Football Federation Australia has killed off the North Queensland Fury and let Gold Coast United die. But it must do everything in its power to keep the Newcastle Jets alive after owner Nathan Tinkler decided to walk way this morning.
Why, you might be asking? What makes the Jets different to the Fury and Gold Coast?
A few things, in my opinion. History for one.
As I wrote back in September 2010 when Con Constantine went under and before Nathan Tinkler stepped in, Newcastle is a proud footballing region.
The connection to the round ball game goes back around 130 years. There are few older in Australia.
The Hunter has always been a battling region, and the same can be said for its representative teams in the NSL and then the A-League.
It has produced countless Socceroos. Some can be included in the discussions of Australia’s greatest ever footballers. Like Reg Date, a striker from Wallsend who was a fearsome goalscorer. And Ray Baartz, the skillful attacking player who payed for Australia 49 times. A teenager who joined Manchester United in the late 1960s, Baartz unfortunately missed out on the 1974 World Cup after a freak injury in a friendly game.
And, of course, Craig Johnston. The kid from Lake Macquarie who conquered English football during a fantastic seven year stint at Liverpool FC.
They all came from Newcastle, along with many others who have represented Australia in the beautiful game, both men and women.
There’s also the future. Who else will the talented kids of the Northern NSW Football Federation play for? Who will they aspire to be and who will give them a chance if there is no local professional club? Where will the next Young Socceroo captain Ben Kantarovski, midfield general Troy Halpin or Joey Luke Remington go to?
There’s also the fans. Newcastle clubs have always had fans, and I’m not talking two or three thousand. This season, under new community programs and ticket initiatives, they have grown. They have grown from strength to strength. The passion for football in this city is there.
Newcastle football supporters have often been maligned – from KB United, to Rosebud, Australs, Breakers, United and finally the Jets, yet they have endured and endured. They have persisted. They keep coming back.
They have survived David Hall and Constantine, and hopefully they will survive Tinkler’s departure.
A rare ray of light came on February 24, 2008, in the Jets grand final win over the Central Coast Mariners.
Newcastle finally has a world class place to play in Hunter Stadium, and a stadium deal that doesn’t send it broke. It has the foundations for player development with strong junior clubs in the area and its own long-standing State League in operation, in which the Jets youth league team now plays.
Should the FFA hand Newcastle and the Hunter region over to rugby league entirely? No.
Should Australia’s seventh largest city only have one professional sporting club? No.
Can the FFA afford to abandon one of the foundation A-League clubs? No.
Should they prop up the Newcastle Jets until a new owner can be found? Yes.
Michael
Guest
If the Western Sydney A-League team succeeds at may well be at the expense of Sydney FC-don't see where all the fans are? When the A-League was set up did the FFC imagine that the old fans from old NSL clubs would automatically convert across to Sydney FC? Most stayed put.deciding instead to follow their own clubs. I would bet you more in total watch the old NSL clubs each week by at least 6-1 in numbers than watch Sydney FC . My bet is that until the FFC spends more time, effort, and money,and focus ,the new club will struggle along with all the others
Overmars
Guest
"including the fact that all gate takings go back to the FFA" - All? That's ridiculous.
michael
Guest
At the core of the problem is the FFA model of letting the clubs fend for themselves including the fact that all gate takings go back to the FFA which blew me away when I heard about the latter. On top of this we talk about the FFA helping the grass roots, most of the subs paid by players finds its way(via local associations) into the FFA pockets whilst kids football clubs sell lollies and sweets in their dilapidated sheds to stay on top. All of this to feed the grand plans of the FFA. The money wasted in the last Wcup bid would have helped a lot of kids clubs ......;......
Titus
Guest
They don't have the money. They need to let a community consortium show that they can cover the $2-3 mill in losses per annum, and then let them run the club for the good of the community(i.e don't charge them $5 mill for something that is theirs anyway)
Jaceman
Guest
Nathan of newcastle was the messiah he appeared to be - perhaps with David Hill in town there are plans afoot for a breakaway League but the economics are not right for 4 professional footy codes in this country. Soccer has a spot but not at the financial level it is now...
Nathan of Perth
Guest
"After seeing GCU die I have had enough of egocentric billionaires and the FFA bureaucrats" We keep trying to combine the strengths of a closed-shop franchise league with the strengths of private ownership without realising that it actually nets you none of the strengths, but all of the weaknesses (and then some!). Either run open-shop and let clubs join as they want and handle their own affair, or else have a franchise system but run everything in-house like the BBL.
Steve
Guest
I'm gutted for the Jets' fans. This is all part of the Palmer poison and he'll not be happy until he's wrecked the A League. After seeing GCU die I have had enough of egocentric billionaires and the FFA bureaucrats - between them they seem intent on destroying football in this country. Its too important to be left to the men in suits. The fans must have the loudest voice in the running of the game.
ChrisW
Guest
As a football fan(Perth Glory) im absolutely gutted this is very bad and no we cant let jets go and we need 10 teams this is made so much worse that the fact FFA are putting there resources into WS.
jc of newcastle
Guest
where will the 20,000 come from?? sorry to say but i think its all over
Colin
Guest
Perhaps Craig Johnston can save the club???
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Is this the time to say to the people of Newcastle, we need you to support the idea of a community owned club? We need 20,000 individuals willing to spend $300 each on buying a share in the new club, giving you the right to appoint your own board and president.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
NUJ is one of the huge off-field (and they did pretty well on-field this year) success stories of Season 7. They had record memberships & average home crowds were the 2nd highest in their 7 year history in the HAL. Tinkler has walked away, but the club is a viable ongoing concern and we must thank Tinkler & HSG for resurrecting the club and handing it back to the FFA in a much stronger position than it was 2 years ago. I can't see any major issues with the FFA getting new backers from the Newcastle region.
Dinoweb
Guest
Does the FFA have enough money to prop up both Newcastle and Western Sydney? I doubt it. They cant even organise decent advertising for the current finals series. What do they do then, chose 1 of them and go with 9 teams, or ditch both and go with 8? Pitty they slamed the door on Gold Coast. Western Sydney could have gone on the back burner, and that money could have kept the Jets and GCU afloat while new financial backers were sought. It should certainly be cheeper to keep existing clubs going than to start a new one. Of course, with the treatment of both Tinkler and Palmer, which australian billionaire is going to touch the A-League now? The FFA has already alienated fans in Tasmania, Wollongong, Canberra, Gold Coast, and Townsville. Should they chose to support only one or neither club, they can certainly add more to that list. Sucks to be Buckley right now.
Matt F
Roar Guru
I can't see newcastle going the same way as GC and NQ. The jets aren't bleeding money like the others were, at least not to the same extent, and they had the 3rd highest average attendance this season. http://www.ultimatealeague.com/records.php?type=att The Jets have a good supporter base and are a far more attractive proposition for a potential new owner then either of the other two clubs. The FFA have serious questions to answer here but I think the Jets will survive this.
jc of newcastle
Guest
I highly doubt the FFA will have the money after announcing the Western Syd venture. This could very well be the beginning of the end for the A-League. This is a shame when an unsustainable league is met with inept management
darkmeist
Guest
From a Jets / soccer fan, it's a sad day for Newcastle, hopefully for soccer supporters' sake the Jets can continue...and not just supporters in the Hunter region, as today's news will rock the soccer code to it's foundations across the country and if it ends badly here in soccer's heartland I fear for the code in Australia. C'mon the Jets!