League steps in on split

By Brad Kingsbury
THE latest chapter in the bitter split between factions at the Berwick Football Club was penned on Tuesday night, when the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League (MPNFL) stepped in to assume interim control of the club.
MPNFL chairman Tony Vagg and senior director Ken Doherty took control of a sometimes rowdy AGM at which the incumbent committee, led by president Peter Jensen, was reinstalled as the interim official administration.
The decision is pending a ‘council of war’ with the rival faction led by club stalwart Cliff Donegan next week.
The breakaway group held its own meeting on the steps of the social club on 27 February, with Donegan chosen as its ‘president’ and a rival committee elected.
Since then the rift between the two parties has degenerated to the point that neither group will recognise or communicate with the other.
That forced the MPNFL to step in at the last minute in an attempt to broker a workable deal.
Vagg said the internal bickering at the club had to stop for the good of football and the league would remain in control as long as needed.
“We tried to get the two groups together a couple of weeks ago, but they wouldn’t talk to each other so we had no choice but to step in,” he said.
“Peter Jensen and his team will remain in charge until the new committee is ratified (by the league) after we get the two sides together at a special meeting planned for next Monday.”
“This is a matter of urgency now because it’s only two weeks before the first game of the season and Berwick, like every other club, has to meet its commitments to the league and its players.”
The MPNFL ruling painted a different picture to the statement released by the rival faction on Tuesday, which claimed that the club was moving forward under Donegan’s leadership.
Meanwhile, Jensen agreed with the MPNFL’s move and said his committee was flexible, but said the vitriol being spread by supporters of the rival faction was damaging the club and the sooner it was stopped the better.
“Some of the stuff that’s been said about me and the people who have put so much effort into building the club over recent years, by people who weren’t here and wouldn’t know, is disappointing,” he said.
“You can’t just get rid of good people who have committed themselves personally and financially to the club.”
Donegan did not attend Tuesday’s meeting and Jensen decided not to present financial details on the night, saying that he would wait until next Monday’s meeting with the rival group so there was no misunderstanding.
Donegan said that he would not make any official comment on the situation until after the meeting on Monday, but he hoped that it would be the finish of the saga.
“I hope that the whole mess is sorted out once and for all at the meeting,” he said.
“The club needs that to happen to move on. Our group will be there and we will be going with a positive outlook.”
The battle for control saw Casey Council step in and take control of the social rooms in the last week, pending the outcome of the power struggle, and Jensen said that was a serious problem given the club relies on income from the facility.
“The building is actually owned by the club, not the council, so they don’t have the authority to change the locks anyway,” he said.
“We have bookings for the clubrooms and functions planned that we’re committed to. If that stops, so does the income for the club and then the bills don’t get paid, so it has to be sorted out now.”