Bloody Soccer

[eddie]

The dispute between the Roosters and the A-League's Sydney FC seems to have come to a temporary resolution after a week of high tension between the two organisations over the new Allianz Stadium.

The issue arose when the Roosters took umbrage with the A-League club's decision to cover the ‘Home of the Sydney Roosters' sign at the northern end of the stadium with a tarpaulin ahead of their first home game at the venue.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Sydney FC had demanded the sign be covered on game day. On Tuesday this week the CEO's of the clubs had a heated telephone call on the issue.

“I told him what he'd done was the equivalent of vandalism,” Roosters CEO Joe Kelly told the Telegraph.

“I also told him we'd be looking at our legal options – then he hung up on me!”

The Roosters then contacted Venues NSW to vent their frustration at the matter and a meeting was arranged for Wednesday.

That meeting was able to come to an arrangement, with Venues NSW deciding that they will turn the lights off on the Roosters' sign whenever Sydney FC – or the NSW Waratahs – play at the venue.

“It's very, very petty,” Roosters boss Nick Politis said.

“They obviously don't understand our history. We've been on this site with three stadiums for 86 years. How long have they been around?

“What they did with the tarpaulin looked so hideous on a beautiful $900 million stadium.”

Politis has reportedly claimed the Tri-colours have an agreement regarding the stadium meaning the sign must be permanently visible.

“Sydney FC don't understand – they just have a ground hire agreement.”

[milanja]

Should be statue of uncle Nick at the stadium too.

[Eggspert]

Not sure what Sydney FC's problem is as it's a different competing sport played majority in the Rugby League off season.

[ConGa]

petty move indeed

[Tom Verlaine's Ghost]

And to think Nick used to own a stake in Sydney FC!

[Carlos Parra]

Totally pathetic. Did we drape a cloak over the statue of Richie Benaud when we played at the SCG?

[stringaz]

Classless act

[ism22]

And to think Nick used to own a stake in Sydney FC!

Wasn't he the man behind Sydney Olympic?

---

Re the sign... it's out the back anyway! (And my tickets told me to enter from the front despite sitting out the back near the sign, so I did a 360 of the stadium past Willie Mason doing some vodcast while finding a seat).

The front has the yawnion, wog ball and Easts logos (not a Souffs logo). Can we just continue to use the darn stadium in the same way that we used the SFS? (Why does a KDR mean weirdos have to challenge whether it's our home?!? Weirdness).

If soccer didn't have a single rich man paying for everything, they'd still have a comp that resembles Sunday arvo soccer with clubs for the Greeks, Serbs and Croatians with 1/2 time durries and constant fighting between ill-informed 3rd gen migrants whose great grandparents would kick their butts if they saw any of that cr@p.

[Team Evil]

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has become embroiled in Sydney’s latest sports stadium row, calling for the “Home of the Sydney Roosters” sign at Allianz Stadium to be torn down.

Mr Albanese and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet were caught on camera in a lively argument at a charity cricket game on Thursday, in which the two political heavyweights took aim at the NRL club being allowed signage to adorn the newly built $900 million stadium.

The Roosters paid $12.5 million for a high-performance centre at the venue, which entitled them to signage at the Moore Park end of the ground.

Mr Albanese is a life member of the Roosters’ arch rivals, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who were recently blocked from using the venue as a permanent home ground.
The Prime Minister and NSW Premier were on opposing sides of the charity match organised by Nova FM breakfast duo Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald and Michael ”Wippa” Wipfli on the lawns of Kirribilli House on Thursday, when conversation turned to the Roosters’ sign being covered with a $152 tarpaulin by joint tenants, A-League club Sydney FC.

The damning video of their conversation was later posted to Fitzy and Wippa’s Instagram page.

In the footage, Mr Albanese can be heard talking to Mr Perrottet about the story The Daily Telegraph broke about the signage furore.

“It’s got a Roosters sign, how have they done that?” Mr Albanese said.
The Premier and Fitzgerald began to laugh, but the prime minister did not see the funny side.

“No, tear it down!” Mr Albanese said.

Quickly realising the prime minister was serious, Mr Perrottet seemed to back down.

“I don’t want it to be an exclusive ground,” Premier Perrottet said, before following it up with ”we can tear it down.”

Early in the conversation the pair were arguing over Souths not being allowed to play home games at Allianz Stadium when Mr Perrottet said “Souths signed up for the deal to play at ANZ”.
The Prime Minister responded: “Because Allianz are being f***ing ...”

The federal Labor leader and state Liberal leader were joined in the conversation by Fitzgerald and Channel 7 news reader Mark Ferguson.
Mr Perrottet and Mr Albanese have been contacted for comment.

[bondi.boy]

I was going to vote for Perrottet at the election but won't be now and I hope he loses and gets shipped off into the political wasteland.

Y'all love Albo, he wants the sign torn down too.
Hopefully he won't be PM for long, and will follow Perrottet into the wasteland.

[Spirit of 66]

The Roosters paid $12.5 million for a high-performance centre at the venue, which entitled them to signage.

End of story.

[bondi.boy]

Albo allegedly used profanity in the taped conversation...about "Allianz".
Charming!
Hasn't been revealed what he said about Allianz.

And what's Perrottet think he's doing seemingly trying to be one of the boys and joining in the "tear it down" crap.
He needs to wake up...Albo is Labor, he is Liberal.
Labor is after his job.
He should stay away from all things Labor.
He should've sent an underling to play cricket....and told the underling to keep his mouth shut about all things "political".
Perrottet needs to be smarter.

[Hawkeye]

I dont get carry on. The sign does not say we own the stadium it says its our home, which it is. It has been for nearly 100 years. All teams that play their 'home' games at a certain ground refer to that ground as their 'home' whether they legally own it or not.
Do people who rent a house refer to it as their home ?

Hope Albanese is just as strong in his view on Souffs calling the publicly funded Heffron park development as their home !

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Who the f are Sydney FC???? What the F is soccer???? Never heard of them

[Headless Chook]

I think Albo has far more important issues to worry about then a sign at a footy stadium