Gold Coast United FC poised to make history
Roar Rookie
By Australian Football, 3 Feb 2010 Australian Football is a Roar Rookie
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The Premiership Plate is fast becoming the most sought after trophy that the clubs want to win with first ACL spot up for grabs. This season’s HAL Ver. 5 holds the most exciting finish to an Australian Football season yet.
Three clubs from three different states can take out the Plate ,right down to the last round: Melb Vic, GCU and SFC.
However, will Australian Club Football history be made in Version 5 of the HAL with the Sth East Queensland outfit from the Gold Coast?
Home attendances for the GCU have been abysmal.
However, this has not stopped them from forging ahead with a brand of football that has defined them as being worthy Premiers or both with a Championship double and the Plate.
I have no doubt about that, with their own exciting brand of football created in the main by Bleiberg and Okon coaching partnership with the supporting staff.
The question, though, has to be asked: is that enough to endear them to the Queensland football fraternity?
Judging by the home gates, it seems not. But the Queenslanders are starting to warm to this great footballing outfit.
I am sure the Brisbane Roar FC would’ve been recording record home gates if the team’s squads and coaching were swapped over. But for the tempestuous GCU FC, not so.
The club had to do some smart PR and marketing to win over the hearts and minds of the Queenslanders in the main to back them for the HAL final, because of some big mistakes that were made with crowd capping and high priced ticketing, and an owner who had unceremoniously declared they would enter the comp and win it undefeated in their first year.
However, this has now all been rectified. But will it have been in time when, and if, they make the final of the Championship?
I am almost convinced that the Premiership and Championship double is in the hands of Clive Palmer’s GCU FC – if a few things go their way.
So the question that has been playing on my mind is, should it be played on the Gold Coast at Skilled Stadium or in Brisbane at the magnificent Suncorp stadium?
I think a good venue would be the Suncorp Stadium Brisbane (home of the NRL Broncos and the ROAR FC), a lucrative 55k capacity attendance and a windfall for the FFA.
Not since the old glory days of the old Brisbane Strikers has Queensland had a team on the cusp that can go all of the way.
Will we see a team based in Queensland play out the final of the HAL? I think yes.
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BigAl said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:11am | Report comment
Well done AF, I’m honestly happy to be the first to comment and congratulate you on what I believe? is your first effort in creating a Roar article.
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:14am | Report comment
Thanks BigAl, but it is the second one…
BigAl said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:26am | Report comment
OK – must have had a concentration lapse…
Davstar said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:19am | Report comment
This years title race is very interesting and i think the introduction of new teams has helped the competition. I dont think GCU will win the double but they are in they in the best position to win the minor permiership and a ACL spot as they dont have to play sydney FC and Kevin Muscet is suspended for victory.
Dogz R Barkn said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:27am | Report comment
I hate to admit it, but the draw does appear to favour GCU, so it wouldn’t surprise me to take out the premier’s plate – unless Culina has another meltdown and drops his bundle with poor body language and bad mouthing his team mates.
Savvas Tzionis said | February 3rd 2010 @ 8:31am | Report comment
Interesting that the old chestnut argument about the First past the Post v Finals Series has reared its head recently with THREE teams vying for the top position and the double chance.
The First past the Post option will not gather any momentum (partly because the FFA will not allow it to) because Soccer needs a big finish to its season.
With First past the Post, many season’s may peter out drearily.
So, forget about First past the Post.
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:04am | Report comment
I would agree if not for the ACL spot. The ACL is great for the serious fans as it’s 3 extra home games against the unknown and the away games to teh J league sides are a big occasion.
So you reallly want your team to win the priemership so that you can realx a little bit more on grand final day
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:25am | Report comment
AndyRoo,
you’re dead right—–the relief of grabbing the automatic first spot in the ACL is the new driving force for a Football Club’s Owner, CEO and Manger. The lucrative ACL and a chance for a FIFA World Club Cup appearance is a mouth-watering PR exercise for the club’s marketing arm.. I think that has a lot to do with the AU’s home gate attendances shown this year—–even tho they are stuck at the foot of the table, they want more of that international football club cup experience and who can blame them..
I think now the Plate is the most important trophy—–in my opinion, hopefully one day; the Championship trophy should be changed with finals 6 HAL teams and rebranded and put into a FFA cup style format with the introduction of state league champions from all state comps fighting it out for the other ACL spot. It would be great to see some old NSL teams like Brisbane Striker, South Melbourne, Club Marconi, causing some giant killing feats..
