Steve Sharp's ParraFirst wants to give Eels back to members
Announcement posted by ParraFirst 20 Nov 2012
Triple-premiership winning Eel Steve Sharp will lead the ParraFirst ticket against Roy Spagnolo’s 3P board at the upcoming football election, with the goal of giving Parramatta Eels members control over their NRL side.
“A Rugby League club is nothing without its members and supporters,” said Sharp. “ParraFirst want to ensure that the board with responsibility for the NRL side is accountable to Parramatta Eels members.”
The Parramatta club has announced plans to reach 20,000 members for next season. However, those members will not be able to vote for the board that has responsibility for the NRL side which is the Leagues Club board, explained Sharp.
“The club’s current structure and constitution was designed back in the era that I played football,” he added.
“Today, Rugby League is big business. How can we have aspirations to be a marquee club when decisions about our great club are being made by Leagues club directors who have little experience or skills related to the running of a football operation,” Sharp said.
Sharp said the 3P ticket had made similar promises in 2008 when it challenged and defeated Denis Fitzgerald, however, most recently directors declared there was no plan to review the current structure, which also effectively works to entrench the incumbent board.
The ParraFirst ticket commits to, once elected:
1. Conducting a review of the current structure and constitution tasked with finding the most effective way of making the boards accountable to football members. This could be as simple as requiring four members of the Leagues Club board are Football Club directors, reciprocal voting rights across the two clubs or it could mean complete structural separation.
2. Presenting its finding no later than next year’s Annual General Meeting and asking members to decide on the structure that the club should take moving forward.
The ParraFirst ticket is seeking election for the Parramatta District Rugby League Club board, which will be decided at an election to be held on December 8, 2012. It will next year, also contest the Parramatta Leagues Club election.
Sharp said the ParraFirst ticket is the result of cherry-picking only successful business people with relevant skills to the Parramatta Eels group. All candidates have previously demonstrated considerable commitment and service to the club.
“We want members to feel like they own this club. And as owners of the club, we ask them to vote for the board that they feel is most qualified, and whom they will have trust in, to have guardianship over the Parramatta Eels business and football operation.”
“The candidates on this ticket, provide us with significant business experience across every revenue stream and boardroom skillset related to the Eels including football, media and marketing, event management, gaming and hospitality as well as venue, corporate boardroom and government liaison experience,,” Sharp said.
“Every single one of the ParraFirst candidates is hugely successful in their field, has shown prior dedication to the club and is committed to a boardroom that is professional, maintains confidentiality, protects the brand’s image and stays out of the day-to-day running of the business so that the people we employ can most effectively do their jobs.”
The ParraFirst ticket is:
Steve Sharp (Premiership winning Eel and board experience): As well as being a triple Premiership-winning footballer from the Eel’s legendary 80’s era, Sharp is a current board member of the PDRLC and a manager in the public service. He is currently completing an MBA.
Phil Sim (Media Relations, Digitial Business, Social Media): Sim is the Chief Executive Officer of an online media and software company and a journalist who built and still operates the largest Parramatta Eels supporter website, 1Eyed Eel.
Peter Serrao (Junior Football, Venue Experience): Serrao is Commercial Manager of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. He is a life member having being Head Coach of two Harold Matthews premiership winning sides in 1998 and 1999. He has worked in the Junior Representative Program since 1995 and currently contributes to the Eels as Head Coach of the junior summer coaching school.
Tom Issa (Event management, Hospitality, Government Liaison): Issa is Chief Executive Officer of automotive events companies: Supercar d’Elegance and Australian Concours d’Elegance . He is a highly successful business person owning and operating hotels, restaurants and agriculture businesses, including the popular Port Bar on the Parramatta River. He is a former representative Parramatta junior player.
Lawrence Shepherd (Gaming and Technology): Shepherd is the Managing Director of Independent Gaming Australia, a Baulkham Hills-based gaming technology company that specialises in making clubs more successful. He has been a sponsor of the club for 25 years.
Matt Hollier (Corporate governance, business and sales management): Hollier is the Managing Director of M4 Healthcare. A proven entrepreneur who has already built and exited his first business venture, he was responsible for six divisions of a large health sector firm with combined revenues of $30 million. In that role, he had extensive experience both reporting to a board and as a board member. He is a former junior Eels development squad manager.
While, the six candidates will stand at the Parramatta Eels election, Sharp noted that ParraFirst had been developed in consultation with dozens of passionate supporters, who have either provided feedback, advice or volunteered their efforts. “We want ParraFirst to be inclusive of all Parramatta Eels supporters and we encourage you to register your support at our website (www.parrafirst.com) or any of social media presences including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn,” Sharp said.
