Help needed to save Coburg

[Rosy]

(This thread will eventually be moved to the Coburg board, but is on the main board for the moment in hopes that more people will read it)

I've been asked to post the following information in hope that people who support Coburg's vision will e-mail the addresses at the bottom of the page to voice their opinions.


8 July 2004

Coburg FC Current Players & Past Players, Coaches, Staff & Supporters

Dear Friends,

The Coburg FC is at the crossroads. There can be no doubt that the fire in the Grandstand earlier this year has had a devastating impact on the Club and our ability to generate much needed revenue. Naturally enough, gate takings are down and there is a real risk that we will not be able to secure the Essendon District Football League finals which are imperative in terms of income for the Coburg FC.

The Football Club has put together a comprehensive strategy to redevelop the Coburg City Oval to become a community and football Centre of Excellence. It has support of the State Government, the Richmond FC, the VFL and the Mayor of the City of Moreland. However, much work needs to be done to convince Council to redevelop the Coburg City Oval in a way that would make it an asset to our local community and provide our Football Club with the best ground in the VFL competition and an ideal training / practice match venue for AFL clubs. Needless to say, all of this will give Coburg FC the ability to generate much needed income that it hasn’t been able to do since its glory days of the 80s and ensure a long term partnership with Richmond Football Club.

Already this year we have seen a procession of talent emerg through Coburg Tigers that will revive the Richmond Football Club. Hartigan, Roach, Moore, Shulz, Morrison, Weller and Tuck have all started at Coburg and have progressed to senior football in 2004. Throw in Rodan, Krackouer, Newman, Hall, Hyde, Pettifer and our reigning Best & Fairest Coughlan, and you can see how important the Coburg cause is to Richmond. Still to emerging at Coburg are Alex Gilmour, Andrew Raines and Kyle Archibald. These young players need the best environment to train and play and Coburg will deliver this if you can throw your support behind the Coburg vision.

We need your support. We need you to email to the Mayor and the Councillors and to the local newspapers – the Moreland Leader and the Moreland Community News. We need you to support our call to redevelop Coburg FC to emphasise its importance to our community, its magnificent history, and to continue to provide a strong environment for your young Tigers to develop.

Friends, we are in a perilous situation. However, that doesn’t mean that it is all over for Coburg – far from it. We’ve been a fighting Club for 114 years and we are not going to stop fighting now. We have a vision and we believe in it, believe in each other and are proud of who we are. Please email your support to the email links attached make sure you do your bit to help the survival and ensure the future of the mighty Coburg Football Club.

Yours sincerely,

Linda Dobson Des Ryan
VICE PRESIDENT General Manager


Moreland Community News
[email protected]

Moreland Leader
[email protected]


Moreland City Councillors – email addresses below

Moreland [email protected]
Mayor Anthony Helou [email protected]
Cr Ken Blair [email protected]
Cr Robert Larocca [email protected]
Cr Steve Roach [email protected]
Cr Joe Caputo [email protected]
Cr Vicki Vyianoulatos [email protected]
Cr Fraser Brindley [email protected]
Cr Mark Higginbotham [email protected]
Cr Stella Kariofyllidis [email protected]
Cr Joe Ficarra [email protected]
The Coburg FC wants to provide a community facility of excellence for the local community to use – both Moreland Community groups and Coburg FC & Calder Cannons FC.

The City Oval redevelopment will provide expanded meeting / training rooms for leisure and recreation activities for local community groups.

The development will provide stability for Coburg FC & Calder Cannons and a secure on-going future. These clubs provide pathways for young people from the community.

VFL Football is the best competition outside AFL and an all-year football oval will bring AFL football to the northern suburbs – training, practice matches.

The Moreland Community and local traders will benefit from people who will come to watch AFL players.

The Coburg FC proposal has received support from the Minister for Sport Justin Madden and the VFL / Football Victoria – financial and other support.

The Coburg FC now 114 years old and with its proud history it can’t be allowed to die – it represents northern suburbs football and the local Moreland community.

The Coburg Cricket Club – it’s about re-location for them, it’s about survival for Coburg FC.

Support your VFL Club and ensure you have the best "nursery" for your young Tigers to develop into the players we need them to become.

 

[Rosy]

More info I received in a letter from Coburg.

The Coburg Tigers are trying to develop City Oval Coburg to become a Community Center of Excellence. The Vision is to redevelop the old grandstand and provide a center of excellence available to all the community.

However, the fire has severely hampered the Coburg Tiger's revenue opportunities in 2004 and our vision is to develop a facility that we can generate an income from and secure a long term relationship with RFC. To do this, we need to make the field of play, (the oval only) football only.
This means removing the cricket pitch and re-locating the Cricket Club to another venue better suited to their needs. Currently they do not need to play at City Oval as they have no supporters and very few members. On the other hand, Coburg tigers attract crowds up to 3,000 and have a vast
membership consisting of Coburg and Coburg/RFC members.

