Steve Mortimer out to stop Canterbury Bulldogs’ boardroom bloodshed
STEVE Mortimer, the lone survivor in Canterbury’s boardroom bloodshed, is now fighting to save his old teammate George Peponis as boss of their Leagues Club empire.
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CANTERBURY’S lone survivor in the Bulldogs boardroom bloodshed, club legend Steve “Turvey” Mortimer, is now fighting to save his old teammate George Peponis as boss of their leagues club empire.
The six new directors who swept into power at Saturday’s football club elections have been fierce opponents of Peponis in public disagreements in the build-up to the elections.
Dr Peponis is chairman of the Canterbury Leagues Club, the NSWRL and has been nominated to join the ARL’s independent commission under constitutional changes that will come into effect in two weeks.
“It is very important that George Peponis stays on as leagues club chairman,” Mortimer told The Daily Telegraph.
“He is a great man and a statesman of the game. He was my captain when I won my first grand final.
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“He has done a magnificent job with the leagues club business and I will be speaking to Lynne Anderson about George’s position when I can.
“I am sure common sense will prevail and George will remain as chairman.”
Mortimer publicly campaigned against the six directors who were voted onto the board. But he has no thoughts of stepping aside.
“I feel very sorry and disappointed for the board members who have lost their positions,” he said. “But I will stick around and represent the members who have supported me. I have great respect for Lynne Anderson and I can work under her.
“I am happy to be part of the team like I always have been since I was a player for this great club.”
Under Peponis’s leadership, Canterbury runs one of the state’s most successful licenced clubs, making annual profits of around $25 million.
A $140 million club redevelopment is underway, which the club is ploughing more than $80 million cash into.
Peponis told The Daily Telegraph he had no intention of stepping aside as leagues club chairman. “It is very important we have continuity,” he said.
“I love this club and I’m not going anywhere. We will have new faces on the (leagues club) board but I will be staying on as chairman.”