From humble beginnings, Bankstown Sports is now among the biggest clubs in Australia
THE next time you visit Bankstown Sports Club, raise a toast to those good folks from 60 years ago who decided they needed a place to relax and unwind after their matches.
The Express
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THE next time you visit Bankstown Sports Club, raise a toast to those good folks from 60 years ago who decided they needed a place to relax and unwind after their matches.
It’s when the first seeds of what will become one of Australia’s most successful and largest clubs were sown.
Thanks to their forward thinking, the club they eventually ended up forming is now not only the biggest in NSW with more than 75,000 members but also one of the best supported and financially successful in Australia.
Bankstown Sports is well patronised for its wide selection of restaurants, bars and entertainment, which are the envy of many clubs.
As a community-based club, Bankstown Sports has also delivered financial help in spades to the local groups and organisations to the tune of nearly $48 million since 1959.
One of the main reasons for the club’s phenomenal growth is due to the long serving CEOs.
In the past six decades only three CEOs have been appointed: Emile McDonald, the founding CEO (1958-1981), John Mackay (1981-2012) and Mark Condi (2012-present).
Mr Condi embodies the culture of the club, having started out washing and rinsing glasses 26 years ago and worked in every area of the club before his promotion in six years ago.
“I think we are the most stable club in Australia because we have such continuity,” Mr Condi said.
“This is one of the biggest clubs in the country in terms of size, revenue and members while we help the community with over $3 million each year.
“We are a not-for-profit club and because of this, the members are the biggest beneficiaries.
“Technically the club is owned by the members and we have more than 650 employees.
“We help and support 43 sporting clubs representing more than 10,000 players each week (during seasons).
“We have expanded significantly and will focus on other venues in our 10-year plan.”
Mr Condi said he has a lot to thank the club for, specially for helping him in his studies.
“Bankstown Sports offers employees the opportunity to further educate themselves,” Mr Condi said.
“I was around 18 when I started work at the club while I decided what I wanted to do.
“The club offered me the opportunity to educate myself and supported me through.
“I also completed my MBA and this was all possible because of the club’s support and flexible approach.”
Bankstown Sports will also officially open its nine-storey Flinders Centre which will be a new business hub.
It is adjacent to the club and visitors can have direct access to the club’s facilities.
Through the years, Bankstown Sports has either merged or taken over clubs in different suburbs — Baulkham Hills Sports in 1999, Birrong Sports in 2001, The Acres Club in 2016 and Auburn Tennis and Recreation Club in 2017.
THERE WAS A REAL MATESHIP
Members, while celebrating the club’s diamond jubilee, also toasting to those who made all this possible, including Ribert Rudd and Brian Marshall.
Robert Rudd remembers how the club began and was responsible for helping to build the squash courts.
“When it first began, the club was just a hall that had been owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints,” Mr Rudd said.
“When we took over, it became our cellar where we kept our cold drinks.
“I did some voluntary work on the building as I was a concreter and cement renderer, and my brother George helped out too.
“He went onto become vice president of the club at one point, and he’s now a life member.
“everyone at the time just pitched in and helped.
“There was a real mateship about the whole thing, all getting together for a common purpose.”
Brian Marshall, who joined early before getting bored, said the first night the club opened, there was a 18-gallon keg of beer and three pokie machines — one, two shillings and a six pence.
“At 23 years of age, I began attending a few of the early meetings held in the old fibro Latter Day Saints building, which was located where the club stands now.
“I was alerted to these meetings by members of the Bankstown United Rugby League Club, where I played football.
“Unfortunately, after a few weeks — as young men do — we became bored, as we didn’t seem to be progressing very far with setting up the club.
“Soon after, a sailor who lived in my street began knocking on my door once a week, telling me the proposed club could not begin to operate until it had 200 debentured members.
“I ended up paying the 10 pounds and became member 191.
“The club soon became a focal point for many young men and women in the area.
“I remember darts became very popular early on and several teams were set up to visit other clubs for tournaments.
“Over the years, my work and personal life has taken me away from Bankstown at times, but I have always remained a member of Bankstown Sports.
“I still have 18 of the early annual membership badges that were issued, and my wife and I still try and visit the club whenever we can.”