Why Sea Eagles fight to upgrade Brookvale Oval is so crucial

THE Sea Eagles would be unlikely to survive if they were forced to move their home ground to Allianz or ANZ Stadium, a document has revealed.

A bumper crowd packs the hill at Lottoland. Picture: Mark Evans.

• The $10 million Brookie Oval meeting
• NSW Government’s $2.1 million upgrade athletics track

THE Sea Eagles would be unlikely to survive if they were forced to move their home ground to Allianz or ANZ Stadium.

That explosive prediction was included in the document “Future of Brookvale Oval and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles” obtained the Manly Daily.

It was prepared on behalf of the Sea Eagles for the Brookvale Oval summit in 2013 where then NSW Treasurer Mike Baird reportedly offered $10 million to help with essential refurbishment of the ground which now appears to have been taken off the table.

There are widespread fears that the State Government’s controversial $2.1 billion rebuilds of Allianz and ANZ will lead to a push for clubs like Manly to abandon their traditional suburban venues.

The dilapidated state of Brookvale Oval.

“The futures of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and Brookvale Oval are intertwined,” the document said,

“One is unlikely to survive without the other.”

The document said the most direct way for Sea Eagles fans to travel to other stadiums is via car and public transport options require at least two changes “thereby acting as a significant obstacle to many fans, including those with young children, wishing to travel to away games.”

It continued: “Should financial or other circumstances dictate the Sea Eagles permanently relocate their home games to another ground, then this problem would almost certainly lead to a major decline in supporter attendance at home games and significant financial loss.

“The Sea Eagles would most likely become financially unviable and cease to exist.”

The document also warned that In the absence of another major tenant paying the amount of rent the Sea Eagles currently Brookvale Oval would become even more run down than it currently is and ‘quickly become unusable for any other purpose”.