Analysis Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happening

[Papa G]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happens

I heard from 2 seperate sources recently, one of which used to be high up in a catering company, that Leigh Whicker actually gets a direct slice of the action from the catering at Football Park. ie a direct slice of the catering costs go straight into his pocket as part of his remuneration package. My source said that when he first started he asked why they don't bid for the catering rights at Football Park considering they did other major arenas around the country, he was told that there was no point, as Footy Park was a closed shop for this very reason. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happens

I heard from 2 seperate sources recently, one of which used to be high up in a catering company, that Leigh Whicker actually gets a direct slice of the action from the catering at Football Park. ie a direct slice of the catering costs go straight into his pocket as part of his remuneration package. My source said that when he first started he asked why they don't bid for the catering rights at Football Park considering they did other major arenas around the country, he was told that there was no point, as Footy Park was a closed shop for this very reason. Has anyone else heard this?

It wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

If the SAFC and the 9 SANFL clubs have approved it and signed off on it as an incentive/bonus for Whicker then there is no dramas as it's their venue. It just makes it harder for us to renegotiate the deal if Whicker wants the same compensation.

If the 9 clubs don't know about it, and its true, then it would be interesting to know what Bohdan Jaworskyj thinks of this remuneration set up.

 

[Papa G]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

If the SAFC and the 9 SANFL clubs have approved it and signed off on it as an incentive/bonus for Whicker then there is no dramas as it's their venue. It just makes it harder for us to renegotiate the deal if Whicker wants the same compensation.

If the 9 clubs don't know about it, and its true, then it would be interesting to know what Bohdan Jaworskyj thinks of this remuneration set up.

My source said it wasn't a conflict of interest because it was disclosed in the SANFL's financials and therefore above board. But Jesus, Whicker's grip on that dump is iron clad and to the great detriment of our football club, city and state I can't see him ever letting it go. He needs to be targeted hard by the media, a witch hunt if you will.

 

[Steve Dore]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happens

I heard from 2 seperate sources recently, one of which used to be high up in a catering company, that Leigh Whicker actually gets a direct slice of the action from the catering at Football Park. ie a direct slice of the catering costs go straight into his pocket as part of his remuneration package. .......

That doesn't surprise me. If SANFL revenue in anyway is linked to Whicker's renumeration then of course he is going to fight tooth and nail to ensure that the SANFL get as much of the revenue generated by the PAFC as possible. At least he is not simply doing it as a personal vendetta against the PAFC

 

[Steve Dore]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

My source said it wasn't a conflict of interest because it was disclosed in the SANFL's financials and therefore above board. ......

Back in the good ol' days AAMI Membership was SANFL Membership but that changed when the AFL came to town.

1.1 The conferring of Membership of AAMI Stadium upon a person does not confer upon that person any form of Membership of the South Australian National Football League Inc (“the League”).
1.2 A Member of AAMI Stadium is therefore not entitled to receive the Annual Report nor to attend any meetings of the League. ....

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

My source said it wasn't a conflict of interest because it was disclosed in the SANFL's financials and therefore above board. But Jesus, Whicker's grip on that dump is iron clad and to the great detriment of our football club, city and state I can't see him ever letting it go. He needs to be targeted hard by the media, a witch hunt if you will.

I get the SANFL annual reports but I have never noticed that his bonus is directly related to catering revenue. But I would have expected his bonus to be related to revenue and or profits. No real difference to Demetriou and his bonuses being related to TV monies and other monies. We get screwed by a bigger TV deal as we get more of the shit timeslots and less free to air TV coverage.

But I like you thinking of stiring things up. Maybe that's why NAFC and Jaworskyj have done what they have. But Whicker has quiet a few media mates in the established Adelaide media.

 

[Malibu#27]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

For quite some time I've been under the impression that Leigh would happily use football to serve his own financial interests ....

Leigh thwarted
Cigarette sleeves are being sold in the colours of AFL clubs, but they do not include club logos or names.

