Gold Coast United will rock the A-League
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 9 Jan 2009 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
When Gold Coast United was launched, billionaire owner Clive Palmer claimed the new franchise could win the A-League in its first season. Far from naïve optimism, Palmer’s prediction must be taken seriously with what is shaping up as one of the most impressive squads and a franchise with the potential to be one of the countries’ best.
The soon to be announced signing of Socceroos midfielder Jason Culina is a massive boost for not just the club, but also the A-League.
A player of his calibre will add so much to the team and, as a current Socceroo, a vitally important marketable marquee player to attract the masses.
Gold Coast is also set to announce the signing, on loan according to reports, of fellow Socceroos veteran Mile Sterjovski, who has inexplicably spent his time at Derby County warming the bench.
In addition to the Socceroos pair, Gold Coast United have also snared the A-League’s leading goal scorer, Shane Smeltz, South Australian born, Hartlepool United striker Joel Porter, former Juventus reserve goalie Jess Vanstrattan, the Brazilian trio Jefferson, Milson and Robson and current A-League talents Adam Griffiths, Tahj Minniecon and Michael Thwaite.
It is a squad that offers so much promise and depth all over the park. Should they gel immediately, there is enough talent there to threaten the established A-League franchises.
Despite having never played a game, Gold Coast United has already caused quite a storm with its aggressive signings, while the presence and bravado of one of Australia’s few billionaires ensures the franchise will have the glitz and glamour befitting the region it represents.
The original powerhouse or ‘bling’ club of the A-League, Sydney FC, has fallen in a heap.
Only Melbourne, Adelaide and Central Coast can truly claim to have consistently drawn-in decent crowds, won games, built the foundations for future growth and generated significant momentum as franchises.
In short, the A-League needs another star franchise, a team that will draw in the crowds across the nation – and Wellington – and play an exciting brand of football.
Hitting the ground running is imperative for the Gold Coast.
It will be an overcrowded sporting region once the AFL rolls into town, one of the few cities to host an A-League, AFL, NRL and NBL franchise, so competition amongst the various codes will be intense, especially when you consider the inconsistent crowd figures throughout the various codes.
But as one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, one of the most popular for tourists, and with the cash reserves of Mr. Palmer, there is no reason why an aggressive marketing campaign shouldn’t draw the fans to the first game at Skilled Park.
It will be fascinating to see what sort of crowd the Gold Coast pull given the presence of Australian stars.
The Gold Coast Titans have averaged 21,000 NRL fans for the past two seasons. Is an average of 15,000 too much to expect for United?
The ingredients are there for the Gold Coast to hit the ground running in Season 5 of the A-League. Based on initial signings they could be the forerunners on the pitch and potential stars off it.
Recommend this story.
- Explore:
January 9th 2009 @ 10:03am
Finno said | January 9th 2009 @ 10:03am | Report comment
I think the GCU will go well and have the support the the Gold Coasties, I also think the rise of GCU will hurt the Qld Roar in player numbers and support. I have been talking to a few mates from the Gold Coast and they are generally mad for sport down there they are keen for any team from the Gold Coast in a national sporting league.
The A- League support of a Gold Coast team should pay off in the long run as the growth of the Gold Coast and the need to make them selve seperate from Brisbane will only gather momentum and this should flow through tickets sales.
GCU should do like all A-League focus on youth as the supporters of tomorrow.
Sure the need for immediate success in wanted but if it doesnt pay of a hole will emerge and the decline of the football club will result. But if they work hard in future development as future players or supporters, GCU have great prospects.
January 9th 2009 @ 10:49am
Forgetmenot said | January 9th 2009 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Looks like it will be:
- Glitz and Glamour and winning a lot (A-league)
- Tough competition and very grass roots based (AFL)
- established (NRL)
- outsider trying hard (NBL)
Should be interesting to see all the different marketing ploys used in the coming years apart from the ones above.
January 9th 2009 @ 10:52am
Jaredsbro said | January 9th 2009 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Good luck to the club actually. Yeah derbies are the main advantage RL (other than the fact that QLD is a Rugby League state) has over other sports. Having teams playing your team within the same state/region makes a comp competitive most of the time. That’s the case in pretty much all sports/codes. Think of Melbourne’s two NBL or SFC and its two ‘rivals’.
However QLDers do derbies better than any other state from what I can tell, so getting a successful club will establish momentum fairly quickly. And the Fury will add a third wheel or cog to the mix, should be fantastic. I’m not sure what people were saying in that other thread, talking about expansion as just prolonging everyone’s misery. Variety and local variants are the best thing that can happen to a ‘new’ comp.
