Philzsay
9 May 2006, 12:30
Here is a copy of the letter sent to members this week:
May 4th, 2006
Dear Member,
As you may be aware, the AFL recently mandated that Clubs should provide for a clash journey from next season onwards. We have not submitted a Clash Guernsey to the AFL at this stage but as this is now a rule of the competition we are required to do so by May 31st this year. We may seek an extension to this date to ensure we have time to get member’s input on possible designs.
The AFL ruling has created plenty of debate among members and football supporters in general. As such I am writing to you to provide you with the opportunity to discuss this issue with myself, and chief executive, Peter Jackson, at a Members Information Evening to be held later this month.
To ensure we are able to book an appropriate venue to discuss this issue, we are asking that you help us by either registering your attendance at our website (essendonfc.com.au) or calling the club (9230 0390) by 5pm on Tuesday, May16th. You will need to provide a contact phone number or email address and your membership number. We will advise you of the date, time and venue once we have collated this information.
I would also like to take this opportunity to provide you with the facts surrounding this matter.
Let me start by saying this Club, and its supporters, are very passionate about our tradition and heritage. This Club adheres to these core values better than most. While other Clubs have deserted there heartland, Windy Hill remains our home. We have a Hall of Fame that is the envy of other Clubs and a Past Players Association that is the strongest in the competition.
Many of our Club functions celebrate our proud history and out VFL team remains the ‘Bombers’. Again, unlike other clubs, we refused to farm out players not representing Essendon seniors to Clubs that were separate entities that did not even wear the same colours. If you are an Essendon listed player you wear a black Guernsey with a red slash.
In keeping with this stand we have constantly refused AFL requests to produce a clash Guernsey since it was first put to the Club in June 1998. The AFL has been resolute on this issue but despite constant requests, we have been very clear for the past eight years that we are not prepared to produce a clash Guernsey.
Any suggestion this Club has rolled over on this issue and conceded defeat in the wake of recent news reports is both inaccurate and unfair. I have said on behalf of the Essendon Football Club board and members that we don’t want a clash guernsey. We have fought the case with the AFL on behalf of members.
We have backed this public stance with correspondence and in meetings with the AFL where we have again put this view on behalf of the members. I want to assure members we have had the fight and to this day we maintain our stance. We do not wish to have a clash guernsey.
However, in 1985, all clubs signed a license agreement giving the AFL Commission the power to run the competition independently. This gave them the power to write the rules of the competition. These rules are binding on AFL Clubs. Legal advice sought by Essendon Football Club says that will remain the case regardless of what our constitution says, or in the absence of any proved irregularity, any stand the Club decides to take.
As such, they have now introduced a rule which demands each Club submit a clash guernsey. So under AFL rules we need to submit a clash guernsey and if we don’t, we risk significant fines and penalties. Many of you are not happy about it, and neither are we, but the facts of the situation are that we need to submit one.
This rule can’t be overturned unless 11 of the 16 Clubs vote to have it overturned. As Chairman or as a board member, I have never experienced such an event. I don’t expect it will happen this time as 14 of the 16 Clubs already have a clash guernsey and Collingwood has submitted one. Why would other Clubs think they should have to play by the AFL rules but it is reasonable that Essendon do not?
Under the uniform rule, Clubs can be fined $5000 per player that does not wear the right uniform. That would constitute a fine of $110,000 should we choose not to wear a clash jumper in a designated match. The AFL Football Operations Department make the call on when a clash occurs. They have decided our Guernsey clashes with Melbourne, St Kilda and Richmond. In these games, the home Club has the rights to decide which uniform they want to wear.
The home club might choose to wear their traditional jumper in which case Essendon will be forced to wear its clash guernsey. However, if the home team chooses to wear its alternative jumper then Essendon will be able to revert to its traditional jumper.
If this rule were in place for 2006, Essendon could have been required to wear its clash guernsey just once. Without seeing the fixturing for season 2007, we don’t know what the implications are but we don’t anticipate having to wear a clash guernsey in more than one or two games.
We have made our feelings known to the AFL for the past eight years on the issue of the clash guernsey. But the rule is now written – we don’t have to like it, we can tell them we still disagree with it – but in the end it will get us nowhere. Fourteen other teams have complied and as far as the AFL is concerned, they don’t see why Essendon or Collingwood should be given any special consideration.
I think it is also important for me to point out that if the AFL equivocate in any way on this rule – as was recently suggested in The Age newspaper – we will strongly consider not wearing a clash guernsey. The AFL has told us this is a rule of the competition and as such as all clubs will abide by it. If for some reason that is not the case, the Essendon Football Club board will re-consider its position.
We can discuss the AFL ruling further at the upcoming Members Information Evening, but the reality is that as things stand we have to submit a clash guernsey.
