Rumour File - 3 home games in Sydney

Damien · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 9:12 am

3AW Rumour file this morning made mention of upcoming Collingwood home Games to be played at Telstra Stadium in Sydney from next year.

I certainly hope this is not the case. I know the club have been spreading the message in Sydney over the last 12 months. Anyone heard any more details?

dillo_09 · Joined: 15 Apr 2001 Location: Whittington

Eddie has previously denied that this will ever happen while he is in charge. We have too much invested in Olympic park and the MCG to play home games interstate.

North, Hawks, Bulldogs and Melbourne all play interstate home games because the venue/council/state Gov agrees to pay those clubs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The question then is - Do we need the money? NO!

BUT.......

I wouldnt mind if we played 2 or 3 AWAY games in Sydney instead of a perth or brisbane game. One against the swans, one against the bulldogs and one against the roos, IF we got a peice of the financial pie.

To play us in those venues, the dogs and roos would get bigger crowds and therefore could get more money, even after they give us some. It would also allow us to penetrate the Sydney market, without alienating our melbourne members.

What do you guys think?

wimmey · Joined: 07 Apr 2002

This same rumour goes around every single year...............................

MagpieMad · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 10:16 am

and even twice a year some times wimmey

CQ · ambitious that Joined: 25 Jul 2000 Location: melb

well if that happened i wouldnt sign up as a member. and if enough ppl did then it would bugger them up for a year and the next year they certainly wouldnt do it again.

but as ppl sed the same rumour has been floating around for a few years now.

Culprit · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Location: Port Melbourne

Eddie has denied it and with his denial came the suggestion of us playing someone elses home games in Sydney if they agreed. This is to gaurantee that the club who agrees may get a larger crowd in Sydney so they can get more money and our club gets exposure in the Sydney market.

One thing about Eddie he will come forward once the work is done that gaurantees a benefit to the Collingwood Football Club. He never dicusses things while he is negotiating hence the fact the club is making money.

MissMagpie_20 · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 2:07 pm

I cant see this ever happening. As Dillo said, we have invested too much money inot Olympic Park to be worried about investing in a Sydeny venture. Plus its not like we need the money and Collingwood are too loyal too their supporters. I cant see the board taking the boys away from us just to earn money we dont need, in something that the members wouldnt support. This rumour is old. Leave the Sydney crap to the paupers of the AFL. Definatly not us!

CQ · ambitious that Joined: 25 Jul 2000 Location: melb

haha collingwood are too loyal to their supporters, pffft, yeh and their $$$

like everything else in life football has become a BUSINESS.

MissMagpie_20 · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 2:13 pm

Yes it is a business CQ but I confident that Collingwood are smart enough to know that our supporters set us apart from other clubs and are a huge aspect of our success and wouldnt do anything that too greatly pissed us off.

Dr Alf Andrews · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 4:01 pm

Yawn ...

Now where have I heard this before?

Rolling Eyes

ck_nd · Pie Minister Joined: 31 Mar 2001 Location: Melbourne

3 home games in Sydney, yeah right. 3 away games in Sydney I wouldn't complain about Very Happy

Go Pies! You are doing us Proud (and you don't need to sell your home games)

Carol

London Dave · Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 5:18 am

You'd get three home games here before 3 in Sydney!

dillo_09 · Joined: 15 Apr 2001 Location: Whittington

Rumour is fact!! Sounds like a good deal to me as it will save us from playing twice in adelaide or perth in the same year and we are guranteed 18 games in Melbourne.

Herald Sun, Page 85.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,6399012%255E20322,00.html

New push for Pie games in Sydney
08 May 2003 Herald Sun
By MIKE SHEAHAN

COLLINGWOOD is preparing a plan that would see it play two games in Sydney every year from 2004.

It proposes an annual schedule of the usual 18 games in Melbourne and four interstate, but with the travelling engagements fixed at two in Sydney, one in Brisbane and one in Adelaide and Perth in alternate years.

Collingwood members would get home-game privileges at one "away" game at the MCG or Telstra Dome in return for the "home" game played in Sydney.

The plan was discussed in Melbourne on Tuesday at a meeting of Stadium Australia officials, AFL department heads Andrew Demetriou and Tony Peek, and Collingwood chief executive Greg Swann.

Stadium Australia, which runs Telstra Stadium, is anxious to share in Collingwood's massive national appeal by offering an attractive deal at the Olympic venue at Homebush.

"There's a fair bit of work to be done, but we are talking about it," Swann said last night.

If Collingwood proceeds, and the plan is adopted by the AFL, the Swans could have 13 home games from next year.

The Western Bulldogs are keen to continue the arrangement in which they play their home game against the Swans in Sydney.

The Bulldogs also are investigating new destinations for one and possibly two more home games.

"We're looking at other venues," chief executive Campbell Rose said last night.

One is Marrara Oval in Darwin and the other is Cairns.

Demetriou said yesterday AFL Northern Territory had requested a home-and-away game from next year, while Cairns has also hosted Wizard Cup fixtures.

Swann said Collingwood and the code would benefit from two appearances in Sydney, predicting crowds of 50,000-plus at both.

"It's not really driven by extra dollars. We just think it's good for the club and good for the game to get extra exposure in the biggest market," Swann said. "It's got to help to grow the game."

The strength of the Collingwood brand was underlined this week by the decision to show the sold-out Adelaide-Collingwood game live into the Brisbane market.

The Magpies played to a full house in Brisbane in Round 4 and are back as the biggest name in Australian sport.

The idea of Collingwood playing its home game against Sydney in Sydney is not new, but has fallen over at least twice during the past five years for various reasons.

The Pies developed a presence of sorts in Sydney's inner-west in a pre-season camp, and are keen to follow-up.

Swann said he had to confer with coach Michael Malthouse and his staff before the plan proceeded to board level.

Demetriou said clubs had until June 6 to respond to the call for fixturing requests next year.

He said he received "nothing official" from Collingwood.

Peek said: "It's been flagged with us as a possibility."

Joel · Joined: 23 Mar 1999 Location: Mornington Peninsula

Yeah I read that. I think it is good that they will allow members to use there tickets in full by allowing "free" entry to a couple of away games. if it goes ahead.

Having said that, I don't particularly like the idea. What is the point? Are we really that desperate to expand out market base?

Lone Ranger · Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Location: Macedon Ranges

This deal sounds too good to be true.
We get money, guaranteed 18 Melbourne games, 1 away game in Melbourne treated as a "home" game, only one game per year in Adelaide/Perth.
The AFL get more people in Sydney insterested because of our huge drawing power.
Other teams simply give up a home game for money. Only the mecurial Eddie could come up with something where we give away almost nothing but gain a lot.