Gold Coast United: Full of great talent but also careless Clive Palmer
Roar Rookie By Daniel Quinn, 19 Feb 2012 Daniel Quinn is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- A-League, Clive Palmer, football, Gold Coast United
Just what is going on at Gold Coast United in the past week? After appointing a 17-year old captain, Clive Palmer derided football as a “hopeless game” and the A-League as a “joke”.
Here are some ideas for Football Federation Australia (FFA) to assist Gold Coast United.
Queensland’s richest man and Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer has made some very careless decisions and decisions which many owners would not make and FFA needs to do something about it.
The first thing FFA needs to do is decided if Gold Coast United are here to stay. Ben Buckley the FFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) wants the Glitter Strip side to thrive as he personally led the expansion.
So does that mean Gold Coast United are here to stay?
Well I think they need to stay in A-League but as long as new owners come in. FFA has to grab Palmer by the “you know what” and remove his licence. If FFA want Gold Coast United to thrive in the A-League then something needs to be done.
In the next few years to come it has predicted that Queensland will be the second most populous state behind New South Wales so FFA need to have another Queensland side to compete with Brisbane Roar.
Palmer doesn’t even want the license. The mining giant was quoted in The Sunday Mail in Queensland saying he doesn’t even like the A-League or football. So why have an owner who doesn’t like football?
“That’s the reality of it. They can say what they like … the A-League’s a joke,” Palmer said.
“I don’t even like the game.”
“I think it’s a hopeless game. Rugby league’s a much better game.”
Palmer is believed to be interested in moving United to Owen Park instead of their current stadium Skilled Park. Owen Park is based in Southport and home to Southport Tigers Rugby League Club and also the home of United’s National Youth League side.
However Owen Park currently only has one grandstand and floodlights and more seating would be required for Owen Park to be at an A-League standard.
Palmer is prepared to throw in $250,000 into the redevelopment. Palmer is believed to want a capacity of 5,000 and it is a move Gold Coast United fans would welcome.
Fans see Skilled Park in Robina too far to travel and with Southport being closer to Surfer’s Paradise, the business-district of the Gold Coast, Owen Park would be a great option.
But the question remains if FFA were to strip Palmer of the license would a move to Owen Park be still on the agenda? And would FFA be prepared to fork out $250,000? Owen Park also happens to be Gold Coast council-owned but I doubt the Gold Coast council would fork out the cash.
Palmer however has warned the FFA if they are going to strip him of the Gold Coast license that he would take them to court and probably sue for millions. But I think FFA for the sake of the A-League and Gold Coast should go for it and just deal with it.
The other thing that needs to be done is to sign up some of their impressive youngsters and their key senior players.
Players like Zac Anderson, Daniel Bowles, and Golgol Mebrahtu have been outstanding recently in a young side hit by an injury crisis.
Captain Michael Thwaite, New Zealand international goalkeeper Glen Moss and Ivorian Adama Traore needs to be signed up too as they are going to be key figures in a reshaped Gold Coast United side.
Possibly Gold Coast United’s best player this season, Ben Halloran, is contracted for next season but obviously in vootball that means nothing. United need to do everything in their power to keep the 19-year-old winger or else one of Australia’s best talents would find somewhere else.
Palmer apparently is going to start negotiations as soon as possible but until some of the above sign up that means nothing.
So for Australian football, football in Queensland and the future of the A-League let’s hope FFA does something about Palmer and reshape Gold Coast United.
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- Explore:
- A-League, Clive Palmer, football, Gold Coast United
February 19th 2012 @ 8:38pm
whiskeymac said | February 19th 2012 @ 8:38pm | Report comment
crikey.
clive is the most interesting story but for all the wrong reasons. i mean i dont even like the guy, i much prefer frank lowy, but i invest time in listening to his rants. amazing stuff. truly. pantomine of the highest order.
February 19th 2012 @ 8:56pm
Chris said | February 19th 2012 @ 8:56pm | Report comment
If Palmer doesn’t actually give the license up, how could the FFA actually take it fom him? As far as I’m aware he hasn’t breached any of the conditions.
But it is bizarre behaviour…
February 19th 2012 @ 9:35pm
apaway said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:35pm | Report comment
There must surely be a “bringing the game into disrepute” charge.
February 19th 2012 @ 10:09pm
Daniel Quinn said | February 19th 2012 @ 10:09pm | Report comment
Yeah there would have to be surely. Although I am not 100%
February 19th 2012 @ 9:03pm
Nathan of Perth said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:03pm | Report comment
Clive is a code warrior?
