Clubs propose merger

ALICIA NALLY AND JACOB GRAMS THE ailing Cairns Bowls Club could soon share its facilities with a soccer club encompassing first-rate facilities.

Brothers Leagues Club, which owns the Toogood Rd establishment, was approached by former A-League player Zenon Caravella to buy the site to develop a new soccer club.

Mr Caravella confirmed he was looking at the site as a base for the Caravella Football Academy, including a “worldclass” multipurpose synthetic pitch.

“We are in our due diligence period,” Mr Caravella said.

“I’m excited to bring this to Cairns, a first-of its-kind multi- purpose sporting facility that gives kids and the community the chance to play and train on a world-class synthetic field.

“I look forward to revealing more in due course.”

Brothers group executive manager John McCallum said the club bought the bowls club two years ago, solving its dire financial problems caused by dwindling membership and ensuring its longevity.

“We had been looking at what we could do to develop the property and as part of looking at other options we met (Mr Caravella),” he said.

“We said we were happy to sell on condition that the Cairns Bowls Club remains and they honour the lease which remains. If it falls through we will still own the club and still look at how to make it bigger and better. They can’t lose either way. The bowls club is critical to us, that’s why we went in on the deal to keep them open.”

The Cairns Bowls Club is in a designated sport and recreation zone and it currently costs Brothers Leagues Club $120,000 per year to keep it afloat. Cairns Bowls Club president Alan Sanderson said he looked forward to hearing more about the plans after Mr Caravella made all the necessary checks.

He said the club’s membership continued to fall and without outside help members may have to amalgamate.

A decision is expected by Mr Caravella in late April.