Taking a wrecking ball to the club! (Recent Media Reports)

[BZN]

Incognizant squabble by people from WTF with a little help from Joel Helmes and Cochise.

Thank you KevB you are 💯correct i.e.. after I looked up the meaning of the word incognizant and I like it 👏👏👏.

 

[PrattenParkMagpie]

And before the Wests were Magpies, Wests were referred to as the Cherry Pickers or Fruit Pickers.
Still a great history.
Respect.
I sometimes slip and refer to the Bulldogs as the Berries too.
The Glebe Dirty Reds sound brilliant, but mixed up often with the Drummoyne Rugby club.
And not to forget the Newtown Bluebags, before they became the Jets.
And back in 1908, as a foundation club, the Newcastle Rebels existed before they became the Knights.
Likewise, the Cumberland team of 1908 was later reinvented as the Parramatta Eels.

Yes, the Fruit Pickers came about because back in the day you had play for the side in the area you resided, so with Ashfield being a rural area with predominantly orchards many of the players were fruit pickers.

Interestingly the Balmain colours of black and gold were not inspired by the Tiger but the local Wattle trees in the area with the Tiger emblem not appearing until the 1930's.

Some clubs had interesting nicknames back then like St George's Blood and Bandages and the history behind Souths colours and nickname.

 

[BZN]

He is 100% right. Lidcombe Oval is the traditional ground of the Magpies. They were an inner west club

I was very anti the return of the Magpies.

I agree with you.

 

[cochise]

I agree with you.

That is not what you have said in the past.

 

[BZN]

Only a fool goes rockfishing without a lifejacket and unfavourable conditions.

💯 correct, and there are plenty of fools out there who put others in danger when they get into trouble. It should be made mandatory to wear an approved jacket.

 

[BZN]

That is not what you have said in the past.

Isn't it. In that case I don't know what I agreed to. Hit me with the Q again.

 

[BZN]

Fan mail ? Are you on drugs bro ? Talk about delusional ….
No ! You’re knowledgeable on all things , do some research and educate yourself !

You are 💯 correct Lestronge. It was anything but fan mail but I stuck it out for 3 days and that's enough for a nearly 78 yo.

 

[hammertime]

I had a lot of time for Rick Wade until I watched that interview only a few days ago and he was disgusting. I no longer have respect for him, and he can toddle off to the dinosaur enclosure at the circus🎪<<< yes that's the one.

In all of this, you lost respect for Rick? The only person with the balls to not hide in the shadows. He just laid down the truth and showed some fight.

Says a lot about you, not him.

 

[BZN]

In all of this, you lost respect for Rick? The only person with the balls to not hide in the shadows. He just laid down the truth and showed some fight.

Says a lot about you, not him.

Ok.

 

[cochise]

Investigator quizzes banned directors of Wests Tigers’ owners
Liquor and Gaming NSW has opened an investigation into the running of the Holman Barnes Group, conducting interviews with the three directors who have been banned for a combined 15 years.

As reported by this masthead last month, the Independent Liqour and Gaming Authority was recently made aware of the disharmony on the HBG board, the majority shareholder of the Wests Tigers and the owners of the rich and powerful Wests Ashfield club.

Former Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis and suspended HBG director Rick Wayde.
Former Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis and suspended HBG director Rick Wayde.

That disharmony on Wednesday led to the banning of three HBG directors – Tony Andreacchio, Rick Wayde and David Gilbert – for alleged misdemeanours dating back up to five years.

Before the disciplinary actions of the HBG, ILGA forwarded concerns to L&GNSW, the agency responsible for overseeing the legislation that governs registered clubs in NSW. The regulator has since opened its own investigation to determine the severity of the situation, and whether ILGA needs to concern itself with the running of the HBG.

The regulator did not respond to detailed questions about the nature of its probe, but in a statement a spokesman confirmed it was “aware of allegations recently raised concerning the Holman Barnes Group”.

“As those allegations are currently under assessment, no further comment can be made at this stage,” the L&GNSW spokesman said.

‘That’s what the fans want, and that is what’s needed for Wests Tigers to survive and thrive.’

Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking under the condition of anonymity due to confidentiality told this masthead L&GNSW had conducted interviews with banished trio Andreacchio (six-year ban), Wayde (eight-year ban) and Gilbert (six-month ban).

The interviews began before Christmas and concluded in the days before the trio being banned for a combined 15 years.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

The interviews began before Christmas and concluded in the days before the trio being banned for a combined 15 years.

Mmm.

 

[Kaito]

Yes, Dennis would knock your socks off if he was on here.
And yes again, he definitely was an actual musician with talent.
And blimey, I'm agreeing with you AGAIN, that's 3 times, what's going on here?
Maybe I've been got at by the dark side sending special rays thru my computer, but I don't feel any different, how weird is that?
Oops, nearly forgot...Dennis has "far more integrity".

