One Home Ground Issue

[jodragon40]

I was on another forum and the discussion was raised in relation to the STGI playing just at Win stadium and until that happens we can't move forwards and be successful as a JV.

Well those remarks opened up a can of worms.

My personal opinion in reply was, as a 10 year old Dad took me to my first footy game. We had to catch 3 trains to get to Kogarah Jubilee Oval. 29th March 1970, 3pm kick off, St George v Eastern Suburbs.

What a game, we won that day 23 - 17, the place was packed over 12,000 went that day. Our tries were scored by blokes by the name of King and Langlands. Changa kicked 4 goals and in that close game we kicked 3 field goals, by a bloke by the name of Phil Hawthorne who was a duel international.

The atmosphere was something that I will never ever forget. It reminded me of watching my first real football match as a 5 year old in Bradford, England, you call it soccer here.

I disagree that we should have 1 home ground, Kogarah Jubilee will always be hallowed ground to me and it would do the club a great disservice to our history never to play there again. Yes I am a traditional Dragons tragic but now I am a STGI tragic.

Yes we are a joint venture and I accept that theres no going back to a single entity, we couldn't. I for one are grateful that we didn't follow the same path as the Rabbitohs.

But for some alleged supporters to argue that we can't move forwards as a JV and be successful unless we only play at Win is simplistic and erroneous in my humble views.

Anyone have views on a 1 home ground policy?. Happy to discuss this issue with anyone in a constructive and amicable manner.

 

[Edward]

I was on another forum and the discussion was raised in relation to the STGI playing just at Win stadium and until that happens we can't move forwards and be successful as a JV.

Well those remarks opened up a can of worms.

My personal opinion in reply was, as a 10 year old Dad took me to my first footy game. We had to catch 3 trains to get to Kogarah Jubilee Oval. 29th March 1970, 3pm kick off, St George v Eastern Suburbs.

What a game, we won that day 23 - 17, the place was packed over 12,000 went that day. Our tries were scored by blokes by the name of King and Langlands. Changa kicked 4 goals and in that close game we kicked 3 field goals, by a bloke by the name of Phil Hawthorne who was a duel international.

The atmosphere was something that I will never ever forget. It reminded me of watching my first real football match as a 5 year old in Bradford, England, you call it soccer here.

I disagree that we should have 1 home ground, Kogarah Jubilee will always be hallowed ground to me and it would do the club a great disservice to our history never to play there again. Yes I am a traditional Dragons tragic but now I am a STGI tragic.

Yes we are a joint venture and I accept that theres no going back to a single entity, we couldn't. I for one are grateful that we didn't follow the same path as the Rabbitohs.

But for some alleged supporters to argue that we can't move forwards as a JV and be successful unless we only play at Win is simplistic and erroneous in my humble views.

Anyone have views on a 1 home ground policy?. Happy to discuss this issue with anyone in a constructive and amicable manner.

The current system works pretty well.

 

[jodragon40]

The current system works pretty well.

Agree

 

[GCRV]

I was on another forum and the discussion was raised in relation to the STGI playing just at Win stadium and until that happens we can't move forwards and be successful as a JV.

Why? It's not like Win stadium is Alliance or Accor or even CommBank. If it was a big stadium, playing all games there would be logical.

 

[jodragon40]

Why? It's not like Win stadium is Alliance or Accor or even CommBank. If it was a big stadium, playing all games there would be logical.

My view Win represents the Illawarra side of the JV, Kogarah represents the traditional St George side.

 

[HaydoM8]

this is pretty much an offshoot of the closed thread.

 

[jodragon40]

this is pretty much an offshoot of the closed thread.

I disagree. It's not about the entity it's about where the games should be played but thanks anyway for your thoughts.

 

[HaydoM8]

i understand, however the logical conclusion of the discussion cuts to the heart of the location issue ...

Are we an illawarra team therefore play the majority out of WIN
Are we a St George team therefore play the majority out of Kogarah.

What impact does this have on fans/players as we try to support two home bases separated by 60-70kms ..

so i think there is merit in the conversation similar to merit in the other location discussion but the COE is really starting to push the narrative in terms of basing out of WIN more ...

Expect we are going down the path of 5-6 games a year at WIN, 3-4 at Kogarah and the remaining at Allianz to try and cash in more on big drawing games ie dogs.

 

[jodragon40]

i understand, however the logical conclusion of the discussion cuts to the heart of the location issue ...

Are we an illawarra team therefore play the majority out of WIN
Are we a St George team therefore play the majority out of Kogarah.

What impact does this have on fans/players as we try to support two home bases separated by 60-70kms ..

so i think there is merit in the conversation similar to merit in the other location discussion but the COE is really starting to push the narrative in terms of basing out of WIN more ...

