Michelangelo Rucci You Were Wrong

[MagareyLegend]

You said their would be no decision tonight.
Their was a decision and it was unequivocal 8-0
You were wrong loser!
Are you going to resign or take a pay cut? Or, dare I say it, apologise?
Russel Ebert - your comments were intimidating and ill-informed. Have you ever been trained in negotiating skills?
I think what you said, alone at the 11th hour, was enough to sway the fence-sitters to vote agianst the merger.
In hindsight I think you will regret, not your stance, but what and how you said it.
The Port Magpies intimidation and derogatory style no longer works old fella! The World has moved on and you and your club are the losers.
Kevin Foley - when it comes to sport you are irrelevant little fella!

Russell and Kevin - where were you when my club, North Adelaide, was on it's knees?

[LBT]

You said their would be no decision tonight.

Their was a decision and it was unequivocal 8-0

You were wrong loser!

Are you going to resign or take a pay cut?

Russel Ebert - your comments were intimadting and ill-informed. Have you ever been trained in negotiating skills?

I think what you said, alone at the 11th hour, was enough to sway the fence-sitters to vote agianst the merger.

Russell Ebert (wearing a Power shirt) and Kevin Foley on 5AA were downright agressive and their attempted "character assasination" of North Adelaide was completely out of line, yet apparently the supporters of the other 8 clubs are the bitter and twisted ones.

[dedja]

Do we really need a 9th thread on the Port Magpies saga?

[rod_rooster]

You said their would be no decision tonight.

Their was a decision and it was unequivocal 8-0

You were wrong loser!

Are you going to resign or take a pay cut?

Russel Ebert - your comments were intimadting and ill-informed. Have you ever been trained in negotiating skills?

I think what you said, alone at the 11th hour, was enough to sway the fence-sitters to vote agianst the merger.

Russell Ebert (wearing a Power shirt) and Kevin Foley on 5AA were downright agressive and their attempted "character assasination" of North Adelaide was completely out of line, yet apparently the supporters of the other 8 clubs are the bitter and twisted ones.

Not often North Adelaide would get support from Glenelg and Sturt supporters but in all this both those sets of supporters have been very supportive of the Roosters. Port quite clearly failed if they have managed to unite North/Glenelg/Sturt supporters.

PS - Kevin Foley is obviously a few sandwiches short of a picnic. The guy has no idea quite clearly. Can't wait for his next sob story in the Sunday Mail. What a pathetic human being.

[MagareyLegend]

Do we really need a 9th thread on the Port Magpies saga?

Politely go away then!

[Barto]

Russell and Kevin - where were you when my club, North Adelaide, was on it's knees?

Well according to Kevin, he single handedly saved them so North should return the favour and not have forced the other clubs to vote no

[dedja]

Do we really need a 9th thread on the Port Magpies saga?

Politely go away then!

My apologies, I didn't realise that this was a restricted forum.

[The Sleeping Giant]

Do we really need a 9th thread on the Port Magpies saga?

Politely go away then!

My apologies, I didn't realise that this was a restricted forum.

Hhhmmm.......well it is the biggest SANFL story in many years. Expect a heap more threads on the subject.

[dedja]

Of course it is ... just a suggestion to consolidate the threads or continue discussion in the existing ones.

[has been]

Be ready to become AFLSA lose control of licences etc. I do not like Port but votes have been cast on emotion and hatred by a group of people with a boys club mentality. This sums up why SA footy is a bit of a laughing stock outside our state and further emphasises the cancer spreading in what runs the game here. No doubt Andrew D is rubbing his hands with glee. Next it is simply Port Power at Adelaide oval as sole tennant - wait and see. The boys club is about to be dismantled so I suppose some good will come of it. PAFC rest in peace.

[CUTTERMAN]

Be ready to become AFLSA lose control of licences etc. I do not like Port but votes have been cast on emotion and hatred by a group of people with a boys club mentality. This sums up why SA footy is a bit of a laughing stock outside our state and further emphasises the cancer spreading in what runs the game here. No doubt Andrew D is rubbing his hands with glee. Next it is simply Port Power at Adelaide oval as sole tennant - wait and see. The boys club is about to be dismantled so I suppose some good will come of it. PAFC rest in peace.