Currently the cricket pitch is a major health issue to players as it is raised and dangerous for football. We don't want to see any young footballer's careers cut short by an unsafe ground. To secure our future and help fund the development, Football Victoria and the State Government have indicated their support should the venue be a football only venue thus
securing the future of football in the City of Moreland. If the field of play does not become a football only field of play, no money will be forwarded, and no future for Coburg Tigers is the result.

I would like to ask all Tiger supporters to support our vision as Coburg Tigers have become an integral part of the development of the young Tiger players. Jack Titus, Des Rowe, Ray Jordan, Mick Erwin are but a few of the synergies that exist between these two clubs. With Richmond's current
position, they will continue to draft young talent so we need to have a venue which is safe for them to play, and secure in its future.

 

[Rosy]

This is a link to related newspaper articles that were posted on the Coburg board by baktiger.

http://puntroadend.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=7466.0

 

[broderick]

the blame lies with that hack medium pacer shayne rule

its all his fault

give one of the kids a go rule

time to drop down to the thirds i say

 

[TigerEye]

How bad was the fire damage? Will the grand stand be completely demolished and re-built?

 

[evo]

Isn't this exactly the type of cause the AFL should be putting in some of their 100m or so dollars?Aren't they supposed to support grassroots football?

 

[frahlee]

Isn't this exactly the type of cause the AFL should be putting in some of their 100m or so dollars?Aren't they supposed to support grassroots football?

That's right Evo, it's too much to expect the AFL to dip their hands in and put their money where their mouth is. They talk the talk about protecting and strengthening footy in the suburbs and the bush, but are only good at putting their hand out. We all need to email not only the Moreland council, but the AFL also. If the burgers went down the tube, things would be twice as ugly for the Tiges. Get to work PRE'S.

 

[Joel Bowden fan]

The grand stand is in a pretty bad way, however i dont know whether they will pull it down i guess it depends on the money that they receive... The social Club and i think one set of change rooms were not damaged at all but the whole seating part of the stand was...hence no one going 2 the games. The AFL needs to realise just how important Coburg oval is not just to richmond but to young players in the area alot of the local coburg boys play for the ressies and Calder Cannons are one of th best teams in the TAC cup and they are vital for future development of the game...they should be helping

 

[Rosy]

I think 1/3 of the grand stand was destroyed. They want to rebuild it from inside as well and have rooms that can be utilised by local groups such as the Greek Community and Elderly Citizens etc.

Hopefully Calder are doing their bit to drum up support as well.

 

[dcstar]

It was amusing yesterday to see a player sitting in the Coburg bench who probably earns more money in a year than the entire Coburg Football Club list......     

 

[tigerbros]

The Coburg players, coaches, Committee, members and Greg Miller all fronted a Council Meeting to ask questions last night (Mon 26/7) and to let the Councillors know the Club is fighting.

Any emails to Moreland City Council on [email protected] will reach the Council and be registered. 

The VFL and AFL are putting up big $ to support the new building if it's a footy only oval - they know northern suburbs grass roots footy needs development and support.

Get those fingers typing and email your support .

 

[tigerbros]

Too hard to read the yellow now - the message was the Coburg players, coaches, members and Greg Miller all turned up at a Council meeting last night to let the Councillors know that the Club means business with the City Oval proposal for redevelopment.

The VFL and AFL have committed big $ (for a VFL Club) to kick in to the re-developed building provided it's a footy only oval.  The recognise the importance of northern suburbs, grass roots footy and are prepared to support it.

Please email Moreland City Council on [email protected] to add your support.  Your email will be registered on the Council correspondence list and every little bit helps.

 

[baktiger]

Too hard to read the yellow now - the message was the Coburg players, coaches, members and Greg Miller all turned up at a Council meeting last night to let the Councillors know that the Club means business with the City Oval proposal for redevelopment.

I was there .. only a 5 to 10 min walk for me.

The VFL and AFL have committed big $ (for a VFL Club) to kick in to the re-developed building provided it's a footy only oval. The recognise the importance of northern suburbs, grass roots footy and are prepared to support it.

In the vicinity of $200,000 each was reported in the local paper.

Please email Moreland City Council on [email protected] to add your support. Your email will be registered on the Council correspondence list and every little bit helps.

I emailed all the councilors last week...

Strange that there's no mention of hosting VFL finals (much). They are fairly
big events, and it's one thing that Phil Cleary was looking into in his recent
short time as pres.

It was very hard to hear what was being discussed from just outside the
doorway - it was packed...
Seems to be a mixed response from council, some seemed quite receptive,
some just towed the line of people should just get together and work
things out.