Expect we are going down the path of 5-6 games a year at WIN, 3-4 at Kogarah and the remaining at Allianz to try and cash in more on big drawing games ie dogs.

I can live with that. The other forum didn't even mention Allianz as a big game, big money alternative. I see it the same as you have indicated.

 

[Frank Facer]

this is pretty much an offshoot of the closed thread.

lol

 

[Eric]

I can live with that. The other forum didn't even mention Allianz as a big game, big money alternative. I see it the same as you have indicated.

If demand for tickets far exceeds the number available at WIN or Jubilee, have to get used to moving to bigger grounds. One day might have to move games to Homebush rather than Allianz. As for the current set up, it works fine as is, IMO.

 

[Frank Facer]

We are called St George Illawarra Dragons. St George is the first part, Dragons is from St George. Our main jersey is the red V on the white, which is the St George jersey. When we merged, they called it a Joint Venture. St George was the dominate partner. It was still St George Dragons with the St George jersey, St George emblem and the addition of Illawarra to the bottom of the emblem. Some even said St George had taken over Illawarra or absorbed Illawarra. St George Dragons with the red and white is like a trinity, they all go hand in hand. Now they have changed the emblem. Now it looks like Win is trying to take over St George. I would prefer it to go the other way and play 10 games at Kograrah and 2 at Wollongong. I know there are many St George fans who think the same or similar to what I do. There are at least 3 outspoken, long term posters and well known regular posters on "the other forum" who agree with me or even say we should go back to being just St George and many others on that forum too who think the same thing. One of them says that Illawarra is a noose around our neck and they never had any success. This is a copy and paste from wikipedia, so it is just what someone wrote, but I think it has relevance.

In the wake of the Super League war of the mid-1990s, and the resulting split competition of 1997, the Illawarra Steelers found themselves struggling financially and seemed unlikely to survive past 1999. The St. George Dragons largely financed a proposal for a joint venture which would see the St George Illawarra Dragons playing in both Kogarah and Wollongong. Essentially, St George would provide the money while Illawarra would provide a broader junior and fan base. With the NRL's intention to rationalise the competition from 20 teams down to 14 teams and with a $4M incentive and a relaxing of salary cap requirements for a joint venture, the Dragons and the Steelers ensured their survival by forming the League's first joint venture on 23 September 1998.[3]

From the above copy and paste it said Illawarra would provide the juniors and fan base. When we merged, the majority of the St George Illawarra fan base, was made up of St George fans and they were from all over Sydney, and NSW country and Qld and even other parts of Australia. When St George used to play Brisbane in Brisbane there were many St George fans from Qld who would attend games. St George had one of the largest number of supporters in the comp.

I really need to hurry up and become a multi billionaire, so I can buy St George Illawarra and build us a new stadium at Kogarah, that holds at least 40 000 people. A successful St George Illawarra team would fill a 40 000 seat stadium for big regular season games. The Anzac day game is proof of that. There have been NRL games at homebush that have attracted bigger crowds than 40 000. Back in the 2000's and up until 2011, when we made the semis, the Sydney Football Stadium was sold out. I remember the game against West Tigers in 2005. It was packed. I will also add that most of the Wests fans were old Balmain fans. Balmain had a very big supporter base base. With fans spread all over Sydney, like us. I grew up in the South Western Suburbs of Sydney and the clubs with the most supporters in my area that I could think of were St George, Parramatta, Canterbury, Balmain and South Sydney. There weren't many Wests fans and hardly any Penrith fans. Those 5 clubs still have the largest supporter bases in Sydney and if they make the semis, they come out on mass to support those teams. If they built a 40 000 seat stadium at Wollongong, it would struggle to get more than 25 000 people there and many of them would be traveling down from Sydney. If we were to become separate identities, in my opinion Illawarra would struggle to get any big crowds what so ever, while a St George team would attract big crowds, if we had a stadium to hold them.

Does the NRL and V'landys want us to be located at Wollongong and play most of our games there, so they can say, there is a club/team in the Illawarra area?

They are taking the St George fans for granted. Our recent lack of success had made many St George fans lose interest.

The word Joint, is a derivative of join, which also can mean unite. I think there is division with both "Joint ventures". I also think West Tigers should both be separate entities and both in the NRL. Take note of how the former Balmain fans will not call them Wests and only call them Tigers. I have noticed that the Illawarra fans like to call us the Dragons and not call us St George. We also used to be called the Saints, but that term isn't used anymore. Steve Roach used to call us that, but I can't remember the last time someone on TV called us the Saints. I still call us Saints. That used to be our nickname. I rarely if ever called us the Dragons.