Has been, it's easy to say that, but if you look into it it's not the case, it hasn't been agreed to because it's not financially viable and with the amount of money that's been pumped into Power and more needed still it just didn't make financial sense to put more strain on the Power. Take the emotion out of it. None of the other clubs want PAMFC to fold, it's not what the vote was about, never was. The finances of the merger and both clubs weren't viable, simple as that. The sooner the media start reporting this and journo's with twisted agendas write the facts the better for everyone.

[on the rails]

Be ready to become AFLSA lose control of licences etc. I do not like Port but votes have been cast on emotion and hatred by a group of people with a boys club mentality. This sums up why SA footy is a bit of a laughing stock outside our state and further emphasises the cancer spreading in what runs the game here. No doubt Andrew D is rubbing his hands with glee. Next it is simply Port Power at Adelaide oval as sole tennant - wait and see. The boys club is about to be dismantled so I suppose some good will come of it. PAFC rest in peace.

Go and ask your own clubs and they are all singing the same song from the same page. The plain and simple fact is the SANFL Clubs rejected a merger proposal based on the fact the financials presented just didn't support the claims of the AFL Power and the SANFL Magpies. The AFL would be most concerned about the state of the Power's finances but I am sure they would rahter the SANFL prop them up rather than have to inject AFL direct funds. The AFL couldn't care less about the Magpies and if they were smart they would see that the Power absorbing the Magpies would have increased the financial strain on them.

To be honest the Magpies have more chance of trying to survive by their own means than have them swallowed and eventually killed of by an AFL focussed Port Adelaide Power. I hope for their sake that they can find away to survive but clearly the merger was a very desperate attempt to con the SANFL.

[Wedgie]

Does anyone know what he was referring to in today's paper when he said "With the exception of a bizarre call from North Adelaide's backer Rob Gerard, there is no SANFL club offering to merge with the Magpies"?

[CUTTERMAN]

Be ready to become AFLSA lose control of licences etc. I do not like Port but votes have been cast on emotion and hatred by a group of people with a boys club mentality. This sums up why SA footy is a bit of a laughing stock outside our state and further emphasises the cancer spreading in what runs the game here. No doubt Andrew D is rubbing his hands with glee. Next it is simply Port Power at Adelaide oval as sole tennant - wait and see. The boys club is about to be dismantled so I suppose some good will come of it. PAFC rest in peace.

Read this Has been, this is a post by Country Cousin on DB.org, I've taken the liberty to cut and paste.

"Just expanding on my previous post. This is the statement from the SANFL just released to the media. Pretty clear and self explanatory I believe.
QUOTE:

"LEAGUE DIRECTORS STATE POSITION ON POTENTIAL PORT MERGER
The League Directors tonight met to discuss a merger proposal and subsequent Notice of Motion submitted by the Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club. A potential merger between the Port Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club has been discussed in detail over the past four months by key stakeholders. Port Adelaide has a long and proud football tradition. To deny these discussions have not incited emotion from all corners of the football community would be to deny Port Adelaide's influence on our great game. The SANFL is well aware that any decision announced tonight will impact not only Port fans, but South Australian football supporters as a whole.
Tonight's decision centred on the removal of restrictions placed on the Magpies in 1995 as part of the conditions allowing the Port Adelaide Football Club to enter the AFL competition. These restrictions related to each club's marketing, football and administrative functions to ensure these operations remained independent of each other. The Community Football Director was not eligible to vote but participated in the debate. In considering the matter, the League Directors had to take into account whether a proposed merger would be financially viable.
In making the recommendation, the Directors considered the present financial standings of both the Port Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Magpies, which are:
*Before SANFL, AFL and government grants, the Port Adelaide Football Club suffered a trading loss of $1.6 million in 2008 and $2.9 million in 2009.
*The SANFL was required to inject $3.5 million into the club in 2009 to sustain its financial position.
*While the Port Adelaide board and administration are working tirelessly to turn around the club's position, the Board has budgeted for a further $2.6 million loss in 2010.
*The Port Adelaide Magpies declared a loss of $230,233 for 2009. The Magpies have current creditors in excess of $750,000.
*The SA Football Commission last December advanced Magpies $220,000 of its 2010 grant to avoid a cash crisis.
The eight League Directors, excluding Port Adelaide, voted against the motion to remove the restrictions. The Directors are sympathetic to the Magpies' current position and wish to reiterate that the basis of their recommendation was not about denying the club's continuation in the SANFL competition. The Magpies' proposed model, in the view of the League Directors, would not provide a sustainable and competitive club on or off the field. The financial plans presented by both clubs to the League Directors for consideration did not contain a compelling business case to raise confidence for any improvement in finances over the next three years. Both clubs made it very clear that they wanted a decision to be made tonight. The League Directors' recommendation, however, needs to be considered by the SA Football Commission before any decision is final. The Commission has indicated its desire to give this matter its full and due consideration. The Commission will hold a special meeting tomorrow morning and the Executive Commissioner will advise the public of the final decision.""

