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.

John Bedford passes away after long illness

Sad news from yesterday, that 1960s and 70s South stalwart John Bedford passed away after a long illness. Australian football historian Roy Hay was kind enough to provide this overview of Bedford's career, along with the accompanying photos.

The only notable thing omitted from this obituary is his status as a South Melbourne Hellas Team of the Century squad member. 

John Bedford (7 August 1941–18 December 2011), by Roy Hay

Springheeled John Bedford leaps to control a high ball. Source: Les Shorrock collection. Deakin University Library.

John Bedford was part of the South Melbourne Hellas team which won the first State League championship under the auspices of the Victorian Soccer Federation in 1962.

John died this week at the age of 70 in Wodonga. He was born and brought up in Box Hill and Bill Stewart persuaded him to start playing soccer at the age of seven. After heavy defeats in the early years, the Box Hill juniors won their leagues from under-9 to under-11 and by the age of 15 John Bedford was making his debut for the Box Hill seniors. He won the club’s best and fairest award twice in four years. Unfortunately the glory days of Box Hill were behind them and in 1961 the team was relegated from the State League.

In the match against Hellas that year, however, the young Bedford played and scored, and coach Manny Poulakakis moved quickly to sign him. Box Hill did not want to let him go, but eventually the transfer went through. His first game for Hellas was against Sydney powerhouse Pan Hellenic and he scored twice in a 3–1 win. But as John tells it, the details of his move to Hellas had not been settled when he went along to watch an Ampol Cup night game between Hellas and Polonia. Someone grabbed him from behind and told him he was playing. So he took the field and scored. Not a bad start to a career at Hellas which lasted until 1974. He was ever present as Hellas won the State League title in 1962.

Some weeks into the 1964 season, Hellas signed some new players and John was told that he would be on the bench. ‘No, I won’t’, he replied and went off to play footy with his mates at Box Hill Pioneers, winning a premiership in the process. Next year new coach John Margaritis came back for Bedford and he resumed his soccer career. A tendon injury and a bout of hepatitis kept him out of a number of games in 1963, but he contributed to the 1964-66 seasons when Hellas completed three in a row.

His form with Hellas saw him selected for Victoria 28 times and he was on the fringes of Australian selection but unfortunately never received his full international cap, though he had a couple of games for the Australia B team. The only two games he remembers missing for Victoria were against AS Roma in 1966 and Manchester United in 1975.

John Bedford (right) of South Melbourne Hellas and Eddie Sacco of George Cross at Olympic Park in 1962. Photo: Uwe Kuessner.

In his 18-year career he played 553 games and took part in 6 championship victories. Hellas also won the State League in 1972 and 1974 when John had reached the veteran stage. In the 1960s he represented Australia in the Laidlaw World Cup for local ‘national’ teams. He had a very strong left foot and began as goalscoring winger, though often moving back to a midfield role as his experience grew.

A signwriter to trade he retired in 2007 but still kept his eye in, helping out with the firm when necessary. He was as enthusiastic about the game and his part in it as he was when he was playing. He played for some of the great coaches, including Manny Poulakakis, John Margaritis, Bill Curran and Les Scheinflug. ‘The teams in New South Wales thought they were the best. We went up to play against Prague in the Australian Cup one year and were told we would be hammered, but we beat them 5–1. The only team which beat us was Hakoah,’ he said. A Soccer Weekly writer said John Bedford was ‘a fast, brainy and determined player, who is never beaten till the final whistle’.

John Bedford is survived by his wife, Margaret, his two sons, Darren and Andrew and four sisters, Anita, Sue, Catherine and Julie. His funeral is in Wodonga on Thursday, 22 December.

1995 Dockery Cup Final

The 1995 Dockerty Cup Final, with thanks to our friend Boo once more. Tansel Baser has a great game, Curcija's name gets pronounced differently to what is these days, Frank Arok looks more grizzled than usual. Deano has his surname on his shirt, but no one else does. And what a nice trophy it is. Perhaps one day we can not only play in this competition again, but maybe even win it, too.

First half



Second half and presentation ceremony

Memberships for 2010 are available, and...

Olympic Park has finally been nominated as our relocation venue once the bulldozers move in and reshape Lakeside. I'm going to get me a South Gold once more. It's pretty good value I reckon. And after many years absence, we get a South Melbourne pen. Head here and check out the packages and stuff.

2010 VPL Fixture out

So,  the fixture for the upcoming season is finally out. It's got typos, and absurd clashes. It's also got the N.T.C. - the National Training Curriculum - in there as well; speculation has been simmering during the offseason that the Victory's youth would be included, and it appears that at least some of the players from that squad will be participating in this scheme. 

So what does that mean? Probably trips to Darebin. In midweek. Not sure about their 'away' matches, which are also scheduled for midweek. Not that anyone makes a mint in this competition, but it's probably going to be like the AIS farce all over again on so many levels. Being a development squad, like the AIS, they'll probably be fielding squads whose quality will differ wildly from week to week, compromising the integrity of the competition. Like the AIS, they'll bring no more fans than a few family members. And like the AIS, their players will probably be likely targets for the A-League, including the Melbourne Heart franchise.