The AFL said it was powerless to stop the club-coloured sleeves, created by Annie Whicker - the wife of the South Australian National Football League's chief executive, Leigh Whicker.

Other sleeve designs feature topless men and women.
Leigh thwarted


Port unhappy

SANFL chief’s wife in smoking battle

The AFL is at loggerheads with the wife of SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker over Crows and Power-coloured cigarette packet sleeves which have angered the two clubs.

The story continues with quotes from Annie Whicker about how she has the support of her husband, describes the range of ‘Packet Jackets’ available, the reason for their development (to hide the charming images of gangrene and damaged lungs/eyebals - evidently some smokers don’t like looking at the pics).

The second half of the story covers Port Power’s ‘World No Tobacco Day’ event and how disappointed PP are with Mrs Whicker’s use of their colours

Port unhappy

 

[Steve Dore]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

For quite some time I've been under the impression that Leigh would happily use football to serve his own financial interests ....

Leigh thwarted
Cigarette sleeves are being sold in the colours of AFL clubs, but they do not include club logos or names.

The AFL said it was powerless to stop the club-coloured sleeves, created by Annie Whicker - the wife of the South Australian National Football League's chief executive, Leigh Whicker.

Other sleeve designs feature topless men and women.
Leigh thwarted


Port unhappy

SANFL chief’s wife in smoking battle

The AFL is at loggerheads with the wife of SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker over Crows and Power-coloured cigarette packet sleeves which have angered the two clubs.

The story continues with quotes from Annie Whicker about how she has the support of her husband, describes the range of ‘Packet Jackets’ available, the reason for their development (to hide the charming images of gangrene and damaged lungs/eyebals - evidently some smokers don’t like looking at the pics).

The second half of the story covers Port Power’s ‘World No Tobacco Day’ event and how disappointed PP are with Mrs Whicker’s use of their colours

Port unhappy

That whole "Packet Jacket" affair and Whicker's reaction to it highlights the type of person he is and exactly where his priorities lie.

 

[Papa G]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

I get the SANFL annual reports but I have never noticed that his bonus is directly related to catering revenue. But I would have expected his bonus to be related to revenue and or profits. No real difference to Demetriou and his bonuses being related to TV monies and other monies. We get screwed by a bigger TV deal as we get more of the shit timeslots and less free to air TV coverage.

But I like you thinking of stiring things up. Maybe that's why NAFC and Jaworskyj have done what they have. But Whicker has quiet a few media mates in the established Adelaide media.

Richard Earle seems to be the biggest one pushing the Adelaide Oval debate. His interview/ report with Mike Deare is what lead to the SACA chief's demise. Heard him on Double Crow a month or 2 ago and he was basically saying what no body else is willing to: Leigh Whicker and Leigh Whicker alone is the only stumbling block to a redeveloped Adelaide Oval catering for both footy and cricket. Of course Cow Face and his Lap Dog pulled out the tired old line of "Footy can't be worse off" shit. Earle seems like a reporter that owes no allegiance or has no love for the SANFL and is genuinely behind the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval as the states A grade facility. If Newscorp back him, he should really go for Whicker's jugular. With no real media (apart from AA, although Cornes is also a Newscorp employee) to take the opposing view, the debate could become much more front and centre than it currently is.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

If you watch this video from the joint presser between Duncanson and Whicker around the 20th May re the SANFL's $2.5mil re-investment, you get an idea of Whicker's blunt manner.

Whicker went from being broad about the hows and whys of the cash injection and well as upcoming stadium deal adjustment, but as he is pressed about the past further and why the SANFL didn't know anything about how bad things were, especially by Ian Shuttleworth at the 9.10min mark, he gets very short with him and another reporter.

http://bigpondvideo.com/portadelaidetv/133451

 

[Portia]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Football will not thrive at Adelaide Oval, regardless of how big a ******** Leigh Whicker is.

 

[FishingRick04]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Football will not thrive at Adelaide Oval, regardless of how big a ******** Leigh Whicker is.

