Dundee United boss Stephen Thompson wants the Newcastle Jets, but is he the right person to save the ailing A-League club?
Nathan Tinkler has made some of the right noises the past week or so in paying off debts and appointing a new CEO. It appears as though he may want to keep the club, for now anyway, but FFA is far from satisfied.
The drama over the sacked players won’t go away either and surely Phil Stubbins’ future in the job long-term in untenable.
The Jets’ horrible A-League season continued with a last-minute loss to Brisbane Roar last Friday, Stubbins bringing on Allan Welsh as they tried to defend a free-kick, which they then of course conceded from. You’d laugh if it wasn’t so embarrassing.
It’s going take weeks, maybe months, for the FFA to get rid of Tinkler. And the big man will make as much mischief as possible before he goes. Considering how much he hates journos and the media, it’s funny to see him on radio, TV, websites and newspapers in the past few weeks, dropping out a few handy one-liners.
Long-term though it’s interesting to see what the Jets’ future holds. There isn’t another wealthy local out there keen to drop in the cash, and maybe that’s not what the club’s supporters wants anyway. A community ownership scheme might work, at least part-ownership, but I doubt FFA would back this.
Dundee’s Thompson remains in the frame according to some sources. But just who is the 50-year old Scotsman?
He took over the chairmanship of Dundee United after he his father Eddie died of prostate cancer in 2008. He had worked in the family business, a chain of convenience stores called Morning, Noon and Night.
He sat on the board of the Scottish Premier League in the past and helped the Tangerines pay off their debts.
One person who knows Thompson well says he has done a good job with Dundee United.
“Certainly financially. They have dug into a big debt and are now virtually debt free. His biggest success has been tying down young players on long deals and getting good money for them – Ryan Gauld, Andy Robertson, David Goodwillie, Stuart Armstrong,” the source said.
“He’s had his run-ins with Rangers over the last couple of years, as he was one of the most high profile people to say they should be sent down the leagues when they were liquidated.”
Apparently Thompson is media-friendly but a prudent owner. He’s not one to make outlandish spending or to bring a club into financial strife. After the controversial Tinkler, he might be a breath of fresh air in the Hunter.
Thompson has told Scottish media that it would be him personally, rather than Dundee United as a club, that would get involved with Newcastle.
“He’s spent a fair bit of time in Australia in the past, so I would think it’s probably a case of looking for business to get involved in.”
Thompson may also want to bring some of the Jets’ young talent to Scotland, or sell them on to other foreign clubs. Tinkler’s Jets have done this a lot in the past six to twelve months, with the departures of Socceroos Josh Brillante, Adam Taggart, Mark Birighitti and others.
Stephen Thompson is clearly a football man, a lover of the round-ball game, and has a decent track record as a chairman. You can’t say the same for Nathan Tinkler.
Foreign ownership has its risks and anyone who remembers Rangers’ dalliance with Northern Spirit in the NSL will be wary. Due diligence has to be done on Thompson and any other suitors the Jets might have.
There is rarely any white knights in football. Most Jets fans would settle for stability and security for the future, and some kind of long-term plan.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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