The behind the scenes people at South are reportedly quite unhappy with the draw. Altona away round 1? Northcote City gets it's wish to have their 50th anniversary game against us in round 3, which we were apparently in favpur of, and to which I have no objection. .The big drawing games, Thunder, Knights, Bergers, don't get their late summer/early autumn run at Lakeside - instead we get Bentleigh and Green Gully.  No mention of where we'll play our remaining home games yet - though the Olympic Park solution has appeared to be a fait accompli for some time now. Not sure yet either how many games we'll get at Lakeside - the general reasoning was for 2-3 at the most. And Sunshine Georgies away to finish off - I'll give them credit for that one, but it really was a no brainer.

Apart from the midweek shenanigans, there's an extra Friday night game, with the return of Bentleigh, which will please the drunken lout element. Newcomers Northcote have opted for Saturday afternoons. There's Monday night games, courtesy of the Georgies who are playing at Knights Stadium this year after they farewell Chaplin Reserve last year by losing to Preston, but we miss out on that because we play them in the final round. A few teams are seemingly having a bet each with the fixture, different days and times being thrown in without a clear sense of direction, other than perhaps skimping on lighting bills against smaller teams. And all our home games, except for some reason the Heidelberg match, are at 5pm. Which will probably result in traffic jams outside the MCG if we are indeed playing out of Olympic Park - but otherwise provide convenience for those of our fans who like to double dip. 

Lastly, the breaks. Orthodox Easter falls on the same weekend as Catholic/Protestant Easter this year, allowing the FFV to avoid dealing with one of the more unique cultural fixture concerns to the Victorian soccer calendar. The Queen's Birthday long weekend has been left open. And we all get nearly a month off in late June, early July, maybe for catch up games, or maybe because we'll all be sleep deprived after watching night after night of world cup action.

Round 1  

24 February 8:30 PM, N.T.C. vs South Melbourne, To Be Confirmed 

28 February 3:00 PM, Altona Magic vs South Melbourne, Paisley Park 

Round 2  

7 March 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Bentleigh Greens, Bob Jane Stadium

Round 3  

13 March 3:00 PM, Northcote City vs South Melbourne, John Cain Memorial Reserve

Round 4  

21 March 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Green Gully Cavaliers, Bob Jane Stadium 

Round 5  

27 March 7:00 PM, Dandenong Thunder vs South Melbourne, George Andrews Reserve

Round 6  

11 April 3:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Heidelberg Utd, Bob Jane Stadium  
 
Round 7

18 April 3:00 PM, Melbourne Knights vs South Melbourne, Knights Stadium

Round 8  

25 April 3:00 PM, Hume City vs South Melbourne, Broadmeadows Valley Park

Round 9  

30 April 8:30 PM, Richmond vs South Melbourne, Kevin Bartlett Reserve

Round 10  

9 May 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Oakleigh Cannons, Bob Jane Stadium
 
Round 11

16 May 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Sunshine Georgies, Bob Jane Stadium

Round 12  

19 May 8:30 PM, N.T.C. vs South Melbourne, To Be Confirmed

23 May 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Altona Magic, Bob Jane Stadium

Round 13  

28 May 8:30 PM, Bentleigh Greens vs South Melbourne, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex

Round 14  

6 June 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Northcote City, Bob Jane Stadium  

Round 15  

20 June 3:00 PM, Green Gully Cavaliers vs South Melbourne Green Gully Reserve View 

Round 16  

27 June 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Dandenong Thunder, Bob Jane Stadium
 
Round 18  

18 July 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Melbourne Knights, Bob Jane Stadium 

Round 19  

25 July 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Hume City, Bob Jane Stadium 

Round 20  
 
1 August 5:00 PM, South Melbourne vs Richmond, Bob Jane Stadium

Round 21  

6 August 8:30 PM, Oakleigh Cannons vs South Melbourne Jack, Edwards Reserve

Round 22  

15 August 3:00 PM, Sunshine Georgies vs South Melbourne, Knights Stadium

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).

Port Melbourne move a done deal?

Our roving correspondent (ok, just a habitual eavesdropper) reckons that they recently overheard a board director or two talking about this, and the move to Port's SS Anderson Reserve, rather thna Olympic Park, is a done deal. Only time will tell if their information is true.

South heading to Olympic Park? Don't scoff, this could be true

Thursday's Neos Kosmos had an article talking about how South would be required to move out of Lakeside for a couple of seasons while it had its athletics track makeover. That it would have taken one or two seasons to do was a no brainer to be honest.

A vague starting date for the project has been reported for early 2009. So where will South play? Olympic Park appears to be the preference of the board, with Port Melbourne as the back up plan. Compensation has been demanded, nay expected, from the Government.

I'm unsure if all this hardball stuff is going to fool anyone, or what going for the bigger ground over the smaller one means in terms of where our headspace is, but if we can wrangle a good deal out of it, I'd rather be at Olympic Park rather Port Melbourne, even if it's only a 1,000 people there, and it's cold, and the football is crap. ,