Mmm, that's some good sports rorting right here!

Firstly, this post is going to have some really bloody long sentences. I hope none of my students read this.

Secondly, I must declare that I am a Collingwood season ticket holder.

Thirdly, there's one thing that I really want to do, and that's get away from the topic du jour, so I can write about the recent Worlds of Football Conference hosted by Victoria University, even if the interest in that will only be a fraction of the recent goings on.

But that doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon, especially when even the Herald Sun has decided to join the fray. And then in all likelihood, back to 3XY tomorrow...

Anyway, the article included in this blog entry is from this link, but due to the News Limited paywall, there's probably no point in clicking on it. The best to get around it is to Google the article, then visit their site from there, as for some reason that seems to get around it.

Insofar as 'smell the fear' articles go, this one I don't personally think is too bad, though who can definitively say who the dog whistling will reach?

It's biggest failing is in the details it is missing. One of these is the alleged (by rank and file athletics supporters) interference of the Collingwood triumvirate of Eddie McGuire (both Collingwood president and board member of Athletics Australia), John Brumby (then Victorian premier and noted Collingwood supporter) and Robin Fildes (former decathlete and Collingwood player, then of Athletics Victoria, now of Athletics Australia), to get the deal done for Collingwood's benefit.

While certainly understanding how such a view could be constructed, no one has ever found the smoking gun to definitely prove that there was collusion between these parties to force Athletics Victoria out of Olympic Park (and wouldn't there be fireworks if there was!).

I sympathise with the Victorian athletics community who wanted to stay there - it was their home and it had history that has been trampled on. Remembering also that Collingwood had left Victoria Park in a terrible state, and many Collingwood supporters are still very uncomfortable about having left at all. And while I'm not disappointed with the new facilities, which South supporter wouldn't have preferred to be playing at an upgraded Lakeside Stadium that was purpose built for soccer, as it was originally intended?

And at the same time, Olympic Park had had very little work done on it for about two decades. As crap as this situation is for many of the parties (except Collingwood for some reason), well at least athletics got some nice new facilities (they would never have received otherwise) and South gets to survive for another five minutes until we get sent broke by the ingrained mismanagement of the club, and the vultures - you know who you are - can swoop in and do what they've always wanted to do to us.

I am just so tired.

Here's some other things to take umbrage at:

• It's not a building of a social club, it's a redevelopment of the social club. The social club is already there.
• They've given money to upgrade the rest of Lakeside Stadium, so leaving our social club out of those plans would be kind of stupid.
• The redeveloped social club will, it is hoped and planned for anyway, be able to provide an income independent of the government stipend, which will end eventually. 
• The redevelopment money is apparently required to be used for football purposes, so the community, via the futsal court, will have access to it (as is the case with much of the rest of the facility).
• Unlike Olympic Park, which will be for the exclusive use of Collingwood (as one would expect) the $50 million spent on the facility benefits three tenants and the community at large.
• As has also been noted, it's a crappy headline, which ignore the huge state and federal grants given to Collingwood to redevelop Olympic Park, which dwarf what South is getting.
• It also ignores the entirety of what South to give up in exchange for this apparently 'free' money. This included income derived from other parts of the stadium, as well a cut of our (now admittedly meager) gate takings.
• A bit more detail on the details of the court case would be nice. The club have sent out media releases on the matter. The phrasing in the article makes us look a bit more shabby then we probably are.

And I'm glad that negotiations were viewed by the Labor Government as difficult. South had something they badly needed. Why wouldn't South do its homework in terms of ascertaining the worth of its lease, and then going for the jugular?

Taxpayers fund $4 million soccer deal as part of plan to give Collingwood Football Club control of Olympic Park

          By James Campbell

TAXPAYERS are shelling out almost $4.5 million to a Victorian Premier League soccer club under a secret deal agreed to by the Brumby government, as part of its plan to give the Collingwood Football Club exclusive control of Olympic Park. 

The payments - which run for 15 years and cost taxpayers up to $300,000 a year - were signed off by then sports minister James Merlino in return for South Melbourne FC, formerly known as Hellas, giving up its exclusive lease at the Bob Jane Stadium in South Melbourne.

When the deal was signed in 2009 the Brumby government was keen for a reluctant Athletics Victoria to move to the stadium so Olympic Park could be given to Collingwood.

The payments have come to light through documents filed in a court case that could see a receiver appointed to South Melbourne FC over a $120,000 loan it was given by supporters in 2004 and which it has never repaid.

The County Court will be asked next month to decide if South Melbourne FC is liable to repay Wellington Investments for the loan it was given at the time the club was in administration after failing to be admitted to the A-League.

The club told the court "the majority of its income, more than $300,000 per annum, is paid to it by the State Sport Centres Trust pursuant to a memorandum of understanding ... involving the Victorian State Government".

It also told the court it is "receiving the sum of $950,000 from the State Government" to build a social club within its exclusive space at the redeveloped Lakeside Oval.

Sources familiar with the deal said it requires the Government to pay the club $300,000 for five years and then $200,000 for another 10 years after that, in addition to the $950,000 for the redeveloped social club.

Club chairman Nick Galatas declined to discuss the court case, but said the money was fair and reasonable compensation for giving up its exclusive rights to the old Bob Jane Stadium.

He rejected suggestions that the club's lease on Bob Jane Stadium had been for a peppercorn rent.