When Illawarra went broke, that was the opportunity for St George to take control and even go back to being a single identity, like when North Sydney went broke and the Northern Eagles went back to being Manly. I remember when that happened. I rang up my Manly mate and said something like. Have you heard the news. He hadn't. I said it was the best news he could get regarding football. He thought the Northern Eagle may have signed a big name player who I can't recall now. When I told him they were going back to being Manly Sea Eagles. He was overjoyed. It was the best news he could have got, football wise.

 

[jodragon40]

We are called St George Illawarra Dragons. St George is the first part, Dragons is from St George. Our main jersey is the red V on the white, which is the St George jersey. When we merged, they called it a Joint Venture. St George was the dominate partner. It was still St George Dragons with the St George jersey, St George emblem and the addition of Illawarra to the bottom of the emblem. Some even said St George had taken over Illawarra or absorbed Illawarra. St George Dragons with the red and white is like a trinity, they all go hand in hand. Now they have changed the emblem. Now it looks like Win is trying to take over St George. I would prefer it to go the other way and play 10 games at Kograrah and 2 at Wollongong. I know there are many St George fans who think the same or similar to what I do. There are at least 3 outspoken, long term posters and well known regular posters on "the other forum" who agree with me or even say we should go back to being just St George and many others on that forum too who think the same thing. One of them says that Illawarra is a noose around our neck and they never had any success. This is a copy and paste from wikipedia, so it is just what someone wrote, but I think it has relevance.

In the wake of the Super League war of the mid-1990s, and the resulting split competition of 1997, the Illawarra Steelers found themselves struggling financially and seemed unlikely to survive past 1999. The St. George Dragons largely financed a proposal for a joint venture which would see the St George Illawarra Dragons playing in both Kogarah and Wollongong. Essentially, St George would provide the money while Illawarra would provide a broader junior and fan base. With the NRL's intention to rationalise the competition from 20 teams down to 14 teams and with a $4M incentive and a relaxing of salary cap requirements for a joint venture, the Dragons and the Steelers ensured their survival by forming the League's first joint venture on 23 September 1998.[3]

From the above copy and paste it said Illawarra would provide the juniors and fan base. When we merged, the majority of the St George Illawarra fan base, was made up of St George fans and they were from all over Sydney, and NSW country and Qld and even other parts of Australia. When St George used to play Brisbane in Brisbane there were many St George fans from Qld who would attend games. St George had one of the largest number of supporters in the comp.

I really need to hurry up and become a multi billionaire, so I can buy St George Illawarra and build us a new stadium at Kogarah, that holds at least 40 000 people. A successful St George Illawarra team would fill a 40 000 seat stadium for big regular season games. The Anzac day game is proof of that. There have been NRL games at homebush that have attracted bigger crowds than 40 000. Back in the 2000's and up until 2011, when we made the semis, the Sydney Football Stadium was sold out. I remember the game against West Tigers in 2005. It was packed. I will also add that most of the Wests fans were old Balmain fans. Balmain had a very big supporter base base. With fans spread all over Sydney, like us. I grew up in the South Western Suburbs of Sydney and the clubs with the most supporters in my area that I could think of were St George, Parramatta, Canterbury, Balmain and South Sydney. There weren't many Wests fans and hardly any Penrith fans. Those 5 clubs still have the largest supporter bases in Sydney and if they make the semis, they come out on mass to support those teams. If they built a 40 000 seat stadium at Wollongong, it would struggle to get more than 25 000 people there and many of them would be traveling down from Sydney. If we were to become separate identities, in my opinion Illawarra would struggle to get any big crowds what so ever, while a St George team would attract big crowds, if we had a stadium to hold them.

Does the NRL and V'landys want us to be located at Wollongong and play most of our games there, so they can say, there is a club/team in the Illawarra area?

They are taking the St George fans for granted. Our recent lack of success had made many St George fans lose interest.

The word Joint, is a derivative of join, which also can mean unite. I think there is division with both "Joint ventures". I also think West Tigers should both be separate entities and both in the NRL. Take note of how the former Balmain fans will not call them Wests and only call them Tigers. I have noticed that the Illawarra fans like to call us the Dragons and not call us St George. We also used to be called the Saints, but that term isn't used anymore. Steve Roach used to call us that, but I can't remember the last time someone on TV called us the Saints. I still call us Saints. That used to be our nickname. I rarely if ever called us the Dragons.

When Illawarra went broke, that was the opportunity for St George to take control and even go back to being a single identity, like when North Sydney went broke and the Northern Eagles went back to being Manly. I remember when that happened. I rang up my Manly mate and said something like. Have you heard the news. He hadn't. I said it was the best news he could get regarding football. He thought the Northern Eagle may have signed a big name player who I can't recall now. When I told him they were going back to being Manly Sea Eagles. He was overjoyed. It was the best news he could have got, football wise.

