Balmain Tigers face extinction

[Black_amp_Gold]

Mods, please leave this thread here so it gets the attention it deserves…..

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The Daily Telegraph can reveal that Balmain, who have won 11 first grade premierships, will die unless a $250 million redevelopment of the club's licenced premises in Rozelle is approved early next year.

Rejection of the proposal would threaten Balmain's 50 per cent share in the Wests Tigers joint venture and also leave 3000 junior players throughout the inner-city district without funding and a competition.

Tigers fans are planning a rally in the new year to drum up support for the redevelopment.

Balmain Leagues Club on Victoria Rd - which closed two-and-a-half years ago - now stands dilapidated and filthy, covered in bird droppings, graffiti, dead rats and syringes.

The redevelopment has been dragging on for 10 years, and now it heads before the state Government's planning assessment commission.

Submissions of support for the redevelopment close this Monday.

The significantly revised proposal - called Rozelle Village - includes a child care centre, medical centre, housing and, of course, a new leagues club, which will house the Tigers football offices.

Premier Barry O'Farrell - the Wests Tigers number one fan - has kept silent on the issue.

"We are on our knees at the moment. This is just about the last throw of the dice," said Paul Sironen, the champion forward who played 246 games for Balmain. "We don't want to lose the Balmain name or our juniors.

"The club has been battling to get this through for years now. We need all the support we can get. I think this is the most important time in the club's history."

Over the 10 years of planning, more than 11,000 people have signed petitions of support for the redevelopment although previous proposals have drawn criticism from some members of the local community.

"Balmain was born in 1908 - it has such a proud history," said 185-game Tiger Steve Roach.

"Surely they can come to some agreement otherwise the Balmain juniors will die and the Wests Tigers will battle.

"It has to be good for the area - it's better than what's there now. It looks like a war zone, it's an eyesore. They have to do something with it."

Balmain Leagues Club sent a letter to all members last week calling for support.

"The Balmain Tigers has been part of the local community for over 100 years and we want to be part of it for another 100 years," said Balmain Leagues Club interim CEO Danny Munk.

Current and former Tigers players want support for the proposal from NSW Sports Minister Graham Annesley, a former NRL official and referee.

 

[Black_amp_Gold]

Now, how many of you knuckleheads voted against going to Super League? The move would have guaranteed our survival. We should have taken the money and ran. I was too young back then to speak up or vote but the people that voted to stay loyal to Ken Arthuson and the ARL doomed us forever. Balmain had to merge and now if we dont get this development approved, we're gone forever. I hope you people are satisfied.

Ben Elias told me not long aga that before the vote to go to Super League or not was held at the Balmain Leagues club, he got on stage and urged members to vote to go to Super League. He said he got booed off stage!

Where is Arthuson now? ARL? They're gone!

By the way, when Souths were kicked out, they had a rally which drew 100,000 people. The articles says a rally has been planned for us too. Anyone have any details of where and when?

 

[matty_tiepie]

Black and gold with all due respect going to Super league would have done nothing for Balmain and some of your comments are way off the mark. If you are looking for someone to blame you can start with Darcy Byrne and the green dominated leichardt council who have stood in the way of this development for years pandering to any minirity that makes enough noise. Super league was a short term gain and any money would be gone now anyway.

At least the Magpies are still strong financially and hopefully can continue to prop up the merger until Balmain can get on theri feet again.

 

[Bob]

When is the rally? How can people help out?

 

[Yossarian]

Ben Elias told me not long aga that before the vote to go to Super League or not was held at the Balmain Leagues club, he got on stage and urged members to vote to go to Super League. He said he got booed off stage!

I don't recall any public vote being held on whether to go to Super League. I don't believe such an event ever took place. AFAIK the interaction between Super League and BDRLFC was this:

SL/News made very preliminary discussions about Balmain being the 10th franchise (I think it had some code name like Sydney North franchise).

Keith Barnes (who was Gen-Sec/CEO at the time) took it to the board - Nobody on the board wanted a bar of it and politely declined the offer. I believed then and believe now that the decision reflected the desires of the football club members and was the correct thing to do. Maybe it would have increased our chances of survival but at what cost?

As I said I don't remember them holding a meeting about it but it was a long time ago. I do recall the meeting about forming the JV though.

 

[Black_amp_Gold]

Black and gold with all due respect going to Super league would have done nothing for Balmain and some of your comments are way off the mark. If you are looking for someone to blame you can start with Darcy Byrne and the green dominated leichardt council who have stood in the way of this development for years pandering to any minirity that makes enough noise. Super league was a short term gain and any money would be gone now anyway.

