Below is a letter sent from Pirtek Parramatta Eels Chairman, Steve Sharp to our members today.
Dear Member,
This week we celebrate our Members and the loyalty that they have shown this club, especially through recent seasons.
Incredibly we have reached over 17,000 in our membership tally for 2013, an outstanding achievement given the results of recent seasons. I am very positive that we will be able to repay your faith in the not too distant future.
Unfortunately there have been some negative media reports recently regarding our great club. The Board and I are aware of a small number of individuals who want to pursue a negative agenda against the club to stop the necessary reforms that we are making to transform the Eels into a major force in the NRL again.
Let me be clear - we will not let these people continue to drag our club down as they pursue their own agendas.
The Board and I will continue to operate with our values at the forefront of our minds CARE, COURAGE, EXCELLENCE, INCLUSIVENESS and TEAMWORK. I ask that you stand with us, side by side, with integrity and a willingness to push forward positively.
It is important to both the Board and I to provide you with a true reflection of where we are as a club both on and off the field:
-The Parramatta Eels board continues to strongly support Ricky Stuart as the coach to take this club forward.
-The Parramatta Eels board has endorsed the tough decisions Ricky Stuart needed to make earlier this year in our player recruitment and retention, in order for the club to achieve long-term sustainable success.
-We stand side by side with Ricky and the playing group in doing whatever it takes to bring long-term success back to our great club.
-We are pleased with the clubs recruitment for 2014, which includes Will Hopoate, Corey Norman, Nathan Peats, Justin Hunt and Lee Mossop.
-In addition, we are in discussions with a large number of organisations in relation to different levels of sponsorship of the Parramatta Eels for 2014 and beyond.
-We remain focussed on bringing as many games as possible back to Parramatta Stadium, as evidenced through this Mondays move back home from ANZ Stadium.
-We are very proud of our new deal with the Northern Territory Government that allows us to play a trial in Alice Springs and an NRL Premiership game in Darwin. Outside of being a great windfall for the club, we see this as a service to the game and an opportunity to make a difference in the community.
-Finally, the Board of Directors is committed to working with the management team to transform this club into a major force in the NRL again.
Thank you from everyone at the Eels for your ongoing support and lets hope our boys can deliver you the victory our members so richly deserve.
Regards,
Steve Sharp
Chairman