February 19th 2012 @ 9:09pm
Midfielder said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:09pm | Report comment
This guy is doing real harm and I hope he goes to another sport…
February 20th 2012 @ 7:28am
oikee said | February 20th 2012 @ 7:28am | Report comment
I really like him, and i dont think he hates football, he does not like Buckley, full-stop, and neither do i.
The problem Palmer has on the coast, he cant own the league and footy team, so you might find he could put his weight(boomboom) behind a new league bid so he can own both. Like his mates, Sage and Tinkler.
February 19th 2012 @ 9:09pm
Roger said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:09pm | Report comment
What happened to Clive loving the game and wanting to make it the #1 sport in Australia? I seem to recall a 60 minutes segment some years back…..
February 19th 2012 @ 9:17pm
gregscavator said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:17pm | Report comment
I hate tobacco so I don’t smoke, so why would anyone choose to invest in something they don’t like? Why get a tattoo if you don’t like them? This sounds like sour grapes from Clive for being the wooden spooners.Clive here’s a challenge- don’t continually use GCU as some political tool, keep out of the running of the team,work with FFA to promote the club, use the team staff to help you get into shape
and use that positive publicity to ground GCU instead of constant dramas and soap opera story lines.
I remember when you threw the gates open and was impressed with how many people had supporters gear,those people paid good money to buy merchandise to support their team, they are still there but like me don’t feel welcome to matches due to the continuing negativity of the club.GCU is a new club which you chose to bankroll, supporters and potential supporters owe you nothing,you owe it
to them to deliver something they can be proud of, that can build support for an indefinite period not a flash in the pan.At this point in time
it looks like you failed as you miss the point that football isn’t something you dig up and sell to the highest bidder, it is commitment and belief
February 19th 2012 @ 10:11pm
Daniel Quinn said | February 19th 2012 @ 10:11pm | Report comment
Well said mate.
February 20th 2012 @ 7:30am
oikee said | February 20th 2012 @ 7:30am | Report comment
He went on record as saying he would never talk to Buckley again. He is your problem, Buckley not Clive.
February 20th 2012 @ 12:56pm
Daniel Quinn said | February 20th 2012 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
Clive is! Buckley maybe part of it but Palmer is the majority of the problem
February 19th 2012 @ 9:24pm
Titus said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:24pm | Report comment
Miron has walked.
http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/232079,bleiberg-quits-gold-coast-united.aspx
February 19th 2012 @ 10:15pm
Daniel Quinn said | February 19th 2012 @ 10:15pm | Report comment
Yes I heard. I actually wish I wrote this piece a little bit later but I think Miron made the right choice in leaving. Let’s hope Mulvey has the gig for the rest of the season- A good youngish coach with the NYL side
February 19th 2012 @ 10:32pm
The Cattery said | February 19th 2012 @ 10:32pm | Report comment
Actually, seeing that GCU as a club is coming to the end of its days, I wonder if there is a way to retain GC as a NYL club in the interim, seein the success they have had in developing youth players.
February 19th 2012 @ 10:38pm
Daniel Quinn said | February 19th 2012 @ 10:38pm | Report comment
Yeah could be an idea. The amount of players coming though that team is unreal- I will go more into this in my next piece later in the week.
A friend mentioned maybe if new teams like West Sydney should have NYL teams first for a season or two so owners have like a testing period to see if they can run the club.
February 19th 2012 @ 9:33pm
The Cattery said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:33pm | Report comment
It’s a strange set of circumstances.
For a long time, I simply presumed that Clive was playing up so that the FFA would sit down with him to mutually negotiate an exit for him without penalty.
But in the latest interview he is almost daring the FFA to try something like that.
Of course anything is possible, who really knows that the motivation is for such bizarre behaviour, but maybe it’s possible he doesn’t like having been caught out making a bad financial decision and he is going to make as many people as he can pay – in an almost scatter gun manner.
February 19th 2012 @ 9:52pm
Roarchild said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:52pm | Report comment
Doesn’t sound like they would have to sue him to get him to give up the license.
Long odds on GCU being in the comp next year ….. but I thought that last year when they stopped signing players.
Some of the take always in that rant about the olyroos and Buckley I could get on board with to be honest.
He’s a strange character because he is often at the games for the A league team and the NYL team. He’s seen much more live football of late than either Buckley or Lowy.
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February 19th 2012 @ 9:59pm
Roarchild said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:59pm | Report comment
Dominic Bourke tweeted that Palmer might be upset with the article due to the sub editing.
I wonder if his remarks were mainly about the administration and “edited” to be a go at the on field product. Would make some semblance of sense given demands he makes in The World Game article.
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