Tiger's burning plight

[baktiger]

From the Moreland Leader

Tigers' burning plight.
By Kate Kyriacou

The Coburg Tigers are on the brink if collapse after
a recent arson attack pushed them into the financial
red.

The VFL club is losing money and needs Moreland City
Council to endorse a recovery plan that would force
the Coburg Cricket Club away from City Oval.

The removal of the cricket club would allow the Tigers
to bring AFL clubs to the ground for summer training.

But the cricket club is refusing to move from its home
ground of nearly 80 years.

Coburg Tigers president Dean Mighell said the footy club
established in 1890, might not last the year if a
resolution was not reached.

"The Coburg Football Club is at a life and death
crossroad," he said.

"The impact of the grandstand fire has cost our club
perhaps its future and at least $40,000 in revenue."

Mr Mighell, the Electrical Trades Union southern states
branch secretary, said most if the revenue would have
come from hosting the Essendon District Football League
finals series - forced to move because if a lack of
seating.

"We refuse to be a club that generates its proceeds
through poker machines, We don't believe in it," he
said.

"Coburg is the last faction if local community football,
and we'll fight to the death to ensure it has a future.

"To lose this level of footy for the northern suburbs
would be a tragedy."

The club has since received the support of the State
Government, Football Victoria and both Richmond and
Essendon football clubs but only if they can provide
a cricket free oval.

"We've really given it some thought and put together a
proposal that not only makes Coburg an even greater
assest to the community but offers the really exciting
prospect if having AFL clubs train and play practice
matches at City Oval," Mr Mighell said.

"It's a pain for the cricket club but I wish we had
their problem. For us it's about survival, not
relocation."

The recovery plan is for about a $1.5 million upgrade
of the ground, including a new grandstand with
undercover seating and a function centre.

But cricket club secretary Bill Tucknott said his club
and it's host of dedicated teams would not budge.

"We have no intention of relocating whatsoever," he said.
"We use the ground quite a lot, most days over summer.
It would be very detrimental to the club if we were
forced to move."

Moreland's sports and recreation councillor, Steve Roach,
said the council was within its rights to force the
cricket club from the ground.

"The Coburg football ground is a public asset and
decisions made ahout its future will be done with the
best interests of the whole community in mind," he said.
"But that doesn't mean to say we will disregard what
the cricket club has to say.
"They have to be taken care of, irrespective of what
decision is made."

The council could decide the future of the cricket club
a a meeting soon.

 

[baktiger]

The plan...


From the Moreland Leader

Grounds for survival
By Kate Kyriacou

AFL matches could be played in Moreland if a deal to
update the Coburg City Oval goes ahead.

Both practice matches and pre-season training are on
the cards for Essendon and Richmond football clubs as
part of a plane to save the Coburg Tigers from
financial ruin.

An arson attack that destroyed the ground's historic
grandstand and has seen the Tigers lose out on
spectator dollars, leaving the club on the brink of
collapse.

But plans to revamp the ground comes at the expense
of the Coburg Cricket Club, with AFL clubs promising
to use the ground only if it is cricket free during
the summer months.

The Tigers have been promised help in writing from
several organisations, provided the cricket club
moves.

Essendon Football Club CEO Peter Jackson said his
club needed a stable venue during the summer months,
with Windy Hill unavailable because of District
cricket.

"Essendon Football Club's pre-season training is
severely disrupted due to our inability to train full
time at Windy Hill," he said.

"This is despite investing millions of dollars in
recent years to upgrade facilities, including the
ground surface.

"I understand there is some consideration to
relocating cricket off the Coburg City Oval so it
is available as an AFL venue throughout the year.

"No doubt it would also be a major fillip for the
region, being able to attract patrons to watch club
training sessions and presumably AFL and VFL
practice matches."

The sentiments were echoed by outgoing Richmond CEO
Ian Campbell, who said Richmond players where forced
to move between private schools and open parkland
during the summer months.

"The interest in a fully enclosed and secure venue
available for February/March practice matches is a
premium," he said.

"You have an opportunity to ensure our code at both a
national and state level is thriving in Moreland."

Financial support "in kind" to upgrade the ground
has been offered by both Football Victoria and the
State Government, if the venue became a strictly
football facility.

 

[tigerman]

That's an interesting dilemma baktiger.

I wonder if the cricket club sharing in some of the revenue that is generated by the practice matches etc would help appease them.

It's a curly one because you have a lot of history involved, so you can understand them not wanting to move.

 

[CanbTiger]

Terrible news for Coburg. particularly in light of what's happening at Richmond.

I hope things improve for them. Presumably, the scum arsonists were never caught?

Useless individuals

 

[tigerbros]

True tigers never give up whether they play in yellow and black or the Coburg blue and red.  Coburg's a training ground for the new Richmond players - who's seen Roach, Raines, and Gilmour - you know there's a future for Richmond when you watch these guys play.  What does cricket bring to the oval - and how many people from northern suburbs watch them play?  Why knock a footy club who wants to make the game better for young players? ???

 

[baktiger]

Is a dozen 'en masse'?


From the Moreland Leader.

Cricketers in plea for oval rights
By Kate Kyriacou

MEMBERS of the Coburg Cricket Club turned out en masse
to last weeks Moreland Council meeting to ask that they
not be kicked out of their home ground.

The club faces possible eviction after the Coburg Tigers
Football Club revealed they were in financial crisis and
needed a cricket-free ground to make money.

Cricket club president Shayne Rule said about a dozen
cricketers turned out at the meeting to ask councillors
about their fate.

"We asked a number of questions and I suppose we received
a fairly non-committal response," he said.

"Council just said they hadn't considered any proposals
yet and they would be continuing to work through the
processes council have set up.

"There was some indication of plans to have cricket on
City Oval for this season, but even this hasn't been set
in concrete.

"Gound allocations may not be finalised until late August."

A representative of the cub's womens teams, Kate Ryan,
said the matter was already having an impact on the club's
preparations for the approaching season.

"We are trying to recommence our junior women's cricket
program, but we don't know where we will be playing or
training," she said.

"Why has this suddenly become so much of a pressing issue
for the footy club that they have to kick us off for them
to make money?"

Cr Steve Roach said the council was yet to form a
position on the matter, but hoped to make a decision
by the next meeting.

But Cr Robert Larocca told the Leader the football club
should negotiate with the other tenants.

"To expect the council to remove a tenant, indeed
another community=based sporting club, who have been
paying their rent is unfair and unreasonable," he said.

"We must make the most of our limited community facilities
and that means sharing and working together.