"It wasn't a commercial rent, but it wasn't a dollar a year," he said.

Mr Merlino said the court case was an internal dispute within the soccer club.

"I hope it gets resolved for all the players and members of the public," he said.

He said Labor government negotiations with the club had been difficult.

"I'm proud of the transformation of sport in the City of Melbourne during the last term of our government,"he said. 

"Melbourne now has two world-class sporting precincts, where most cities in the world would be lucky to have one."

A spokeswoman for incumbent Sports Minister Hugh Delahunty confirmed the existence of the deal but declined to comment, citing commercial-in-confidence.

Lakeside Redevelopment update May 2011

On our last update, there wasn't much to add. Things were coming together nicely, and then a report in the Herald Sun stated that there might be a funding shortfall because of the 'southern' stand being unsafe. The natural assumption would be that this was referring to the 1926 stand, but it could have been referring to our own stand, which would need a fair kit out for the upgrade to its status as being the main broadcasting area.

Whatever the case, in the 2011 state budget another $15 million was allocated towards the redevelopment, so hopefully that will cover every necessity. Last time we showed you the much hoped for blue running track. This time we can show you lines and numbers. In some respects, it isn't much, but it adds to the feeling of impending completeness, which still has ways to go. New light towers and the Athletics Victoria headquarters haven't been started yet.

Work seem to be occurring on our grandstand. The seating is mostly done, and there's been alterations done to the fencing. You can also see bits and pieces of scaffolding underneath the roof, the purpose of which I'm not exactly certain, but it'd be nice if it was to tidy up the place a bit. Also nice would be if we finally got around to officially naming the stand to add a further bit of ownership to the venue.

New turnstiles. One would assume that they're doing this all professional like, so that these will be electronic and such, allowing for the accurate counting of patrons. Not that it'll be a problem for us with our now customary paltry attendances, but it'd be nice to finally have proper modern turnstiles after the botched attempts back in the NSL days.
Hell, even just for the novelty of scanning a ticket or card at a VPL match

Work on the 1926 stand seem to be continuing as per usual, with it being it difficult for me to tell how much progress is actually being made there. I'd make the argument that it really should have bene knocked down and everything started from scratch, but I seem to share the yearning for maintaining a historical building that could be of some use, and that will add to the delightful patchwork nature of the new look venue that so many custom built stadiums lack.

While the specifics of the deal are good for our survival, despite having to give up several rights (and obligations/responsibilities), it'll be interesting of course to see how the tenants and the Trust get along with each other, as well as seeing what we do with the social club space which remains under our control. Several folks from other clubs insist that we will be a junior or disadvantaged tenant. Does this stem from jealousy, or genuine concern for the loss to Victorian soccer of what was a good venue with a lot of potential for improvement? I suspect it's a mixture of both, but for those lamenting the stadium's alteration, I would say 'well, where were you?'.

And I don't mean back at the AGM in 2009 which saw the membership almost unanimously approve the MOU and terms of reference for dealing with the government. I mean in the years following our disappearance from top flight football, when the club needed more than ever for its people to stick by it and not only keep it a going concern but also give it the best chance of returning to the top flight, as unlikely a scenario as that might have been. It's a bit rich for some people to complain when they've neglected the welfare of the club for several years.

Chances were that if we didn't proceed with this initiative, the club would have been turfed out when its lease ran out, a new athletics venue built somewhere else, and eventually Lakeside would have become the provenance of an A-League side or perhaps even the FFV, and we would have been genuinely homeless, not to mention penniless. At least this way, as has been argued by not just myself but other supporters of the initiative, we get a second chance to do things right and maybe, just maybe, build something bigger.

All photos sourced from the Athletics Victoria Facebook page, and brought to our attention by Cuddles. Click on all photos to enlarge.

Lakeside update February 2011

Don't know who gave Athletics Victoria permission to take happy snaps and put them online, but I'm glad they've done so. Here's a few to whet the appetite, and don't forget to click on them to make them larger.

The first photo contains a pretty decent look at the new stand that will be on the opposite side. I'm not a huge fan of the decorative concrete stuff on the top, and it's hard to tell at this stage what kind of view people will have from that side of the ground. But from back row of our stand, and admittedly going on a purely rough idea of how far the field will be from that, it doesn't seem to bad - where they put the benches will have a large impact on the viewing quality. At least compelling people to use the stand might get a bit more atmosphere going.

In the second photo, you get a view of what our grandstand will look like. The old 'SMH' is being removed, which is both sad and somewhat inevitable, and apparently being replaced with something a little bland. No 'SMFC', just white seats. I guess we get to have nice new seats, which after the beating some of the old ones copped over the years, can only be a good thing. Here's to hoping that those who have a penchant for ripping seats out stop and pause before dpoing so this time. Here's also hoping that the people whose names are located behind those seats haven't lost their place in history - whether they are still with us or not, they made an important contribution.

In another photo (not shown here) there's also refurbishment taking place in our corporate boxes. But for those with an eye for history, there's bound to be interest in the progress of the refurbishment of the so called 1926 stand. As you can see, there's still a very long way to go. The structure is fragile, and I wonder how they're going to finish it buy the proposed July/August project end? Or was that only for the rest of the venue, that is, the playing and new stand parts? I don't believe they've started yet with Athletics Victoria's new home either. It looks like even after we've settled in that there'll still be a fair bit of construction happening around the place. But by keeping the old stands, refurbishing them, and adding the several new buildings, the venue will have a point of difference to many new stadia - that of the ground with an obvious history, and not a completely out of the box feel.

