Eric Grothe Snr’s appointment to the Parramatta Leagues Club board came under scrutiny tonight, when former CEO Denis Fitzgerald asked at the annual AGM whether Grothe had served the required three years as a Leagus Club member.
Fitzgerald claimed that when he left the organisation, that Grothe was not a member of the Leagues club and therefore there was not sufficient time in between those two events for Grothe to have served the required three years.
Upon conferring with other members of the board and executive, chairman Roy Spagnolo said that it would need to be checked and that it would come under further advisement.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to have checked before the appointment,” Fitzgerald quipped.
Fitzgerald claimed that when he left the organisation, that Grothe was not a member of the Leagues club and therefore there was not sufficient time in between those two events for Grothe to have served the required three years.
Upon conferring with other members of the board and executive, chairman Roy Spagnolo said that it would need to be checked and that it would come under further advisement.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to have checked before the appointment,” Fitzgerald quipped.
Another question raised the issue of Grothe Snr's contract to supply meat trays to the Vikings Club and asked if this had been put to tender. It was advised that it had not.
Fitzgerald had opened proceedings by asking if Paul Osborne had sent apologies, as he was not in attendance at the meeting when he was still the chief executive of the Football organisation.
Spagnolo noted that Osborne was still contracted to the club until the end of the 2011 calendar year, and was presently on leave. He would see out that contract and then the club would look further at the matter in the New Year, Spagnolo said.
Another member who identified himself as a long-time member of the club, made a series of points related to the performance of Paul Osborne and the club, and called for a vote of no confidence in the current board. He had indicated that he had filed a no confidence motion previously, but noted that it had not been registered. Chairman Spagnolo said that the matters were not related to the PDRLC and that the issues would be passed on to the Leagues Club board. The member pressed the issue, saying that as Osborne served as chief executive of the PDRLC this was an appropriate forum to raise the issues. Spagnolo answered that he, Sid Kelly and Lyn Wallace had interviewed Osborne and he had been deemed a suitable CEO option. The member asked on what criteria that had been judged, calling Osborne a “failed politician”, to which a point of order was called. The member then called for the no confidence motion, but it was not seconded and he told the membership that he would “step aside, defeated”.
I raised the point that these and other matters illustrated the complexities and problems related to the NRL operations being overseen by the Leagues Club board and asked whether there was still a desire to move the operations of the NRL club and its junior representative teams under the Football Club. I noted that it had been one of the policies in the 3P print and in comments made publicly prior to the 2009 election.
Chairman Spagnolo said he did not believe that the current board had made that stance at any time, and it would not be recommending that as a course of action moving forward.
I made the point that next year, season ticket holder members would become voting members of the PDRL club next year, and that it was appropriate that these people should be able to vote for who they want to run the NRL club that they support.
Another question from a member asked about the KPIs related to the goals and achievements of the PDRLC in terms of promoting Rugby League. The board deferred the comments to Terry Rose on the floor, who manages the junior league. Rose noted that he did not have those statistics at hand and the matter was put under advisement. I later asked that there be a change in the way that future annual reports and/or the annual general meeting are conducted, so that members of the club could receive more transparent statistics and information relating to junior development and that perhaps Terry Rose would be best placed to speak to the membership directly.
Another member who identified himself as a long-time contributor to the junior system, asked that the good work of the board and the Leagues club be recognised in it enabling, and funding the running of the Parramatta junior competitions.
Fitzgerald had opened proceedings by asking if Paul Osborne had sent apologies, as he was not in attendance at the meeting when he was still the chief executive of the Football organisation.
Spagnolo noted that Osborne was still contracted to the club until the end of the 2011 calendar year, and was presently on leave. He would see out that contract and then the club would look further at the matter in the New Year, Spagnolo said.