Woooo. Where I buy tickets hehe

 

[vlad]

Long-term debenture holder calls for Wests Tigers’ ownership structure system to be blown up​

The infighting between the owners of the Wests Tigers has exploded with one-long time debenture holder calling for the system to be scrapped immediately.
Michael Carayannis
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@mcarayannis

2 min read
January 2, 2025 - 6:19PM

0 Comments

One of the longest serving debenture holders at the Holman Barnes Group – the owners of the Wests Tigers – has sensationally called for the ownership structure to be changed immediately in the wake of three board members being banned.

John Hardgrove – who has been a debenture holder for more than three decades – said it is time for a major revamp of the Holman Barnes Group governance structure.

The debenture agreement was launched in 1955 as part of the formation of Wests Ashfield Leagues Club to assist with the running of the Western Suburbs Magpies. The debenture system has remained even through the many changes which have occurred in the past 70 years including a merger with Balmain.

The debenture system consisting of 20 people appoints from within five people to sit on the Holman Barnes Group board.

It costs just $100 to join the elite group.

Two other board members are elected via a membership vote by the membership of the Holmans Group clubs which includes Wests Ashfield.

“The debenture system has served its purpose,” Hardgrove said. “I supported the system up until now because it served its original purpose of protecting the assets of the club and the support of rugby league.

“What’s happening now is outside the original intent of the group. We need to look at another system that will protect the interests of the club, its assets and the long history of a foundation rugby league club as well as the Wests Tigers.

“The debenture system is no longer fit for purpose. A new system needs to be developed and this could require an administrator to be appointed while this is being done.

What has been done to these three people is grossly unfair and lacks procedural fairness.”

Recently banned duo Rick Wayde and Tony Andreacchio were elected by the members while fellow exiled board member David Gilbert was one of five debenture board members.

While there are a maximum of 20 debenture holders there are just 16 active debenture members.

They include; Hardgrove, Gilbert and current Holman Barnes board of directors Julie Romero, Dennis Burgess, Stephen Montgomery and Vince Tropiano.

Other debenture holders include Kevin Hammond, Daniel Lane, Clare Burgess, Fiona Shand, Russell Smith, Brian Cook, Mick Liubinskas, Scott Beynon and Peter DiMichiel (chairman).

Paul Marsh – who acted for Gilbert, Wayde and Andreacchio in their dealings against Holman Barnes – is also a debenture holder.

Wayde was banned for eight years, Andreacchio (six) and Gilbert (six months) for a range of alleged misdemeanours.

“The penalties are a joke,” Hardgrove said. “I’ve seen what they were charged with and the penalty they were given. The penalty does not fit the alleged crime even if you believe they deserved some sort of penalty.

“What they have been given is a joke and seems to be ploy for other people to gain even more control.”

The debenture holders meet six times a year but because of the ongoing conflict there has not been a formal meeting since October.

“The meeting was called off in December but the Christmas dinner went ahead,” Hardgrove said. “It was fairly tense.”

Two debenture holders are to be appointed to the Holman Barnes Group next month.

Gilbert and Dennis Burgess are up for re-election.

Meanwhile, a fan led petition calling for a review into the Holman Barnes Group has attracted more than 1000 signatures. The Wests Tigers Unite fan-base are calling for change.

“The Wests Tigers need to stand on its own two feet and have the best possible representation at board level,” said Wests Tigers United spokesman Joel Helmes. “We have been a fan base who have been divided foes 25 years, this is the moment the club comes together once and for all.”

 

[vlad]

I texted Carayanis this morning who is doing the breakfast program on SEN 😉

 

[gallagher]

I really don't know what to believe so it's great to see the NSW liquor and gaming launching an investigation.

 

[Kaito]

I really don't know what to believe so it's great to see the NSW liquor and gaming launching an investigation.

Interesting developments.

 

[Buttface]

What's in it for Romero? Leather handbags?

Tiger fur coats and magpie fascinators.

 

[hammertime]

Some traction in the right direction! Hats off to hardgrove for getting out there. He phrased it well.

I doubt any holders on the other side will come out as their arguments are wafer thin.

 

[Muffstar]

Yes, Dennis would knock your socks off if he was on here.
And yes again, he definitely was an actual musician with talent.
And blimey, I'm agreeing with you AGAIN, that's 3 times, what's going on here?
Maybe I've been got at by the dark side sending special rays thru my computer, but I don't feel any different, how weird is that?
Oops, nearly forgot...Dennis has "far more integrity".

Wow, just trying to catch up, so many posts in such a short amount of time. Hope you can answer my questions below.

Oh, who did dennis play for ? Maybe he was a better musician than a footy director, the mind boggles.

And who does dennis have more integrity than ?

 

[BZN]

Wow, just trying to catch up, so many posts in such a short amount of time. Hope you can answer my questions below.

Oh, who did dennis play for ? Maybe he was a better musician than a footy director, the mind boggles.

And who does dennis have more integrity than ?

Dennis has far more integrity than me apparently 😱.