That is a comprehensive reply to a simple question and does go off onto another tangent or two tangents in fact which has nothing to do with this question or thread.

I ask that you confine your comments to the actual point of this particular thread or any future thread without such a comprehensive reply that deals with the past issues.

In regards to this raised issue, I am in agreement with J Justadragon when it comes to the slice up of games played at each home ground. I believe that is common sense approach to satisfy both sets of fan bases.

 

[Justadragon]

I was on another forum and the discussion was raised in relation to the STGI playing just at Win stadium and until that happens we can't move forwards and be successful as a JV.

Well those remarks opened up a can of worms.

My personal opinion in reply was, as a 10 year old Dad took me to my first footy game. We had to catch 3 trains to get to Kogarah Jubilee Oval. 29th March 1970, 3pm kick off, St George v Eastern Suburbs.

What a game, we won that day 23 - 17, the place was packed over 12,000 went that day. Our tries were scored by blokes by the name of King and Langlands. Changa kicked 4 goals and in that close game we kicked 3 field goals, by a bloke by the name of Phil Hawthorne who was a duel international.

The atmosphere was something that I will never ever forget. It reminded me of watching my first real football match as a 5 year old in Bradford, England, you call it soccer here.

I disagree that we should have 1 home ground, Kogarah Jubilee will always be hallowed ground to me and it would do the club a great disservice to our history never to play there again. Yes I am a traditional Dragons tragic but now I am a STGI tragic.

Yes we are a joint venture and I accept that theres no going back to a single entity, we couldn't. I for one are grateful that we didn't follow the same path as the Rabbitohs.

But for some alleged supporters to argue that we can't move forwards as a JV and be successful unless we only play at Win is simplistic and erroneous in my humble views.

Anyone have views on a 1 home ground policy?. Happy to discuss this issue with anyone in a constructive and amicable manner.

Having all your games out WIN would be horrific to your loyal Dragons fans in Sydney.

 

[Frank Facer]

That is a comprehensive reply to a simple question and does go off onto another tangent or two tangents in fact which has nothing to do with this question or thread.

I ask that you confine your comments to the actual point of this particular thread or any future thread without such a comprehensive reply that deals with the past issues.

In regards to this raised issue, I am in agreement with J Justadragon when it comes to the slice up of games played at each home ground. I believe that is common sense approach to satisfy both sets of fan bases.

If they are going to suggest we play all of our games at Wollongong, why can't others, including myself say, we should play all of our games at Kogarah? I also thought everything I wrote was relevant to the thread. I could also say, are you trolling me with the thread?

 

[RedV01]

If they are going to suggest we play all of our games at Wollongong, why can't others, including myself say, we should play all of our games at Kogarah? I also thought everything I wrote was relevant to the thread. I could also say, are you trolling me with the thread?

Both ideas are stupid and not going to happen anytime soon. But you should be able to say it.

 

[RedV01]

Having all your games out WIN would be horrific to your loyal Dragons fans in Sydney.

I didn't know people were still talking about this.
Before talking about it, if either one is not sold out for every game, barring inclement weather, it shouldn't be talked about. I mean, talk about it but don't complain one way or the other until the ground where you want all games played is sold out for every game. If Kogarah was sold out for every game while Win was only half full or vice versa, there would be grounds to complain about the current set-up.

 

[RedV01]

That is a comprehensive reply to a simple question and does go off onto another tangent or two tangents in fact which has nothing to do with this question or thread.

I ask that you confine your comments to the actual point of this particular thread or any future thread without such a comprehensive reply that deals with the past issues.

In regards to this raised issue, I am in agreement with J Justadragon when it comes to the slice up of games played at each home ground. I believe that is common sense approach to satisfy both sets of fan bases.

Mr Moderator, don't you think you should let Frank say his bit on this thread? Otherwise it will keep coming up over and over. Then anyone not interested in the topic, like me, can just ignore the thread.

 

[jodragon40]

Mr Moderator, don't you think you should let Frank say his bit on this thread? Otherwise it will keep coming up over and over. Then anyone not interested in the topic, like me, can just ignore the thread.

I have issued a warning to the member due to the inappropriate content of his messages and as a result of concerns raised by members. Thank you

 

[RedV01]

I have issued a warning to the member due to the inappropriate content of his messages and as a result of concerns raised by members. Thank you

So...... what's the answer? Why not allow him to speak his mind on this thread so it doesn't keep coming up over and over? What he wants isn't going to happen. We all know that. But if he is unhappy about it and wants to vent, why can't he?