ROAR SILENCED

9 Dec 2014

Shepparton News - Matthew Galea

ALBURY WODONGA ASSOCIATION COMPREHENSIVELY REJECTS COBRAM TEAM’S BID TO JOIN COMPETITION

Cobram Roar’s bid to join Albury Wodonga Football Association was shut down on Sunday night.

The Roar— the product of an incomplete merger between Cobram Soccer Club and Cobram Victory— had hoped to move out of Goulburn North East Football Association and into AWFA next season.

The new club needed two-thirds of the vote at AWFA’s annual meeting to be granted entry, but failed to gather even one-third.

Fifty-two votes were taken in the secret ballot and 35 was the magic number the Roar had to achieve, but fell someway short, with the final count 17 for and 35 against.

Cobram Roar steering committee chairman Greg Ryan said the outcome was disappointing, but the Roar would continue to move forward with planning for next year.

‘‘It’s a little bit disappointing, but at the end of the day that’s the democratic right of the voting clubs,’’ Ryan said.

‘‘We were happy with the process. We had a good hearing six or eight weeks ago and we left that feeling reasonably comfortable with the opportunity we were given.

‘‘But when it comes to a vote, it doesn’t always go your way and it didn’t on this occasion, but we need to move on and make sure we get Cobram Roar ready to go in 2015.’’