Councilors Would Be The Real Bunnies
NORTH SHORE TIMES – 8/12/2004
Surely talk of South Sydney Rugby
League Club moving to North Sydney Oval is just that - talk.
And the only reason Souths would be talking about such a move would be
to get a better deal from the trust which runs Aussie Stadium.
Souths might attract a few decent crowds for their first few matches
north of the harbour, but once the novelty wears off and they settle
into their usual losing streak the fans would abandon them in droves.
Just ask the Northern Spirit soccer team.
Souths have finished last every year since re-entering the national
competition and there is no indication that things will be any
different in the future.
Certainly the bookmakers who have them at very short odds to retain the
wooden spoon are thinking that way.
And there would be very little — if anything — in the deal for North
Sydney Council.
Increased maintenance costs and the cost of employing extra staff on
match days would soon eat up any fee Souths paid - unless of course it
was the equivalent to what Aussie Stadium charges.
And if North Sydney Council charged that much, there would be no point
in the move in the first place.
North Sydney Council had its fingers burned in a long- term agreement
with Northern Spirit to install expensive new lighting at the oval.
After the lights went up, the Spirit migrated to Warringah a couple of
years later.
Surely councilors wouldn’t fall into the same trap again.
If Souths cannot be a success in South Sydney then they should fold up
their tents and drop back to the Premier League.
They are not welcome this side of the Bridge.
Let’s keep North Sydney for the North Sydney Bears - even if they are
only in Premier League. RON
BENDALL, EDITOR, NORTH SHORE TIMES