Traditionally, Parramatta Leagues Club elections have been won on blocks. Either it's been family or friends, or popular players that have swung the results of elections. Maybe for the first time, the educated member decided who won the election - and I truly believe you can thank the Internet for the clean sweep of the board that ParraFirst took out tonight.
The opposition tickets will be galled - how could Parramatta Professionals not win with the constant backing of shock jock Ray Hadley and the likes of Rebecca Wilson writing trash. How did Ray Price and Ben Smith's people power not get ParraMount over the line?
I am of no doubt that it's because today's membership is informed. Today's membership cannot be won over with misinformation and platitudes.
1Eyed Eel had a huge role to play in this. Over the election fortnight over 20k users logged into the site and would have seen a discourse that was heavily pro-ParraFirst. I'm quite prepared to throw this audience against any other major media on the basis of percentage of voting members.
However, it wasn't just 1Eyed Eel. It was League Unlimited. It was Twitter. It was Facebook. There was cross-pollination across all those sites (and for those of you here that used your influence on other social media I thank you!) but in the end what the Internet got was informed debate.
And the Internet concluded that the current board had earned another term. The internet concluded that those who were slinging vitriol were doing so out of bitterness and spite. You know what, despite what a few individuals think - Parramatta isn't your club. It's the member's club. And you can play us for fools or you can get on board and support the club and if you have ideas for its betterment then it bring it forth.
On various threads over those past two weeks, I've read more "good ideas" about how we can go forward and things we can go better, than any alternative candidate provided. Let's declare this the end of spiteful and negative political campaigning. If you don't have a better vision for the future than the incumbent board then don't bother showing up.
We have had enough of the chaos you bring come election time. We have had enough of you painting our club as ill-run and mis-managed. We have had enough of you playing into the hands of journalists trying to sell papers by portraying Parramatta in a negative light.
In the end, what ParraFirst stood for, was what every member craved. Stability. Consistency. Positivity. At times, it was really hard not to get dragged down into the muck but I'm proud of every member of the ParraFirst team who stayed committed to keeping it positive and campaigning on their achievements. Despite the ruckus of mass media, we stayed true to our belief that direct engagement with the membership and supporter base would win the day. That truth would win the day.
In another age, that may not have been the case. 3P swept to power on the back of a massive family and friend drive - it was antagonistic and confrontational. Both opposing tickets tried that again this campaign without realising that we have moved into another era. Your bullshit does not wash here.
The ParraFirst board now have another two years to live up to its promises. Chances are we'll have two CEOs who have uninterrupted tenure, a coach who gets to recruit his players and a board that has every opportunity to deliver on its bold vision. There will be no excuses in two years time if results are not delivered and just as the Internet did in 2013 it is just as capable of punishing those who fail as it can reward those who perform.
Replies
Once again very nice blog 1eyed. This blog makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. Now more than ever I'm proud to shout out, go you mighty eels!!
P.S. On a personal note, today was a very proud day for me. I had faith in the membership and never for one moment thought this would be anything but a ParraFirst clean sweep. The ParraFirst brand was my baby, and I'm satisfied that the current guard have carried the philosophy that I envisioned two and a half years ago forward. I have zero time for anyone who does not put the club first and I hope that those who clearly demonstrated their personal ambition over the club's welfare are long remembered as such. For me, the membership tampering debacle was an event that changed this club forever. We all want to believe in those who control our club but this showed that we must all be vigilant that those in power do not abuse their position. The fact that both opposition tickets would all but excuse those involved was jaw-dropping and I'm still yet to hear how anyone has justified that position, outside of it being a poorly-judged electoral strategy. DO NOT PLAY THE MEMBERSHIP FOR FOOLS.
And finally, you guys were awesome. I gave up my membership for the right for Eels supporters to express their pleasure, disappointment, excitement, dissatisfaction or whatever you may feel at any particular time. I won't pretend that I wasn't gutted when I found out that I couldn't run for this election, but I will never regret standing up for the supporters right to have their say. Nobody would ever be stupid enough to silence the voice of the supporter again, in whatever shape that may be. This site is, shall we say, infamous for its robust debate. But at the end of that debate, you get truth. And you get people that are passionate enough about that truth that they will go beyond the site and make sure that truth is gospel. And I salute each of you who argued that truth whether it be on social networks, to your friends, to your family or whoever it may be. You made the difference.
You did call the clean sweep to me before the election Phil, you had the voting blocks and numbers perfectly worked out, not just for PF but you predicted Riddell would be best of the rest comers on 400 votes, then you predicted the 4 after that in perfect order, as well as predicting a clean sweep, fekking freakish stuff.
Very well run champaign, with values that wouldnt be dragged into the gutter, you created a perfect recipe for success, im proud of you mate and everybody that even had a small voice, congrats.
HERE HERE and i love the term 'cross pollination' you dont use it enough Phil, ive got a whole host of horticultural terms up my sleeve for you, how about Mycorrhizal association, you could slot that in somewhere.
OUTSTANDING result.
1EE wields its big political stick again, it bends these clowns over and pounds them with gay abandon time and time again, and it will continue to do so, these clowns can forget their rivals at the club, this is their biggest rival here and without a doubt 1EE is the biggest voting block at the club, this place holds plenty off clout and will only hold more in the future.
We will keep these pricks honest because we have a core of loyal and smart posters and readers here, im so proud of our club members and 1EE members today.
P.P.S. It seems the opposition wants to make a deal of the "Let's make it count" email that I sent out to 1Eyed Eel members last night. According to various tweets and scuttlebutt, I emailed the "club members database". Once again, complete and utter crap spouted by people who have no interest but to try and cause as much disruption as they can.
The message from the members is clear to these people. Just go away. And if this is seriously the Supreme Court incident that has been touted, then bring it on. I'd love the publicity. Meanwhile, the rest of us will just get on with supporting the club that we love.
Nobody care, no one is listening, nobod... nah, I can't even be arsed finishing this comment...
Supreme court because the 3P/Fitzy guys don't know how to use a computer?
Nice
I'm now looking forward to two years of progress under Steve Sharp. In particular signing some good players, the completion of our high performance centre, real progress with the $100M precinct development and Constitutional Reform.
Between here and Facebook, everything I read and admittedly wrote/photoshopped was pro ParraFirst and Anti Denis Fitzgerald. The Emperor didn't strike back and the Return of the ParraFirst Board means we have A New Hope for stability and ongoing success!
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