Gold Coast United are dying a painful death
Roar Rookie By jono52795, 7 Dec 2010 jono52795 is a Roar Rookie
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- A-League, Clive Palmer, FFA, football, Football Federation Australia, Gold Coast Suns, Gold Coast Titans, Gold Coast United
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Gold Coast United club chairman Clive Palmer (right) and head coach Miron Bleiberg speak at a press conference at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. AAP Image/Laine Clark
Sometime, somewhere in the grand history of global sport and recreation, one person stated that “the only thing that matters is results.” Clearly that person has never met the Gold Coast United Football Club.
It is hard to believe that the club that played in front of a paltry 1658 people against the Melbourne Heart on Sunday evening is the same as the one that achieved a very respectable figure of over 10,000 attendees when playing English side Fulham FC in a friendly in July of 2009.
Surely there is a reason why the vast majority of Gold Coast residents have snubbed their club in this short space of time. Perhaps it was the arrogant assumptions made by club owner Clive Palmer that the club would win the League in its first season and see to the demise of the Gold Coast Suns by 2014.
No doubt Palmer looked like a right idiot when he closed down three sections of Skilled Park to save money. It appears now though, that it would not matter if an apology was made and the entire stadium was opened to the public. For whatever reason, the Gold Coast public have lost interest in their club.
What is so sad about this situation is the fact that this was perhaps the FFA’s best opportunity to make a significant leap in expansion. United arrived in the A-League before the Suns in the AFL, and this meant that the opportunity to develop a large fan base was possible.
The fact of the matter is though; there are more club members of the Gold Coast Suns than there were people who attended Sunday night’s 3-0 win.
Clearly the quality on the park is up to scratch. The club has reclaimed third spot on the ladder, and looks a real chance to make an impact in the finals. Even with the likes of quality players such as Culina, Djite and Pantelidis in full flight, it is still not enough.
You don’t have to be an expert in business management to know that Gold Coast United are a failure. They have failed in every sense of the word, in every possible fashion.
Dreams of sold out crowds and record memberships have vanished, and it now appears the Gold Coast Suns will go head to head in a gripping cross-code showdown with the Titans from 2011.
The fact that Gold Coast United will play the very, very poor younger brother to this rivalry means that it is unlikely they will grow and build a sustainable club. You have to wonder how different things may have turned out if the FFA had gone with substance over style, and given its ninth licence to the ‘Gold Coast Galaxy’ bid ahead of Clive Palmer’s riches.
Alas, that is confined to the pages of history and fantasy. Gold Coast United are a club missing a key ingredient; support. Community engagement was non-existent in the club’s early stages, and they are now paying the price.
Yours truly can see only one solution. Unless the club wins the League and gains qualification for the Asian Champions League by season’s end, it must disband and professional football on the Coast must be left alone in the short term.
Once the hype over the Gold Coast Suns’ arrival subsides, the FFA can then go about starting this process all over again, but in the right way.
They must establish a club that is for all Gold Coast residents that appeals to a broader age group than what United currently does.
In short, give the Gold Coast Galaxy bid another chance. Have the star players out in force with open training sessions and community clinics. Entrench the club in the community and give the Suns and Titans a reason to look behind their shoulders every once in a while.
Having a new club will be fresh and different, and will surely be better than flogging a dead horse.
At the moment, the Gold Coast United Football Club are the laughing stock of Australian sport, and a complete embarrassment for the A-League, so soon after being embarrassed on the world stage in Zurich.
Soon after losing that World Cup bid, FFA Chief Executive Ben Buckley said the goal was to concentrate and improve the A-League.
Perhaps delivering the final nail in the coffin of the Gold Coast United Football Club and starting all over again is the best way to go about this improvement.
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December 7th 2010 @ 6:45am
EvertonAndAustralia said | December 7th 2010 @ 6:45am | Report comment
I HATE Gold Coast United. GO THE ROAR!
December 7th 2010 @ 7:13am
Fivehole said | December 7th 2010 @ 7:13am | Report comment
Was the same with the gold coast giants / seagulls / chargers / titans….. Apathy seems to be king on the Gold Coast. took em 4 goes before they got it right. Hopefully the FFA only needs 2.
December 7th 2010 @ 7:23am
Australian Football said | December 7th 2010 @ 7:23am | Report comment
Jono—–you seem to know a lot about the Gold Coast Galaxy—please elaborate more. Can you tell me who they were, where did these potential owners come from, what was it’s structure, how many members were signed up, how much finance did they raise to start up the club. And why were they not given the licence in the first place ahead of Clive Palmer..?????
