If the A-League is to grow in a sustainable way the FFA must get serious about club management issues. Nathan Tinker and the Hunter Sports Group giving back their license due to communication issues with the FFA is totally unacceptable.
That the A-League has lost the Hunter Sports Group’s backing is a terrible development. The progress and changes Tinkler had made at Newcastle are brilliant.
Their club is one that all should follow in terms of garnering community and grassroots engagement. Whilst crowds were not huge they were notably improved and the model that was put in place was definitely destined for continued growth.
Unlike Clive Palmer at Gold Coast United, Tinkler did not simply wish to pump in copious amounts of cash with a view to have state of the art facilities and conditions.
Anyone can upgrade equipment and staff, Tinkler chose to employ time and effort into figuring out ways to engage with people and build a club identity that fans could relate to, with more than 10,000 members tribute to that.
It is a shame that disputes with the FFA have brought about this event. It is also a shame the Hunter Sports Group are losing millions and have no real monetary incentive to continue to run the club.
The exorbitant $5 million license fee he paid when joining the club incensed Tinkler. The club have continually tried to discuss this issue and a myriad of others with the FFA regarding alternative franchise and governing structures yet appear have been unable to gain a workable forum with those who run the sport.
What will fans sa now? Buckley and Gorman along with other FFA executives are perceived to be over-paid and under-engaged bosses of a league still in infancy. I and many other football fans feel they are not open enough to voices advocating alternative ways of governance and decision-making.
Craig Foster believes there are too few football people charged with running our game and therefore situation, like the case of the Fury, Gold Coast and now the Jets, occur which eat at the fabric of the sport.
More money needs to be put into running the clubs, into persisting with the clubs. More time and effort needs to be put into listening to people like Tinkler, who pour millions out there pockets to run clubs rather than disengagement which ultimately will always drive them away.
The FFA need to save the Jets. Tinkler actually ran the part of the game he was responsible for well. The FFA don’t.
Dillan
Guest
"It is a shame that disputes with the FFA have brought about this event." I doubt the FFA is the bases of NT's decision. More likely he has other reasons, just as CP did...
Trent
Guest
How much exactly did the Bakrie group pay for Brisbane? A poster above says it was 8m for 70%. If what you say is correct then yes, Tinkler has a right to be annoyed. But not if he's comparing the Jets to GCU. You have to wonder if this whole debacle is just Tinkler getting revenge on the FFA for Clive Palmer. Wouldn't surprise me if the fat billionaires stuck up for one another.
Whites
Guest
If Tinkler paid a $3.5m acquisition fee to the FFA for the Jets does that mean the FFA paid a $3.5m acquisition fee to Constantine when they took the license off him.
asanchez
Roar Guru
There is a standard license across all the clubs, that's $1m. The acquisition fee is what changes from club to club, which I think is fair enough. It varies based on fanbase, membership, sponsors, market size, history and potential. The Bakries from Indonesia paid $10m for their license of Brisbane Roar, champions of the league, probably 2 years running, best coach, best player, great squad, ACL football for 2 years and counting. Different market, different potential etc etc. This fee is also negotiable, which is why this whole Tinkler issue doesn't add up!
Paul Arandale
Roar Pro
Agreed.. Does this mean I can change my mind on voting for Tinkler to take over the Knights at last years members meeting. I doubt it.
BKR
Guest
Thats the exact question Tinkler was asking the FFA...Please Explain??? No answer was returned and here we are. Tinkler and the Jets did what any normal person would do if your not happy with the managment team at your bank or fees on your credit card then you look to another option or remove yourself from their clutches. hats off to Nathan, he sure showed us that Clive Palmer is no fool, the only fools are those in College St
Australian Rules
Guest
Agree. But in terms of Tinkler's "price tag", I wasn't comparing it to CGU. I was comparing it to Brisbane's. Tinkler paid $5M (which was reportedly $1.5M for the licence fee and $3.5M for the acquisition fee). This for a broke team who were average at best, and had the 2nd smallest crowds in the League. A year later, the Brisbane Roar licence fee was reportedly $1M (and the acquisition fee not much more)...this for a team who had finished on top, were heading to Asia for the ACL and had growing crowds and booming interest. Undoubtedly Tinkler did (not!) get a Roar deal (sorry). At the end of the day, it's his own fault...he signed the contract. But the FFA need this latest drama like they need a kick to the face.
Trent
Guest
Maybe I'm wrong about Clive's attitude to the fans, but he did seem to have a real interest in the players from what I saw of him near the end. Perhaps I'm wrong about that too. Regarding the price tag, we all agree that the licence for the Jets is entirely different to one for the GCU, with the Jets being an established club and all. He was happy to pay it to begin with but now he isn't? He really should've done his due diligence with the costings and potential profits, he can't use the losses to absolve him of all blame. I couldn't care less about Clive but this Tinkler thing is a real hammer blow for the league.These two have used the A-League as a play thing that they soon tired of.