Another member who identified himself as a long-time member of the club, made a series of points related to the performance of Paul Osborne and the club, and called for a vote of no confidence in the current board. He had indicated that he had filed a no confidence motion previously, but noted that it had not been registered. Chairman Spagnolo said that the matters were not related to the PDRLC and that the issues would be passed on to the Leagues Club board. The member pressed the issue, saying that as Osborne served as chief executive of the PDRLC this was an appropriate forum to raise the issues. Spagnolo answered that he, Sid Kelly and Lyn Wallace had interviewed Osborne and he had been deemed a suitable CEO option. The member asked on what criteria that had been judged, calling Osborne a “failed politician”, to which a point of order was called. The member then called for the no confidence motion, but it was not seconded and he told the membership that he would “step aside, defeated”.
I raised the point that these and other matters illustrated the complexities and problems related to the NRL operations being overseen by the Leagues Club board and asked whether there was still a desire to move the operations of the NRL club and its junior representative teams under the Football Club. I noted that it had been one of the policies in the 3P print and in comments made publicly prior to the 2009 election.
Chairman Spagnolo said he did not believe that the current board had made that stance at any time, and it would not be recommending that as a course of action moving forward.
I made the point that next year, season ticket holder members would become voting members of the PDRL club next year, and that it was appropriate that these people should be able to vote for who they want to run the NRL club that they support.
Another question from a member asked about the KPIs related to the goals and achievements of the PDRLC in terms of promoting Rugby League. The board deferred the comments to Terry Rose on the floor, who manages the junior league. Rose noted that he did not have those statistics at hand and the matter was put under advisement. I later asked that there be a change in the way that future annual reports and/or the annual general meeting are conducted, so that members of the club could receive more transparent statistics and information relating to junior development and that perhaps Terry Rose would be best placed to speak to the membership directly.
Another member who identified himself as a long-time contributor to the junior system, asked that the good work of the board and the Leagues club be recognised in it enabling, and funding the running of the Parramatta junior competitions.
Nathan Hindmarsh was presented with the awards for most tackles and quipped that he'd keep on doing what he does and hopefully win the award again next year. Luke Burt was given the award for top try scorer, but said he'd have liked to have scored a few more, and hopefully could do so in 2012.
Three life memberships were presented. My apologies that I wasn't able to take the names of those who were given the honor.
Please note, this report replaces a prior post related to the AGM, to keep comments in the same thread.
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Yes Phil i am going hope to catch up for a drink,
Would be great to get a detailed update if possible from those who can and do make it.
7:30 at the Auditorium. Heading there now
Goog to meet you too jjeel! Thanks for introducing yourself :-)
Given the smugness with which DF made the claim about Eric Grothe Snr, I reckon there is a pretty strong likelihood that they may have to find another Leagues Club board member.
I spoke to a number of the directors after the AGM about the issues I raised, and my questions were answered better in person than they were answered during the meeting. The debt in the Football Club is an issue for its liquidity, and the solution seems to be a cross-membership arrangement which would make Football Clubs members of the Leagues Club, which would then allow them to gain voting rights to the Leagues club elections. It's actually a suggestion I've heard Tony make a number of times.
Ironically, you could then end up with a situation where the Season Ticket Holders end up voting in a Leagues Club board who know a lot about football, and nothing about running a Leagues club. As such and for a whole bunch of other matters which I think were shown very clearly during the AGM, I still think it is preferable that there is a commitment made towards working towards separation, even if it is based on what steps need to take place before there can be separation, such as financial sustainability or whatever. Even if these were unachievable in the short-term, it would help members to understand what the issues are related to the current structure and why its in place.
And in the meantime, and I say this all the time, become a member of both clubs so you can have your say. I know when I signed up to the Football club three years ago, it seemed a pretty pointless exercise to think that I couldn't have a vote for three years, but tonight was my first opportunity to vote on club matters and it does make you feel a somewhat more empowered. A perpetual membership to the Leagues Club is $100 and you never have to renew and assuming there is no change in structure, you can have your say in the running of our club forever yonder. So if your not a Leagues club member drop by the Club and sign up before the end of the year. I'm not quite sure how they work out those three years, but certainly if you sign up before the end of the year you'll ensure you have voting rights sooner. If you don't go the perpetual option, it's like $10 and you generally get that back in vouchers. It's your club, if you want it to be.
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