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.
Daniel Quinn
Roar Pro
Clive is! Buckley maybe part of it but Palmer is the majority of the problem
oikee
Guest
He went on record as saying he would never talk to Buckley again. He is your problem, Buckley not Clive.
oikee
Guest
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.
Mella
Guest
Not really. The guy is worth $5-10 billion, he has and is signing resource deals worth 10's of billions. Do you think GCU helps in signing mega billion resource sector deals? Unfortunately its a bit more petty than that, its basically just a show off thing when he can mention he owns a football team, it makes good conversation at a high powered business lunch, nothing more. The guy calls himself 'Professor Palmer' in all his official business dealings cause he got an honorary doctorate. He previously sued 3 separate organisations for over $500 million each time, wouldn't want to be next in line if I was the FFA.
slickwilly
Guest
why did he get involved in the game - because gcu and soccer more generally gave him a networking opportunity into asia to advance his business interests... which is also the same mercenary motivation behind his support for the onshore processing of migrants seeking refuge status in australia (see his efforts on abc Q&I late last year)...
jamesb
Guest
I really hope Gold Coast can be rebranded in some way, but without Clive. I feel sorry for the players and their small group of fans, who I think are the best fans in Australia when you consider the rubbish they had to deal with. The thing is, Clive has crossed the line. 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.” If he doesn't like the game, why did he get involved than? As for saying Football is a hopeless game, there would be many socceroo players past and present, that would want Palmer out of the game ASAP. It s an insult to them. Its also an insult to soccer officials, administrators, volunteers, fans, players, and young kids at grassroots level. Right now, the game needs strong leadership from the FFA. It needs Buckley and Lowy to step up. This is crunch time for the pair. If Palmer gets away with it and Gold Coast fold, than both Lowy and Buckley have to go. The challenge for the FFA, if they choose to accept it, is get rid of Palmer, but still have Gold Coast in the comp. Problem is I don't have confidence in the FFA. The A-League is a good improving comp, Football is a highly skillful game, but the FFA and Palmer are a joke.
Stevo
Guest
"Foster Backs Big Clive against FFA". Well maybe not quite but nearly according to his latest scribbling. http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/ffa-must-share-the-blame-for-palmers-gold-coast-problems-20120218-1tfv9.html? . Foz is sympathetic towards Clive because the big boy wasn't given a comprehensive manual which told him how to run a football club! Pretty lame augment I'd say. Seems like another rant by Foz aimed squarely at Ben and Frank. Who would have thought that from Foz and SBS?
Titus
Guest
This article is interesting. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1094123/Gold-Coast-players-at-Palmer's-mercy "Though Palmer’s relationship with the governing body is at an all-time low after a newspaper outburst in which he labelled the A-League “a joke”, the billionaire mining magnate wants CEO Ben Buckley to agree to let him take the club’s home games from Skilled Park to Gold Coast council-owned Southport Tigers Rugby League Club, which is the existing home of United’s Youth League team" "Palmer is prepared to sink $250,000 into redeveloping the ground, which currently has just one stand – built at his own expense – into an A-League fit stadium with revamped change rooms and floodlights" "Palmer also wants FFA to meet the full $2.5 million salary cap expenditure, as it has pledged to seek to do for the past three years, rather than only offering the clubs a $1.2 million grant. He also is asking for help in marketing the club and for existing contract disputes with former players Peter Perchtold and Robson to be resolved with the peak body’s aid. "Clive feels he has been taken advantage of in certain areas and his intention is certainly to keep the squad together and keep the team in the competition next season," a club insider said."
Midfielder
Guest
To all football folk lets not forget GCU fans... they could do with some support... Their forum discussing the various issues is http://www.gcusc.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=d210232a32e947d3d25b10974201606e You can register on their homepage and post a message of support.. . A Roar fan open a thread titled "" My honest condolences""" I posted on this thread as well ...
Daniel Quinn
Roar Pro
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.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
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.
Daniel Quinn
Roar Pro
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
Daniel Quinn
Roar Pro
Well said mate.
Daniel Quinn
Roar Pro
Yeah there would have to be surely. Although I am not 100%
Roarchild
Guest
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. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Roarchild
Guest
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. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
apaway
Guest
There must surely be a "bringing the game into disrepute" charge.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
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.
Titus
Guest
Miron has walked. http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/232079,bleiberg-quits-gold-coast-united.aspx
gregscavator
Guest
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