begins at the end of the year.
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galahs
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I like the irony though that it is Wests Campbelltown claiming to be the lone warrior for the Campbelltown area, yet they:
- don't provide any funding to the local district team (the Wests Magpies)
- voted with Balmain to have our WT fringe players allocated to Balmain
- refuse to host the Magpies post match presentations.
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galahs
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I just sent this letter to the editor


Quote:
 

3 games! Who's to Blame?

The Macarthur area has been neglected by Rugby League since the Wests Magpies were forced to merge with the Balmain Tigers in 2000.

The area used to have its own local NRL club which played 12 NRL games a year at Campbelltown Stadium. After the merger we saw this reduced to 6 and now just 3 games a year.

Reduced to being our local NSWRL Cup team, the Wests Magpies also got kicked in the teeth. Wests Leagues Club Campbelltown no longer provides any financial support to the Magpies and refuses to even host their post match presentations.
Wests Leagues Club Campbelltown also voted with Balmain in 2006 and 2007 to allocate all Wests Magpies players with Wests Tigers contracts to play for Balmain if not required for the NRL side. Local kids from the Macarthur area were forced to play for the Balmain Tigers!

Wests Tigers have looked to establish their head quarters at Campbelltown for some time. Yet the council couldn't even provide the Wests Magpies let alone the Wests Tigers with a suitable training ground. The Wests Magpies are not even able to use Campbelltown Stadium for light ball work sessions. In fact they are not even permitted to hold a sausage sizzle on game day to raise funds.

When will all the politics stop and common sense prevail. Until this happens I fear we will never see the Macarthur area getting the fair deal it deserves. And they'd better hurry, AFL and Soccer are infiltrating!!!
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mag1
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Well put Graeme. Might stir some response. At least we can hope
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Staks
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galahs
Mar 23 2008, 01:43 PM
I just sent this letter to the editor


Quote:
 

3 games! Who's to Blame?

The Macarthur area has been neglected by Rugby League since the Wests Magpies were forced to merge with the Balmain Tigers in 2000.

The area used to have its own local NRL club which played 12 NRL games a year at Campbelltown Stadium. After the merger we saw this reduced to 6 and now just 3 games a year.

Reduced to being our local NSWRL Cup team, the Wests Magpies also got kicked in the teeth. Wests Leagues Club Campbelltown no longer provides any financial support to the Magpies and refuses to even host their post match presentations.
Wests Leagues Club Campbelltown also voted with Balmain in 2006 and 2007 to allocate all Wests Magpies players with Wests Tigers contracts to play for Balmain if not required for the NRL side. Local kids from the Macarthur area were forced to play for the Balmain Tigers!

Wests Tigers have looked to establish their head quarters at Campbelltown for some time. Yet the council couldn't even provide the Wests Magpies let alone the Wests Tigers with a suitable training ground. The Wests Magpies are not even able to use Campbelltown Stadium for light ball work sessions. In fact they are not even permitted to hold a sausage sizzle on game day to raise funds.

When will all the politics stop and common sense prevail. Until this happens I fear we will never see the Macarthur area getting the fair deal it deserves. And they'd better hurry, AFL and Soccer are infiltrating!!!

You totally dismiss our Football/Leagues Club (same thing, same board members) involvment ? The compromise half the WT board with the sole Campbelltown rep. Do they want more games at Campbelltown ?

People seem to always give it to Wests Campbelltown (I admit I have over the funding to Magpies) like they are always the bad guys, but maybe they are the only realistic partya along with the council that are trying to get more games at Campbelltown Stadium. Whats the football club and Wests Ashfield doing ?
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Gobbs
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Great letter Graeme. Let's hope it gets a run. I did likewise. I sent e-mails off to 2GB, Andrew Moore's Sportzone, Talkin' Sport on 2SM and don't believe it got read. Typical. So i just fired off an email to the Chroncile, hoping it ends up in the local rag of Macarthur.

