Issues at Sturt 2009

[spell_check]

Yes, just enough to spend another $100 on dial a driver.

[spell_check]

Anyway, last time I checked, the only way to have a good time at the footy did not equate to .05>

[SDK]

I love a few beers with my mates at the footy and maybe a few more after in the club. That would put most people over .05 but still having a good time.
Each to there own.

[Jimmy_041]

Anyway, last time I checked, the only way to have a good time at the footy did not equate to .05>

You are right - neither is standing next to someone who has to force his own opinions down your throat.....

[spell_check]

Anyway, last time I checked, the only way to have a good time at the footy did not equate to .05>

You are right - neither is standing next to someone who has to force his own opinions down your throat.....

Aw, sorry, you didn't like that? Well, that's the good thing about the internet, isn't it. You didn't "hear it" at all. Wash your eyes out if you need to. You like to enjoy it your way and I don't think it's the only way. That's fine.

[Barto]

Sturt are currently putting in long term plans to be based at Mt Barker

Source?

I wouldn't be opposed to this if it was a superior option to Unley.

Ask anyone involved in the Mt Barker FC

I don't know any one at Mt Barker, so there's no source. No one at Sturt has mentioned it, not that it isn't possible that it's been looked at.

[citation needed]

[Jimmy_041]

Anyway, last time I checked, the only way to have a good time at the footy did not equate to .05>

You are right - neither is standing next to someone who has to force his own opinions down your throat.....

Aw, sorry, you didn't like that? Well, that's the good thing about the internet, isn't it. You didn't "hear it" at all. Wash your eyes out if you need to.

Actually, I couldn't care less, but then again, I dont try to force my opinions on others.

My point was that I dont think the public transport to Mt Barker is up to it at the moment, and I will also add, Mt Barker got a vote on the worst footy oval thread

[Dutchy]

I think you will find there have been preliminary discussions about a new ground at Mt Barker and Sturt have been very interested...probably still very high level

[spell_check]

Anyway, last time I checked, the only way to have a good time at the footy did not equate to .05>

You are right - neither is standing next to someone who has to force his own opinions down your throat.....

Aw, sorry, you didn't like that? Well, that's the good thing about the internet, isn't it. You didn't "hear it" at all. Wash your eyes out if you need to.

Actually, I couldn't care less, but then again, I dont try to force my opinions on others.

My point was that I dont think the public transport to Mt Barker is up to it at the moment, and I will also add, Mt Barker got a vote on the worst footy oval thread

If that was forced, then about half of the opinions (probably more) on this site are also forced.

[Barto]

I think you will find there have been preliminary discussions about a new ground at Mt Barker and Sturt have been very interested...probably still very high level

Where will we find it though? In the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."?

[therisingblues]

Sorry to break up the discussions on how to enjoy oneself at the footy versus leopards using toilets but back on topic...
I did hear (sorry "see", thanks Spelly ) on a thread somewhere that Sturt were working on getting a friendly onto the council somehow. If my memory serves me right, one of the long serving members is about to retire and we are waiting to see which way policy will shift.

[csbowes]

Sturt has stacked the council previously with friendlies and always has the option to do it again. As we know, no-name wackos get onto the council just by getting their own kids to vote for them, so it wouldn't take much effort to get a 100 locals who are members to back a couple of people and sway the council again.

That said, I don't believe the club's relations with the council are negative to the extreme. My understanding is that the general populace in Unley have positive feelings towards the club, however there are limits to what they'd allow Sturt to do, added to that is that while the council does not want to promote the club, it also does not want to see the club disappear.

As I mentioned in another thread, the split on the council is 5 pro-Sturt, 4 anti-Sturt, 3 neutrals plus the Mayor (who is pro-Sturt) who only adjudicates when there is a 6-6 vote.

[csbowes]

I don't support a move from Unley Oval to any other ground. The club made that move back in the 1980's to help promote the then SANFL policy of ground rationalisation. The club lost a home-win record equal to that of the Magpies down at the Devil's Playground to something more akin to South's (no offence meant).

