Above the sign in desk at Port Kembla Leagues Club, a laminated piece of paper has been stuck to the wall.
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In red, a series of numbers line up underneath each financial year since 2016-2017. The figure for 2022-23 is the largest.
-$716,238
The figures spell out the reasoning for Collegians closing the doors on the Port Kembla Leagues Club this Sunday, and the accompanying message leaves little room for doubt.
"The business has simply not recovered since the COVID lockdowns, the premises are no longer viable."
The letter is signed Michael Wilkins, CEO, Collegians Rugby League Football Club.
The last day of trade is this Sunday, May 28, and spells the final closure of any associated club in the suburb.
What was once a suburb that boasted a bowling club, RSL, Spanish club and a leagues club is now left with none, except for the Portuguese Club in Kemblawarra.
It's a blow for the community, who say they are now left without a place to meet, have a reasonably priced meal and drink, while supporting local sporting associations.
"All of the sporting clubs around this area, it doesn't matter who their sponsor was, they came here because of the size of the auditorium," Port Kembla resident Naomi Arrowsmith said.
"There was the 'Bubbles Ball' which was a huge fundraiser in the area. That's all gone."
With Port Kembla rapidly changing as natural wine shops, small bars and artist studios move into the main strip of Wentworth Street, the writing was on the wall for the former Leagues club, Wollongong City councillor Linda Campbell said.
"It's reflective of the different demographic that we've now got in town," she said.
"The big venues seem to be less popular these days than family friendly, smaller venues."
While the club has undoubtedly struggled to attract the same level of patronage as it once did, some residents are saying that for the past six years, neither have the owners shown the venue any love.
In 2016, after the former Port Kembla Leagues Club got into financial strife, the club amalgamated with Collegians. While it could be seen to be a merger, the terms of the amalgamation effectively handed over the club's main asset, the venue and its poker machine licences, to Collegians, and what was left of the club was liquidated.
As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, Collegians took on the club's existing $1.1 million debt, but also promised to make improvements to the club, including $996,000 worth of renovations and $1,050,000 in gaming machine expenditure.
"The Amalgamation is intended to preserve and where possible enhance the Port Kembla Premises and expand the facilities and amenities that are available for Collegians' members,' the MoU states.
"The traditions, amenities, culture, facilities and memorabilia of Port Leagues will be maintained by the amalgamated Club at the Port Kembla Premises."
Specifically, the MoU sets out that Collegians will seek to increase sport and social activities, improve the clubhouse and surrounds.
In practice, according to some members, once Collegians took over the club, there was only the pretence of keeping the club going.
The large auditorium that once hosted national acts including Jimmy Barnes, INXS, Cold Chisel was left largely unused and walls of tapestries and memorabilia were replaced with large TV screens.
Members also describe the formerly friendly service becoming cold and impersonal and the food options being underwhelming.
"The bar service is fine, the food is garbage," Ms Arrowsmith said.
Local support
Also included in the MoU is a stipulation about the support Collegians would provide to the Port Kembla junior and senior rugby leagues clubs, which were closely associated with the previous club.
The MoU states that Collegians will support the senior league club to the tune of $25,000 as well as providing gear and equipment, but only when the Port Kembla club premises remain open and only when the senior rugby league club plays in the Group 7 first grade competition.
In return, the senior rugby league club had to hold its post-game social functions at the Port Kembla club. A Thursday raffle could be held at a nearby pub.
However, after Port Kembla's senior team dropped out of the first grade division of Group 7, the former NSW Country Rugby League association required the club move back to the Illawarra Rugby League competition, imperilling their major sponsor.
A similar agreement covered the junior rugby league club, with the condition that Collegians be the exclusive sponsor of the club. In 2022, Collegians sponsored the junior club with $36,000 in playing and off field gear, with total support since 2016 coming to more than $150,000.
Big plans
Port Kembla isn't the only club under the Collegians umbrella that is in the red.
The Illawarra Leagues Club on the corner of Church and Stewart streets posted a larger loss of $735,238 in the year to June 2022, however Collegians is planning a major overhaul of that club.
In the President's Report in the 2022 annual report, Collegians outlines that a major development, taking over the Wollongong CBD block bordered by Burelli, Church and Stewart streets - besides Wollongong Woolworths, is on the cards. Collegians will take a 2500 square metre ground floor space, with the project set to begin in June 2025, subject to council approval.
On the Charlotte Street premises, Collegians are looking at the potential of a multi-storey development. The club has negotiated a land swap deal with the developer of the former AGL gas works site. The deal involves Collegians handing over 3600 square metres of the western carpark and gaining a parcel of the gas works site.
"The acquisition of the 2236m2 allows the club significant development space for new club space as well as the opportunity to utilise the height for the zone that rises to 24 metres," the club's annual report states.
The report states that the site of the Port Kembla Leagues club is a non-core asset.
Across the group, the club reported an after tax profit of $486,362 in the 2022 financial year, a significant dip on the $5 million profit of 2021, which was unusually high, but roughly in-line with pre-COVID results.
Under the MoU, Collegians agreed to continue the activities for at least five years, except if the club is no longer financially viable. Dated 25 January, 2016, the amalgamation surpassed that milestone by just over two years.
When The Mercury contacted Collegians on Thursday, "no comment" was provided, and when further contact was made on Friday no spokesperson was available.
Members, football club members and regular patrons are gathering this Sunday for one last drink at the former club.
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