Quote:
 
After reading an article in the News limited publication of Saturday’s (22nd March 2008) Daily Telegraph, as a supporter of Wests Tigers and a Football Club member of the Western Suburbs Magpies Rugby League club, I must say I have never been more concerned about the future of Wests in the Campbelltown/Macarthur region. The Council and community is frustrated with constant neglect over the years and it has no come to the point that Rival enemies in the Roosters, Bulldogs and Souths club are being invited to transfer a game to the area. And what are Wests Tigers doing to counteract this plan? Nothing.

As a supporter and member I and the Campbelltown community are fed up with the Wests club continuing to claim that “Yes, it’s an issue for us and we’ve got to get our backyard in order and become a lot smarter”. All talk, yet no action since the Joint-Venture was established. Campbelltown has gone from being a Full-time Home Ground since 1987-99, to a part time ground from 2000-2004, to hosting a 3rd of the Wests Tigers matches since 2005. 3 lousy fixtures a year is what the community and juniors coming through get from their supposed national sporting body that’s meant to represent the people of Campbelltown. Enough is enough.

In the Campbelltown/Macarthur district, Wests have the 3rd largest Junior Rugby League competition in NSW. Wests have the Country Rugby League’s Group 6 competition which also has a large number of teams and players. Wests have a tremendously large fan base which spans to the Southern Highlands to Liverpool, with the population in the Macarthur region expected to hit 175,000-200,000 by 2015. Wests have a stadium which can be worked with and re-developed. New Lighting, screen and turf upgrades have already been completed and with a further $8 million worth of Federal Govt. funding on its way. I know and believe the area has all the fundamentals to be a home for an NRL franchise, with the problem being the inability of the Wests Tigers board to see this.

The time is NOW for Wests Tigers to commit themselves to Campbelltown for the future, otherwise, risk losing the Goldmine that is the secure future of the Macarthur region to another club or code in general. It’s time they put a number on when they will be retruning to their heartland rather than keeping the loyal diehards waiting and guessing. In a sport where Sydney teams saturate the market, it’s imperative that Wests secure their future and claim Campbelltown as their home. The power is in the hands of Wests Tigers and the Campbelltown Council. It’s time they worked together in earnest ensuring that the $8 million pledge from the newly elected Rudd Labor Government is on it’s way ASAP.





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galahs
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The pressure needs to be relentless. We must keep making this an issue or we will again be swept aside.

Good letter Gobbs :correct:
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galahs
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gr8_1
Mar 23 2008, 11:42 PM

You totally dismiss our Football/Leagues Club (same thing, same board members) involvment ? The compromise half the WT board with the sole Campbelltown rep. Do they want more games at Campbelltown ?

People seem to always give it to Wests Campbelltown (I admit I have over the funding to Magpies) like they are always the bad guys, but maybe they are the only realistic partya along with the council that are trying to get more games at Campbelltown Stadium. Whats the football club and Wests Ashfield doing ?

I don't doubt that our footy club is also a contributor to the issue.

I just don't want Wests Leagues Campbelltown and Campbelltown Council coming out looking like the champions of the issue when they in fact are a major contributor to the problem.

Somehow we need to write a peace treaty between all stakeholders in Wests... The Magpies footy club, both Leagues Clubs, Campbelltown Council and Wests Tigers.

So the question is... what is the sticking point?

All parties seem to be saying they want the same thing, so what's the underlying problem?

Until we acknowledge the problem, we can't go about fixing it.
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Staks
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galahs
Mar 24 2008, 01:38 AM
I just don't want Wests Leagues Campbelltown and Campbelltown Council coming out looking like the champions of the issue when they in fact are a major contributor to the problem.

Well at the moment mate they are the only entitys pushing for more games to be played out of Campbelltown Stadium. Wests Tigers keep making financial decisions, Football club and Ashfield no idea what they want or what they have done to help.

More Wests Tigeers games at Campbelltown ? Is that what not what you support and the whole argument is about ?

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galahs
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Yep I want more Wests Tigers games there, but we need all parties to be on the same page if that's ever going to happen.

And while I commend Wests Leagues Campbelltown and Campbelltown Councils sentiment, I believe their actions are quieter than their words.
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