Why wouldn't it thrive there? Because of Whicker or the Oval? I think it's changing enough and with more plans to accomodate the need.

Realistically the grass should have stayed and the rest bulldozed and started from scratch to make a new modern city stadium.

Let the SANFL clubs invest their 400 mil and live off the profits and the Corws and Port hold their own independant licenses.

 

[Natman]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happens

I heard from 2 seperate sources recently, one of which used to be high up in a catering company, that Leigh Whicker actually gets a direct slice of the action from the catering at Football Park. ie a direct slice of the catering costs go straight into his pocket as part of his remuneration package. My source said that when he first started he asked why they don't bid for the catering rights at Football Park considering they did other major arenas around the country, he was told that there was no point, as Footy Park was a closed shop for this very reason. Has anyone else heard this?

It might have been mentioned before, but I have a vague recollection that Whicker had an interest in a catering company many years ago - before he came to the SNAFL.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Football will not thrive at Adelaide Oval, regardless of how big a ******** Leigh Whicker is.

I assume you mean whilst the SACA and/or SANFL are involved in controlling the ground.

If it is put in an independant government Trust with independant management, offering a clean stadium deal, with a limit of 10% of ground members, as you get with all the stadiums in Qld and as proposed in the WA Stadia Taskforce report, then I think it will work well. Anything less than this type of set up and it will probably be a stuff up as you suggested.

 

[Portia]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

And I can't think of a state government, that could be electable, in SA that would dare to punt the SACA.

Not to mention how heavily restricted the ground is for further expansion of facilities, an the non-existence of car parking. Then they can try and get one tram to go the length of King William St to disperse all of the crowd - no multiple train lines. Good luck, football.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happens

Richard Earle seems to be the biggest one pushing the Adelaide Oval debate. His interview/ report with Mike Deare is what lead to the SACA chief's demise. Heard him on Double Crow a month or 2 ago and he was basically saying what no body else is willing to: Leigh Whicker and Leigh Whicker alone is the only stumbling block to a redeveloped Adelaide Oval catering for both footy and cricket. Of course Cow Face and his Lap Dog pulled out the tired old line of "Footy can't be worse off" shit. Earle seems like a reporter that owes no allegiance or has no love for the SANFL and is genuinely behind the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval as the states A grade facility. If Newscorp back him, he should really go for Whicker's jugular. With no real media (apart from AA, although Cornes is also a News Corp employee) to take the opposing view, the debate could become much more front and centre than it currently is.

Yes I heard that. What came thru was that Earle was a cricket writer and was taking the SACA's point of view and whingeing that the SANFL was holding up an improvement to a cricket oval and cricket was missing out. Cornes was right to say that footy had to be a lot better off by the move. But everybody involved in that discussion missed the obvious point. Neither cricket or footy should be in charge a $300mil+ redeveloped Adelaide oval paid for by the government. FR has alluded to that in his quote below.

Why wouldn't it thrive there? Because of Wicker or the Oval? I think it's changing enough and with more plans to accommodate the need.

Realistically the grass should have stayed and the rest bulldozed and started from scratch to make a new modern city stadium.

Let the SANFL clubs invest their 400 mil and live off the profits and the Crows and Port hold their own independant licenses.

That's the key to this being a win/win/win situation. Get the government to spend $300m on AO, stick it in a government trust, like all the Qld sporting venues are, they are managed by an independent trust, which is what the WA Major Stadia Taskforce recommended, only have 10% of the capacity as members for all events, do what the Qld stadiums have done ie offer a clean stadium to the hirers, give the hirers the incentive to run it as hard they can, but charge them a decent rent for capital maintenance and cover some financing costs as well as charge matchday costs. The SANFL can probably get $300m from selling Footy Park. Lobby the 9 SANFL clubs hard and tell them that over say 3 years they will all get $5mil each to build their own centre of excellence, $2mil each for debt reduction, if they have no debt then they get the $2mil to do what they want, and $1mil each for junior development monies. Basically copy what the AFL did with the Waverley Park sales proceeds. Remember we paid $4mil over 10 years to get into the AFL but we got $2mil back, paid out over 7 years from the Waverley Park sales proceeds.