[on the rails]

Does anyone know what he was referring to in today's paper when he said "With the exception of a bizarre call from North Adelaide's backer Rob Gerard, there is no SANFL club offering to merge with the Magpies"?

Who would know what he is referring to???

He also implied what is the SANFL going to do with another club close to the wall? Which club is he pointing the finger at - West Adelaide maybe as they had a huge loss last year but I understand they have significantly turned things around - R&B maybe can comment on that?

In any case he is a scare monger with his own bizarre agenda. I am waiting for all his apologies and retractions re his finger pointing and hatred towards the NAFC for simply having a public comment that they would not support the merger as it turns out despite plenty of people telling him that all clubs would vote NO.

I cannot believe that his the Chief Football Writer for the States only major Newspaper an that he is allowed just to print absolute lies, half truths, personal atttacks and just plain fairy tales.

I wish we had the old News back to put some balance into the 'Tiser and some of their rubbish.

[Psyber]

Of course it is ... just a suggestion to consolidate the threads or continue discussion in the existing ones.

It makes sense to me, dedja, to consolidate it all on one place.

[JK]

He also implied what is the SANFL going to do with another club close to the wall? Which club is he pointing the finger at - West Adelaide maybe as they had a huge loss last year but I understand they have significantly turned things around - R&B maybe can comment on that?

Yeah I found that bit rather ironic ... Wonder what support he would show for this other club if they were attempting to merge with an AFL club?

[redandblack]

Well, firstly Rucci's article today was quite a change of tone. Credit to him for that as it was factual and I'd allow him that last little winge in the circumstances.

Secondly, another club going broke is always possible, the difference being that each of the other club's supporters have an undivided attachment to their club, not divided as is the case with the Magpies.

Thirdly, I have great sympathy for the genuine Magpie supporters who may lose their club. Unfortunately, their club has laid the seeds of their own destruction.

Next, the financial situation has been correctly analysed by the League directors. It is a mess, not only with the Magpies, but more so with the Power, who are draining the SANFL's resources, which aren't as healthy because of it as many seem to think.

Next, I think we're all surprised at the lack of support from past Magpie people. It really has been poor and is probably indicative that Port people still have another club that most of them do or will follow.

Next, I think it's fair to say that, even allowing for my bias, North Adelaide should realise that they come out of this saga in a very poor light. Whatever they may say or deny, and otr may have more information about this than me, they made it clear from the start that they weren't interested in considering the plan at all. That smacks of sour grapes and poor understanding of their role as one of 9 clubs.
Finally, in answer to otr, West aren’t in any danger of being the club that is likely to go broke.

[on the rails]

Next, I think it's fair to say that, even allowing for my bias, North Adelaide should realise that they come out of this saga in a very poor light. Whatever they may say or deny, and otr may have more information about this than me, they made it clear from the start that they weren't interested in considering the plan at all. That smacks of sour grapes and poor understanding of their role as one of 9 clubs.

Allowing for your bias??? Seriously most of your posts are well constructed and sensible but your anti-North tirade is getting tiresome. At least our club had the balls to make a public statement as to how we saw it and don't forget the original statement made by North was in response to the first dot point proposal where the PAFC wanted the Magpies to be an actual reserves side, all their interstate recruits under the PAFC banner and playing in the Power jumper. We did see the presentation before the final official vote so what is the big deal?

[redandblack]

Mate, I declared my bias and it's not an anti-North tirade on this matter, I'm only one of hundreds of people who think the same.

I'll ask you a question. Did North make it clear to the other clubs that they would not even consider the merger or meet with Port right from the start?

You know the answer to that is yes, which makes my point as valid as the rest of my post, IMO.

With respect, perhaps you're as sensitive about North as I am biased against them. At least I declared my bias and I think it's reasonable to suggest that you are equally biased the other way. It would be strange if you weren't.

I'm glad you're part of the debate, because I've thought you've made a thoughtful and factual contribution to the debate.

It would be nice to keep it that way.