Embattled Kilburn unlikely to recieve lifeline as council advised to boot club from home base
A local football club struggling with more than $100,000 debt is facing eviction and possible closure as council staff recommend terminating its lease.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Football club needs to raise significant funds or will lose its home
- Want more from your Advertiser digital subscription? Find out how
An inner-northern football club struggling with crippling debt faces eviction from its home of almost a century – a move likely to force its closure.
Port Adelaide Enfield Council staff on Friday recommended terminating Kilburn Football and Cricket Club’s lease.
Councillors will vote on the recommendation at their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday night.
Kilburn financial director Daniel Parks has long-warned the club could fold if it was kicked out of its Blair Athol Reserve base.
Stream over 50 sports live and on demand with KAYO SPORTS. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract.Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
The council report recommended a “notice of termination be issued to Kilburn Football and Cricket Club to advise that their holding-over lease will terminate in one month”.
The report, set to be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, stated the Chics owed the council about $25,000, “substantially more to other creditors” and its total debt was $165,000.
It also stated there had not been any improvement in reducing debt to creditors and the club’s cash remained low.
The Messenger has contacted Parks in light of the report and council recommendation.
Prior the report’s release, Parks said he hoped the council would not look at the club, which was established in 1923, “as just facts and figures”.
“I just hope they look at us as a 96-year-old club that has faulted, has now recognised that and has done a lot of hard work to rectify our faults,” Parks said.
“Don’t just judge us on numbers.
“If they do shut the club it will be for all the wrong reasons – hopefully common sense will prevail.”
It is understood several councillors who are allies of the football club are expected to be ineligible to vote due to conflicts of interest.
Parks said members had worked hard over the past month to come up with a debt reduction plan and a sponsorship drive had helped raise about $40,000.
“We have complied with everything they’ve (the council) asked for,” Parks said.
“We’ve submitted some financials to them and the councillors are just looking over that now.”
In June, The Messenger revealed the club, which fields football teams in the Adelaide Footy League’s division four and fourth-tier reserves, had racked up four debts totalling more than $120,000.
The Chics have struggled to contend with rising electricity, Adelaide Footy League and Adelaide Turf Cricket Association fees, as well as council charges.
They owe $22,000 in lease fees and rates to the council, as well as money to power company AGL and the Australian Taxation Office.
The club stopped paying footballers ahead of the 2014 season because the costs were unsustainable.
But it suffered a player exodus and endured a tough division three campaign five years ago when its average losing margin was more than 300 points.
The committee then asked players to raise about $15,000 a season – money that was given back to the club, with some used to pay 18 of the top A-grade footballers.
Should councillors agree to evict the club, the Chics can appeal the decision.