Western Force push for Members Equity Staduim - We Got Corners!

[jono]

we just keep plugging because it is the best pub in Perth
Posted via Mobile Device

pity 96fm didnt realise that...

as long as we all know it though!

[AndyS]

Well, it's a ballsy move but I have to say I am a little bit ambivalent. Overall I'm inclined toward the view that there was no other choice - it was one thing when Subi was a short term solution with an end in sight, but with no stadium now in view something had to be done. Of course, the flip side will be that any future stadium will now exclude rugby - there will be no concessions made for just one Test per year.

Still, I hope RWA have their eyes wide open with at least one looking to the future. I am not encouraged (in fact I am gobsmacked) that they have announced it without having already come to terms with MES - way to kiss bye bye to the negotiating position! Interesting that there are no conditionals either...it would seem we are moving whether government coughs up some money or not. Given that that pretty much guarantees not, I wonder who will be paying for the upgrades?

On the subject of upgrades, I also hope that they have at least started to work out what it will take to make sure the ARU and Fox are happy. Actually, even when they think they know, I'd suggest they plan to exceed the stated requirements as they will only get one chance. With the whole S14 set-up being renegotiated in 2010, if there is dissatisfaction the remedy will be close at hand and immediate....

Most of all though, it will be interesting to see how they manage the seating allocations when we move. I will be considerably underwhelmed if seat allocations are done on a free-for-all basis and it would be nice to think that they have retained some record of how the seats were assigned, both in terms of priority and grouping. As a for instance on the grouping - our crew covers sixteen seats over three rows. Some of them are occupied by rugby tragics, some by those equally interested in the social aspects of the match. If the new seats end up disrupting the social side of things by scattering us far and wide, I'd say approximately half the seats will not be renewed the following year (and a few tragics will find themselves watching it on TV).

I'd also say that also makes it of paramount importance to get a sell-out for the Crusaders match and I hope they have made some plans to make that happen. It is probably the only chance they'll get to have a look at what a sell-out is like and where the shortfalls are prior to going "live" in 2010. We are moving because Subi drives the punters away - the last thing you'd want is the new ground to do the same thing but for different reasons. How they manage untestable issues such as surface management and venue clashes; well, I guess we'll just have to see.

Still, in the end it is probably better to be in your own stadium and bitching about it (not that I think anyone will listen) than squatting on someone elses turf and moaning. I like the idea of flipping the WAFC the bird, but it does also draw clear demarcation lines. We were worth probably $3M to aussie rules, now we are nothing but a direct competitor and it will be bareknuckles all the way. It had to come some time, I just hope we are up to it.

As a last thought - I wonder what will happen if they have a good year and average 26,000, or even managed to get a semifinal and near-fill Subi. I wonder how sensible walking away from the extra 50,000 tickets will look then, when that would pretty much cover the current rent?

[Blackswan]

Hang on, Blackswan has been at for the last week! Is someone having a lend here??

And as you know TIF, I was on the party bus last year .......................

Can't find it at the moment but ........ there was a thread about this site being "one of the best forums on rugby" ............ the RSA report claimed that the forum was a bit intimidatory ......... someone responded by saying the intimidation was probably because a lot of the guys knew each other, were defensive, etc etc .........

It won't keep me away from either JB's or TWF, but ........... ??

[Cowboy]

Can't find it at the moment but ........ there was a thread about this site being "one of the best forums on rugby" ............ the RSA report claimed that the forum was a bit intimidatory ......... someone responded by saying the intimidation was probably because a lot of the guys knew each other, were defensive, etc etc .........

It won't keep me away from either JB's or TWF, but ........... ??

Somhow it feels likethe FORCE seem to be in the media for all the wrong reasons most of the time, and WA does needless "under seige mentality" possibly better than anywhere else in the world, we're probaly extending this to our team. Thanks for pointing it out.

[slomo]

i agree with most thing andy spoke about, was the desicsion about the move made quicky after yet another sharp fall in membership renewals this season? are the membership numbers available yet?.....