~~~~~~~
AF
Towser said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
Australian Football
Have to agree regarding AU’s decent crowds this season. Cant see any other reason than their good run in the ACL previously & now a chance to repeat it.
On the flip side though it appears that a poor ACL campaign can do the opposite.
Read CCM & NUJ.
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
Towser,
but you can’t compare what CCM and Jets did to what AU did in reaching the final of the ACL and a spot in the FIFA World Club Championships—–really light years apart—–performance wise.
Towser said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
When you say that(AUs acheivments) it makes you wonder where it went wrong with the same coach this A-League season.
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:35pm | Report comment
Towser,
that’s the biggest unsolved mystery in the HAL isn’t it—–I have my own theory the untimely departure of the owners may have to be the unsettling reasons.. The uncertainty that surrounds the club because of it.. Glory, SFC, ROAR, just to name a few, but the good news is they bounce back.
whiskeymac said | February 3rd 2010 @ 10:53am | Report comment
good luck to GCU. good to see a club play, on the whole, good football and make the finals in their first year. with Jets, MV and GCU hopefully the finals football will at least be as entertaing as the HAl can produce for neutral fans.
terrible PR mangling probably cost the GC the hearts and minds of many – maybe by winning the dunny seat or plate they might inject a bit more support which their players on the whole mighthave expected based on their performances.
Towser said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:18am | Report comment
Whilst as A Roar fan I wish from season 1 we had been GCU ,I acknowledge their on field acheivments.
Shows that any new A-League club can be competitive from the word go.
In fact it emphasises that new clubs have a distinct advantage over the origonal eight If smart operators.
That is an ability to observe their teething problem mistakes & not repeat them, Be that player, coaches or type of football required to be succesful. Even NQF despite limited funds have shown this.
Will though for the Gold Coast in my opinion take a few seasons of high acheiving to cement their place in the community.
I base this on their first season success,but low crowds.
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 11:26am | Report comment
AF – The pressure will be on GCU this weekend. Victory will defeat a tired Fury on Friday night.
Phoenix are a bogey team. Lose to them and you can say goodbye to the premiership.
The article should have been titled – “GCU poised to choke”
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
Yassoo Art,
I love your humour, don’t ever lose it—–even on the day you face SFC at the SFS in the last round, Unfortunately for mate MC, it will be a GCU FC and Sdneeeee FC final. As an old ex-pat Sydney Senior Citizen retired on the Gold Coast I’ve seen it all—–all of the footballing scenarios that one can see in a footballer’s life time. We have history in the making up here in Queensland and no one is going to deny GCU’s destiny… Except for maybe SFC. (which I’ll gladly except being an ex-Sydney lad)
However, the Bookies really don’t hold much hope for the Scottish One’s tactics and the Jackal with his band of merry Portuguese interpreters have had their messages go out to the wrong players. Musky can’t read Portuguese and the Jackal can’t understand the Nooot or Wees of what he can do when he’s in possession. Not forgetting Archie’s ankle injury.. Damn shame.
~~~~~~~~
AF
Punter said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
I agree Art, GCU to choke & lose to Phoenix & allow SFC v MV for the premiership final match at the SFS, with SFC prevailing, can it get better than that?
Joe FC said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
Good article Australian Football. Interesting question on where the GF would be if GCU win the hosting rights, similar to the Mariners v Jets in HAL 3. Would a GCU v SFC or MV or other GF sell out Suncorp? Would Skilled Park be a sell out? I’ll leave it to you locals to answer that. No doubt he is a very good coach but for me Bleiberg has become surprisingly easy to loathe, so if they’re in the GF I’ll be supporting the opposition.
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
Joe FC,
I reckon GCU facing SFC in the final would be a sell-out at Suncorp. As for Skilled stadium I think not.. Brisbane folk would adopt the GCU as their team just for the day as they hate the cockroaches with a passion. If we could go back in history and change what had happen with Clive Palmer’s rant and negative stance with his posturing with the FFA’s switching the first round to Suncorp.
If he instead embraced the Roar simular as the NRL Titans and Broncos have done with their relationship. I’m sure things would have been totally different.. I hope the wounds will heal eventually with time and both sets of supports travelling to both home team’s games as they both could do with the extra support.
