After nearly five years of redevelopment, Souths Leagues Club or Souths on Chalmers as it is now known has reopened for official trading to the public on Saturday 28 January from 10am. With a special entrance, the L1 refurbished club hosts great modern facilities which caters for the football fan and non fan alike. With a resteraunt, TAB, function center, private suites, outdoor terrace, multiple large TV screens and general dinner area. When South Sydney Leagues' Club closed its doors temporarily in 2007, no-one imagined that it would be over three years until the new Souths on Chalmers was to open. The new venue offers a broad range of inspiring internal finishes and hints of 'warehouse styling', all in a more compact and contemporary space - a place of funky elegance with a welcoming and comfortable ambience. So why the name change? In recognising that the venue is iconic to the South Sydney area and its position across from Redfern Oval, it was important to embrace all of these elements. Our new brand is a combination modellled on our historical symbolism, blended with a more contemporary theme for the future of the Club. It evokes much of the Club's past, we well as its future. Our new logo and name will reflect the venue as a meeting place for the Souths' and local community in a family oriented, relaxed atmosphere. A ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by local Member of Parliament Kristina Keneally, Souths on Chalmers CEO Ken Stewart, Football Club CEO Shane Richardson and other well known South Sydney dignitaries. The renovation of Souths on Chalmers has had a colourful history of recent times. In 2006 it was placed into voluntary administration and the building it owned at 265 Chalmers Street, Redfern was subsequently sold to the partnership of the South Sydney Football Club and developer Trivest. Within the administration deal the South Sydney Leagues Club was granted a space from which to operate. Building was halted during the No Pokie debate and the saga of the Leagues’ Club captured the imagination of many Sydney people. Protracted problems with the onset of the GFC amongst other things meant the club’s redevelopment ceased until the Board was able to negotiate a deal to take over the project in September 2010. Since then the new builders CMC Interiors and related trades and services have worked at break neck speed to have the redevelopment complete for the Return to Redfern deadline. “This has been a great example of people working together for one cause, to give back to members and the community a venue that will offer great facilities and a one that they can be proud of. It reinforces the teamwork of the south Sydney family. “The success of this opening has exceeded all our expectations,” said Chairman Bill Alexiou-Hucker “We have not received one complaint, it’s all been so complimentary. Everyone loves the look and feel of the new venue and that is a testimony of the hard work over the years from the Board and CEO Ken Stewart along with the efforts of the builder CMC Interiors and architect Craig Weatherby to get this project completed.” Bill Alexiou-Hucker stated.