Delivering a service of sorts

How could I forget about this? We love constructive criticism on South of the Border, and we love a good, honest debate as well. Sometimes these things get a little heated. Last year, the closer we got to having to vote on the Lakeside redevelopment deal, the more angst was thrown about amongst the supporter base, and smfcboard was no exception. The lack of detail given out by the board was a major factor in this - and their reasoning of confidentiality, and the importance of only social club members, was not to the satisfaction. This is an example of one such exchange, between myself and a forumite named Puskas (whom I have never met personally, but am assured by someone who knows him that he's a good guy, and I believe that to be true). The reason I put it up is because of the last line, as you'll see. Did he end up following through with his threat of voting against the proposed deal? I don't know. The members were pretty much unanimous in giving their assent, and in such cases, for better or worse we see the function of a member run club being played out. 

Puskas: But then again the majority of the members here bent over willingly and copped it up the arse by Lowy and his FFA mafia.

Me: And please us how the majority of members here took it up the arse but you somehow stuck it to the man? What did you do?

Puskas: The board and members could've made a lot more noise when we lost our status within the football hierarchy of this country. The board should've bombarded the media. The board should've been in everyone's face. Instead it was just a yes man to Lowy. Lets not forget Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane were with us in the NSL and now have A-League status. This club has lost all chance of ever being in the elite competition. Unless the A-League collapses we are doomed to play VPL forever or until we get relegated. Tell Eddie and his Athletics Victoria board to go fuck themselves and I will be voting for that at the AGM. Why don't you stick that in your blog faggot.

Lakeside Redevelopment News - First Draft Released

Last night various State Government departments hosted a public information session at Parks Victoria headquarters in Albert Park. This was to provide the public with its first proper chance to review the first draft plans of the stadium reconstruction as well as the effects of the entire project on the local open space footprint.

There were people from the state's sport and recreation department, major projects and Parks Victoria. The meeting, which went for two hours, was sparsely attended. All up two South supporters turned up - myself included - one representative from the local tennis club, and at best half a dozen locals, mostly elderly, of various levels of crankiness.

There were several new images of the actual plans, rather than just the artists impression stuff we've been seeing so far. Some of these can be seen on this page. What they show is the plans not just for the stadium itself but for the synthetic pitches and pavilion down Middle Park way. Be aware that as this is a first draft and mostly for public consultancy purposes, the actual finished product may well differ.

There was a decent amount of information, and an apparent willingness to inform the public about what was going on. It will be on again this Saturday from 2-4 at Parks Victoria HQ, which is not too far from BJS. It's certainly worth the effort, and you can pop over to watch the South women play their elimination final which starts at 3. For those who can't make it, the state government has provided some of the information online, as well as an online form to fill out with feedback. Those who submit feedback will get a copy of the independent report when it is complete.

I can't stress enough the importance of getting as much reasonable South Melbourne Hellas supporter feedback to these people. Not that I believe that local residents unhappy with the redevelopment and restructure of their local space will get their way; but rather to start building a culture of South supporters becoming active players in their own club's future. Having spent the better part of two hours there though, I'm happy to provide a general outline of the questions I asked and the answers they provided. Why the club has not been proactive in putting this info up on our website I do not know.

Firstly in regards to the new pitches we've been hearing about down Middle Park way. Four of these will be grouped together, and will be synthetic. Two of these will be grass pitches. The latter will be shared with touch rugby which currently also makes use of the planned area. The site of the new pavilion will be the derelict RSL building, which will be knocked down.

Somewhat closer to home. Parking space will not be increased, but rather the space there will re-designed or redistributed to be more efficient, or words to that effect. There will be some sort of walking track around the venue as well, and more trees, the thinking behind that being an increase of open or green space.

The 1926 Stand will be refurbished with all the facilities that the Victorian Institute of Sport will need. There will likely be some decorative/architectural work to enhance its heritage aspects, but it will not be refitted in order to host stadium seating. The rationale for that was that the line of sight was not suitable for either soccer or athletics. The Sydney Swans will have no place in there. Neither will South have any access to the facilities inside.

Now to the stadium itself. Apart from the track, and the new Northern Stand, there will be a new Athletics Victoria building built adjacent to our social club, in the space currently accessed via the Jimmy Armstrong Gate. There will also seemingly be refurbishment of the changeroom areas underneath our stand as part of this work.

Our social clubs will remain ours, and under the same or similar terms apparently as exist now. This means that any prospective plans for sub-leasing out the social club space to outside groups such as commercial operations would have to go through the same same process. The government agency will take over from us the upper level where the reception centre currently is.

The stadium itself, apart from the running track and new stand, will also have all the other necessary athletic improvements added, such long jump pits etc. It will also receive new lighting and a new broadcast area. And there will also be a new scoreboard with video playback ability. The areas that appear in green on the turn will likely be concrete terracing, and not grass as may be implied from the diagrams. The estimated capacity will be about 8-9k, with about 5k of that seating - though that is a rough estimate at this stage.

