Bankrupt Furlan Club fighting landlord despite fire damage and unpaid debts

The bankrupt Italian club in Melbourne’s north refuses to give up on its fire-damaged premises, rallying community support despite owing hundreds of thousands in taxes and rent.

After being severely damaged following a high-profile fire bombing there remains strong public sentiment that the Furlan Club should continue operating.

A bitter battle is unfolding between the recently bankrupt Furlan Club and the property’s new landlord, with the former reportedly refusing to vacate the premises despite its financial collapse.

Even after being severely damaged following a high-profile fire bombing – connected to a boxing match featuring the late Sam ‘The Punisher’ Abdulrahim – there remains strong public sentiment that the club should continue operating.

This community support persists despite insolvency services claiming “the company may have been insolvent since at least April 2021” and allegations of questionable practices by its directors.

The new landlord, who took over the property in July last year following the fire, issued a Notice of Termination of Lease in April, which led to the public outcry and the club creating an online petition titled “Protect the Furlan Club”.

Sam ‘The Punisher’ Abdulrahim was set to fight at the club before it was firebombed. Picture: David Geraghty

The club has even set up a portable office on the street outside the club’s Matisi St address, with the support of the local council, to continue operating from the address.

The support and the continued operation comes despite financial records showing the club’s directors received $1.4 million in an insurance payout following the fire but have only repaid $315,000 of a total $484,000 in owed rent.

While they still reportedly owe the Australian Taxation Office over $640,000 and have outstanding superannuation payments.

The Darebin City Council recently voted in favour of placing a temporary Heritage Overlay on the site, preventing its demolition despite the extensive fire damage which has rendered the building unusable.

This is despite their own building surveyor declaring it “a danger to life, safety or health”.

The overlay is only temporary, however, and does not guarantee the site will be Heritage Listed or that the building will be saved.

The building has been declared unusable.

“Council resolved at the Council Meeting on 26 May to proceed with considering a planning scheme amendment to apply a permanent Heritage Overlay to the site and we are awaiting authorisation from the Minister for Planning,” a council spokesperson told the Herald Sun.

“If authorised, Council will exhibit the amendment where anyone can make a submission regarding the proposed heritage overlay.”

Member for Northcote Kat Theophanous has also been a staunch supporter of keeping the club alive, posting numerous videos on her social media in support of its preservation.

The Darebin MP told the Herald Sun that the idea of the loss of the club was heartbreaking for the local Italian community.

“The Furlan Club has a decades-long history supporting the Italian community of the inner north and this latest news is very distressing,” she said.

“This will be a sorrowful and upsetting time for many in the Italian community and my thoughts are with all those who hold fond memories of the club.”

Thornbury’s Furlan Club has operated as a hub for cultural celebrations, social gatherings, weddings, and other community events for over 60 years and is a much-loved institution for the local Italian community.

The current landlord’s plans for the property remain unknown.

Originally published as Bankrupt Furlan Club fighting landlord despite fire damage and unpaid debts