In order to reduce the quantity of fixtures for next season and subsequently ease financial constraints on club owners, conspiracy theorists could easily argue that Football Federation Australia is slowly killing off the North Queensland Fury.
With the obvious financial troubles surrounding the club this season, it has been well documented that the club has been a financial mess.
Despite their lowly position on the table, the support for the community club has been encouraging, with the region willing to back to club regardless of its indefinite future. The FFA has a crucial board meeting today, to access the future of the Fury and, in addition, the Sydney Rovers situation.
Currently, the Fury is funded by the FFA. The club’s major backer Don Matheson pulled out his financial services at the conclusion of last season due to bigger than expected loses.
Since then, Fury management have proposed a community based ownership model where the reliance on the Townsville and North Queensland community will assist the club economically, as opposed to one major financier.
With the new ownership model, it has been documented that the Fury has $5 million in financial promises from community sources and subsequently only need $1 million in funding from the FFA to assist the club throughout next season.
“Our submissions to FFA show it a clear exit strategy from the club in its transition to full community ownership but there will be a shortfall of just under $1 million in 2011-2012 and we are seeking its help to meet that shortfall,” Fury CEO Rabieh Kreyem said.
Fury has predicted that they will be fully self-reliant by the 2012-13 season without the assistance from the governing body.
With such optimism surrounding the club’s financial model, why is the FFA so hesitant into committing towards the Fury existence?
Presently, the head governing body is doing no favours at all for the club. The FFA is not allowing the club to sign uncontracted players or make offers to sign new players for next season.
With only David Williams contracted for next season, it seems as though the FFA is slowly and painfully killing off their existence.
Consequently the club has already lost four bright prospects, signing for rival A-League clubs. Isaka Cernak has signed for Melbourne Victory, Chris Payne to Newcastle Jets, Osama Malik to Adelaide United and goalkeeper Justin Pasfield to Central Coast Mariners.
It’s quite bizarre that the FFA is doing this towards a club that seemingly has much potential in the tropical region. It’s as if the FFA doesn’t have a financial strategy or a planning process after the current season.
They spent much time planning the expansion process for the Townsville based club, choosing to expand there ahead of Western Sydney, a geographic region which arguably has the most potential out of any A-League club. Therefore, with the FFA choosing to expand in North Queensland, they should make it work, or at least try.
If the club had no business plan, fans or a foreseeable future then we could argue that the FFA has no choice but to shut shop.
Conversely, there is an obvious future for the Fury, there is a well-balanced business plan, the Townsville people want to stay and the wider A-League community enjoy having the Fury in the competition. Thus, why is the FFA delaying the process?
Frank Lowy, chairman of the FFA has repeatedly stated that it is up to the people of Townsville to demonstrate their support for their club before the governing body can make a decision on their future. The Westfield owner is reluctant to financially back the club and believes it is not up to the governing body to finance the club.
“This job is for the people of Townsville. We will assist them but we will not carry the Townsville team on our books. This is not what we are supposed to do.
“The money we have belongs to all of the clubs. We can’t just support one club. We don’t have any resources to do that. If there is to be a club in Townsville it’s up to the Townsville people. They’ve got to want it, and they’ve got to pay for it. We will assist but will not take the load on.” Lowy said.
Accordingly, with the FFA putting so much time, effort and resources into the expansion club, the governing body don’t want to assist the fledging club in a time of need? It seems farcical that it has come to this situation.
With players leaving the club due to their future uncertainty, the FFA is doing the club no favours.
How can the FFA expect there to be an overwhelming support for the club when fans don’t even know if the team will be around next year. It doesn’t give any average sport fan the motivation to go out and support the struggling Fury.
What seems more peculiar, previously the FFA has financially supported Perth Glory, Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar and more recently Newcastle Jets. So why does this $1 million dollar burden seem like such a massive issue for the governing body?
The charismatic Fury coach Franz Straka is a fantastic representation of what the North Queensland Fury’s community brand brings towards Australian football.
Assuming the Fury folds it will not only have a detrimental impact on Townsville football, however it will also give the A-League a negative image comprising of an unstable fruitless competition. If the FFA cannot find a way to embrace their presence within our market place, then I for one have lost faith with the governing body’s lacklustre business credentials.