At least the Magpies are still strong financially and hopefully can continue to prop up the merger until Balmain can get on theri feet again.

I understand what you're saying but its hard to say that the money would have gone….Super League clubs ot millions and millions...(during the super league war, correct me if Im wrong, but I think all clubs ot around $9 million each) These funds could have been used for further investment, pay off debts etc.....Can you imagine say a debt that was $4 of $5 million less than what it is today due to that money?

Our financial position could have been anything...Hard to speculate on what it would have been but surely it wouldnt have been this bad.

 

[andrew 474]

i dont know how souths got as many people behind there march but supporters from most clubs got behind them , we will need that and the nrl to also support it , and the premier of this state and number 1 wests tigers fan , barry where are you ?

 

[Black_amp_Gold]

Firstly, we need to aaaalll get behind any rally!

Secondly, yossarian, maybe you're right and there wasnt a vote from members whether or not to join superleague….but there may have been a major meeting at Balmain League club where, even if the board was to decide, the meeting could have been to gauge member views and opinions on the matter.

Something of that nature did happen. Either a vote or large meeting. In any case, the members overwhelmingly were against going to superleague and Benny, according to him, got booed off stage when he spoke to muster up support to join superleague.

 

[851]

Most of the 100,000 at souths rally were not souths supporters,the problem is not the people who voted to stay loyal,its the type of residents around the area that is the problem,they are not league fans and are never going to embrace league,they are and have been blocking the development for years.
I am an old Wests fan but I would still like to see Balmain stay on,it was not that long a go the Balmain supporters were running the old Wests side down,but now Balmain is in far worse shape than Wests ever were.

 

[Joel Helmes]

So what's the position with the two temporary clubs? Are they losing money?

I know it's a little outside Balmain's traditional area but the Sydney Markets site is ideal imo.

Why don't they sell Rozelle (which would be worth a fortune) square off the debt and rebuild at the markets? (not physically - emotionally rebuild).

Let's face it the people of Rozelle don't want the club there - gamblers are also more likely to go to the casino - I reckon being in the geographical heart of the city at the markets would be a great move.

 

[wtfl1981]

A suggestion could be selling off rozelle and rebuilding elsewhere.. On top of that there is a growing amount of debt that the sale may not pay off.. Five Dock & Flemington are too small to generate the turn over compared to ashfield or canterbury etc

I also know that the junior leagues clubs get no grant from Balmain. Not explained in the article.
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[thaitiger]

I remember going to a Wests v Balmain game at Leichardt Oval in the 80's and then going back for a meal and beers after the game and the place was ordinary then and too small to make a profit. I remember commenting to my mates who went with me that Balmain Leagues Club needed to either relocate or redevelop that site even then!!!!!!!! :crazy
It was quite obvious to any "blind freddy" back then that the location was "unsuitable" and "unsustainable" in the long term but obviously the "old fogies" running the Balmain Tigers Leagues Football Clubs were incapable or unwilling to look ahead and plan for the future. Not going to Super League was not he solutionnon event and anyone who thinks that having a rally and getting old players to come out in support is going to change anything but the demise of the Balmain Tigers has some serious emotional issues to address. :deadhorse:
The Wests side of the Joint Venture is financially strong and is moving ahead and will no doubt get involved in doing something about the Balmain Juniors in due course. :sign:
The current dire straits for "old Balmain Tigers Supporters is a sad position to be in but one that they can blame their Administrators for going back at least 35 years. :brick:

 

[weststigers4life]

Help support Tigers Leagues Club
Monday 3 December 2012 5:15 PM
weststigers.com.au

Submissions for the revised development of the Rozelle Village plan for Tigers Leagues Club close on Monday, December 10, at 5pm.
The revised development is on public display with submissions to be made to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.
The Tigers have been part of the Balmain area since 1908 and the Balmain Leagues Club has had its base in Balmain since 1957.
Tigers President Kevin Rooney said the return to Rozelle is not just about the long-term viability of Tigers but about where the community and supporters want to belong.
“It is more than bricks and mortar. It is where we meet; it is the history we share, the place where we live. It is sport – junior and senior; it is part of our community fabric. Black and Gold are just not colours, they are our history,’’ Mr Rooney said.
“We need to get back to Rozelle. We need your support to get the State and local government to remember that this development is about our future. Without the support of Rozelle Village we would not exist today.
“Without Rozelle we have no home. Rozelle Village and Tigers are sharing a journey, if the development is not approved at Rozelle this journey will come to an end.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP (<–-- Don't know how to convert it to the actual link, but if you click on the link below it will take you to the actual page on WT's)

http://www.weststigers.com.au/news-display/Help-support-Tigers-Leagues-Club/66497

 

[Yossarian]

So what's the position with the two temporary clubs? Are they losing money?