December 7th 2010 @ 7:43am
jono52795 said | December 7th 2010 @ 7:43am | Report comment
AF:
Some light research I have undertaken indicates to me that the Gold Coast Galaxy bid was led by local real estate agent Fred Taplin, and was well backed by a variety of people. Indeed there was talk at one stage that the club could partner with LA Galaxy and have David Beckham turn out for a pre season match. It appears as if this Gold Coast Galaxy bid had more community support than what United currently has! Unfortunatley, the Galaxy bid was considered by the FFA some years ago, but they delayed expansion in the 08-09 Season to wait for the following one. This gave time for Clive Palmer to come along and offer a far more rushed, vile, but financially superior bid. Taplin dropped out of the race, and the Galaxy was no more.
I’m not sure if they had members signed up, but clearly they were a club and a bid that was generating signifcant community support. There is only one reason why Palmer won the bid…money. Clearly a terrific decision made by the FFA!
December 7th 2010 @ 8:24am
Sweeper said | December 7th 2010 @ 8:24am | Report comment
So the FFA did a FIFA and gave the license to a franchise that was ‘technically’ inferior but had the cash. Hmm guess that means Qatar will be the Gold Coast of the World Cup.
December 7th 2010 @ 8:29am
Australian Football said | December 7th 2010 @ 8:29am | Report comment
You might like to know that the Galaxy bid was a farce and had a Melburnian business women involved at one point who pulled out and so collapsed. Do you really think that it was a grass roots community based club? No it was a joke to begin with.. The so called Galaxy connection was a lie and never would have materialised—-it all went pear shape in the end before Clive Palmer was approached by Miron Bleiberg to form the GCU FC to rush it in on short notice.
Believe it or not Clive Palmer is a responsible owner who is supporting the Fury also with a sponsorship to help keep the club afloat.. He has introduced two aside club competitions called the Nickel Cup and the Iron Ore Cup that involves Tony Sage’s Glory, Fury, and GCU FC.. The man as far as I’m concern is trying hard to establish first class football in regions where there has never been professional football before.
Hopefully now with the WC bid behind us—-the FFA will now promote the HAL which was disgracefully neglected that did not help football in Queensland.
December 7th 2010 @ 9:30am
jono52795 said | December 7th 2010 @ 9:30am | Report comment
AF:
I never said Clive Palmer was an irresponsible owner, but I did say he was arrogant by just assuming that United would thrive on the Coast and the Suns would be dead by 2014. I don’t confess to know every minute detail regarding the Galaxy bid, but I daresay they would have done a better job drawing crowds and promoting themselves than United have done.
December 7th 2010 @ 9:57am
Australian Football said | December 7th 2010 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Jono—-the so called Galaxy would not have lasted the first half of the first season—the stadium deal at Skilled Park would have seen to that.. Clive Palmer’s so called arrogance was well justified because of the Bligh Government’s $60m hand-out for the Sun’s home ground, the added benefit behind the Carrara $130m combine Governments development for AFL and no government support for Gold Coast Football in Qld.
December 7th 2010 @ 10:16am
jono52795 said | December 7th 2010 @ 10:16am | Report comment
I suppose the Bligh Government’s decision not to financially contribute to pro association football in Queensland was justified. With crowds averaging under 2,000 for GCU and around 10,000 for the Roar, not to mention the perilous state of the Fury…yeah.
The investment in the new Cararra was justified. As well as attracting Victorian tourists to see their team play and giving QLD sport fans an opporunity to see world class entertainment in a world class sporting facility; the venue is also the main precinct for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bid (which they will surely win), primarily for athletics, badminton, gymnastics and basketball . Clearly, all that is a worthwhile investment.
And it matters little about stadium deals. If the Galaxy had been given the licence and if they had entrenched themselves in the community and attracted fans to its games, then the stadium deal would have taken care of itself!
December 7th 2010 @ 10:38am
AndyRoo said | December 7th 2010 @ 10:38am | Report comment
No. The stadium deal is harsh even for the Titan’s and it effects them. if they had a good deal they would be even more succesful.
December 7th 2010 @ 10:45am
Australian Football said | December 7th 2010 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Jono—-you missed the point. GCU FC are not looking for a brand new $130m stadium construction we share a state-of-the-art one already with the TITANS in two separate parts of the year in different seasons—there is no conflict there. However, what the Bligh government should realise is that the code needs help and support with the rental. To have the cap lifted would be a good start. The government should reassess the 5k limitation raise it to 10K limitation for 5yrs at the very least—-to allow time to foster football support for the club on the Gold Coast.
December 7th 2010 @ 9:30am
The Truth said | December 7th 2010 @ 9:30am | Report comment
The Los Angeles Galaxy are scum anyway. The Gold Coast is better off.