Then with the other $200mil stick it in a trust like the Australian Olympic Committee did with the $90mil it got from the Sydney Olympics with it setting up the Australian Olympic Foundation. Between 2004 and 2007 these monies were generating $20mil a year to fund the countries Olympic campaigns. The year ended 31 December 2008 was tough for the AOF and it only generated $10mil in distributions and $2mil in interest received but the value of equities was slashed by $35mil.

Bottom line is that whether the $200mil is invested all in cash, equities and property, or part in cash and equities and the other part is the SANFL doing a joint venture property development deal to keep some of the Footy Park land and buildings and get long term revenue streams from that type of investment, the SANFL has a new revenue stream it doesn't have now and that can make the SANFL better off. This way the SANFL clubs are better off in the short term as well as have a new funding source in the future which means they are less dependant on the crows and port. The SANFL can adjust its annual licence fee if the port and the crows start making huge profits like the WA clubs make, or are expected to make with the new WA stadium.

Cricket has to get something. Give them 100% control of the scheduling at AO between mid October and late February. Let them have access year round to the facilities on non match day during the footy season so they can generate income in the off season. Get the government to invest $100mil to $150mil into the SACA on;

1) developing Adelaide Oval number 2 into a world class oval by moving it into the top left hand corner of the precinct up near the NW corner of Montefiore Road and Pennington Terrace. If 150 bloody tree hugging Parklands protesters whinge and complain and try and stop this development then the government should call on 200,000 sports lovers to get off their arse and get marching in the streets to piss off these whingers.

2) set up facilities better than Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. Let all 13 A grade clubs have access to the facilities 12 months of the year 24 hours a day if need be. Use it to lift the standard of A grade players so that SA cricket is actually competitive rather than be known as the Jellybacks.

3) Invest monies in capital works at all 13 A grade clubs. Maybe $2mil - $3mil each club.

Look for a win for footy, a win for cricket and a win for the state in that their sporting teams are able to compete on an level playing field and to drive sports tourism.

Copy what the Qld government did. Under the Joh years he invested nothing in Brisbane's sporting infrastructure and it was left up to the Brisbane City Council to spend some money as Brisbane was a Labor town and less than 50% of the state's population lived there. Finally in the early 1990's the Goss Labor government decided to upgrade the Gabba over a 15 year period. But because of 6 games of Olympic soccer the Gabba redevelopment was bought forward by a decade and the Beattie government had a sea change over the value of having world class sporting stadia. They invested in Lang Park/Suncorp and now the rectangle sports have a brilliant world class stadium 1.5km walk from the Queens Street Mall. The Gabba now is a world class oval stadium about 3.5km walk from the Queens St Mall. The new tennis centre is brilliant and was one of the main reasons Qld pinched the Australian Hardcourt titles from SA. Cricket's Centre of Excellence was taken away from Adelaide because the Qld government ploughed money into Alan Border Field so that Cricket Australia could have a world class facility. The government took over the running of the QEII stadium which the Brisbane City Council built for the Comm Games in 1982. They have built the rectangle stadium on the Gold Coast for the Titans, the new GC United team and hope to get a RU team there. The same with Dairy Farmers up in Townsville. The same set up will happen with the new rebuild of the Carrara stadium for the GCFC.

Basically Qld has gone from the worst stadiums in the country to the best in less than 20 years and from the government spending nothing to spending plenty of money, offering Qld teams clean stadiums, saying as a taxpayer we don't need a commercial return, just a decent rent, and giving Qld teams a clean stadium gives them a massive competitive edge in terms of $$$, that means those Qld teams have more chance of winning year in year out, that is good PR for Qld as well as the Qld clubs, across all sports, that is good for sports tourism, especially come finals times given that successful teams host finals which means Qld hotels, motels, pubs etc can charge premium prices come finals time because rather than Qlders flying interstate to watch their teams, non-Qlders are flying into Qld and spending their money in Qld.