We will have some possible clash guernsey designs available for members to comment on at our upcoming meeting. The board will then make a final decision on which design is submitted to the AFL
Thanks for your on-going support of Essendon
Yours sincerely
Neil McKissock
Chairman
Essendon Football Club
May 4th, 2006
Dear Member,
As you may be aware, the AFL recently mandated that Clubs should provide for a clash journey from next season onwards. We have not submitted a Clash Guernsey to the AFL at this stage but as this is now a rule of the competition we are required to do so by May 31st this year. We may seek an extension to this date to ensure we have time to get member’s input on possible designs.
The AFL ruling has created plenty of debate among members and football supporters in general. As such I am writing to you to provide you with the opportunity to discuss this issue with myself, and chief executive, Peter Jackson, at a Members Information Evening to be held later this month.
To ensure we are able to book an appropriate venue to discuss this issue, we are asking that you help us by either registering your attendance at our website (essendonfc.com.au) or calling the club (9230 0390) by 5pm on Tuesday, May16th. You will need to provide a contact phone number or email address and your membership number. We will advise you of the date, time and venue once we have collated this information.
I would also like to take this opportunity to provide you with the facts surrounding this matter.
Let me start by saying this Club, and its supporters, are very passionate about our tradition and heritage. This Club adheres to these core values better than most. While other Clubs have deserted there heartland, Windy Hill remains our home. We have a Hall of Fame that is the envy of other Clubs and a Past Players Association that is the strongest in the competition.
Many of our Club functions celebrate our proud history and out VFL team remains the ‘Bombers’. Again, unlike other clubs, we refused to farm out players not representing Essendon seniors to Clubs that were separate entities that did not even wear the same colours. If you are an Essendon listed player you wear a black Guernsey with a red slash.
In keeping with this stand we have constantly refused AFL requests to produce a clash Guernsey since it was first put to the Club in June 1998. The AFL has been resolute on this issue but despite constant requests, we have been very clear for the past eight years that we are not prepared to produce a clash Guernsey.
Any suggestion this Club has rolled over on this issue and conceded defeat in the wake of recent news reports is both inaccurate and unfair. I have said on behalf of the Essendon Football Club board and members that we don’t want a clash guernsey. We have fought the case with the AFL on behalf of members.
We have backed this public stance with correspondence and in meetings with the AFL where we have again put this view on behalf of the members. I want to assure members we have had the fight and to this day we maintain our stance. We do not wish to have a clash guernsey.
However, in 1985, all clubs signed a license agreement giving the AFL Commission the power to run the competition independently. This gave them the power to write the rules of the competition. These rules are binding on AFL Clubs. Legal advice sought by Essendon Football Club says that will remain the case regardless of what our constitution says, or in the absence of any proved irregularity, any stand the Club decides to take.
As such, they have now introduced a rule which demands each Club submit a clash guernsey. So under AFL rules we need to submit a clash guernsey and if we don’t, we risk significant fines and penalties. Many of you are not happy about it, and neither are we, but the facts of the situation are that we need to submit one.
This rule can’t be overturned unless 11 of the 16 Clubs vote to have it overturned. As Chairman or as a board member, I have never experienced such an event. I don’t expect it will happen this time as 14 of the 16 Clubs already have a clash guernsey and Collingwood has submitted one. Why would other Clubs think they should have to play by the AFL rules but it is reasonable that Essendon do not?
Under the uniform rule, Clubs can be fined $5000 per player that does not wear the right uniform. That would constitute a fine of $110,000 should we choose not to wear a clash jumper in a designated match. The AFL Football Operations Department make the call on when a clash occurs. They have decided our Guernsey clashes with Melbourne, St Kilda and Richmond. In these games, the home Club has the rights to decide which uniform they want to wear.
The home club might choose to wear their traditional jumper in which case Essendon will be forced to wear its clash guernsey. However, if the home team chooses to wear its alternative jumper then Essendon will be able to revert to its traditional jumper.
If this rule were in place for 2006, Essendon could have been required to wear its clash guernsey just once. Without seeing the fixturing for season 2007, we don’t know what the implications are but we don’t anticipate having to wear a clash guernsey in more than one or two games.
We have made our feelings known to the AFL for the past eight years on the issue of the clash guernsey. But the rule is now written – we don’t have to like it, we can tell them we still disagree with it – but in the end it will get us nowhere. Fourteen other teams have complied and as far as the AFL is concerned, they don’t see why Essendon or Collingwood should be given any special consideration.
I think it is also important for me to point out that if the AFL equivocate in any way on this rule – as was recently suggested in The Age newspaper – we will strongly consider not wearing a clash guernsey. The AFL has told us this is a rule of the competition and as such as all clubs will abide by it. If for some reason that is not the case, the Essendon Football Club board will re-consider its position.
We can discuss the AFL ruling further at the upcoming Members Information Evening, but the reality is that as things stand we have to submit a clash guernsey.
We will have some possible clash guernsey designs available for members to comment on at our upcoming meeting. The board will then make a final decision on which design is submitted to the AFL
Thanks for your on-going support of Essendon
Yours sincerely
Neil McKissock
Chairman
Essendon Football Club