With regards to tenancy, usage rights and leases. Lakeside will come under a new trust, while the new Middle Park pitches will remain under the auspices of Parks Victoria. No details about new lease terms were revealed, as these are believed to be still under negotiation and would be confidential anyway. There will be three, what the government calls, 'priority tenants'. These will be South, Athletics Victoria and the VIS. Usage rights will depend on the time of year. The department's representatives said they estimated about 70 athletics carnivals of various types would be held there every year. We would still be able to train on Lakeside's surface. There is an emphasis on opening the space back up to the public, allowing local groups to hire out the venue. The naming rights issue is also undecided. The new trust will take over the stadium costs and maintenance that do not fall under the control of the individual priority tenants.

While all this dependent on planning and administrative processes, the work on the Middle Park aspect could begin by the end of the year. The work on Lakeside itself will most likely begin after next year's Grand Prix, and take up 18 months, with the new track and pitch being done within 8-9 months. The tender for the stadium work has not released yet. On paper it all looks pretty good. The obvious plan form a South point of view is to create a financially sustainable club model, while returning it's local involvement and presence to a pre-BJS era, when we had more fields and local participants. I'm optimistic, but of course caution must be exercised.

H20 confirmed as Lakeside architects

Not much to say, but interesting to note that H20 are confirmed as the architects - as sort of revealed on this blog, like ages ago - and the budget figure is bcak down to $50 million, from the $74 million as said by Michael Danby. Still clapping now?



Athletics pushes for more funds

Dan Silkstone
April 2, 2009


ATHLETICS could be the loser in Melbourne's great stadium shuffle if the State Government does not increase its commitment to redeveloping Albert Park.

But the city is likely to recapture a piece of its history as the sport pushes to have the new stadium renamed the Lakeside Oval.

Athletics Australia Chairman Rob Fildes said the city's IAAF world tour meeting, the only top-class athletics event in Australia, was in danger of being poached by Sydney if the sport's eviction from Olympic Park was not cushioned by a move to a modern new stadium.

"It could be in another city in Australia or it could go offshore to another country," he said. "If Melbourne wishes to continue to be the sporting capital of Australia, the facilities — we must have the facilities to put on a truly international performance at the new venue."

The sport's move has eventuated after construction of the new rectangular stadium for soccer and rugby league meant a new training surface had to be found for Collingwood. The Magpies — who have a contract guaranteeing it a ground close to the Lexus Centre — are slated to demolish and take over the dilapidated Olympic Park, while athletics will move from its traditional home to Albert Park.

The Government has said it will spend as much as $50 million — a budget that must cover the demolition of Olympic Park, the move to new facilities, refurbishing the heritage protected old grandstand and building new stadium facilities. But athletics officials say as much as $20 million more will be needed to ensure an adequate home for the sport.

"We wanted to stay where we were but we realise the Government wants us to go to the Lakeside Oval," Fildes said. "We accept that but in good faith we look forward to having the international standards that are needed to hold international events."

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire — also a board member of Athletics Australia — has been lobbying the State Government to increase its financial commitment to the new home for athletics. Athletics officials want the State Government to subsidise school use of the new stadium for athletics carnivals, which would cost around $1 million a year.

The Age has seen plans for the new stadium, drawn up by architectural firm H2O. A northern grandstand — seating 2500 people — will be built for athletics but there is no provision for administrative space. A second stand — seating 2500 — will house the South Melbourne Soccer Club. The current car park becomes a warm-up track and throws area, while the old grandstand will be refurbished and become home to the Victorian Institute of Sport. Plans include a gym, indoor swimming pool and 100-metre indoor track.

But the present budget is not considered sufficient to accommodate lighting needed for television broadcasts, an electronic scoreboard or video replay screens. Such facilities are considered essential if the Lakeside Oval is to be a spectator venue as well as a training centre. "These things would really allow us to present athletics in a modern way," Fildes said. "The stadiums plans are very good but it is probably 1980s and we need to bring it into 2009."

Sydney has a legacy of top athletics facilities from the Olympic Games and is desperate to use them. A new scoreboard and video screens will be installed at Homebush later this year. Approaches have been made by Sydney, as recently as last month, to snare Melbourne's top event.

The Government wants to rationalise Melbourne's sporting facilities, creating a professional precinct around the MCG that will house soccer, rugby league, the Collingwood, Melbourne and Richmond AFL clubs as well as tennis and basketball. Albert Park will become the "Olympic precinct".

Politicial grandstanding or something more meaningful?

Thanks to Peter for giving us the heads up

Stadium funding dispute riles athletics community

Cameron Houston

October 23, 2008

A FUNDING dispute over the new athletics stadium in Albert Park could see the contentious project substantially scaled back and delayed, infuriating Melbourne's track and field fraternity.

Plans for the 5000-seat State Athletics Centre at Bob Jane Stadium have reached an impasse after the Department of Premier and Cabinet refused to increase funding for the project from $50 million.

Several senior State Government sources warned the new home of Athletics Victoria and the Victorian Institute of Sport might need to be reduced substantially.

A Government source said: "They want a modern stadium to accommodate crowds of 10,000, state-of-the-art facilities for the VIS and Athletics Australia and the redevelopment of Olympic Park for Collingwood and Melbourne (football clubs). They also want new soccer pitches for South Melbourne Soccer Club to keep them happy, but it simply can't be done for $50 million — something has to give."

