VITTORIA: Italo club saved as Marconi votes for merger

Members of the Italo-Australian Club in Lismore were in Sydney for the merger vote with Marconi

The Italo-Australian Club in North Lismore.

SYDNEY soccer club giant Marconi has backed plans to merge with the Italo-Australian Club in Lismore.

Marconi club members voted in favour of the merger at a meeting in Sydney on Sunday.

Although licensing issues are still the be finalised this appears to be a formality.

Three members of the Lismore Italo-Australian Club flew to Sydney for the meeting including president Americo Melchior.

“It all went really smooth,” he said. “Ninety-five per cent voted in favour and its all gone through.

“The hard part is done, all there is left to sort out is the licensing issue.”

The struggling club was potentially facing closing its doors forever until Marconi handed it a lifeline.

“It is exciting, it is the best thing to ever happen to us,” Mr Melchior said.

“They have got professional promoters, and other professionals to run it and they have money to put into it.

“The biggest thing we wanted was to keep that Italian heritage going and that is the main thing, to keep the Italo Club going.”

Next steps could include the refurbishment of the club. Renovations to the bar, and a new kitchen upstairs are on the agenda.

Mr Melchior would not be drawn on the next priorities.

“We are not going to talk about that now until we all get together and decide what we are going to do first,” he said.