Official Cronulla Sharks Board + Management

[B2B]

B2B - Ricky Surace - Candidate - Has his say...

Where will our club be in Season 2010?
Can the current board tell the fans how we will survive to the end of this season?
To this I say, there will be no club in 2010 as the board cannot answer how we will survive this season. They are simply hanging on to the hope of a lingering development application which has going on for too long and will it eventuate in time to save us?

Ricky Surace - Profile

I’m an independent executive Director of Business 2 Business Commercial Fitouts who grew up in the Shire and has been a passionate supporter of the Cronulla Sharks for the past 20 Years.

I support numerous charities and local sporting teams and have been an active and loyal corporate partner (sponsor) with the Sharks since 2000. Season 2009-2010 with the encouragement and support of the Club CEO Tony Zappia we upgraded our financial support to the Club significantly to become the ‘back of jersey’ sponsor. This was not seen only as a marketing tool or to promote B2B, but rather to further invest in the Club’s future to ensure the Club’s continued success and longevity.

Both B2B and myself are committed to the Cronulla Sharks as partnership and with the skills and experience I am able to provide in a number of business disciplines including Property Development, Financial Structuring, Corporate Governance, Strategic and Infrastructure Planning and more importantly financial support, I can offer these skills and experience to provide the opportunity of momentum towards the successful operation and functioning required to reinvent and to ensure the Club prospers in the future.

My vision, determination and commitment to the club leads me to believe I am able to provide innovation. I believe that innovation begins with creative ideas and innovation is the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organisation. With this view, creativity by individuals and the management team is necessary as a starting point for any innovation; and I strongly feel that I can provide “outside the square’ thinking to the Board of Directors and work within the parameters of the business and Board.

Furthermore, my personal belief is that I can truly make a difference and have the passion and enthusiasm for ‘our’ Club.

Lastly, I am calling out to all members, football fans and to the local residents to vote for Damian Irvine and myself as the clubs future is in our hands. We desperately need new members on the board who are truly passionate and want to fight to ensure our club survives not board members who simply care for themselves.

 

[IronShark]

All the best Ricky - we need all the help we can get!

 

[stormshark]

Good news as long as no conflict of interest in terms of property development activities and Sharkies redevelopment?

 

[mjef3966]

Right on Stuart... I know where i will vote.

this was a long time coming, I just cannot belive they have been there for so long... its crazy they should have been shown the door with Chris Anderson... good luck

 

[Sempa Fi Sharky]

Comment

I am not afan of the existing board, but young ricky sounds like he may have a bit of spiv in him.

What about getting Mr retravision back.

 

[bort]

good on mr surace for jumping on her. pretty decent credentials, especially considering the land developement deal we are trying to push through

 

[slide rule]

Where will our club be in Season 2010?
Can the current board tell the fans how we will survive to the end of this season?
To this I say, there will be no club in 2010 as the board cannot answer how we will survive this season. They are simply hanging on to the hope of a lingering development application which has going on for too long and will it eventuate in time to save us? .

This is my main criticism of the current board. We dont seem to have a plan. I feel like the club has gone backwards in the last 10 years. Even though we had relative success last year, it was still clear that the foundations of the club were not strong. Our poor performances this year have let the poor running of the club become evident. Crowds have diminished siginificantly from the late 90's. There is very little promotion of the club within the Shire. I know the club is working with limited resources at the moment, but it seems like no-one even knows that the games are on.

Another small problem I have is the way that fans are treated at the ground. Now this may only seem like a minor problem but I reckion it is a significant turn off for a lot of people. We are made to stand in beer lines which take over 25 minutes to get any service. After taking the time to get off my lounge and pay my 20 bucks entry, I feel like I should be able to get a beer within a reasonable time and be able to enjoy the game. This is happeneing with crowds of less than 10 thousand. Heaven help us if we ever get a reasonable crowd. People need to have a positive match day experience.. It almost feels as though we are being treated as though we are not wanted. If we are playing our games on Saturday night, we need to market it so that people will want to go to the football before going out to other venues. It's common sense.

Good luck Ricky, hopefully you can make some positive changes if elected.

 

[BackRowMadness]

They are simply hanging on to the hope of a lingering development application which has going on for too long and will it eventuate in time to save us?

and the development will take minimun 2 years to complete. We need $$$ now

 

[Murphy]

its not looking good from the sounds of it

 

[sandman77]

Sack the Board, Sack the Coach, Sack all the dead wood players, hit the market, only way to sucess, look at the dogs from spoon to top of the table

 

[fancyman]

the board must be cleaned out. a new board will go forward, and they only let their own kind in, thats why we need a new board.

