With a decision on Gold Coast United’s future likely in the coming weeks, the biggest question for Football Federation Australia is how to ensure a region is not lost to the game if the club no longer exists.
The demise of a football club is never likely to endear fans to the sport.
Having dedicated their time to support Gold Coast United through an up and down three seasons, fans are likely to feel some bitterness towards the sport they have invested much in if the worst case scenario happens.
Whilst there is little that will soften the blow of the club’s demise for fans, it is important that everything possible is done to ensure that the club’s failure does not result in the death of football in the region.
The FFA holds the key to making sure this does not happen.
If the club does fold, it is vital that elite football has a presence on the Gold Coast. The best way of ensuring this, short of saving the club, is by maintaining the club’s participation in the National Youth League.
This would ensure that the region’s best young player’s still have a pathway right up until the A-League to progress to.
But perhaps more importantly it would be an investment by the FFA in the region and a visual presence in the local sporting market. With the governing body keen for the A-League to forge greater links with grassroots football, this would allow Gold Coast clubs to be tied to the next best thing.
The issue of cost would be an obvious hurdle, but with Football Queensland having previously indicated a willingness to entirely fund a North Queensland NYL team they may be keen to do the same on the Gold Coast.
The preservation of the NYL team may also pave the way for a future A-League franchise as it could act as a testing ground. It could also aid in expansion elsewhere as there would be more players involved in elite youth development, improving the standard of players available to clubs.
There is also the need to ensure that top level football is taken to the Gold Coast if the club no longer exists, be it in the shape of Socceroos matches or other A-League games.
Since the death of the Fury, North Queensland has seen no top level football and it would be surprising if fans did not feel as if they have been locked out of the game.
This cannot happen again as the competition will not fulfil its potential if any more fans feel let down and unwanted.
Gold Coast’s captain Michael Thwaite has spoken of the need to find out why the club has failed. The need for an in-depth examination of its struggles is vital if the same mistakes are not to be made again.
It would also allow players, fans and administrators the opportunity to express their views and utilise their experiences, perhaps going some way to ensuring that some good comes out of the club’s likely demise.
The FFA was right to focus on the need to forge greater links with grassroots football and they now have the chance to back up those sentiments with action. If they choose not to take up the opportunity, the chances of football becoming Australia’s national game will have taken a hit.
Follow me on Twitter @beaubusch
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Yeah, it NEVER pays to fight with your fanbase. Things have to be worked out *through* supporter groups, not imposed on supporter groups.
Axelv
Guest
You've gone from averaging 3500 from 4 home matches, not including the game in Adelaide or vs Brisbane. The following matches after the ban you haven't gotten more than 2200 once... I'd call that getting rid of your fan base. And no 4000 Brisbane fans turning up at Skilled Park does not count.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
He didn't get rid of the good fans only the hooligan element. Please read what I write---yes it was hash but it was only for two games and he made that perfectly clear to the Beach organisers when the ban was imposed..
Axelv
Guest
The right thing? If the right thing is to get rid of your fan base just to make a point, then no wonder your club is on the brink of folding. Think of the fans as your wife, you're never right, even when you are ;)
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
"It wasn’t the stadium deal or the crowd cap itself that drove the fans away, it was how it was handled. It was imposed upon them with total disrespect." You don't know what you are talking about Axelv---there was a bad element creeping into the Beach that were wanting to gather around the away supporters who came to our home games after the match to bait them, this was creeping in before the Roar punch up---those people have not returned or are now at least behaving themselves that is in my opinion a good thing. The last match against the Roar the Beach end was full again and there was no trouble this time around so Clive did the right thing.. The ticket prices are the issue and I read today that the new consortium are in deep discussions with the LNP to revise the stadium deal. Finally the penny has dropped that the prices for tickets were for a long time far too high compared with an AFL ticket on the Gold Coast. Who knows if we are allowed to continue next season with a new salary cap and with a new stadium deal we can open up the whole stadium as it was in year one for us loyal GCU supporters.
Australian Rules
Guest
You're still banging on about over-staffing? QSAF, you are completely missing the point. As for being "too expensive"... Tickets for the Suns range between $20-$59. Tickets for the Titans are $27 (or $79 for a family of 4) Tickets for CGU were reduced to $20 & $5 for kids (in Sep 2011) Still complaining about prices? And yes, I've been to 4 Titans games and 2 GCU games at Skilled.
