Over the last 12 to 18 months, Newcastle’s sporting public has endured a roller-coaster ride, with both sporting teams involved in the Nathan Tinkler circus.
Make no mistake though, the Tinkler takeover of both the Newcastle Jets and Newcastle Knights was the correct decisions, but the events ever since have left plenty of fans scratching their heads… and rightly so.
After around six weeks of the 2010-2011 Hyundai A-League season, the Jets were on their deathbed.
Former owner Con Constantine had massive cash flow problems which culminated in players not being paid their wages. The club which had won the championship some 18 months earlier was destined to follow its predecessors on the Newcastle scrapheap.
That was until Tinkler came along.
The mining magnate had little hesitation in turning the Jets fortunes around, both on and off the field, growing the membership base from a few thousand to in excess of 10,000 in just a few short months.
David Beckham and the LA Galaxy came to the Hunter, the Jets were winning games and everything seemed too good to be true. Perhaps it was.
On the field, the Jets’ performances started to nosedive and season seven of the A-League was another anti-climactic finish from the Novocastrians with a team promising so much, delivering very little.
It all started with the Jason Culina affair in the pre-season. Culina was signed from the now-defunct Gold Coast United with a well-documented knee injury which required surgery, yet the Jets didn’t ask too many questions about his availability for the upcoming season.
Did they do their due diligence? The answer to that remains very much a subjective one.
Not long after that Tinkler asked Football Federation Australia to have Culina’s contract set aside.
It remained a sticking point throughout the whole season and then on the eve of the A-League launch, Tinkler came up with another bombshell and sacked Jason’s father Branko.
This was despite Branko signing a four-year contract not even six months prior to him being sacked.
The Jets went along and made very little noise in the season before the biggest bombshell of all – Tinkler’s decision to try to hand back the A-League club’s license on April 10 this year citing “irreconcilable differences with FFA”.
Despite all of this, the FFA remained steadfast in their belief that a club couldn’t hand back a license and the matter appeared certain to be headed to the courts.
Thankfully, Tinkler and Frank Lowy came up with a plan to have the Jets in the competition, but the circus didn’t quite stop there.
The club then made decisions on not re-signing players for the 2012-2013 season and the last remaining original Jet Tarek Elrich was shown the door.
He was followed out by leading goalscorer from last year, Jeremy Brockie and exciting Iraqi Ali Abbas.
Softening the blow were the signings of Gold Coast trio James Brown, Josh Brillante and Mitch Cooper. Melbourne Heart defender Craig Goodwin and former Adelaide United goalkeeper Mark Birighitti joined Perth Glory duo Scott Neville and Adam Taggart in a Jets side heavy on youth but light on experience for season eight.
The re-signing of Ryan Griffiths and Michael Bridges gave the side an element of stability around their younger teammates and whether the circus is now over and the youth policy will provide dividends is anyone’s guess.
Maybe coach Gary van Egmond was right when he said the A-League was “becoming a younger man’s game.”
Time will tell.
Midfielder
Guest
Griffo If the Knights continue their poor form, do you see the Jets sota being expected to [not sure how to say it] But sorta pick up for the sports group ... Just on the knights I think GVE is putting his squad in place ... depending on the answer to the above question I honestly think NT will give him time...also being honest the salary cap means the squads are not that different so I am sure the Jets will be completive ... I remember Rosebuds, Breakers & of course and KB United ... you guys have a proud history.. Griffo enjoy ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCPIJTS0Dzw
Griffo
Roar Guru
Minor points perhaps, but the flow of the article indicates events out of sequence: that Jason Culina contract release announcement happened prior to his father Branko being sacked. While Jason infamously signed a Jets contract and presented to the press on crutches, he started pre-season training during the later period of that long off-season and appeared on track to start the 2011-12 season before breaking down again two weeks into his pre-season training with the Jets squad with what turned out to be alignment issue with the knee requiring corrective surgery. Following medical advice and second opinions, Newcastle Jets co-announcement of both Jason's contract being set aside and Branko being sacked days before Season kick-off (on the official day of A-League 7's season launch in Sydney no less) was a bomb. Branko's sacking hasn't to my recollection been fully explained publically (much conjecture that he had some knowledge of the extent of his son's injury) and I believe a settlement has been reached with both parties moving on but questions still remain, as well as for Jason, the player, the issue has still to be resolved I believe. Prior to that under Branko for the disjointed season 2010-11 the Jets, after a month off from the competition due to scheduling, began to put some points together but ultimately the toll of injuries to the squad scuppered any chance of a Finals Series playoff spot. In terms of Tinkler's take-over, during the early period there was much talk that started to appear to be followed up with actions, but from a fan and members point of view, to so casually and suddenly announce handing the Jets licence back (and in hindsight the continuation of the Jets to be as quickly confirmed) seem to undo some of that early effort and leaves you nervous in the immediate future that at any moment there may be no Jets to support. Even Tony Sage mid-season only hinted at what he might do to the Perth Glory licence rather than (stating his intention to) hand it back entirely. For Jets fans the question of short term pain versus long term planning and development has a complex mix. There has been a lot of short term change to gain results over the Jets' A-League history but little long term stability and planning for a future that still is over the horizon in terms of seeing traceable outcomes. Tinkler's HSG after implementing many changes to professionalise the operations of the club on takeover is undergoing another metamorphosis with a 'future vision' of building the club. I don't believe any member could tell you the details of what that vision and planned outcomes are, not that I have seen, but am happy to be proven wrong. I don't see a history (even from a short one as it is) of allowing processes to develop, given much life, and to be evaluated to be confident of seeing a long term strategy being allowed to run. In terms of GVE's appointment I see some elements still demanding short term results; I expect that having to rebuild the squad to better realise his vision of the team that if the Jets don't do spectacularly well for A-League 8 that the calls for GVE's head will grow louder than it is at the moment, and won't be surprised if the club doesn't allow this young squad to build (as I think everyone wanted the young Gold Coast side to be given a few seasons to build), and the club culture to grow along with it, across more than one season. In effect to take some short term pain for long term gain. I hope the team will be given time, but I think a lot of trust will need to be re-built between HSG and members over the coming seasons to instill any long term confidence in the clubs direction and stability. As a fan and member, I will keep supporting and turning up to cheer the squad and club on.
Bondy
I think the Jets improved somewhat under GVE they hadn't won a game away for over a year they beat the likes of Brisbane, Sydney "that was a touch up" and Melourne Victory away .