[jargan83]

i agree with most thing andy spoke about, was the desicsion about the move made quicky after yet another sharp fall in membership renewals this season? are the membership numbers available yet?.....

I doubt it because they continue to sell memberships right up to the first game. You could probably get a progressive amount though
Posted via Mobile Device

[Blackswan]

Total non-corporate memberships signed up just before christmas was 10,000. Down from last season's 14k, 17k in '07 and 21k in '06. Average attendances have similarily fallen each season. However, membership numbers do continue to rise even after the start of the season, and in my view will do so again this year especially after the announcement of the move to MES.

The move to MES is a financial imperative for the Force with little realistic alternatives that can be achieved in a similar timeframe.

[.X.]

Swannie - I think that the 10K signed up before Christmas was better then we were the same time last year - so lets not say that its down from 2007 14k - they havent closed the books for the new season just yet.

But - I do want people to consider this............

MES is smaller then Subiaco - and in theory there will be a lot of people coming back to renew their memberships to get in to MES for 2010.

If you have retained your membership since 2006 you sould have to assume that you would have the pick of the seating for 2010. If you are condsidering rejoining for 2009 - I would highly recommend you get on board now - you may not get a seat at all for 2010.

just a theory mind

[AndyS]

The move to MES is a financial imperative for the Force...

I have to admit I had to smile when the Force started to push this line. Isn't it funny how success changes the view - "only" 10,000+ fans is an imminent disaster, when they won the franchise on the basis of 6,000 (and were accused by some of over-optimism).

[travelling_gerry]

Yes. But at that stage they were relying on the word of the WA Government to throw $25m odd into MES and weren't banking on paying $68,000 an hour for Spewbi.

[AndyS]

They were always going to do the first couple of years at Subi, but as you say they were also planning to move. I doubt they were so incompetent that they didn't check the cost of the ground, or that the ARU didn't ask when they checked the financials, but they must have had their hearts in their mouths - if 10000 members now makes it a borderline loser, they must have been knowingly signing up to haemorrhage money with only 6000. One can only hope that the good times rolling over the last three years have been used wisely...

[welshrugbyfan]

pity 96fm didnt realise that...

as long as we all know it though!

Didn't the pub with $9.50 Crown Lagers win?

[Blackswan]

I guess I could say ""I'm going to "pull rank here" as someone who grew up in the same village as your hero and "who knew his dad" according to my mother, god bless her.""

But getting back to the topic, expectations change, and the business case that formed the basis for winning the franchise does not have to be the basis for going forward.

The only certainty is change.

[AndyS]

Agreed, but I do detect the distinct odour of bullspin. We are being told that "For us, the move is a matter of survival", by the same people that swore viability at 6,000 members. Just observing that one or the other must be crap.

That said, Melbourne couldn't even demonstrate 6,000 members - I hope that is remembered if 2010 sees any push for relocation by Fox or parts of the ARU.

[GIGS20]

I have to admit I had to smile when the Force started to push this line. Isn't it funny how success changes the view - "only" 10,000+ fans is an imminent disaster, when they won the franchise on the basis of 6,000 (and were accused by some of over-optimism).

Hear what you're saying Andy, I reckon it's gone a little bit like my mortgage.

See a couple of years ago, I got a promotion, Had a few extra dollars in my pay packet and thought I'd spend some of it. I set about doig up the back yard. Anyway, I didn't have the cashflow to do the big stuff and the property market was awesome, my house was gaining value each month so I renegotiated my mortgage and got the dough, NP everybody does it and it fit in my budget well......The new job sucked and almost put me in the nut-house (long story) so I wend back into the classroom, losing the pay increase (but not the mortgage payments) now I have to do one of two things...take a job which earns more money, or get out of this house and move to a cheaper one (I gues number three is try to ride it out as long as I can and file for bankrupt) The Force have set up their organisation over the past 3 years to a budget, living within their means......their means keeps dropping and I guess they're just looking for a cheaper house!


That's how I see it anyway!