December 7th 2010 @ 7:28am
Bludger said | December 7th 2010 @ 7:28am | Report comment
According to Craig Foster and the soccer brigade, AFL is to blame here also.
December 7th 2010 @ 8:31am
Forgetmenot said | December 7th 2010 @ 8:31am | Report comment
Oh you heard that as well …
apparently the Suns are just a ploy to get rid of United, and once United fold then the Suns will move onto Brisbane and take out brisbane roar.
December 7th 2010 @ 9:25am
AndyRoo said | December 7th 2010 @ 9:25am | Report comment
And you guys complain when AFL gets mentioned. These are very similar comments to one made by Anthony yesterday.
you guys are desperate for attention, is schoolies that boring?
December 7th 2010 @ 1:42pm
That's soccer said | December 7th 2010 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
Not really sure why this comment was deemed too ‘sensitive for roarers eyes’.
Maybe the same guys chasing the Wikileaks dude are also operating this site and want to sensor the truth!?
December 7th 2010 @ 2:04pm
AndyRoo said | December 7th 2010 @ 2:04pm | Report comment
Probably because it’s off topic trolling…like yours.
December 7th 2010 @ 7:40am
Midfielder said | December 7th 2010 @ 7:40am | Report comment
They are a good team but they have the lowest average of all teams by a country mile and need IMO to give their licence back… Or rid the club of its management…
When will investors learn football is a working class game its not all bling … it about hard work and engaging with fans… its not about private Jets and China deals…
December 7th 2010 @ 8:20am
Koops said | December 7th 2010 @ 8:20am | Report comment
Could not let this one pass, i thought soccer was the only thing that can bring the world together, i thought soccer was the gateway to business in asia and networking with China, everyone was excited when Palmer bought GC.
Are you telling me it’s not now ?.
December 7th 2010 @ 1:19pm
Midfielder said | December 7th 2010 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Koops
Football opens doors that no other organisation or business can even hope to do… that is because in time it is the very rich who often own the clubs… but they are run as football clubs and that means connecting with fans / supporters alike…
Football is a very simple game and can be played anywhere anytime even if by yourself you can work on moves… this is one of the key reasons it is so wide spread .. unlike say Gridiron or basketball where size does matter…
Football has a mass following and like the races the rich and the poor are side by side … the problem with Gold Coast United is they got off on the wrong foot… and as any marketing person will tell you it is very hard to get people back once they have said naaaaaaa don’t want that…
There are a number of ways of turning a football club on the Gold Coast around but its present management to me has lost much of the local public and cannot turn it around.
December 7th 2010 @ 8:27am
GC Bulletin said | December 7th 2010 @ 8:27am | Report comment
GCU are a perfect example of how to not run a sporting team. People on the GC have seen enough dodgy sporting teams come and go to spot a stinker from a mile away. Arrogant boasting by owner and coach, slagging off other sports, no profile in the community due to very little promotion…only have themselves to blame. Time big Clive swallowed his pride and asked the Titans for some tips.
December 7th 2010 @ 8:38am
True Tah said | December 7th 2010 @ 8:38am | Report comment
GCU’s crowds suddenly make Sydney Club rugby’s not so bad
December 7th 2010 @ 8:37am
Nick said | December 7th 2010 @ 8:37am | Report comment
Its time to get rid of gcu and bring in some of the old nsl clubs, to bring disenchanted supporters back to the game long live OOO-LYYYM-PIC
December 7th 2010 @ 11:59am
apaway said | December 7th 2010 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Absolutely. Let’s get 1500 to Belmore Oval for a game instead.
December 7th 2010 @ 1:45pm
Nick said | December 7th 2010 @ 1:45pm | Report comment
Yeah they do get that many people but in the nswpl. not in the supposed top flight of australia
December 7th 2010 @ 9:17am
AndyRoo said | December 7th 2010 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Stadium deal is killing them. If they were allowed out of their deal at Robina and played most of there games at a smaller venue (say Runaway bay) it would do a lot to improve their image. On TV the vast emptiness of the stadium is depressing….. the reason GWS lobbied for 45m to upgrade/build a stadium right next door to Stadium Australia just on a smaller scale.
They entered the comp with the highest ticket prices in the League, within a few games Palmer brought in the cap and it became obvious that this club would live and die on Palmers whims. That’s not a very attractive proposition to woo new fans.
They have also made numerous PR blunders, Mesnick blaming the fans for the clubs worries, Palmer being a smart ass to the Beach (the one thing the club has going for it), Palmer talking down the Titans (one of the most popular teams in the NRL..and not just on the Gold Coast as many people have a soft spot for them), revoking the free public transport clause….then reinstating it (probably for legal reasons since it was promised as part of membership), bringing the cap in after just one home game in season two and shifting members seats and causing them inconvenience. Talk about short term planning!
