News that Perth Glory is looking to move and play its Hyundai A League games at the Hockey Stadium at Curtin University, appear to be no more than a publicity stunt by owner Tony Sage to try and obtain lower costs at NIB Stadium.
There is no doubt that David Hatt will have written in his report that if the club continues to only attract an average of 9000 fans when they budget for 11,000 – as we were advised at the start of the season – they would be better off looking to play at a smaller venue and one with lower costs.
The figures being bandied about to host a game at NIB stadium are we have been told be markedly exaggerated from the real figure, and that is no doubt to again try and win the public over.
The fact that Hockey WA chief executive Kevin Knapp was quoted in the West Australian as saying “No formal proposal has been received and no formal arrangement would be made without full consultation with the hockey community and the board of Hockey WA,” makes one question how genuine this move really is.
Having attended Hockey internationals at Curtin University there would be so much work that would have to be done to bring the ground up to the acceptable A league level one wonders if a move would be viable. Traffic issues are another that would have to be addressed as this area is a nightmare at major hockey games.
The club is also complaining about the cost of the big screen at NIB Stadium, – which is situated in a dreadful position for spectators – $20,000 being the reported cost. Yet it is believed that the CEO of the club is involved with the company supplying this screen, having won the bid over another company which had involvement with another Glory staffer. If your own staff cannot help you then it is always going to be difficult to make money.
One fact that has conveniently been overlooked this season and in this argument is that Rugby WA and the Emirates Western Force footed the bill for the upgrades to the corporate boxes when they moved to NIB stadium last year. The Glory has had the benefit of those extra boxes at no added cost to sell and bring in the additional corporate sponsors that the signing of Robbie Fowler attracted.
Once again it appears that the club is throwing another red herring out in the public domain which will ultimately come to naught. Believe us when we say that many are beginning to go off this variety of fish.