The win-loss ration dropped from about 66% to around 40%...

The bottom line here is moving to some other ground for better facilities or better parking or whatever, essentially means you're ditching a huge part of the clubs heritage. The club is in the business of winning premierships, not becoming simply a highly profitable sporting club, which I'm told South is, but does anyone want to be in their boots?

Again no offence meant...

... but I think it's important people think about the club heritage as well as the bottom line, one is no more important than the other and moving to Mt.Barker or Wayville in my mind, would mean losing part of what the club is to its supporters. The club is Unley Oval, it's where it all began and it's where we have a distinct home ground advantage.

[csbowes]

Just on the club finances...

Barzaar did make $28K profit in 2008 as opposed to projected figures of around $140K. So in that light it was a failure. Decisions have been made with regards how the place is run and what promotional schemes we are involved in that should return maybe $50K more to the bottom line, but overall the club is somewhat mystified as to the venues performance.

Reports suggest that while Barzaar may kick butt one week and reap in zillions, it will be followed the next week by deplorable returns, profits are up and down by large margins from week to week, month to month and there doesn't appear to be any consistency with returns such that the club can really bank on something solid.

One can only hope that returns will be more consitent thoughtout 2009... for me, I don't feel the place has the right look, charm, location of a pub-cum-restaurant that the club needs to bring in the bucks.

The Castle Tavern is a different story. Last year the club made something like $250K from it, but this year it was down to about $180K, but one must realise that these profits are a fraction of what Centrals, North Adelaide and South Adelaide are currently reaping. According to Sturt, those are the three clubs that are raking it in.

Certainly part of our problem is that we don't OWN anything, whereas Norwood, who have similar ground and facilities problems to us, at least had the benefit of owning land in Norwood, which they sold to build that bar on North East Road, hence they own it outright, hence their returns are much better than ours...

In brief the main problem the club has is that while revenue was up considerably this year, by some $400K, expenditure was not closely controlled and it blew out by around $600K, which accounts for the $200K loss in 2008.

The club openly admited they got it somewhat wrong this year, so my expectation as a member is that they put things right in 2009, but the big problem, as already mentioned by others, is that we own nothing outright. We have facilities, but we have loans on them, we essentially bring in just enough money to get by, but we aren't putting much of a dent in that mortgage so to speak.

Personally, I think Sturt will always be in this "bring in $100, spend $99" situation...

[JK]

The club openly admited they got it somewhat wrong this year, so my expectation as a member is that they put things right in 2009

How refreshingly honest is that? I think most members would better except an underachieving situation if their board put their hands up and effectively said "yep, we got this one wrong for <insert reason(s)> and this <insert reason(s)> is how we aim to rectify it"

Most members can relate to tough times experienced by their club, and as with Westies or Port who are both allegedly feeling the pinch, I hope the Blues are able to find the necessary means to improve thier financial base.

[sturtpeter]

Tough times equate to tough decisions.

The Future is rosy at Unley under the astute mentor Matt Benson.

[Sojourner]

One suggestion might be to do as some of the AFL sides do and look at shifting a home match to another venue in order to maximise revenue. Thebarton Oval matches are traditionally popular, so one suggestion could be Sturt playing a "home" game at Thebby against Woodville-West Torrens to maximise crowds and $$$.

[Punk Rooster]

One suggestion might be to do as some of the AFL sides do and look at shifting a home match to another venue in order to maximise revenue. Thebarton Oval matches are traditionally popular, so one suggestion could be Sturt playing a "home" game at Thebby against Woodville-West Torrens to maximise crowds and $$$.

um, the difference is about 50,000 people.... do you think Sturt are gonna sell a home game for 3,000 @ $9 a head? (& that's being generous...)

[Sojourner]

Maybe Punk the cost of setting up Unley Oval and takiing it all down again needs to be put into the mix, Sturt would clearly save some coin there but it weighs up against the cost or the deal worked out with the SAAFL for Thebby!

[sturtpeter]

Every team needs a home base.

We need to make sure opposing sides fear playing at our esteemed ground.