Hundreds rally against Wests Tigers owners

Bruce King called out to his wife, Lydia, at their home in Perth last week to gauge how she would feel about a trip to Sydney. Not for holiday, but to attend a rally of Wests Tigers fans at Ashfield Pratten Park on Saturday.

“I was sitting at home reading about all this turmoil with the board, the firing and all that stuff,” the 74-year-old said. “I asked Lydia, ‘What do you think about going to Sydney?’ I said. And ‘For what?’ he asks. I said we had to go to this fucking rally. I told them they were having a rally in Pratten Park and we should be there. Scream for the team.”

Fans gathered at Ashfield after four independent directors were sacked from the club’s board.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

The Kings were just two of hundreds of fans who gathered on the lawns of Pratten Park Bowling Club and called for better management of their club; This week, three board members were reinstated after the initial dismissal of four.

The rally was spearheaded by Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne, who spoke to announce the formation of a supporters’ association which he said would hold the club’s majority owners, the Holman Barnes Group, to account.

“Today I am announcing that we will be launching Wests Tigers Unite, a new grassroots organization that will give fans a real say in Wests Tigers,” Byrne said. “When such a situation arises, we will benefit from successful examples around the world of fan associations established in different sports.”

Lydia and Bruce King get some shade at the Pratten Park Bowling Club after a fan rally.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

The new association has at least one commentator member, former Balmain Tigers forward Steve Roach, who also attended the meeting on Saturday.

“I’m a fan. I’m a Tigers supporter, so I’m just like everybody else,” Roach said. “I want the authority to go back to the fans and give them a say. They are the people who pay their hard-earned money every week to watch the team play, so they can have a say.”