Super Rugby side NSW Waratahs, National Rugby Side Sydney Roosters and A-League side Sydney FC have "vowed to fight the NSW government's stadium plans at Moore Park after claiming to have been misled in negotiations" with Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, according to Michael Chammas of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The three clubs are "furious" with the news that Premier Mike Baird wants a new stadium at Moore Park to be built on the site of Allianz Stadium, which "contradicts the guarantees" given by Ayres in return for their support. The three clubs, which formed an alliance on Monday "in fear they would never recover from relocating games, had been told by Ayres and the SCG Trust that a new stadium would be built over Kippax Lake, allowing them to remain at Allianz Stadium" until the new 55,000-seat stadium construction was complete. Waratahs Chair Roger Davis said, "Stuart Ayres and the Trust gave us those assurances and the quid pro quou was that we would support a new stadium. But we've been cheated on and someone has pulled the rug out from that undertaking. It's a horrible position for us because we did believe a new stadium would be beneficial, but not at the price of our clubs. So I promise you we'll fight hard to put an end to a new stadium." Roosters Chair Nick Politis is "furious with the deception and is adamant the NRL club wouldn't support the knock down and rebuild of their home ground." Politis: "No way. We'd be crazy. It would put us back God knows how many years." Sydney FC officials believe the club would not "be able to recover if forced to relocate to ANZ Stadium or Kogarah," especially at a time when Football Federation Australia is "looking to introduce a southern Sydney team into the A-League." The three clubs "issued a joint statement on Monday night." The statement said, "The damage that would be caused to the three clubs would extend well-beyond the four year construction period, as it would take many years to fully recover and would require major levels of compensation for impacted clubs" (SMH, 4/11).
COLD COMFORT: In Sydney, Read & Harris reported in a move that would force the clubs to relocate for up to four seasons, Baird "insisted the government’s priority remained to build a new ground on the site of Allianz Stadium, rather than across the road on Centennial Parklands." While Baird acknowledged "it would be an inconvenience for the clubs he insisted they would win out in the long term." That was "cold comfort" for the Roosters, Waratahs and Sydney FC. The clubs' joint statement said, "We strongly oppose a new stadium on the existing site, as a forced relocation out of Allianz Stadium for four seasons will be disastrous for all three clubs, their respective members and fans." The Waratahs are in the first year of a new 16-year deal with the SCG Trust to "play exclusively at Allianz Stadium after ending a 10-year arrangement" which saw the club play two regular season games and the final at ANZ Stadium, worth A$1M ($760,000) a year. Davis said, "The reason we signed with the football stadium was so we could play there. We didn't sign a 16-year contract so we could spend 25 percent of it playing somewhere else. Most of our fans come from the eastern suburbs and the north shore." The latest developments come "amid speculation the parties were on the verge of reaching a compromise" on the distribution of the state government’s A$1.6B ($1.2B) pledge for Sydney stadiums. The NRL and its clubs had "asked for more time to reach an agreement on content for the three stadiums" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 4/12).
