Who’s
Sticking Up For Us?
BIG-STEVE'S RED & BLACK SITE -
14/11/03
Football was once such a democratic
sport. Fans of a club joined their football club, these Football club
members voted for board members to represent their views, these board
members appointed a CEO, this CEO made representations to the ARL via
various meetings and committees. What’s that you say? This structure
still exists? Really? But what’s happened? Something’s gone a miss?
Somebody’s not doing what they’re supposed to be doing!
The Super League War brought to full recognition this public
representation concept when the ARL had to compete with News Ltds’
Super League. Fans were called upon to support the ARL not just in it’s
competion but in it’s court battle with News. Without the Fans support
the ARL would probably not have survived. But all this seems to have
been forgotten by the ARL as they zoom headlong towards another planet
from the rest of us where a neighbouring tribe has readied the Planet
devoid of history, tradition and a democratic sporting structure (I’ll
let you imagine who that neighbouring tribe might be).
It has now got to the point where
officials both from the ARL and
a number of the so called democratic clubs now follow their own agendas
which members’ are virtually never consulted about. In recent years
Dennis Fitzgerald has proceeded to tell us all sorts of fascinating
things from Union and league uniting to extolling the virtues of a
reduced 12 team competition. But who is he speaking for when he does
this? Do 100% of Parramatta members agree with this? Clearly he has not
consulted the very people that put him in power.
Even worse after the failer of Super League when News and the ARL
formed the NRL Norths & Souths were out. Souths went to court and
what did the ARL do? Absolutely nothing at all. They supported
News as they spent millions on court costs millions that could now be
spent on Junior and country development and setting up teams in the
Central Coast and Gold Coast regions. If they had listened to the
people who they are meant to be representing this would not have
happened. Meanwhile if Norths had been treated the same way the ARL
treated Canberra, Cronulla and News has dealt with Melbourne and the
NRL with the Warriors we would most probably have a Central Coast Bears
already.
Officials in Rugby League who are in a position to do so do not communicate with there members or the public. They in fact wait until an issue blows up in there face and are embarrassed into doing something. The Case Mr McIntyre who after the disastrous Bulldogs salary cap rort was revelled refused to go. Finally under a mass of public pressure he had no choice.
Even now as public pressure mounts for a
16th team rumours abound that
it maybe a Gold Coast or even a second NZ team rather than a
traditional icon in the Central Coast Bears. Remember ARL where would
you be now if Norths had accepted News Ltds’ Super League franchise?