You would get a bit of a spike in attendance with new owners but I think it would take a long time for neutrals to come on board, the brand is that damaged.
That said I don’t think they are actually a dead club walking. They are being linked with players, the fan cap while decimating the fan base means they are paying much more affordable rent. As long as Palmers interested they will survive. It will be interesting if he decides to compete in season 3 what he does once Cullina’s contract expires. If Cullina left they would be much less competitive but the running costs would be much lower. I think those that do come to Gold Coast games are to be applauded and would probably be there even if they were in last place.
Palmer often talks about “community” so a team made up mainly of young players coming from the Youth team would be cheaper but also perhaps more appealing to him. One of the best things he could do community wise would be field a W league team. It wouldn’t cost very much, would get the club some FTA exposure, is a good deed that the other football codes can’t match and would show he’s serious about the Coast. It would also let the club explore other stadium options.
South East QLD really needs another team because the Roar are full of Matildas so there is excess talent that would benefit from a second team.
December 7th 2010 @ 9:33am
Cpaaa said | December 7th 2010 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Its easy to say drop the axe. But it takes a little creative imagination, hard work and relationships to work things out. GCU are lucky in that they have a heavy (no pun) financial backer, which keeps GCU on life support.
Damage has been done, but its not too late. it is now time that Clive Palmer show some love to the football community of gold coast. Put some of those well earned millions back into the community. No one likes a scrooge.
This can be anything from new membership packs,
-100$ family season pass ( nathan Tinkler )
- free beer for males at the gate ( Heiniken sponsor)
- 2dollar hotdogs ( all proceeds goes to grass roots football clubs for new equipment with GC logo onit)
- ladies free entry. (with any gold Coast United scarf worn)
- one lucky winner and 5 mates fly with GCU on his jet to the next away game.
- fly down the wholle beach to the next away game (hes done this b4 with a christian group when the pope came to sydney)
What ever it is? Money can buy love, you just have to share it Clive. Support the community and they will give it back.
Sexy Football, or a club of stars is not going to work on the coast. I love seeing Jason Culina in the A-League. But i would rather see that million dollars a season given back to the football community with perhaps some of the suggestions i rattled off above. There is a million other ideas fans could jot down as well, but right now Clive is not doing a single one of them.
December 7th 2010 @ 9:55am
macavity said | December 7th 2010 @ 9:55am | Report comment
An article about the demise of GCU that blames a not-yet existent club playing a foreign code, but does not at all mention the most popular football club on the Gold Coast.
Interesting tact.
December 7th 2010 @ 10:20am
jono52795 said | December 7th 2010 @ 10:20am | Report comment
That wasnt my intention. The Titans are the #1 football club on the Coast, and it will stay that way forever. I just meant that United were gifted a golden opporunity, coming in ahead of the Suns and having a chance to rival the Titans. United have only themselves to blame, not the Suns or Titans.
December 7th 2010 @ 1:38pm
Anthony said | December 7th 2010 @ 1:38pm | Report comment
What’s this “not-yet existent club”? The Suns already exist – & played this season. They also have over 5,000 members – not bad for not yet existing! As for the comment about a foreign code – the name is Aussie Rules, played all over Australia for 150 years. It’s just unfortunate it was codified in Victoria. A foreign code would describe one invented in, for example, England. In Australia such examples are soccer, rugby league & union. Unless, of course you immigrated here & believe your foreign code is more Australian for reasons that defy logic. People like Palmer & Searle are going to have to eat their arrogant words about Australian Football when the Suns outdraw both their teams.
December 7th 2010 @ 3:49pm
Ticker said | December 7th 2010 @ 3:49pm | Report comment
Anthony, it seems that Palmer and Searle won’t be the only ones to have to eat their arrogant words. Your rant is typical of the AFL and their holier than thou attitude.
December 7th 2010 @ 6:42pm
TCunbeliever said | December 7th 2010 @ 6:42pm | Report comment
I’m not saying the Suns will outdraw both teams, but Australian football has been played in southern Queensland continually since 1904. So there’s no way anyone can say it’s a foreign sport to the region.
December 8th 2010 @ 2:46pm
Jasan said | December 8th 2010 @ 2:46pm | Report comment
lol You honestly think Aussie Rules isn’t a foreign code in Queensland? You need to get out of Victoria. Up here AFL is the foreign code and league is seen as the the indigenous code. Just accept it your the import, not rugby, not league, not even soccer.