What I find most interesting though, was the fact that the council in the
90's commisioned a rate payer funded report on sport and recreation
in Moreland, where the recommendations were that City Oval be developed
as a football place of 'excellence' and that the Cricket Club be relocated -
and a cricket place of excellence be developed at their new home.
(Unless I heard it wrong).

Oh, and the extent of local football in the region was discussed - the Oval
is also home to the Calder Canons - who run one hell of a lot of junior
football stuff in the region.

I was also speaking to someone in the Coburg Leisure Centre who
reckons that it would be the biggest thing to hit the Coburg Shopping Centre
to have a couple of AFL cubs train/practice over the summer there - not
to mention the additional income to the Leisure Centre - as it has all
these facilities(eg pool) adjacent to the ground - indeed, there's a door that
leads directly onto the ground!

 

[TigersGoddess]

I was also speaking to someone in the Coburg Leisure Centre who
reckons that it would be the biggest thing to hit the Coburg Shopping Centre
to have a couple of AFL cubs train/practice over the summer there - not
to mention the additional income to the Leisure Centre - as it has all
these facilities(eg pool) adjacent to the ground - indeed, there's a door that
leads directly onto the ground!

Which is great when you know someone who works at the leisure centre who can sneak you through the door so you can go watch the game ;D Not that I know anyone who does that

 

[tigerbros]

Good to see true tigers getting in to fight for the Club and Richmond's training ground.  see message from Coburg's President.

According to Dean Mighell President Coburg FC, “The Coburg FC has received recent media attention regarding the proposal the Club submitted to the Moreland City Council to re-develop Coburg City Oval into a ‘football only’ venue and which asks that cricket be moved from City Oval to another nearby venue.  Council officers are conducting a feasibility study and a report will be put to the Councillors within the next 2 weeks.”

“Council cannot make ‘no decision’ regarding the development of Coburg City Oval into a Community Centre of Excellence. Council must address the re-location of the Coburg Cricket Club to an alternate venue, ”according to Dean Mighell.

“Deferring the decision is condemning Coburg FC.  Council must provide a future for the Club and not a death sentence,” according to the President of Coburg FC.

“The Cricket Club uses 3 ovals in the Moreland municipality and Moreland has more turf wickets than any other municipality in the state.  Ratepayers pay maintenance for wickets in Moreland for clubs which are based outside the Moreland area.  How can ratepayers justify this?” asks Dean Mighell.

“The Council’s independent consultant’s report identifies De Chene as a fantastic centre for Coburg Cricket Club which is cost effective for the ratepayers of Moreland City.  The Coburg FC will facilitate the move of cricket club and will support funding the move,” Dean Mighell states.

According to Dean Mighell, “The Coburg FC rejects the Cricket Club’s only objection made at yesterday’s study meeting that De Chene Oval is too close to housing commission and is therefore a safety risk.  This assertion is a kick in the teeth to the residents of Moreland.  The Coburg FC welcomes the residents of the former housing commission area to Coburg FC.  Moreland is a working class area and the cricket club needs to get used to it.”

“Coburg City Oval should not belong to 11 men for 7 months of the year” says Dean Mighell.  “Football is a game for the people – played by many and accessed by many.”

“The local Coburg Traders have joined the long list of supporters who have contacted the Coburg FC to offer assistance.  The Coburg FC has been overwhelmed by support from players, members, local traders, the Coburg RSL, and Kodak who belong to the Moreland municipality.  These people are part of the local community and can see the benefits of our Club’s proposal which includes the community within our re-development proposal, as opposed to the Cricket Club’s selfish declaration to remain at City Oval and keep the Oval for 7 months of the year to serve the interests of the elite few.”

 

[baktiger]

I've been informed that Dean Mighell, Coburg's President should be on Francis Leach's program on SEN this afternoon for anyone who is
interested.

 

[MCG]

Just heard Gideon Haigh on the ABC. He's a great cricket person and was going ballistic about the Coburg tigers taking over the ground. Had a real go at Cleary. Seems like things could get quite nasty.

 

[tigerbros]

Just heard Gideon Haigh on the ABC. He's a great cricket person and was going ballistic about the Coburg tigers taking over the ground. Had a real go at Cleary. Seems like things could get quite nasty.

Did anyone actually hear what Gideon Haigh said? Really like to know.

 

[MCG]

If you're interested there is an article in THE AGE today ( the sport section ), by Greg Baum entitled "In Coburg, trenches are digging up City Oval."

 

[trundle]

Surprised there are no comments here about the article in the Age on Saturday. I personally thought it was as if Greg Baum was a little obsessed with trying to be impartial.

If Coburg get less home games because preference is given to the "stand alone clubs" and Richmond have to play home games at Colonial, why shouldn't the cricket club play a few games at another ground?