 

[B2B]

Election Discussion continued...

Hi All,
Thanks for the support, definitely need it.

Slide Rule - I agree with you, the current board have no plan and yes the club has gone back wards in the passed few years despite our success last year. Crowds have definitely diminished, last night can certainly prove that.
Promotions, Red Bull didnt help last night, what was the point, we dont need useless flyers we need flyers promoting the club with club specials, ground specials etc. Where's the entertainment gone? You dont need to pay for guests, how about sourcing local talent for example look at what we have in the Shire Mark Vincent (won Australia Got Talent 09), I'm sure you have all heard him, he is breathtaking. Your right no one even know the games are on a simple mail drop can fix that. The service last night out on the grounds was not up to standard, my newphew had to wait 15 minutes for donuts which he didn't eventually get, he missed half of the second half. Your right if you make the effort to spend the money then you deserve the service. I'm sure if we had a more positive experience out on the grounds then we would definitely see alot more fans, remember FANS=REVENUE. How about some more cheering and chanting and NOISE from our fans, we need that to.
One of the players commented a couple of weeks ago that the fans roar is what drives them, its obviously true with our current results and lack of fans.

 

[ROB SHARK]

well said mate sounds like you have some good ideas.
As the saying goes you have to spend money to make money.

 

[Henchmann]

Where will our club be in Season 2010?
Can the current board tell the fans how we will survive to the end of this season?
To this I say, there will be no club in 2010 as the board cannot answer how we will survive this season. They are simply hanging on to the hope of a lingering development application which has going on for too long and will it eventuate in time to save us?

Ricky Surace - Profile

.

Ricky, Thank you for trying hard to rejuvenate the politics of our club, also thank you for your ongoing sponsorship I’m really glad your with us in these tough financial times. I’m sure we all want a strong and successful shark’s footy team for decades to come. If possible, would you mind responding to some questions I have?

Can you advise where you believe the club should be in season 2010?

If you’re in a position to affect change, what will you do?

Can you advise further on your innovations or vision?

Are you aware of other threads on this forum where there are a multitude of ideas to increase support at matches and club revenue? Our great moderators could probably pass this info on to you!

Do you have any idea if anyone at the Club has sought the interest of ET to help out in a promotional role?

Sorry to hit you with these questions, but I’m sure it’s not too much trouble given you’ve jumped on this forum to promote yourself, which therefore enables this type of dialogue? Good luck as well, the recent events at Parra should give you some confidence.

 

[Henchmann]

Ricky Surace (B2B) - were you aware of these current backdoor dealings with the NRL to move 5 home games to Gosford in 2010 in what appears to be a testing of the waters prior to an abandon ship from the traditional Cronulla-Sutherland region?
Do you have a position on this development, noting you are asking for votes to get on the board?

 

[B2B]

Election Discussion continued... 5/5/09

Hi All,
Sorry for the late post (If you get a chance also take a look at league unlimited - leader article 30-04-09 club re election).

Henchmann - It's great to have your support and trust me it is extremely difficult to committ to sponsorship considering these current financial times, it means working 24/7, but it's something I love and have always dreamt of doing. Thanks to my dedicated, fantastic, extremely hardworking team at B2B we can make this happen.

In season 2010 we are hoping if we are able to relocate some home games for a 5 year period then we will be building up to a very strong club in 2013.

For further info please see league unlimited leader article.

ET has been approached however due to his current committments he is unable to help out in this instance. He definitely will support us in any way he can.

Cheer Ricky

 

[B2B]

HOW TO VOTE - As endorsed by Ricky Surace

Hi All,

This is the order in which the candidates names are to appear on the ballot paper(s):

Number boxes 1 to 10 as endorsed by Ricky Surace

4 ANDERSON, Don
1 SURACE, Ricky
7 WARD, Keith Andrew
9 TUBRIDY, Paul
3 WALKER, Paul
8 GILLARD, Graham Keith
10 CROWLEY, Brett
6 HOLLAND, Greg
5 BARNETT, Jim
2 IRVINE, Damian Jon

 

[Shark68]

B2B I see you have Brett Crowley listed at 10 as least preferred isn't he the head of Woolaware bay developments who is in charge or the proposed development I know there had been a couple of shonkys goings on in the past is all not what is seems in your opinion

 

[B2B]

How to Vote Update - Change "X"

Hi All,

I have just been advised that we are required to place an "X" beside the 8 candidates we would like to vote for.


