SAVE OUR SIDES PROTEST

What would Dallas Do???

The three main issues:

- The killing of the Western Suburbs Magpies from NSW Cup
- Local Campbelltown Clubs not being allowed to Play and Train in Campbelltown
- Wests Tigers only playing 4 games a year at Campbelltown Stadium

THE DEATH OF THE WESTERN SUBURBS MAGPIES

Wests Tigers are pressuring Wests Ashfield Leagues club to to kill off the last local senior representative team in the Macarthur area.

Wests Tigers want to replace the Western Suburbs Magpies NSW Cup side with teams based in the inner city at Concord.

Wests Tigers want a single NSW Cup team and are also forming an alliance with a Bundy Cup team based at Concord for the excess fringe players.

The Wests Tigers do not provide any financial support of the Magpies NSW Cup team with the majority of the funding coming from Wests Ashfield Leagues Club.

Wests Campbelltown Leagues Club also do not provide any financial support of the Magpies and have been voting inline with Balmain Tigers in the Wests Tigers board room meetings to dissolve the Magpies NSW Cup team.

As of 2012, the Wests Tigers have stopped ALL support of the Wests Magpies in the NSW Cup whilst continuing to fully support the Balmain Tigers.

The Magpies NSW Cup team is currently operating off a $300,000 grant from Wests Ashfield Leagues club for 2012. No funding has been promised for 2013.

The Western Suburbs Magpies will celebrate their 104th birthday the day before the Rally on the 4th of February.



LOCAL CAMPBELLTOWN SIDES

Three local senior Campbelltown clubs have had their request to play and train in Campbelltown denied by the NSWRL

The three clubs are the Campbelltown Eagles, Campbelltown City Kangaroos (Seniors) and the Macarthur Bulls

These three local clubs have left the Wests Junior League Competition after their players voted unanimously to join the neighboring Group 6 competition.

The players stated they wanted to be a part of a well run competition where you could actually play good football and not just worry about getting 'bashed"

The players whilst not happy about it, have been willing to travel the extra distances to continue to play in Group 6.

The Wests Junior League with the backing of Wests Tigers, NSWRL and Campbelltown Council have prevented these sides from securing the use of their own home grounds in Campbelltown claiming they have a viable competition they must play in.

The three clubs all stated if forced to return to the Wests junior League they will struggle to field senior teams as their players will flock to Group 6 sides for the better standard of competition.

The Wests Junior League competition has been constantly marred with violence and the Administrations failure to address this issue has scared off many potential players and now entire clubs.

The three clubs just want their senior sides to be able to play and train in Campbelltown whilst competing in the Group 6 competition.

The clubs are happy for their junior teams to continue in the Wests Junior League Competition but would like to see an investigation carried out into the health of the competitions administration.



WESTS TIGERS AT CAMPBELLTOWN STADIUM

Campbelltown Stadium had its NRL games reduced from six games to three in 2005 when Wests Tigers claimed that the corporate facilities were inadequate and that it cost too much to hire extra lighting and a big screen television.

The ground has since then had over $8 million spent on it from Government grants to meet Wests Tigers requirements.

In 2012 Wests Tigers will play just four NRL home games at Campbelltown Stadium whilst it plays eight game in the inner city at Leichhardt Oval and the Sydney Football Stadium.

Local fans fear the strong Rugby League area may become the focus of a take over by the cashed up AFL as they continue their push into Western Sydney

An online petition has been started at www.wests.co.nr]

Organisers of the Rally urge local residents to get behind the cause for a fair go for our kids and our area.

[People attending the rally are advised to bring water, hats and to dress in their Local Club, Magpies or Wests Tigers jerseys.

If this rally fails to generate the desired outcomes, further protest action has already been planned.

Public Transport is recommended if possible with train and bus service available to take people to and from Leumeah and Campbelltown Stations.
We advise those driving to park your car at Campbelltown and just catch the train back from Leumeah Station.

For those unable to walk the whole distance, join the march from the Campbelltown Council at 10am. We will first march 500 meters to Langdone Ave. Here those not wanting to march the entire distance will be able to return to their cars and drive to Leumeah for the 2nd half of the Protest March as we march down Old Leumeah Road past the Wests Leagues Club and into the Campbelltown Stadium Car Park.

If you are fit enough to walk the whole distance   (Approx 2.5km)  we would encourage you to do so.

Please be advised media agencies will be invited to photograph the event.

Quotes from Rally organiser Graeme Szynal regarding the Wests Tiger

"We all support the Wests Tigers, we just want a fair go for the local kids and our region"

"Wests Magpies offered to be Wests Tigers sole NSW Cup feeder team, but they rejected the offer"

"The Magpies are a rare part of our games history that dates back to day zero. Why is everyone so keen to kill it off?"

"We need more local opportunities for our kids not less"

"Why do kids, many of whom are still studying and have homework, have to travel to Concord to train and play rep footy when there is a perfectly viable option to do so locally with the Magpies?"

"The Magpies have been in Campbelltown for 25 years providing kids a pathway to the NRL"

"Millions of our tax dollars have been spent upgrading Campbelltown Stadium to meet Wests Tigers demands, our population has gone through the roof and AFL is knocking on the door, and we still only get 4 games."


Quote on twitter from Melbourne Storm player and Magpie Junior Ryan Hoffman

"It's killing me seeing the way @westsmagpies are getting treated. Had 2nd rate treatment since the merger began. Westies love a fight though"

Quote on twitter from Cronulla Sharks, former Wests Tigers premiership winning player and Magpie Junior Bryce Gibbs regarding the Wests Tigers decision to stop supporting the Wests Magpies[/b]
 
"balmain fans are in charge there now! Disgrace"   
 
"I grew up on Rudd Rd right next to Campbelltown Stadium! You need a Magpies team for the kids in the area to prevent them going to the Parramatta district! No Magpies = No future for the kids of Campbelltown and a bigger chance of them going to AFL!!"



Quote from former NRL Wests Magpies and Wests Tigers player, Kevin McGuiness

What will happens to the kids in our area? What will they aspire to be? Wests Magpies is our Local Representative Team and I’m worried about the future and Development of the children in our area. I have a young child that wants to play Rugby League in the area but what opportunities will he have?


Quote from Magpie 1st Grader and Life Member on the club Bruce (Bruiser) Clarke

"I gave nine hard years to the Magpies and I feel disappointed that the boards of Ashfield and Campbelltown Leagues Clubs can't better support them."
 
"I am a life member of the Magpies, but the way things are going I might soon be a life member of nothing"

Bruce and the boys packing in for a scrum

SOS