Football Australia marketing boss labels Roosters ‘bizarre’ as code war continues at Allianz Stadium

Football Australia marketing boss Peter Filopoulos has labelled the conduct of the NRL’s Sydney Roosters ‘bizarre’ and ‘self-entitled’ as the code war over signage at new Allianz Stadium intensifies.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Filopoulos said the Roosters were displaying an ‘inflated sense of importance over others’ and were ‘self-entitled’ in how they have adopted the $874 million revamped venue as their own – despite it being owned by the NSW state government.

‘Bizarre! How can a club from a rival code expect their brand be illuminated in-stadium at a shared government funded stadium at a co-tenant’s matches (from another code mind you) is beyond mind boggling,’ Filopoulos tweeted.

‘Reads like self entitlement & an inflated sense of importance over others.’

The tweet came after Roosters supremo Nick Politis called A-League club Sydney FC ‘petty’ for covering up Roosters signage ahead of their season opener versus Melbourne Victory on October 8.

Football Australia marketing boss Peter Filopoulos has labelled the conduct of NRL club Sydney Roosters ‘bizarre’ as the code war over signage at Allianz Stadium intensifies

It follows Roosters NRL supremo Nick Politis labelling A-League club Sydney FC ‘petty’ after Sky Blues staff covered up signage from the Tricolours ahead of their season opener versus Melbourne Victory on October 8

The Roosters felt they were entitled to permanently display the sign after paying $12.5 million for a high performance centre at the upgraded sporting venue owned by the NSW Government

Roosters CEO Joe Kelly also phoned Sydney FC chief Adam Santo to complain about the ‘stunt.’

‘I told him what they had done was the equivalent of vandalism,’ Kelly said earlier this week.

‘I also told him we’d be looking at our legal options…then he (Santo) hung up on me.’

It prompted a furious Politis to contact Venues NSW, where he made his feelings known.

Politis added the NRL club has a ‘contract where signage is part of that agreement.’

‘Sydney FC don’t understand,’ Politis told the Daily Telegraph. ‘They just have a ground hire agreement.

‘We’ve been on this site with three stadiums for 86 years. How long have they been around?

‘The tarpaulin was hideous…we paid for our own facilities and we pay rent for the space we use.

How Sydney FC covered the Roosters sign ahead of their A-League opener on October 8 versus Melbourne Victory

PM Anthony Albanese (left) and NSW Premier Dom Perrottet (second right) were filmed at a charity cricket game at Kirribilli House on Thursday where Mr Albanese voiced his anger at the Roosters’ signage being allowed on the upgraded $874 million ground 

The code war then escalated when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – a noted South Sydney Rabbitohs fan – asked NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet about the Roosters sign as the pair talked on the sidelines of a charity cricket match at Kirribilli House on Thursday. 

Albanese was informed the NRL club permitted to display the controversial ‘Home of the Roosters’ sign after paying $12.5million for a high-performance centre at the multi-purpose sporting venue.

‘Its (Allianz Stadium) got a Roosters sign, how have they done that?’ Mr Albanese said in the conversation with the NSW Premier before adding, ‘tear it down!’

Perrottet soon realised Albanese was dead serious, and stated ‘I don’t want it to be an exclusive ground…we can tear it (sign) down.’

Following tense meetings on Thursday, Venues NSW confirmed they will turn the lights off on the sign ‘Home of the Sydney Roosters’ at the northern end of Allianz Stadium whenever Sydney FC or Super Rugby’s NSW Waratahs play at the venue.