Also who’s the coach? They’re not under salary cap (or are they?) so that’s where your investment as a club begins. Socceroos are fantastic label, having even one will spill out into the local game. Maybe the GCU will prove my comments in that other thread wrong
January 9th 2009 @ 11:00am
The Bear said | January 9th 2009 @ 11:00am | Report comment
F’not: Gold Coast folk never had it so good!
I will say that (Assoc) Football has tonnes of juniors in clubs on the coast, and therefore many grass roots already in place. I wonder how much GCU will integrate it, they’d be getting so much “Warm and Fuzzies” when they do.
And there is no doubt a real passion for NRL there… though sometimes I wonder how they deal with Origin time.
I doubt that too much time and effort will be required by the FFA to market GCU and the A League to the area. They know they have a winner; the jurisprudence from the FFA seems quite tough on any newly formed team.
January 9th 2009 @ 11:15am
Forgetmenot said | January 9th 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment
The Bear,
I probably should have mentioned that all the sport will have strong grass roots programs. But as a club i feel that the GCFC will be focused more on grass roots than the others, probably because they have to yes, but also because they know the need to get support for the club as well as the game.
Maybe they wont need much marketing, but they will definitely need some in the initial few years, even if it is just stories in papers, or having high profile people saying that they follow the team regularly. When the AFL moves in there in force you can bet that they will have a ton of marketing during both the on and off seasons, and the NRL and FFA will both want to counter this.
January 9th 2009 @ 11:16am
Towser said | January 9th 2009 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Jaredsbro said
“But do they really have the supporters?”
Whilst the history of Gold Coast sporting teams is problematic, the Gold Coast is a much bigger area in population than previously with a much greater proportion of families also in the mix who may identify with that area rather than the area these families origonally came from.
However whether this area can support several professional sporting teams,only time will tell unless you have a crystall ball & are a fortune teller.
I can tell you one thing though as an ears to the ground Roar fan that this club has already stolen supporters from the Roar who live on the Gold Coast & Brisbanes Southside.
Essentially because GCU is potentially shaping up as a more exciting vibrant club than the Roar by its recruitement so far.
The Roar average crowds are 5000 fans down this season ,many according to various forums are Roar fans from the GC/ BS who were put off the club by its previously(until the last 3 matches)dismal home record.
Another factor in favour of GCU in estabilishing itself with the community down there from the start is that several Roar backroom staff were poached by GCU at the end of the last A-League season.
These staff were instrumental in marketing the Roar to a dysfunctional Brisbane Football market, The fact that they succeeded in the Roar averaging 17,000 in their 3rd season despite their pathetic home record says a lot for the quality of their marketing, They have been sorely missed this year.
So its not just on the park that GCU are scoring goals its off it also. My opinion is that if anybody is going to suffer from GCU’s presence it will be the Roar. There again it may force them to lift their game to keep up.
Interesting times in SE QLD sporting circles.
January 9th 2009 @ 11:20am
The Bear said | January 9th 2009 @ 11:20am | Report comment
J’sbro: Not sure what disparinging remarks you made about GCU, but I am sure you are not the only one envious of their opportunites as a club
To answer your question, Paul Okon is their coach. He is relatively young and a much decorated Socceroo, and general all round good guy of Australian Football. He will be watched over by a Technical Director (the only club in the HAL now to have such a person on their books – in itself an amazing feat) in the form of Miron Bleiberg (ex Qld Roar Coach).
Gold Coast have a team and club befitting their region. Golden. I expect they will become a bench mark for this League.
January 9th 2009 @ 11:33am
Towser said | January 9th 2009 @ 11:33am | Report comment
The Bear said
“I will say that (Assoc) Football has tonnes of juniors in clubs on the coast, and therefore many grass roots already in place. I wonder how much GCU will integrate it, they’d be getting so much “Warm and Fuzzies” when they do. ”
Further to your above comment & what I said above. Not only is their many juniors on the GC but also in Brisbane South & Northern NSW. I know for certain that GCU have targeted NNSW as a recruiting area for fans,so theres nothing to stop them targeting Brisbane South in the same way CCM do with the Northern Suburbs of Sydney.
January 9th 2009 @ 11:36am
The Bear said | January 9th 2009 @ 11:36am | Report comment
Towser: does this mean Craig Foster, Lismore boy, will be standing in the terraces at Skilled Park next season? Expect SBS to be “on board” with Okon’s crew doubly so then. Finally a team SBS can identify with, eh?
January 9th 2009 @ 11:41am
Towser said | January 9th 2009 @ 11:41am | Report comment
The Bear
From GCU’s perspective I hope not. He will report back to SBS on TWG that they are not playing what I call “Fossie Football”. That is a game so technically pure that only angels can play to that level.