The crowd figure of 10,000 would include 5000 seats and standing room for 5000 people.

The source said an initial budget request of $60 million had been rejected by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

"Victorian athletics is probably going to be the loser in all this," another Government source said.

A spokesman for Major Projects Victoria said the size and scope of the new athletics centre were being finalised, and would receive the bulk of government funding before the Olympic Park redevelopment.

Preparatory work on the Albert Park site began earlier this month, the spokesman said.

Last night, athletics legend Ron Clarke slammed the State Government's decision to relocate track and field from its spiritual base at Olympic Park and not adequately finance the move.

"They should never have moved athletics from Olympic Park," Mr Clarke said.

"Tradition counts for a lot and we saw with the AFL's decision to move its base to Waverley that bureaucrats often get it wrong."

He said track and field events had been ignored and underfunded by state governments around the country

"Despite that, we still produce champions and it's about time governments recognised and rewarded those efforts," Mr Clarke said.

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates recently backed calls for more government money for elite athletes if Australia was to "take back the Ashes" at the 2012 London Olympics after Great Britain finished ahead of Australia in the Beijing medal count.

Athletics Victoria and the VIS said they had not seen plans for the Albert Park site and declined to comment on project funding.

Athletics Victoria has been kicking up a stink with a quite well run public relations campaign, but its been largely ineffective in the 'real world' - after all, most Australians only give a stuff about athletics every four years, and that boat has has just left port, not to be seen again for awhile. Do they really think they'll be thrown a bone? Because the inevitability of them being moved is, well, inevitable. Of course negotiations are still taking place behind closed doors as well; so really I'm thinking this is just part of the game rather than anything serious. Chances are they might win some concessions, and probably become the dominant tenant anyway, and thus this is an attempt to wrangle some token gesture. After all, Olympic Park has history - not just for them mind you - but it's also a shit venue on its last legs. They know it, everyone knows it. So why not just calmly come along and accept the situation and get it over and done with?

Not that South is the master of PR domain, but their silence also says something about the situation. That we are quite happy with how things are going, or that nobody really cares what we think unless it's to comment on a riot. Perhaps both. The funny thing is, we're in the position of power, with 7 years left on our lease, starting to maximise our ground hire earnings potential, and the need to appease us to get Collingwood in to Olympic Park and Athletics Victoria out as soon as possible. Not that I think we'll learn anything concrete about our move at this year's AGM, but it should be interesting at least in the way they try to deflect questions and overcome the classic Greek big mouth tendencies. Otherwise, this is largely aa filler piece, brining up something which is probably progressing as per usual behind closed doors.

Little bit of Lakeside redevelopment news

It's a bit troubling we have to learn these things by eavesdropping on other people's private conversations... nevertheless, while there's some old info in there, the clarification that the $50 million is for every part of the project - including the reconfiguration of Olympic Park for Collingwood's use - is a little troubling. Are they the only ones getting what they want out of this?

Email from Athletics Victoria President Anne Lord: 

Dear friends, 
Please note this is a personal email not an official Athletics Victoria one! 
As you know we are relocating from Olympic Park to a new State Athletics Centre at the Bob Jane Stadium in Albert Park. 

This has great potential for the future development of athletics in this state. In order to secure the best outcome for athletics, the facility must be bigger and better than Olympic park (as promised). The government has allocated $50 million to this project and have promised an international standard facility including track and field facilities and offices. 

This $50 million must cover the cost of redeveloping OP for Collingwood (estimated 11-12 million), relocating the VIS and its facilities, redeveloping ovals for the South Melbourne soccer club and finally for our track, and warm up are, hammer facility, and buildings. 

Obviously this project is chronically underfunded. 

I am asking that you write to your local state member, expressing concern that 

-there may be insufficient funds (the project is chronically/severely underfunded) to develop the state athletics centre (including track, stadium and offices) as promised. Unless the new centre can offer what we had and more than Olympic Park,the move will be for nothing. It must have the potential to attract crowds both participants and spectators. We are also in danger of losing the Melbourne Athletic grand prix event, the main show case of our sport, unless the facility is of appropriate standards. 

We need all state government members to push for sufficient/increased funding to secure the future of athletics in Victoria. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions 0419872950 and please pass on to other athletic friends. 

Thanks 
Anne Lord

I don't care how flat you make a pancake, it's always got two sides

The following is lifted from the Albany Athletics forum, which I posted a link to some time back. There's a information there I have not heard or read before; perhaps that is because I'm coming from the South point of view; perhaps it's because I'm being sold the South point of view, which may not necessarily resemble the truth. Maybe it's time to engage properly with the athletics people on some level, try and perhaps co-operatively figure out where the truth may be, if we're being played against one another, all that kind of hunkered down in the forum bunker conspiracy stuff which once started gets wickedly out of control. Maybe. Anyway, read what you will and enjoy.

Matthew Webster wrote:

I was at the AGM of Athletics Victoria the other night and during the General Discussion part of the evening, the move to Bob Jane Stadium was a hot topic. The move is one that has been instigated by the "Olympic Park Trust", the powers that control the sporting area, not apparantly from "Eddie McEverywhere". The main reason is that athletics does not attract enough interest through the year and does not generate enough money for the "Trust".
There has been $50,000 allocated in the State Budget to re furbish Olympic Park and to fix up the old South Melbourne Oval to a IAAF standard track. All of this is to be done by the start of the 2010 track season. I personally do not think that there is anywhere near enough money set aside to do it all and the time frame is a bit short to do it all in. "I supose, I will believe it when I see it!"