AndyRoo said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
Skilled park would definitely sell out and would be a great legacy for GCU and a nice kick start for next year.
Suncorp I really can’t say. We have the Socceroos game on March the 3rd which should be a full house, and that’s very close timing wise. Would be a heaps better atmosphere if it was at Skilled park but I really couldn’t predict the crowd at Suncorp and wether people would embrace supporting GCU, their not loveable little brother like the Titans in the NRL and how much damage to Football the Brisbane Roar have done.
Personally I would go for the occasion unless the tickets are hugely more expensive.
Towser said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
AndyRoo
Personally I wouldnt take the chance at Suncorp. Like yourself I have reservations.
But regardless, surely to cement the shaky position GCU have with their own community, Skilled Park is the go.
Dogz R Barkn said | February 3rd 2010 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
Isn’t there a precedent with CCM and the Jets?
Art Sapphire said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
Dogz – there was a precedent with the CCM -Jets Final. The demand for tickets would not have fiited all the fans in NSW that wanted to attend the game. Which is why the game was played at SFS.
Chris said | February 5th 2010 @ 9:34am | Report comment
We all remember what happened last time the FFA moved a Gold Coast “sell out” to Suncorp. Didn’t crack 20,000. They best keep it at Skilled if GC do win the right to a home final.
AndyRoo said | February 5th 2010 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Well if say 40k want too see the game are you better off letting them all seeing it at Suncorp or locking a few out for the PR?
St George in the NRL were panned by many for not moving their sold out final but I thought it was the best advertisement for becoming a member Rugby league has ever had.
Given what happened in round 1 I think the GCU deserve to host it at home.
Smokygrayson said | February 5th 2010 @ 10:40am | Report comment
I think you guys are being way too optimistic about the GF crowd if it was held in Queensland. The GCU crowds have been totally abysmal for such a high performing team. Even with a substantial travelling fan base from Sydney or Melbourne, plus some Roar fans, the GF would be lucky to pull 25,000. We’ve seen Socceroos matches in Sydney and Melbourne recently not going close to 30,000. It’ll take many years before GCU get numbers in excess of 10,000 per game, and that’s coming from a football optimist who wishes there were 20K at every A-League match, every weekend.
ItsCalledFootball said | February 3rd 2010 @ 4:14pm | Report comment
if SFC were to host the GF by some strange chance, I wonder would the FFA and SFC dare to play it at the Olympic stadium if they were up against MV or even GC?
Catrona said | February 4th 2010 @ 6:37pm | Report comment
I doubt it. For one Sydneysiders dont like the stadium or going out to the stadium particularly. Also, SFC’s crowds dont really justify it even if it is a grand final and against Melbourne. It seems to me that the Melobourne fixture is more of a big brother/little brother thing which people in Melbourne seem to care about a great deal more.
Midfielder said | February 3rd 2010 @ 12:52pm | Report comment
KB
HMMMMMMmm not a bad first article… only trouble is the pub play they go on with and way they keep playing dirty … player with the most number of yellows belting someone behind play …
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
It’s my second article and my arthritic hands are just handling the pain so far.. ‘KB is dead’ he was found dead in he Currumbin Reserve near the CRSL decaying—-hit by a CCM supporter in a dirty tackle no doubt..
So please refer to my new name as above, or for expediency “AF”…
As for Panta he will be axed from the squad next season—–maybe a good pick up for the CCM pub team next year, we don’t want or like to defend players of his ilk—-we like to play football and don’t need him anymore, he does not fit, the Football Philosophy, of the club.. btw SBS gave the CCM academy a plug but do they deserve it—–time will tell?
Sky Blue—–runs through my veins, but the Gold shirt on match day at Fortress Miron will be worn except when the SFC visit..
~~~~~~~~
AF
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
Nice try KB. Midfielder and I know who the choppers are
Although I must say Mid has been far less bullish about his Mariners of late.
Redb
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
Redb,
he has nothing more to say I guess—–after the Glory put the cleaners through them in the first 15min—-one could almost accuse them of tanking I guess—–I’m glad I have disassociated myself from clubs that obviously cheat
~~~~~~~
AF
Redb said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:37pm | Report comment
yep, he’s been verry verry quiet…. errrrrrH
Australian Football said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
Yes very, very, very, quiet.
Fisher Price said | February 3rd 2010 @ 7:31pm | Report comment
Put it away Koala.