Special Report: Competitive edge

No matter what Perth’s professional sporting outfits do on or off the park, it’s the quality of the venue that dictates the pace of their financial growth.

A WOODEN spoon didn’t stop West Coast Eagles fans from opening their wallets during the past year, but it seemed to stop them dead in their tracks at the turnstiles.

THESE days, it seems it is not enough to be entertained purely by top-class sports people displaying amazing athletic feats as they pit their well-honed skills against rivals.

AFTER consecutive years of financial losses and a team that’s struggling on the pitch, Western Force chief executive Vern Reid is concerned Perth’s rugby community may be losing patience.

WITH a move to a funky new venue just around the corner, and the team firmly entrenched as a perennial finals contender, it’s hard to wipe the smile from Perth Wildcats chief executive Nick Marvin’s face.

PERTH Glory could hardly have been more optimistic ahead of the 2010-11 season.

THE on-field (and off-field) dramas of the high-profile football codes may dominate the mainstream media’s attention, but there continues to be community and business support for mass-participation sports such as netball, surfing and tennis.