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The mess that is the Newcastle Jets isn’t going away.
Hot on the heels of the resignation of CEO Robbie Middleby and chairman Ray Baartz, is the re-involvement of owner Nathan Tinkler. Apparently, according to his media soundbites, Tinkler wants to steady the ship and get the Jets back on track.
But if you believe Tinkler then you believe A-League referees are world-class and that the tooth fairy is real.
Tinkler wants to make the most of the sale of the club, he wants his pound of flesh and recoup some or all of the money he’s spent. Some would say that’s fair enough.
But the simple truth is that Tinker has never been a football fan and has never had any real interest in the Jets, it was simply leverage to buy the Newcastle Knights, and that ownership has led to ruin.
He has history of unpaid debts, poor administration and business deals. He’s now running a game of chicken with FFA and it will be interesting to see who blinks first.
The Jets have been on a downward spiral for some time. Before the 2014-2015 campaign starting the writing has been on the wall.
With one win from 14 games before the A-League broke for the Asian Cup, things are pretty grim. The rot has continued with the departures of Sam Galloway and Marcos Flores in the past week, with David Carney and Andrew Hoole set to join them.
The Jets have barely re-signed anyone for next season, apart from goalkeeper Ben Kennedy.
It’s hard to see things getting better before getting worse.
I was in Newcastle last week, and was amazed of the rumours going around the town. These included talk about the player division within the club and some of the recent events.
There were some that came from sources closer to the Jets, like how the Jets’ internet bill wasn’t paid, which is why the club sent out media releases from a different email address. Or how Air Asia and QPR owner Tony Fernandes was interested in buying the club, but the crash of one his planes late last year in South East Asian scuppered the deal.
Or how Jacob Pepper could also be on his way out of the club in search of more game-time. Or how the volatile nature of Jonny Steele was well known before he signed, and that there is more to Flores’ departure than might meet the eye.
Or how former Newcastle United player Andy Roberts might be being lined up as the new CEO, or that ex-Breakers coach Lee Sterrey is being considered as the new coach.
These are all rumours, and just a few of the many that are circulating Newcastle. The list goes on and on, and it’s hard to know what to believe.
What is the clear is that the long-suffering Jets fanbase deserves better. Everyone seems to trumpet the 10,000 membership the club has, which is definitely an asset, but how many will continue their memberships with the endless bungling that is going on?
I personally know several who won’t and are fed up.
The FFA needs to get involved and sort out the situation in Newcastle. New owners need to be found as soon as possible.
The administration of the club, including the coaching staff, needs to be cleaned out. I feel for Phil Stubbins, who has largely had his hands tied for him and hasn’t had all the say in player recruitment.
Something’s got to give. Tinkler won’t put more money into the club and in the meantime Newcastle’s most promising players, including Hoole, head for the exit.
It’s terrible to see for Jets supporters.
The Asian Cup has the FFA’s attention and the tournament has been well supported by the people of the Hunter Region. The turnout for Japan vs Palestine was fantastic. It shows that football has a definite market, a strong presence, in the area.
But while the FFA fiddles Rome – aka the Jets – burns.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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