The old stand will be made into offices (the VAL I believe will be a co tenant)and somewhere there will be a 150m warm up track put down. The facilities will still have to be shared with the Soccer club for a short while but the athletics will have first choice of dates for any event. That is all that I can tell you at the moment from what I heard the other night, so if any of you have any better conpiracy theorys about the move, please share them with us, I could do with a good laugh :)

Guest :

very interesting Matthew - any talk about access and impact of the F1 GP given that the melbourne race has been extended for a cpl more yrs and it happens during the business end of the track and field season? going to make using the track in feb and march pretty difficult i would have thought

Matthew Webster
Dear Guest ( I wish that you people would use your real names)

There was talk of the interuptions from the Grand Prix event and we were told that it would have have minimal effect on the operations of the new stadium, although there will be a short period of time (two weeks I think) that the new stadium would be closed for the GP.
The timing of future GP events I think are for the latter part of March at this stage. This will not have much effect on the amateur side of things as their season should be over by that stage or nearly finished.

As for the guys & gals that use Olympic Park as their training base currently, they may have to move to another venue whilst this is going on and there are plenty of new surfaced tracks around Melbourne now. We have more "red" tracks in Victoria than a few of the other states combined.
If there are any more genuine questions that you wish to ask and I hope that I can answer them, let me know (hopefully with your real name).

Ultimate Hobnobbing Championships

Got a spare $70? A bit of free time before the South-Oakleigh game? Can't possibly wait any longer than necessary to find out about South's glorious future? Like food? Then you should consider going to this.

Personally, I don't have a spare $70, I'd rather watch the ressies kick the ball around, am sure of getting the info one way or another before or after it's announced, and have a slim figure that I wish to maintain. How cliche. Really, you wanna go, be my guest. You're grownups. Well maybe not. Unlike certain other sites, I don't have a warning before entering and such. You've got the gist anyway. I'll be with the plebs, Manic Street Preachers b-sides playing in my head.

On why you should always compel people to registers on forums, and not merely post as guests

Ok, I admit, I was the one that posted the address on smfcboard. But really, it shouldn't just be Athletics Victoria people taking a look at smfcboard... by rights, we too should be able to wonder with amazement at what the people on the other side of the fence - and who it seems we'll soon be cohabiting with anyway - are up to and give the budding arranged marriage couple some time to get to know each other, at least a little. Hey, this is a sort of a like a Greek proxy marriage isn't it? The forecast calls for 70% chance of hilarity! Ok, go visit the Albany Athletics Forum, already, and see what hijinks you can get up to. Someone's already gone and impersonated the well known South fan called 'Greeksta'.

Stateline segment on Lakeside redevelopment

I'm a bit worried about anyone who spends their Friday nights watching ABC1's Stateline program, but in this case it's probably a good thing. Thanks to Diagoras off the main South forum for alerting South of the Border to this piece by the said program, which comes almost entirely from the Athletics Victoria point of view.

It goes to show that it isn't all strawberries and cream, and that Athletics Victoria will quite likely become the key tenant, with expectations of the privileges of such an arrangement. While the fairness of it all may be something left to desire, considering all the money that we as a club have invested in the venue, it may be the obvious way things were due to turn out, after all, they're probably going to get higher crowds and more event use out of it than we will. Also shows what happens when governments cave in to people like Eddie Everywhere, instead of following a pluralist approach to this kind of thing.

Also note that the 1926 stand is not slated for demolition as hinted in Neos Kosmos English Weekly earlier this week - rather, it appears that it will be converted into the headquarters for the Victorian Institute of Sport. Again, drip, drip, drip, information coming out so slowly. And lastly, where are we? Why aren't we in the segment, as in like, ask us our point of view? Should we have started a brawl first in order to rate a mention?


Victoria's Athletics community lament football's takeover of Olympic Park

Broadcast: 09/05/2008

Reporter: Kathy Bowlen
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RON CLARKE, FMR WORLD CHAMPION: The only world record set in Australia on any track that's still there was set at Olympic Park.

JAMES MERLINO, SPORTS MINISTER: You don't see as many athletes training at Olympic Park. You don't see as many schools using Olympic Park.

ANNE LOVE, ATHLETICS VICTORIA: There's lots of school events that are conducted here at Olympic Park, training most nights, athletes come in to train. We hold - over the summer - we hold all our championship events here.

JANE FLEMING, FORMER HEPTATHLETE: I just think it's really sad. I mean, Olympic Park has been the home of athletics for 50 years.

KATHY BOWLEN, PRESENTER: For the girls competing at this week's Secondary Catholic Sports Association at Olympic Park, there was plenty of history to inspire them. This is the track where Kathy Freeman first ran under 50 seconds. Raelene Boyle, Jane Fleming and Melinda Gainsford-Taylor competed here. Going back further, it was here that John Landy stopped running to help a fallen Ron Clarke before going on to win the event. And some of those champions are among the most strident critics of the Government's plan.

RON CLARKE: It's always been in that area and that city precinct. And so many memories, so many traditions, so easy to get to. And how it can't be combined with everything else they're doing now, I don't know. It just seems strange.

