LESS than six months after the Cronulla Sharks 2009 NRL season collapsed under the weight of controversies, an innovative sports marketing ploy is winning thousands of new members for their 2010 season.
Up to 1000 Cronulla Sharks new members will have their names imprinted on their seats for games at Toyota Stadium next season.
And up to 6000 members will get their names imprinted on the first game jersey of the 2010 season, when the Sharks take on premiers Melbourne Storm at home.
With the Sharks set to announce a new group chief executive before finalising plans for their $110-million development already approved by Sutherland Council, Sharks staff have been told club management want Cronulla to become the No.1 NRL club in three years.
In a remarkable turnaround, the financially battling club could well end up leading the way in the NRL drive for new club memberships, with Football Club CEO Richard Fisk yesterday reporting a whopping 75 per cent increase compared to the corresponding week of last year.
"We decided to give ownership to our club members, so the names on seats and jerseys is the club's reward to members investing in the Sharks,'' said Fisk, who took over from disgraced former CEO Tony Zappia late in the season.
"The initial response has been amazing from fans wanting to go that extra step and become members of the Sharks. And members are paying for an extra one to two seats for the year, anywhere in the ground, and the extra $50 to have their names on their seats.''
Every member who signs up before January 30 also gets their name on the new game one Sharks jersey, which can be bought at the club. The Sharks have also received a huge response for their Day At the Park rock concert on Saturday, November 14, at Toyota Stadium.
Club chairman Damian Irvine, part of a new board which includes the first two women directors, said the club was "over'' the controversial 2009 season, where Ricky Stuart's injury-plagued team just managed to avoid the wooden spoon.
Personnel and cost-cutting measures have resulted in leaner and meaner Sharks football and leagues clubs. "As `Gibbo' [late coach Jack Gibson] once said, if you get your front office right you are on the right track, and that is where we started,'' Irvine said.
"We have a three-year plan in place to be the leader in the industry. After a lot of housekeeping and a lot of tough decisions, we're now moving forward positively.
"There's no hollow logs here. By January the club will have their first group CEO and the public will have a club that they can certainly rave about.''
The Sharks are confident of extinguishing a three-year agreement with the South Australian Government, to play one game in Adelaide up to 2011. Instead, the Sharks hope to transfer it to either Gosford, ANZ or the Sydney Football Stadium, while playing the other 11 home games at Toyota Stadium.
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