X ANDERSON, Don

X SURACE, Ricky

X WARD, Keith Andrew

X TUBRIDY, Paul

X WALKER, Paul

GILLARD, Graham Keith

CROWLEY, Brett

X HOLLAND, Greg

X BARNETT, Jim

X IRVINE, Damian Jon

RS

 

[Google News]

Sharks board must be made to pay

Sharks board must be made to payThe Australian, AustraliaCRONULLA legend Dane Sorenson last night called on the entire Sharks board to stand aside in the wake of revelations over the club's perilous financial position. Sorenson, who played 216 first grade games for the Sharks and still lives in the area, ...

Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25450292-5012431,00.html

Sharks board must be made to pay
Brent Read
May 09, 2009

CRONULLA legend Dane Sorenson last night called on the entire Sharks board to stand aside in the wake of revelations over the club's perilous financial position.

Sorenson, who played 216 first grade games for the Sharks and still lives in the area, claimed the current board had run its course and the club needed some fresh faces with new ideas.

Cronulla will hold board elections later this month, but the majority of the directors will survive, with only three independents running against the incumbents. Long-time president Barry Pierce, who was also heavily criticised by Sorenson, is among those certain to retain their positions regardless of the election outcome.

Sorenson, himself a former board member, said the current board should pay the price for the financial crisis which has left the club facing an uncertain future.

The Sharks are staring at a mountain of debt, including a $9million loan to St George Bank which they are attempting to re-finance. The club has proposed moving games to the Central Coast as a means of ensuring its survival, although that plan was knocked on the head by the NRL two days ago.

As a result, the club has opened itself up to privatisation as it attempts to guarantee its survival.

"They should be made to pay," Sorenson said. "They should stand aside. They have given it their best shot and it hasn't worked. I'm a Sharks supporter from way back.

"Until things change at board level, nothing is going to happen. They have done nothing."

Sorenson was scathing in his criticism of Pierce, whose tenure at the club has spanned 18 years as a director. "He ran his course 10 years ago," Sorenson said. "I reckon the club could still survive if it had a proper board. They have to get the right people. Not people who just want slaps on the back.

"They want to have people who have the club at heart."

Former Cronulla chief executive Peter Gow, who put his own money into the Sharks when their survival was at stake in the 1990s, endorsed Sorenson's stance.

"I believe the Sharks will survive. But it's possible the board has seen its time out," Gow said.

While Pierce is set to survive the elections, the man charged with overseeing the multi-million dollar development which will guarantee the club's future is in jeopardy of being thrown off the board by a rebel ticket.

Brett Crowley has been a director of the Sharks for more than a decade, but he is in the crosshairs over his handling of the development of the land surrounding the club's home ground, Toyota Stadium. More than $1m has been devoted to getting the development off the ground and Crowley believes it is only weeks away from receiving the green light.

However, that's unlikely to save him should members decide it's time for a change. Club sponsor Ricky Surace, who is attempting to join the board, went public with his ticket last night, and Crowley was a notable absentee along with another long-time director Paul Tubridy.

Crowley yesterday dismissed the threat posed by the independents running for the board.

"If they get on they're going to be three out of nine," Crowley said. "All it can do is create a bit of turmoil. It's not going to change what's happening. If those guys get on the board, so what? It's the same directors. It's still six verse three."

Surace responded last night, saying: "If that's the sort of answers we're going to get from one of our board of directors, no wonder we find ourselves in trouble."

Meanwhile, Sydney Roosters forward Anthony Cherrington was yesterday placed on an 18-month good behaviour bond and sentenced to 150 hours of community service after pleading guilty to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and maliciously destroying property.

The Roosters' released a statement in which they said they viewed the matters very seriously and were extremely disappointed with Cherrington's actions.

"This behaviour cannot be condoned," the statement said.

However, Cherrington -- sidelined with a leg injury -- will not be sacked. "Cherrington has been very remorseful and contrite and has fully assisted police," the statement said.

"He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and has already undergone extensive counselling. Club management has taken into consideration his unblemished record and the additional club promotions and community work he has undertaken since the incident and will continue to work with Cherrington on his rehabilitation."