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The divisive approach by opponents of the Central Coast Bears attempting to drive a wedge in the community has been revealed with a number of NRL clubs opposing the admission of any team on the Central Coast into the NRL in the future.
For a while now, debate has raged over which was the better model – a Central Coast Bears or a Central Coast stand alone model.
Opponents of the Bears bid say that a Central Coast-only model was superior due to the fact it would have less impact on Manly, as Manly would have access to the North Shore and Northern regions of Sydney.
As a Manly fan, I’m ashamed to say there are fans and representatives of both my club and Newcastle pushing this line.
Peter Peters last weekend even said he was happy to have a Central Coast only side in the competition. Nine days later, the truth has come out at the NRL conference at Byron Bay.
Manly does not want a team of ANY description on the Central Coast, hoping to divide the Bears region with Newcastle. A ‘Central Coast only team’ position was just a ploy to fracture Bears support on the Coast.
In effect, two weak teams are planning to feast on the body of what would be a much stronger, healthier animal. The problem is, they have been doing so for 11 years and both Manly and Newcastle are still struggling, badly servicing the former Bear and Central Coast territories.
So if the Central Coast has no team, long term there will still be two weak teams between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the QLD border.
An Independent Commission surely must see the long term folly of this position, as AFL will surely advance and eventually capture the bulk of uncommitted sporting fans north of the harbour.
Anger on the Coast against Sydney-centric Clubs will be palpable at present. With only the Mariners as a local team to support, more Coasties will drift to soccer, particularly as real momentum and belief has been growing that finally, their time was approaching.
Ironically, as when Melbourne supporters united together this year in the face of perceived bias and actually grew their membership base, this treachery by the existing NRL clubs may in fact galvanise even more support for the Bears.
As everyone now can see unless this Bears bid is accepted, there will never be a Central Coast team. Ever.
If rejected, watch crowds start to inexorably decline at Bluetongue from 2012 onwards as interest from this heartland area declines. If there’s no prospect of ever getting a local NRL team, why not encourage the kids to play soccer instead for the Mariners?
I would love to see this bid succeed, if only because of the constant hurdles that have been put in its way since the Bears voted to move in 1997 to the Central Coast with the NRL’s blessing and guarantees of never-failing support.
They’ve been let down by the games administrators, News Ltd, their own Board, the weather, the State Government and Manly, although for Manly it was a case of us or them.
This last point irks me. On my own club’s website it says how important it was to the establishment of Manly in 1947 that Norths willingly agreed to the breakup of its territory to create Manly ‘for the good of the game’.
I always enjoyed the fierce rivalry between the clubs and want to experience them anew. I want my club to show honour and return the debt it owes by supporting the Bears bid.
I support Manly on the field always, but I love the game more.
Administrators of my club and those opposing the Bears are just looking after themselves, not the game.
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