Coburg Tiger move angers council
Moreland Leader
Simon Craig
19May08
MORELAND Council is fuming over cash it spent backing VFL club the Coburg Tigers.
As Coburg's relocation to Craigieburn becomes all but a formality, Moreland councillor John Kavanagh lamented the tens of thousands of dollars spent in recent years trying to placate the Richmond feeder club.
Sport Minister James Merlino all but confirmed the move, reported in the Leader in January, during a visit to Craigieburn last week to announce the $2.5 million State Government contribution to the football training centre.
Mr Merlino said the facility will "bring VFL and perhaps even AFL football to the area, with the Coburg Tigers slated to train and play matches at the new oval".
"This funding will help to support the future of the VFL competition and reaffirm our reputation as the premier state football competition," Mr Merlino said. Cr Kavanagh said Moreland Council had "done everything possible to keep the Tigers in Coburg". It has slashed ground-usage charges, contributed $50,000 toward the construction of club offices and allowed the club to rename City Oval as part of its sponsorship deal, Cr Kavanagh said.
Fans will be "devastated" by the move, he said. "When you go along to those matches you see a lot of people that have supported them for years," he said. "The ring of outer metropolitan councils have been awash with money at the expense of the inner-ring councils."
Coburg general manager Ryan O'Connor was again reticent to talk about the move.
"Obviously the players and members heard about it," he said.
The Craigieburn football centre, corner Grand Blvd and Windrock Ave, will include a main oval as big as the MCG's and two additional sports fields, as well as a sports pavilion, grandstand and changerooms.
http://www.morelandleader.com.au/article/2008/05/19/35367_cov_news.html