JANE FLEMING: One of the reasons that athletics thrives in Victoria - most of our national teams are made up of more than 50 per cent Victorians - is because of Olympic Park's location. It's very, very central. And I think by moving it to anywhere else, we're going to lose that to start with and we're also not in the middle of the major sporting precinct of the major, you know, of Australia's sporting capital any more.

KATHY BOWLEN: Jane Fleming, who's expecting twins next week, lives in Sydney these days, but she's horrified by what she sees as a blatant disregard for the sport's tradition.

JANE FLEMING: People within athletics are very emotionally attached to that track because of all the history. And, I think that, you know, whilst the Government might have all sorts of, all sorts of reasoning behind what they're looking at doing, I think they need to put a value on the history and the emotion.

JAMES MERLINO: I can understand the heritage argument, but if that's the only basis on which that sport stays at Olympic Park, I don't think it stacks up in terms of the benefits we're gonna see down the track.

KATHY BOWLEN: James Merlino, who's been Sports Minister for 18 months, inherited the plans for Olympic Park. Nevertheless, he's committed to what he says is the future of athletics at Albert Park.

JAMES MERLINO: All of the principal Olympic sports will be based at Albert Park. So, you'll have track and field at Lakeside Oval. At MSAC, you already got the principal aquatic sports, so swimming, diving, water polo - all of those sports based at MSAC. In addition to that, we'll have the VIS base there. So, we'll have a new purpose built facility for the VIS based in the old 1926 grandstand, so that's gonna be completely renovated. We've also got sports medicine Australia, a number of state sporting associations based in that precinct. So, we're creating something quite special.

KATHY BOWLEN: Negotiations have been going on for well over a year and Athletics Victoria is cautiously optimistic.

ANNE LOVE: In a perfect world, no, we'd probably stay at Olympic Park. But, as I said, we've got to do the right thing by our members and our past members as well as our present members and to move the sport forward and to get a better deal for our sport is what we're after. And that's what we're working closely with the Government, you know, towards that. They've been terrific. And we have no doubt that they'll deliver on their insurances.

KATHY BOWLEN: The plan would see athletics share the lake side venue with the South Melbourne Soccer Club, who are also part of the negotiations. The plan is to provide another two ovals so their junior and women's teams can be based at Albert Park, giving the club a proper home. Their lease runs for another eight years, as does the sponsorship deal, which names the venue the Bob Jane Stadium.

The Minister concedes it's an odd name for an athletics stadium.

JAMES MERLINO: So, it's Bob Jane Stadium for a period of time, but what is absolutely crucial to athletics and I agree totally is that this is to be known as the State Athletics Centre or the Victorian Athletics Centre and we're completely in agreement with that. And we'll make sure that athletics gets the recognition that it deserves in this facility.

KATHY BOWLEN: When Melbourne staged the Friendly Games in 1956, Olympic Park was the home of our swimming, cycling and track and field teams. It was the warm up track for athletes competing at the MCG. At the conclusion of the games, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne pledged that the area would always be kept for amateur sports. That hasn't happened. The area now plays host to the Australian Open tennis, the Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory and perhaps most controversially, the Collingwood Football Club.

Collingwood now trains at Gosh's Paddock on Punt Road, but when Olympic Park is pulled down it will have a purpose built training facility, right next door to the club rooms.

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire is also a board member of Athletics Australia. Many in the athletics community believe he has a conflict of interest when it comes to dealing with what's best for athletics.

RON CLARKE: I'm flabbergasted why they should even do it. I spoke to Eddie McGuire and - some time back - and he was assuring me that they wanted to retain Olympic Park, they wanted to retain track and field there. And I really can't understand the big change-about. Either - I don't know if this is the State Government or driven by Collingwood themselves.

JANE FLEMING: The Storm and the Victory have been able to share the venue, and it's only really the AFL clubs. And I feel like saying to them: "Don't you have enough already?" You know, in comparison to the amateur sports.

KATHY BOWLEN: Businessman and former decathlete Rob Fildes chairs the sport's governing body in Australia and invited Eddie McGuire to join the board. He says the Collingwood President has acted in good faith.

ROB FILDES, ATHLETICS AUSTRALIA: It hasn't been a big issue at the board level. At our last board meeting, we did however raise it with Eddie and we went through any questions that there might be. And from his point of view, when he comes to athletics he's been very supportive of our sport.

KATHY BOWLEN: As a successful international businessman, Rob Fildes has a pragmatic approach to his former sport and believes funding of athletes and coaches is far more crucial than where they train. But as our competitors invest heavily in their sporting futures, will we come to regret relinquishing the connection to our golden era of track and field?

JANE FLEMING: I just want the Government to think about the next time they want to have a photograph taken with a Cathy Freeman or a John Landy or a Ron Clarke or at the Premier's fundraising for the Olympic Games team about removing piece of integral infrastructure to the history and success of our sport.

NKEW article on athletics track and such

Haven't seen the final product myself, but apparently I've had an article published in Neos Kosmos English Weekly. This is the original, almost nothing you haven't seen before, but it's nice to gloat, sorta, every now and again. And also good to spread the love outside South of the Border. Don't even know what the headline is!

