I have not had as many texts and phone calls about the eels since Sharpy and lads runined the club ( Good times )
I've had some current sponsors , ex sponsors , ex directors and everyone in between contact me and the majority have been in quite a huff ,some people need to wake up and realise it is just a game , I can understand being emotional about the team but to be emotional about club politics is a bit of a sickness .
Let's look at he elephant in the room which is of course Philip Sim . I knew Phil would be one of the people selected from 2 years ago and I told people this back then both on here and outside of here and good luck to him .
Many are upset that someone who was associated with Parra first has been selected on the the eels board and they have every right to feel the way they do . Now unlike some people I tell people what I think to them and not behind them and I have hammered Phil many times over his involvement with Parra First , it was poor judgement on his part and he will have to wear it and I'm sure he knows that it will be brought up by certain individuals at every opportunity .
The biggest thing about the whole process of how the board came about is the fact members had no say and it is safe to say that had it gone to members vote some who have been selected would not have got in and many people are going to go on about this especially if the team fails . I can understand not wanting to have a full on members vote where people apply for the board and we all vote but their had to be a balance .
The best way to shut people up is to do things that has equal fairness , the fairest way the board should of been selected was for Max Donnelly to of selected a group of the 25 best candidates who all went through the interview and screening process and for members to vote for who they wanted .
I am going to say here what I have told everyone else about the new board and in particular Phil , you have 2 ways to look at the whole situation.
1. Phil was actually robbed of being on the eels board when Parra first got in because he was banned from the club in a unjust and dog act by Roy Spagnolo . Had Phil been able to sit on that board I'm 100% certain that the bullshit that went on would not have happened with Phil there as he would never of been a party what went on , worst case scenario would of been Phill nipping it in the bud before it got to the stage it did .
2. We don't know who the other directors are , we don't know their character , morals etc but we all know Phil and what he is about . He has put his arse on the line for years for the betterment of the club , he has never displayed anything but loyalty and passion for the club and we all know he would never do anything to put the club at risk in anyway .
Every other director selected has nothing remarkable in their CV , in fact I'm far more impressed with Phil's CV than the rest ( I love a self made man in a competitive field ) and I'm not easily impressed , my brother owns and runs the 3rd largest commercial building company in NSW and he still don't impress me .
Are we better off with Phil Sim on the board or off it ? I say with because we have someone who has a proven track record of having the club's best interests at heart .
I have had a lot of people question the credentials of the new board with helping club in terms of bringing big business to he club and helping in off field matters , all I can say is that we don't who theses people know or what contacts they have so before anyone can say anything lets wait and see .
My advice to the new board is this , the eels club has a poor reputation when it comes to being professional and having high standards which is why the Parra CBD has pretty much kept away and the fact the club's major sponsor was in the news for drug possession and the club made no comment about it showed the club in a very poor light to those that matter in Parra CBD.
Good luck Philip and remember what I told you over he phone that time if you ever got on the board ? Make sure Blue label Johnny Walker is available for all the corporate boxes .
Replies
Phil im going to send you a framed photo of my old avatar to remind you of he all the good times we had on he site over the years .
Thanks Fong. I think.
I will say this one last thing (I think I've said that five times already). It's important for everyone to remember that the Leagues Club board doesn't run football in anyway now. There are separate boards. The job of our board is to make sure the Leagues Club continues to be able to fund football, promote football, provide services to its members and do its part to be a respected and valuable member of the local community. As has been noted elsewhere, the Leagues Club has never had a more challenging operation environment. There is greater competition than ever before, gaming is structurally declining and now we've got a whole bunch of panic on top of things which will impact all businesses. For me, as a business geek, navigating those challenges is a really exciting professional opportunity, but that's what the Leagues Club board is about. Making sure the unglamorous stuff that pays for everything is sustainable so that the people at the coalface of the sporting side of the business can do theres. Sean McElduff's board and Jim Sarantinos and their team are the people responsible for making sure football is a success.
Phil I have never doubted your passion for the club and integrity as man , as you know I always speak my mind and don't shy away . You obviously know you are going to cop some heat from certain people around the club but your no dope and I'm sure you will know how to respond .
You have gone through quite a bit over the last decade to see the club right , a lesser man would of walked away with some of the the shit you endured over the years but your passion for club kept you going and that says a lot .
I wish you all the best .
Thanks for the platform you provided us with Phil, thanks for fighting for the forum and putting your own membership on the line all those years ago for the right reasons, that wont be forgotton.
Outstanding blog Frankie. Very well said.
Phil, good luck man. I'm extremely excited for you & believe you're a great asset for the LC.
But, it also feels somewhat surreal, and saddening that you're leaving. You're synonymous with this site. All the best, mate, until our paths cross.
Great blog Fongy and bang on.
There are alot of people on here who don't know Phil, me included, and we are happy for him mainly because he is the much loved originator and owner of this site - we know who he is so we want him on the board.
The other thing we all know about him is his unwavering passion and belief for the constitutional reform that the club is now in the midst of. This site is litterally borne out of that passion and is a tangible reminder of what Phil set out to achieve all those years ago.
Sincerely, good luck to you mate, I hope you find this journey both enjoyable and rewarding. As Snake has said - we appreciate your efforts and sacrifices both here and for our club over the years and we wont be forgetting them.
Cheers mate.