Adam Smith
Guest
Mick of NQ seems to have a lot to say on Cairns' attitude towards the Fury. After reading your comments, I feel as a Cairns resident i must present my view points. I for one have never really supported the Cowboys or Fury and i must admit the intercity rivalry has alot to do with it. The Cowboys and Fury may claim to represent NQ but seriously why should i keep driving some 330 k's south just to see a football & let alone a soccer game when i'm not really getting much in return? The Fury have never really visited my city nor have they made a concerted effort to try and engage themselves with the Cairns Community and suddenly when their on death-row, they've come to realise that they have to stop being wholly a Townsville team in order to ensure their survival. Townsville people seem to take things for granted, They have a football and soccer team playing in their back yard and yet they dont fully appreciate it. Statistics have shown that a majority of people who come to games are mostly out of towners (especially from the Cairns region). Cairns may not have a stadium like Dairy Farmers but Cazaly's is still a suitable venue to host the Fury. To be honest, If they Fury did come to Cairns, i wouldnt be enthused to support them nor the Cowboys as i've already made my mind up about these two teams that "claim to support NQ" but in reality are just a visiting team from Townsville. The majority of the damage has been done by the Fury with the failed attempts to come to Cairns and it may have detrimental effects later on down the track should the Fury bring a game up.
Mick of NQ
Guest
Well maybe they should swallow a bit of their pride and get involved. Don't just expect a Townsville-based NQ Team to make people in Cairns feel welcome. Show that you really want them up there first.
BrisbaneBhoy
Guest
I wouldn't be so sure if I was you, it is the FFA after all. I personally would love to see Nth Qld survive, as I have a soft spot for them, and they are trying to be a community owned base club. Unfortunately I think the writing is on the wall, and come the new season, I have a feeling we won't be seeing Nth Qld.
NF
Guest
The Fury will be fine the FFA will not kill the Fury since it be a silly move which would damage the pathway for the NQ football community to the A-League and beyond, football has it's place in NQ alongside league, basketball and other sports up here. Fury won't be killed off prematurely that's for sure. Go Fury & Cowboys!!!
RedOrDead
Roar Guru
Fair point Mick, especially that true supporters from Cairns would drive down to see the Fury play in Townsville, but I ask you this - why should a person from Cairns support a team that is based ONLY in Townsville. Just because they're called "North Queensland Fury" doesn't mean they're a true representation of the region. If they were, they would play some of their home games (at least 5 I'd say) in Cairns! That way, the people of Cairns feel like they have a share in the club. The Tasmanian bid has clearly stated that they will share their home games between Hobart and Launceston - have the Fury played ANY of their home games in Cairns in the last two years? If you want to engage a community (especially one of the size of Cairns with 165k pop.) then you have to give them something in return, give them something to cheer for and make them feel part of the team! They're not going to drive for four hours to another city purely just because the team is called "North Queensland".
True Tah
Guest
Chris Big Clive is also keeping the Fury alive through sponsorship
BrisbaneBhoy
Guest
There are empty seats/stands at nearly all stadiums bar Adelaide. Crowds are poor across the boards, especially at Brisbane and Sydney. If you think it Nth Qld should be culled then IMO there is more of a case for the likes of Sydney and Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth. All have a much larger population, but only slightly better crowds. And as I said regarding crowds up north. If the FFA and FoxSports took note from the Cowboys, and play the majority of matches on a Saturday night you will see an increase in attendance. Also th way the FFA are treating Nth Qld, it would be hard to put in the effort of trying to make a connection to the team if it is looking highly likely that they won't be around in a couple of months.
Mick of NQ
Guest
Never said I was from Townsville, which by the way has a bigger population than Cairns and superior infrastructure. It may be a hard core league town, but the Cowboys haven't exactly been winning people over with their sub-standard performances. But at least they play on a Saturday night to maximise crowds. This is the solution to half of the Fury's problems, and the proof can be seen when the Cowboys attempt to host a game on Monday night. The crowds are cut in half.
midfield general
Guest
But c'mon Cairns is 400km from Townsville. I know there are passionate supporters like yourself but Townsville is a hard-core League town with a small population - it was always going to be difficult to sustain a fully professional outfit. I blame the FFA - it gives me no satisfaction but this outcome was always on the cards. Unless you can come up with other reasons why you can't put bums on seats at Dairy Farmers.