The Victorian Government announced last Monday that Athletics Victoria would be moved from its current base at Olympic Park to a redeveloped Lakeside Stadium. The work needed to accommodate the move, which would include the reconfiguration of the venue to incorporate a running track, would reportedly begin later this year at a cost of $50 million. The redeveloped stadium would have a capacity of 10,000, with seating for 5,000, though no plans were released with the announcement.

Lakeside Stadium is currently the home of former National Soccer League side South Melbourne FC since its own enforced move from its former Middle Park base in the mid 1990s. The club, which still has several years remaining on its lease of Lakeside, would remain as a tenant. Currently the venue also hosts finals matches for the Victorian Premier League, as well as training sessions for the Socceroos and overseas sides while visiting Melbourne.

Talks between the parties have been in operation for the past two years. The announcement by the Minister for Sport James Merlino has seemingly ended the constant speculation over the future of Olympic Park, as well as the future of Lakeside itself. The former will almost certainly end up as a training venue for the Collingwood and Melbourne Football Clubs.

In a statement on its official site, South Melbourne said it was “pleased that the Victorian Government has recognised the area as a major sporting precinct”, and emphasised its nearly 50 year association with the Albert Park area. For their part, Athletics Victoria and Athletics Australia were caught out by the announcement, declining to comment on the day announcement was made, and released a joint press release on Tuesday. Many in the athletics community have been angered by the moves to oust them from their base of over 50 years, especially in the perceived conflict of interest of Eddie McGuire, who is both president of Collingwood and on the board of Athletics Australia

The redevelopment could be a major boon for South Melbourne FC, with the right deal possibly securing their future for many years to come. The possible benefits could include a clean slate in terms of the catering and naming rights contracts which currently exist at the venue, additional training grounds in the area, upgrades to its own facilities, as well a new lease which could see the club secure its home at Lakeside for as much as 40 years.

While many in the local athletics community are angry at the enforced move from their traditional home, many South Melbourne fans view this as a terrific opportunity to cement the club’s future, despite the increased distance from the playing field that would ensue. South supporter and volunteer John Kyrou said he’d be disappointed at having the state’s premium soccer facility altered in such a fashion, but ultimately the club’s future viability was a more important issue.

“If having a track in the way is the sacrifice we have to make in order to ensure that Hellas will be around for many years to come, then so be it. Many of our supporters have been to Olympic Park many times to watch South matches and it hasn't been that bad. We would eventually get used to it.”

“I don't like the fact that our ground - one of the very few purpose-built football venues in the state - will have a running track around it. However in saying that, I believe that if the South board can play their cards right in negotiations with the relevant parties and do things the right way then this proposal has the potential to land the club an enormous amount of continual income that will set us up for a long long time.”

The announcement also failed to shed any light on the future of the old grandstand, the last remaining element of the former Lake Oval, which has fallen into serious disrepair. Sources have hinted however that it has been slated for demolition. Previous attempts to convert it into the Melbourne base for the Sydney Swans, incorporating among other things a museum, never came to fruition.

Clarendon Curva Confirmed?

According to reports posted by certain people who heard it on the radio apparently, James Merlino, the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, has made the announcement that Lakeside will be shared by South and Athletics Victoria, with the running track to be built within two years or something like that. Still too early to know exactly what the details of the arrangement are, but I'm giving it my conditional approval, if it secures the club's future for a very long time. Looks like Eddie's got his way, but more details as they arise. I'm off to Paisley Park.

Eddie Everywhere's eviction notice to himself

The latest episode in the Olympic Park precinct restructure saga

Olympic Park grab for Collingwood

Right off the bat, I'll make it known that I am a keen Collingwood fan. Don't get to enough games (usually 4-5 a year), but in action it's quite obvious I'm far more a South fan (nearly every game, plus an assortment of pre-season stuff and miscellaneous events). Unlike a majority of Collingwood fans, I have a massive problem with Eddie's many conflicts of interests, though not in the way that was most reported, in terms commentary bias, but rather the blurring of the line between 'journalist' and 'club official'. See his covering up a few years ago of the story of Collingwood players trashing a hotel up in Queensland during the mid-season break as one example.

Now for those not up to speed with the whole situation. A few years ago, Collingwood deserted their home of over a century, the legendary but rundown Victoria Park, to move to a new purpose built centre next to Olympic Park. They train on the former site of Olympic Park ground no.2, former greyhound track and home of Brunswick Juventus. But the government is now building the new 'Bubbledome' stadium, where the Victory and the Storm will play. Collingwood and Melbourne aussie rules club, (who also train there) have been pretty much asked to train 300 metres further east. Not really such a big ask. But because Eddie is not only president of Collingwood but also on the board of Athletics Australia, he's basically trying to evict the organisation he is supposed to be looking after the interests of, and who don't want to move from Olympic Park, so they can be replaced by his other, bigger interest.

Why the heat is not being applied with the most massive fucking blowtorch in the universe by local journos is a disgrace but not exactly unexpected. The AFL gets a dream run in the local media, and anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way will get short shrift. Let us not also forget the (now apparently aborted) push from the Sydney Swans, even supported by dickhead Victory supporters, to get evict us. I don't have a problem with a running track around Lakeside. It's not ideal, but if it secures our tenancy there for a long time and by extension our future, then that's the most important thing. But the way Athletics Victoria and South are being treated is nothing short of disgraceful. More comment to come as the new stadium gets built, and a decision has to be made.