No. I believe before you take into account grants and expenses related to the debt and other things, those two venues are making small profits.
http://www.cartercarter.com.au/clients/tigers/BLC_AnnualReport_2011_screen.pdf

I know it's a little outside Balmain's traditional area but the Sydney Markets site is ideal imo.

Possibly but it's a fair distance from Leichhardt/Rozelle

Why don't they sell Rozelle (which would be worth a fortune) square off the debt and rebuild at the markets? (not physically - emotionally rebuild).

I don't think they own the actual site any more.

Let's face it the people of Rozelle don't want the club there - gamblers are also more likely to go to the casino - I reckon being in the geographical heart of the city at the markets would be a great move.

Some do but even the loony crowd say they want the club, just not the towers. The club at Rozelle was reasonably profitable before it closed. With a purpose built club it should do quite nicely. There would be a lot of people like myself who no longer live in the area who would drop in.

 

[Yossarian]

I remember going to a Wests v Balmain game at Leichardt Oval in the 80's and then going back for a meal and beers after the game and the place was ordinary then and too small to make a profit. I remember commenting to my mates who went with me that Balmain Leagues Club needed to either relocate or redevelop that site even then!!!!!!!! :crazy
It was quite obvious to any "blind freddy" back then that the location was "unsuitable" and "unsustainable" in the long term but obviously the "old fogies" running the Balmain Tigers Leagues Football Clubs were incapable or unwilling to look ahead and plan for the future. Not going to Super League was not he solutionnon event and anyone who thinks that having a rally and getting old players to come out in support is going to change anything but the demise of the Balmain Tigers has some serious emotional issues to address. :deadhorse:
The Wests side of the Joint Venture is financially strong and is moving ahead and will no doubt get involved in doing something about the Balmain Juniors in due course. :sign:
The current dire straits for "old Balmain Tigers Supporters is a sad position to be in but one that they can blame their Administrators for going back at least 35 years. :brick:

Well run against the board next year then. To blame the directors over a 35 year period is, IMO, grossly unfair and doesn't match up with reality. The Rozelle site was renovated a few times over the 90s/2000s. As for its location, for starters it is walking distance from LO and secondly finding a large enough site to buy land in that area is a difficult and expensive exercise.
You want to blame someone, try the NSW govt for promising to build a metro and then not.

 

[Yossarian]

A suggestion could be selling off rozelle and rebuilding elsewhere.. On top of that there is a growing amount of debt that the sale may not pay off.. Five Dock & Flemington are too small to generate the turn over compared to ashfield or canterbury etc

I also know that the junior leagues clubs get no grant from Balmain. Not explained in the article.
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Is this true though? In 2011 there was a $588,500 grant to the football club. Was all of that just for NSW Cup and junior reps? Do you mean the junior clubs themselves get nothing from Balmain Leagues?

 

[wtfl1981]

NSW cup was funded by Ryde Eastwood

Junior Reps by Balmain (sponsors and help from WT)

Junior League Clubs (wanderers, five dock, leichhardt juniors etc) get NO money from Balmain. I know a president of one of the clubs who told me the situation.
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[Yossarian]

NSW cup was funded by Ryde Eastwood

Junior Reps by Balmain (sponsors and help from WT)

Junior League Clubs (wanderers, five dock, leichhardt juniors etc) get NO money from Balmain. I know a president of one of the clubs who told me the situation.
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So where did the 585k go? Or are we just talking about 2012? Is it really unusual for junior clubs to get no money from the district club? The two junior leagues I've been a part of (North Sydney and Central Coast) don't appear to give much if any support to the clubs themselves.

 

[wtfl1981]

BDJRL is a seperate body to Balmain FC and Balmain Leagues Club. Maybe there is some funding for council lighting and groundkeeping but there is no direct funding to the junior clubs from Balmain. That $ amount would have gone to some BRET costs and sg ball/matts operations. I assume there would also be some financial contribution to WT as a 50% owner.
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[Yossarian]

BDJRL is a seperate body to Balmain FC and Balmain Leagues Club. Maybe there is some funding for council lighting and groundkeeping but there is no direct funding to the junior clubs from Balmain. That $ amount would have gone to some BRET costs and sg ball/matts operations. I assume there would also be some financial contribution to WT as a 50% owner.
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I believe the WT grant is a seperate line item.