Australian Rules
Guest
I agree with everything bar your last paragraph Trent. Clive showed absolutely no love for the club, scant respect for the players and complete disdain for the fans, few as they were. He treated Gold Coast United as his play thing, a status symbol to show off to his Chinese mining buddies...nothing more. I think Tinkler, who clearly has an affinity with the Hunter region, wanted the club to succeed and after 1 year at the helm it's in a far stronger position than when he bought it (the reverse scenario of Palmer's disastrous reign). However, in hindsight he is clearly unhappy about the pricetag and losing $12M per year just adds salt to the wound. Looks like he's said "Enough. I love the place, but enough".
Matt F
Roar Guru
The point is that it is much more expensive to start up a team from scratch then it is to take over an existing team with players, sponsors, supporters, staff etc. In other words the value of an existing club is greater because it already has established revenue streams and assets which makes it more valuable. Hence an established club is worth more then a start-up side so because it is worth more it will will naturally cost more. For what it's worth the consotrium that took over Brisbane Roar paid $8 million for a 70% share so it's not as if Tinkler got screwed over re the licence fee. That's not to say that the FFA is blameless. Clearly both sides have not been communicating effectively to each other and the FFA must take blame for this. There has also been too much criticism of the FFA for it to be dismissed as unwarranted. Clearly they have problems in the organisation. Clive Palmer had a few very good and warranted criticisms about the way the FFA was run. His problem is that it got lost in the other 95% of rubbish that he spouted. Let's see if Tinkler does a better job.
Trent
Guest
I love it how everyone seems to know the inner workings of the FFA and what it takes to run a professional football league. 'FFA's inept management' is what I hear but none of us have a clue about what's going on besides the FFA, owners themselves, and a few others who are close to the action. "I and many other football fans feel they are not open enough to voices advocating alternative ways of governance and decision-making." Really? And what would you know about this?? Football fans say all sorts of shit they know nothing about. Sure, Craig Foster, Archie Fraser and a few others are kicking up a stink, but it's not the first time the game in Oz has been yanked in various directions and sabotaged by people pursuing their own agendas. Anyone aligning themselves with Clive Palmer has lost any credibility as far as I'm concerned. For what it's worth, I think the FFA IS inept, however only on the evidence I have at hand - failed clubs. I don't know the nitty gritty about why this has happened and who is at 'fault', but the fact it has happened is the problem. Tinkler, Palmer and the bloke from NQF are equally to blame, and the fat billionaires even more so for their scorched earth tactics. They couldn't give a shit about the game or its fans. The funny thing about all this is that Clive seemed to really care for the club, the fans and players but was hopeless at running it, while Tinkler has been brilliant at running the club but has treated everyone involved in it with contempt.
anthcol
Roar Pro
Why disadvantage Tinkler if he didnt have to start from scratch? Surely that money should be pumped into the club rather than going to the FFA. I dont see the point of an acquisition fee. This is not the point, somewhere either due to Tinkler or the FFA communication has broken down. The FFA should do anything possible to keep this guy around. Obviously they have not really done this.
Jetsfan
Guest
The problem was that the bloke Tinkler paid to do the due diligence for him was paid by the FFA, bit of a conflict of interest don't you think.
Colin
Guest
Palmer paid license fee but Tinkler had to pay license fee of 1m + acquisition fee of 3.5 million . This is becuase NJ are already a established club with paid members and sponsers and tinkler didn't have to start from scractch. If Tinkler is not happy with it why did he pay for it. And initially he was given provisional license, so why didn't he back out at that time. Instead he requested FFA to fast track the prov license to a full license.
anthcol
Roar Pro
Obviously dont have enough uni work in the break Tommy! Hard to know who to believe in regards to a breakdown in comms but surely the FFA should be bending over backwards to keep a guy like Tinkler involved in the league.
tomdartnell11
Roar Rookie
Good quick coverage of the shocking events of this morning, all over it mate. I'm devastated and praying that a solution comes about which will resuscitate the Jets - great club both within the community and the A-league (past champions), and showing a very progressive style of passing football under Van Egmond. FFA has countered Tinkler's version of events by saying that HSG were responsible for any breakdown in communication. An agonising wait to see what happens next...
anthcol
Roar Pro
Tinkler is angry becuase the fee he payed was so much greater than what Palmer and other owners ie Tony Sage at perth paid. He wanted an explanation from the FFA as to why this was the case and didnt receive it adequately
Chris
Guest
Agree. These billionaire owners don't seem to do any due diligence on buying into the A-League and seem surprised when it turns out to be a dud investment. FFA has hit back and pointed out that Tinkler has a legal obligation that he isn't able to walk away from. Communications issues does seem like a (very poor) excuse from Tinkler to try and get out of this contract. I wonder if Palmer and Tinkler have been having some chats on the side...
Steve War
Guest
An article that seems to appoint Clive Palmer, Nathan Tinkler and wait for it...........Craig Foster as the voices of common sense and good sports management! Our sports teams are their playthings (Foster must have his own plaything though)
Colin
Guest
How about " NEWCASTE JETS GROUNDED BY TINKLER'S NEGOTIATION SKILLS (& EGO)"