 

[questionable]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Not to mention how heavily restricted the ground is for further expansion of facilities, an the non-existence of car parking. Then they can try and get one tram to go the length of King William St to disperse all of the crowd - no multiple train lines. Good luck, football.

anyone who can't walk the distance from adelaide oval to the train station doesn't deserve legs. they're even building a footbridge between the two.

same applies for the dozens of multi-storey carparks in the city.

 

[Portia]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Uh, what? They're going to put a footbridge across one of the widest parts of the river? You do realise that the actual bridges are where they are so they can avoid doing that...

If you're going to increase capacity, it would only be reasonable to require an improvement in public transport to the arena; right now it is shit. Footbridges don't count, and Adelaide Oval is surrounded by too much money to make any substantial improvements in this area.

Leave Adelaide Oval to cricket, and vice versa.

 

[questionable]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

it's not the widest part of the river, and footbridges aren't nearly as expensive to construct as road bridges.

http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1698

that article's about 18 months old, but i believe the bridge is still on the cards.

 

[FishingRick04]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Uh, what? They're going to put a footbridge across one of the widest parts of the river? You do realise that the actual bridges are where they are so they can avoid doing that...

If you're going to increase capacity, it would only be reasonable to require an improvement in public transport to the arena; right now it is shit. Footbridges don't count, and Adelaide Oval is surrounded by too much money to make any substantial improvements in this area.

Leave Adelaide Oval to cricket, and vice versa.

Graham Cornes is that you?

Serious, Footy park is on the nose and needs to go, shame it will be even hard now the crows have there Epic centre there now.

 

[Portia]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Footy Park may be on the nose, but it doesn't mean Adelaide Oval is suddenly prime steak.

questionable, that bridge is pretty much across the broadest part of that section of the Torrens, and like the thread you linked said, there would be pretty massive doubt about a) it fitting in, b) it being worthwhile and c) it being approved to be built!

 

[Wash]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

One of my few real pleasures this year has been reading REH's very thoughtful contributions on this thread, but reading his latest essay was, to be honest, an exercise in total frustration.

Not because there's anything wrong with what he's written, but because it is a clear and sensible vision of what is possible in South Australia.

But of course it will never happen, and you only have to look at the bit where Leigh Whicker gets his cut at Footy Park to see why. I'm sure he's not the only one with a nice little earner out of sports in South Australia either. These guys are never going to let go of their little empires in favour of something bigger and better.

It is all very depressing.

Meanwhile...

link

Football Federation Australia officials were last night delighted to learn the State Government would guarantee – by its October deadline – that an Adelaide stadium would meet FIFA hosting criteria.

link

The State Govt is saying that it will pay for an upgrade of Adelaide Oval for the 2018/22 World Cup if Australia should get the nod. It makes no sense at all to spend all that money for two or three games of soccer and not bring in AFL to the Adelaide Oval. Truly, we are governed by imbeciles.

 

[Spoofa]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

why do you think the club turns over commercialstaff?

They work out whicker is the godfather of the as mafia. He has his foot on our throat and there will be a "chicken feed" deal to keep us alive .....just!

Haysman etc will quit soon when he works out that whicker is his momma

The sanfl have taken our soul

 

[Portology]

Re: Stadium deals - what, how, when - why we need a new one and the SA footy paradigm shift happenin

Footy Park may be on the nose, but it doesn't mean Adelaide Oval is suddenly prime steak.

questionable, that bridge is pretty much across the broadest part of that section of the Torrens, and like the thread you linked said, there would be pretty massive doubt about a) it fitting in, b) it being worthwhile and c) it being approved to be built!

If Planning SA declares it a major project that trumps the ACC for normal developments - but the Parklands Act may complicate anything outside the boundary of current leases. Footbridge (questionable) or a significant tram extension (more likely) makes no difference.