Axelv
Guest
The thing is, QSAF is not focusing on the real issue, yes the stadium deal wasn't good but that was a symptom, not the cause. It wasn't the stadium deal or the crowd cap itself that drove the fans away, it was how it was handled. It was imposed upon them with total disrespect. If Clive were to communicate with the fans and let them know that they are valued and needed, even making a slight compromise, it does wonders for their happiness. At the start of this season, it looked as if this were happening, Clive opened 1 bay for the Beach, he opened another 2 Bays on the East Stand, giving the fans more freedom to sit where they want whilst still saving money on the stadium rent. This was actually working, they were getting close to double of their real crowds compared to last season. However after the Boxing Day match, once again Clive turns on his fans, blames them, sticks the boot in and closes the rest of the stadium bar 1 stand once again as 'punishment', their crowds halved and have not been back since...
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Nice to still be hearing from you, Beau.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Both MLS and J-League has put serious effort in the code-specific, appropriately sized stadiums and has seen it far from burden them, it has liberated them and their finances. And their crowd sizes are NOT greatly beyond our own. Or to look at it another way, take the WC Eagles, $50m in revenue and a lot of it has to do with the clean-skin stadium they get. Now we can't duplicate their government support creating the original stadium, but we CAN build our own, more modern equivalent answers to nib stadium or Hindmarsh without breaking the piggy bank.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
The CIA were funding the Greens in order to bring down Gold Coast United.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
If you can get away with paying half the rent then at least you likely won't have closed off bay problems. Maybe they can assemble and disassemble temp seating for the Beach behind goals whilst outside the AFL season? Stadiums Queensland does NOT strike me as great purveyors of sanity.
Westie
Guest
The Titans will fall over now also. It is simply down to people on the Glitter Strip simply not bothering to turn up. Better to have teams in Wollongong or Geelong. There you would get at least 5k to games which is double the GC. It is just because the FFA was intent on running around planting flags all over this map, like some medieval ruler with a massive ego. There should be a club per million people in my book. Therefore, 3 in Melb, 3 in Sydney. No more than 12 clubs should ever be playing in the A-League. We are not a soccer nation, it attracts the 3rd ranked athletes from schoolboys in Oz and you just do not have the depth you get in Europe in playing numbers. Not even sure the game should be fully pro here. That is a mistake in my book. Half baked players are running around on massive money. The League should be a stepping stone not a destination.
Beau Busch
Roar Pro
Some really interesting points on staffing, stadium costs and Ticketec. I really believe that more emphasis has to be placed on stadium deals when awarding new franchises. The MLS encountered many of the same problems as the A-League early on before making it a key component of any new club. The results have been spectacular both in terms of crowds and improving the financial stability of the league. Cheers for your insight Qantas supports Australian Football.
Midfielder
Guest
Its difficult to see what CP would gain out of getting his licence back.... i.e. loose more money... can he sue ... HHHmmmm to sue for a commercial settlement he must incur some loss .... the GC was bleeding money so it's not a loss of profit .... I somehow think it will become a war of CP dragging out facts and throwing them around ... but as each week passes CP statements and those of his staff are being laughed at...
The Cattery
Roar Guru
A bit of support also comes from Ballarat and Bendigo, marginally further out than Geelong, but similar distance, also well placed with rail links.
Axelv
Guest
Exactly, it is less than an hours drive from CBD to CBD, not a long distance at all. A decent size number of Geelong football fans are already supporting the Victory, as it represents Victoria as well as Melbourne. Thank God that Victorians planned their infrastructure ;)
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
"OH&S regulations determine how many staff are required" Well yes that would be true I guess, but have you been to Skilled Park and seen how many stewards are employed there on match day? I have been to Suncorp and seen far less. I mean do you really need a stewart to press a button for an automatic lift to take you up and down one flight? (It's only a button) Have you attended a match at Skilled Park at all and seen it first hand? We have had the same comments from Titan fans that ticket prices are far too high compared to the Suns ticket prices. Management rights or not..
Axelv
Guest
To be fair they had good crowds in Season 1, when there was no crowd cap in place, every crowd was between 4k-9k , that is double to quadruple of what they were getting after the crowd cap was put in place. Refer to the photo I linked in the first comment, that was at the beginning of Season 2, when the crowd cap was re-introduced and here to stay, as a result the crowds (perhaps the fence sitters as PeterK refers to) stayed away and they never came back.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Carrara? Heavens No... The spectators are miles away from the touch line. Football supporters will not support such an idea---well I hope not.. Melb Victory supporters hate the Etihad stadium and could you imagine 3k in that arena---well NO it would be disastrous... We want a new reasonable deal at Skilled Park and hopefully sanity will prevail; btw so do the Titans..
mds1970
Roar Guru
It wouldn't be ideal because it's an oval, but if the new consortium are able to get a license (presumably they wouldn't call the club GCU and may well re-brand the colours as well); would the Suns' ground at Carrara be an option?