Andrew Thompson part of the challenge

[my les foote]

According to the Age.

Key Saints come out swinging
Caroline Wilson | September 11, 2007

THE battle for power at St Kilda is threatening to become even more bitter, with recently retired club hero Andrew Thompson and former captain Nathan Burke officially turning on their president, Rod Butterss.

An internal feud that has tested the friendship of club legends and split the board now looks set to become personal, with Thompson, Burke and transport boss and potential president Greg Westaway announcing their seven-member ticket entitled "St Kilda Footy First".

The ticket, to be announced at 10am today at Telstra Dome, also includes a senior businesswoman, a Queen's counsel and at least one other well-known international businessman. It has the unofficial support of club vice-president Ross Levin and fellow director John Gdanski, who both could remain on the board should the challenge prove successful.

Butterss, who remained defiant last night and was mustering his forces, said he still could not believe Thompson was a definite member of the challengers who will push for an extraordinary general meeting in order to spill the board.

Butterss told The Age: "I don't want to pre-empt anything because nobody has yet spoken to me and these people have not yet made themselves known or their concerns known to me, which surprises me, given our successful financial performance and debt reduction over recent years. And it's not as though we're on the bottom of the ladder."

Asked his reaction should Thompson prove one of the challengers, Butterss said: "I would be shocked, absolutely shocked."

The group, which has been planning its assault on Butterss for several months, has singled its intention to retain coach Ross Lyon but review several key positions, including that of football operations manager Ken Sheldon. A challenge to Butterss' seven-year regime has been inevitable since he launched his spectacular but ill-timed attack on his former close friend, sacked coach Grant Thomas, last June.

A series of challenges have been mooted but this one has caused much angst among former club champions, notably Danny Frawley, St Kilda's longest-serving captain, who strongly criticised his close friend Burke on radio Triple M three days ago. Burke's decision to play a key role in a messy board challenge also has surprised another close friend, dual Brownlow medallist Robert Harvey.

Frawley, however, is believed to have made peace with Burke and the challengers believe, if successful, they will have strong support from a formidable group of recent past players.

St Kilda Footy First considers itself empowered by the expected loss of another club major sponsor, Vodafone, and the latest ugly chapter in the Thomas saga. He is now suing the club for more than $270,000.

The campaign will focus upon the club's relative lack of success in building a strong support network for its senior list via its football department despite successive million-dollar profits under Butterss.

Last year, the Saints were the second-lowest in the AFL in recruitment costs, their football department spending was ranked 11th and boasted eight fewer staff than the Kangaroos, who spend less on football than any other club in the AFL.

During Butterss' seven years, the chief executive position has changed five times. The rival ticket is also keen to oust directors Glenn Casey, Mark Kellett and Ray King.

Butterss, however, is working overtime to recruit new directors to fight the challenge.

http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/st-ki ... 34511.html

[Bono]

How naive is the Pres - expecting anyone with issues regarding the current Board to ring him up and talk through them with him. Is he going to just sit back and wait for someone to inform him of all the issues people have with him?

...............another pathetic pic of him in the social pages of the Sunday Herald-Sun. He seems to spend more time having his photo taken than making the Saints his No. 1 priority.

[chook23]

How naive is the Pres - expecting anyone with issues regarding the current Board to ring him up and talk through them with him. Is he going to just sit back and wait for someone to inform him of all the issues people have with him?

...............another pathetic pic of him in the social pages of the Sunday Herald-Sun. He seems to spend more time having his photo taken than making the Saints his No. 1 priority.

If your took your view in the first sentence you would have election/spills at the drop of the hat......month after month.......would not happen

OF COURSE you would discuss issues

your last paragraph not even worth a comment

Also find that whilst being a member of the board (levin ?spelling) joins an oppsing ticket............inappropriate in my view

should have resigned...........if problems then join a rival ticket if thought necessary.

AT on the ticket is also a strange one but await the annoncement/reason and what he has to offer

[St. Luke]

Obviously Butterss can run a business well, but appears to have stomped on quite a few feelings along the way. Something sure isn't right down at the SKFC and this turbulence is all happening for a reason. Interesting to see how it pans out.

[JeffDunne]

Butterss told The Age: "I don't want to pre-empt anything because nobody has yet spoken to me and these people have not yet made themselves known or their concerns known to me, which surprises me, given our successful financial performance and debt reduction over recent years. And it's not as though we're on the bottom of the ladder."

Seriously.

[plugger66]

Please dont think that the new ticket is the way to go because there are 2 Saints stars on the ticket. We can support the new ticket but it must be what this Westaway guy says not Burkie or Thommo. At the moment I have no opinion until they speak today and I hope Westaway speaks not Burkie. That wouldnt be a good sign to me. We dont need spin we need something that will make me want to cause a spill of the board and the trouble that brings.

[JeffDunne]

plugger66, when there are at least two existing board members prepared to back this group then it would be silly to focus on just ex-players.

I think people are going to be surprised when they see the amount of support being brought together in this challenge.

[chook23]

plugger66, when there are at least two existing board members prepared to back this group then it would be silly to focus on just ex-players.

I think people are going to be surprised when they see the amount of support being brought together in this challenge.

JD would be interested on your view re the existing 2 to run on rival ticket...

I mentioned above that whilst putting together a rival ticket (prior to)
they SHOULD have resigned from the current board.......

could conflict the JOB they are/should be doing ON THE CURRENT board

[rodgerfox]

I can tell you that one of the existing Directors backing the challenge has been unimpressed for quite a while.

The reasons for sacking Thomas for totally wrong. Whether the actual decision was correct can be debated over and over again, but I, and members of the Board didn't agree with the reasons.

I told you at the time.

[chook23]

I can tell you that one of the existing Directors backing the challenge has been unimpressed for quite a while.

The reasons for sacking Thomas for totally wrong. Whether the actual decision was correct can be debated over and over again, but I, and members of the Board didn't agree with the reasons.

I told you at the time.

should have resigned then...............in all the time he has not been happy has he been working to his ability..........or just working on putting the ticket together.......

[rodgerfox]

should have resigned then...............in all the time he has not been happy has he been working to his ability..........or just working on putting the ticket together.......

Don't know.

[Eastern]

Question:

Is Andrew Thompson permitted to stand for the Board when he is still an employee of the club (He would be contracted until the end of September)?

Does anyone have a copy of the club constitution? !!

[JeffDunne]

Eastern, I believe the answer to that must be yes.

Otherwise directors couldn't be paid for providing services to the club.