The North Sydney Bears were the only team that attempted to secure their own future before the criteria of the 2000 season. In the Late 90s, the NRL said picturesque North Sydney Oval was not good enough for rugby league and the Bears were told to relocate, and build the stadium at Gosford.
Recently the NRL was happy for Souths to play full-time out of North Sydney Oval for four years. So to me the whole basis for relocation appears to have been rubbish.
In 1999, several weeks before the criteria, the club was put surprisingly into administration. They said the Bears were going to be insolvent but I and many others have doubts whether we were ever going to be insolvent.
The club had a tremendous financial future as the Central Coast Bears. In fact, more than $10 million was put into the Bears by its own Leagues club in the next three years.
Next we saw Gosford Stadium ending up in the hands of the Northern Eagles — a very thinly disguised Manly. John Singleton entered the fray with an agreement backing the Central Coast Bears in red and black.
Singo’s Bears bid is faultless He had the stadium, the juniors, the funding, the crowd and the tradition.
Then Gold Coast appears from nowhere by comparison their bid had no stadium, no stadium funding or location, no name, questionable funding for the short-term.
Yet the NRL makes a non-decision back in August 2004 effectively giving the Gold Coast bid more time to get its act together. The NRL simultaneously offers incentives of $10 million for existing clubs to relocate to the Central Coast.. . but hang on, isn’t this in contradiction of John Singleton’s agreement with the North Sydney Bears.
The Super League war continues for the Bears. The club has been cheated of its future. But I believe 2005 is the year of the fightback. And we will get what we were promised.
Colin Johnston
Berowra, NSW