ParraFirst’s commitment to review the current club structure and constitution is the first plank of its platform to be taken to the Parramatta District Football Club election to be held on December 8 at the Parramatta Leagues Club from 10am to 4pm. All those supporters who have been members of the club across the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons are eligible to vote.
“A Rugby League club is nothing without its members and supporters,” said Sharp. “ParraFirst want to ensure that the board with responsibility for the NRL side is accountable to Parramatta Eels members.”
The Parramatta club has announced plans to reach 20,000 members for next season. However, those members will not be able to vote for the board that has responsibility for the NRL side which is the Leagues Club board, explained Sharp.
“The club’s current structure and constitution was designed back in the era that I played football,” he added.
“Today, Rugby League is big business. How can we have aspirations to be a marquee club when decisions about our great club are being made by Leagues club directors who have little experience or skills related to the running of a football operation,” Sharp said.
Sharp said the 3P ticket had made similar promises in 2008 when it challenged and defeated Denis Fitzgerald, however, most recently directors declared there was no plan to review the current structure, which also effectively works to entrench the incumbent board.
The ParraFirst ticket commits to, once elected:
1. Conducting a review of the current structure and constitution tasked with finding the most effective way of making the boards accountable to football members. This could be as simple as requiring four members of the Leagues Club board are Football Club directors, reciprocal voting rights across the two clubs or it could mean complete structural separation.
2. Presenting its finding no later than next year’s Annual General Meeting and asking members to decide on the structure that the club should take moving forward.
The ParraFirst ticket is seeking election for the Parramatta District Rugby League Club board, which will be decided at an election to be held on December 8, 2012. It will next year, also contest the Parramatta Leagues Club election.
Sharp said the ParraFirst ticket is the result of cherry-picking only successful business people with relevant skills to the Parramatta Eels group. All candidates have previously demonstrated considerable commitment and service to the club.
“We want members to feel like they own this club. And as owners of the club, we ask them to vote for the board that they feel is most qualified, and whom they will have trust in, to have guardianship over the Parramatta Eels business and football operation.”
“The candidates on this ticket, provide us with significant business experience across every revenue stream and boardroom skillset related to the Eels including football, media and marketing, event management, gaming and hospitality as well as venue, corporate boardroom and government liaison experience,,” Sharp said.
“Every single one of the ParraFirst candidates is hugely successful in their field, has shown prior dedication to the club and is committed to a boardroom that is professional, maintains confidentiality, protects the brand’s image and stays out of the day-to-day running of the business so that the people we employ can most effectively do their jobs.”
The ParraFirst ticket is:
Steve Sharp (Premiership winning Eel and board experience): As well as being a triple Premiership-winning footballer from the Eel’s legendary 80’s era, Sharp is a current board member of the PDRLC and a manager in the public service. He is currently completing an MBA.
Phil Sim (Media Relations, Digitial Business, Social Media): Sim is the Chief Executive Officer of an online media and software company and a journalist who built and still operates the largest Parramatta Eels supporter website, 1Eyed Eel.
Peter Serrao (Junior Football, Venue Experience): Serrao is Commercial Manager of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. He is a life member having being Head Coach of two Harold Matthews premiership winning sides in 1998 and 1999. He has worked in the Junior Representative Program since 1995 and currently contributes to the Eels as Head Coach of the junior summer coaching school.
Tom Issa (Event management, Hospitality, Government Liaison): Issa is Chief Executive Officer of automotive events companies: Supercar d’Elegance and Australian Concours d’Elegance . He is a highly successful business person owning and operating hotels, restaurants and agriculture businesses, including the popular Port Bar on the Parramatta River. He is a former representative Parramatta junior player.
Lawrence Shepherd (Gaming and Technology): Shepherd is the Managing Director of Independent Gaming Australia, a Baulkham Hills-based gaming technology company that specialises in making clubs more successful. He has been a sponsor of the club for 25 years.
Matt Hollier (Corporate governance, business and sales management): Hollier is the Managing Director of M4 Healthcare. A proven entrepreneur who has already built and exited his first business venture, he was responsible for six divisions of a large health sector firm with combined revenues of $30 million. In that role, he had extensive experience both reporting to a board and as a board member. He is a former junior Eels development squad manager.
While, the six candidates will stand at the Parramatta Eels election, Sharp noted that ParraFirst had been developed in consultation with dozens of passionate supporters, who have either provided feedback, advice or volunteered their efforts. “We want ParraFirst to be inclusive of all Parramatta Eels supporters and we encourage you to register your support at our website (www.parrafirst.com) or any of social media presences including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn,” Sharp said.
ParraFirst’s commitment to review the current club structure and constitution is the first plank of its platform to be taken to the Parramatta District Football Club election to be held on December 8 at the Parramatta Leagues Club from 10am to 4pm. All those supporters who have been members of the club across the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons are eligible to vote.