Chris
Guest
No doubt Gold Coast's crowd figures are appalling - but as long as "Big Clive" is there is doesn't matter. The Fury don't have that luxury. They can't lose money because they don't have that kind of backing.
Mick of NQ
Guest
Midfield General, Corica: Innisfail Srhoj: Mareeba Sarota: Gordonvale Sarota: Cairns but moved to Sydney by age 12 (you can't really claim Cairns 'produced' him) Minnecon: Born in Cairns but grew up in Brisbane, signed with AIS 2007. Most of the players you mentioned come from country towns surrounding Cairns but in reality had nothing to do with the city. Check your facts before you publish sweeping generalisations mate. And yes, how childish to bring up the old Cairns-Townsville Rivalry. North Queensland Fury REPRENTS THE WHOLE OF NORTH QUEENSLAND. It wouldn't make a difference if Fury was based in Cairns. If people Cairns really supported them, they would be driving to down to watch. Instead, some people wrongly see the Fury as Townsville's team. Couldn't be further from the truth. Cairns had their chance to embrace the Fury and knocked them back. Simple. Now the whole region suffers the consequences. Hope you're happy.
Robbie Di Fabio
Roar Guru
Cheers for the feedback! I believe there definitely is a place for the Fury in our competitive market place. I for one will be extremely disappointed if the club folds at the end of the season. There's a lot of potential in the northern region of Queensland, given their lowly position on the table and all the uncertainty surrounding the future of the club I think they have done a reasonable job. We must remember it doesn't encourage fans to support a team, when the FFA won't commit to the clubs future. It's rather embarrassing and unfair on the club that they are losing players due to the FFA not allowing them to re-sign or sign new players. With the club emphasising that they have a successful community base model set up and will be self-reliant by the 2012/13 season, it leaves little to the imagination as to why the FFA is delaying the process of guaranteeing the Fury’s future. Hopefully the club will be around next season, they add value to the competition and are a fan favourite.
midfield general
Guest
Mick, the cold hard fact is that there is insufficient community support for the club, I can't think of a Fury game where the crowd topped 7000. Too small a population, Cowboys too dominant and before you start calling me an ignorant Mexican I know my stuff 'cause I used to live in Cairns. Don't want to rub it in, but I think Cairns might have been a better choice because football has always been stronger there.... we produced Farina, Corica, Shroj, Caravella, Minnecon, Sarota, Thwaite. Can't think of one player from Townsville. I also remember we had 10000+ for a pre season game
Dan
Guest
If you're going to base things purely on crowd numbers, would Gold Coast be the first team to go? Remember they are still supported by the FFA and their crowd numbers are appalling in a much bigger city.
Betty B
Guest
mmm - neither of those statements are supported by the crowd figures
Chris
Guest
Teams always get above average crowds in their opening years. Novelty factor is powerful. So is the allure of Robbie Fowler. The Fury don't have novelty factor or Fowler. We are now seeing where their true support lies.
Betty B
Guest
last season they were above Newcastle and not far below Central Coast, average crowd attendance (6723, 6358, and 7430 respectively). this sesaon numbers have dropped treat them as though they stink, they will stink
Betty B
Guest
thanks mate let's just have a Sydney comp, with MV - nice and national Give 'em a go.
Gob Bluth
Guest
"I think you’ll find their HAL side will quickly become one of the best supported in the league". Maddest thing ever written on the Roar. And let's face it, its a Melbourne Cup field.
Chris
Guest
"Attendance wise I don’t think Nth Qld has been that bad, especially when you compare it to the other teams." Yeah, 4,666 is a huge figure. Brilliant even... With the exception of GCU there isn't another club with crowds anywhere near as bad as North Queensland. I keep hearing about how good the support is for the club; if this is the case why are the stands always empty? Kick em out and bring in a club from an area with more people. Western Sydney seems the obvious choice.