By Luke Brailey
Back to Belmore Inc. President

November 13, 2007

There was a time not very long ago when the Bulldogs Rugby League Club had as its 'holy grail' a desire to remain in its traditional heartland. The club no longer talks about traditions because to them, obtaining 10,000 members by 2010 and relocating to Homebush is far more important than addressing the effects of dilapidation at Belmore Sports Ground, which poses a risk to the future of the ground. The Bulldogs' core failure is a lack of dialogue and specific long-term solutions to the imminent problems of dilapidation and deterioration.

The holy grail now being pursued in relation to their spiritual kennel is being pursued by Back to Belmore Inc, a nonpartisan catalyst for action, bringing together community leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing Belmore Sports Ground. The Bulldogs' "Belmore scepticism" or "Belmore denial" has denied true blue-and-white supporters and local Canterbury-Bankstown residents the opportunity to utilise the full potential of this community asset.

The football club has refused to heed deafening calls from fans to relocate to their spiritual home ground which has the potential to deliver great commercial benefits to the club and local community. Today, dilapidation and deterioration are crippling Belmore Sports Ground. Addressing the effects of these are not just about ensuring the viability of local businesses, it is about securing the grounds' future as a multi-purpose sporting facility and implementing strategies necessary to underpin the future of the Canterbury-Bankstown area's vital economic benefit and future of the area's premier sporting facility.

We, as Bulldogs supporters, need to act on Belmore Sports Ground rather than avoid the problems, which is what the football club has done. What we must do as supporters and as a local community is to respond to this in a sensible-measured fashion.