A member of the beleaguered owners of the Wests Tigers has hit out at colleagues in a fiery email, accusing one of the Holman Barnes Group debenture holders of
leaking information about the eight-year suspension of a board member.
This masthead has obtained an email from Clare Burgess to her fellow debenture holders, sent in the wake of this masthead revealing that former Holman Barnes Group chair Julie Romero had become the fourth person to be suspended by the board.
Burgess – whose husband Dennis is the current chair of Holman Barnes – said she could not “express my disgust” to the person who leaked news of Romero’s departure.
“For whatever sick and feeble gain they might seek to find from doing it, just shows what a pathetic person you must be,” Burgess wrote to her fellow debenture holders on Wednesday night.
“Most of you will share this opinion I’m sure, but the guilty party has just lost all respect and all integrity and should shrink from sight and forever blush with shame.
“On top of that, you should be reminded that we all sign and commit to a Confidentiality Agreement as Debenture Holders. So, if moral code and fortitude don’t work for you, legal document should. Some people obviously think they can manipulate everything. How hollow is that belief.”
Burgess also expressed concern for Romero’s wellbeing.
Romero spent 13 months as chair of the Holman Barnes Group before she was deposed in April. She was suspended for eight years for what the club described as “a serious breach of confidentiality”.
The debenture system consists of 20 people and, from within, five people are elected to sit on the seven-person Holman Barnes Group board. That means the 20 debenture holders have significant influence on the running of the club.
Four new debenture holders were appointed recently, including ex-Magpies Allan Fallah, Leo Epifania and Magpies board member Bob Cairns. APIA Leichhardt president Tony Raciti was also appointed.
Wests Ashfield recently announced an equity stake in APIA. Wests APIA FC will enter the new Australian Championship competition,
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.
It costs just $100 to join the elite group.
Holman Barnes own 90 per cent of the Wests Tigers.
Rick Yabsley and Frank Primerano were appointed to the Holman Barnes board in May as non-debenture holders.
Romero was the fourth board member suspended by the Holman Barnes Group. Rick Wayde, Tony Andreacchio and David Gilbert were sensationally banned on New Year’s Eve. Wayde is taking legal action against his own eight year ban with the case in court in December.
Andreacchio was banned for six years and Gilbert’s six month ban has lapsed but he has indicated that he has no plans to reapply for membership.