All clubs deserve to be in the loop with this one
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/fowler-to-sydney-gold-coast-to-fold-20100408-rv45.html
Fowler to Sydney, Gold Coast to fold <!-- 'push-0' just right-aligns the element so that the main content comes first. --> <!-- cT-storyDetails --> MICHAEL COCKERILL April 9, 2010
ROBBIE FOWLER will be Sydney FC's new marquee player.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/fowler-to-sydney-gold-coast-to-fold-20100408-rv45.html
Fowler to Sydney, Gold Coast to fold <!-- 'push-0' just right-aligns the element so that the main content comes first. --> <!-- cT-storyDetails --> MICHAEL COCKERILL April 9, 2010
ROBBIE FOWLER will be Sydney FC's new marquee player.
Three years after he almost joined the Sky Blues before his wife, Kerrie, decided she wasn't ready to live in Australia, the former Perennial strugglers Liverpool legend will finally get his wish to live in the Harbour City. Fowler, 34, has become available in the wake of North Queensland Fury's recent near-death experience, with the Townsville club no longer in a position to meet his wages, believed to be about $750,000 per season.
But while the Fury have been saved by Football Federation Australia's intervention, the A-League is still set to lose a club, with Gold Coast United backer, mining magnate Clive Palmer, officially withdrawing his support this week. Unlike in Townsville, the FFA has little interest in mounting a rescue operation, with the competition now likely to remain a 10-team league with newcomers Melbourne Heart effectively taking the place of Gold Coast United next season.
Sydney FC yesterday officially approached Fowler to replace John Aloisi as their new marquee player. Currently in England, where he has been attending coaching courses, Fowler last week made it clear he wanted to keep playing in the A-League regardless of the outcome of his situation with North Queensland Fury.
''I loved it there, it was brilliant,'' he told the Herald. ''It wasn't just Townsville, it was Australia.'' In the past two days, Fowler has been talking with the Fury through newly-appointed football director Robbie Middleby, having indicated at one stage his interest in becoming player-coach following the departure of Ian Ferguson to Perth Glory. But that scenario has effectively been ruled out by the FFA, who at the moment are the Fury's majority owners, and Fowler is now set to accept Sydney FC's offer.
When Fowler came to town last season, the Sky Blues drew their second-biggest home crowd, with most of the pre-game promotion driven through the local branch of the Perennial strugglers Liverpool Supporter's Club. Sydney FC officials have made no secret of their focus of improving attendances, and Fowler's proven popularity has prompted their offer.
Fowler had been targeted initially by Newcastle Jets, but owner Con Constantine said yesterday: ''We've moved on from the marquee idea, we tried it three times and for whatever reason it didn't happen. We've decided to leave well alone.''
Fowler will be the biggest-name departure from North Queensland as the FFA deals with the fallout of the recent crisis, but he won't be the only one. The Fury officially had 17 players contracted for next season, but the change of ownership has left them free to negotiate elsewhere. Defender Chris Tadrosse is believed to have accepted an offer from Melbourne Heart, midfielder Michael Marrone has rejected terms, and defender Scott Wilson is set to return to Scotland.
It is understood goalkeeper Paul Henderson and defender Jacob Timpano have been released, and a further nine players have agreed terms without signing, among them David Williams and Dyron Daal.
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Cold Ghost are a joke of a club. Good riddance to them.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
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Thanks for keeping us in the loop - I am also able to visit the Sydney Morning Herald website, cheers
Normo's coming home
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Nice lifestyle shame about the football team.
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I'm going to repost my blog from August last year about expansion and whether it was a good idea as it all seems to be coming home to roost (unfortunately)
Normo's coming home
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no gold coast? Smeltzy will be kicking himself...
Queenslander 3x a year.
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Cold Ghost are a joke of a club. Good riddance to them.
Could say the same about Wet Spam.
Nevertheless, it's never pleasing to see any club go under.
Three for me, and two for them.
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So what's Smeltzy's plan B right now?
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Whole squad to shift north to townsville?
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another smh article re gcu folding
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/then-there-were-10-again-gold-coast-to-fold-20100408-rv44.html
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/then-there-were-10-again-gold-coast-to-fold-20100408-rv44.html
Improving,,on the up, a work in progress from Italiano and the Nix. Bring on the bathroom bling in '24! COYN!
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Gold Coast is Auckland in disguise
re- launched 2012 Gold Coast Nights
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The latter article says that the FFA is going to try to reorganize things on the ground and bring a new GC team in at the same time as the Rovers in 2011-12. But why do that when places that really want an A-league time - Tasmania, Christchurch - go begging?
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
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Wow. Already.
One season, in it for the long haul huh...
Pathetic.
What is the word on North Queensland Fury?
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Interesting stuff, Culina back overseas now. THen Smeltzy here as our new striker. Please.
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Haha.
I thought he was off to play football in China or something, or is that just in our off season?
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I thought he turned down Asia deals to focus on training with the All Whites for the WC. Is what I heard.
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Lets get smeltz but freaking discount his pay check for being a judas. edit: does care about his wages actually.CboZ2010-04-09 10:50:17
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I thought he turned down Asia deals to focus on training with the All Whites for the WC. Is what I heard.
I interpreted it as 'delaying' Asia deals until post WC.
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Don't want Smeltz back. Think we've moved on. Just feel like it wouldnt be the same - him running back to us just because his club folded.
Would take Traore, however..
Not sure about Charlie - getting a bit too long in the tooth now but is exactly the kind of player we need. Don't think he'd fit in with our club culture either.
Really, really sad news. No matter how much I didn't like Gold Coast, this is a huge body blow to this league. I think that the FFA has to be blamed, here - they went for the bid with the big (in more ways than one) backer and it's absolutely, positively backfired.
valeo2010-04-09 11:18:03a.haak
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Given the strength of our current squad, wouldnt it make more sense to get Cullina as marquee? I think additional depth with a creative midfielder is the missing piece in the Nix puzzle...
Signing Charlie Miller will however give the YF faithful something large to chant at.
Signing Charlie Miller will however give the YF faithful something large to chant at.
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Press Conference: 9;30am, what's the time difference?
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Press Conference: 9;30am, what's the time difference?
2 hours?
Everton FC2010-04-09 11:21:39
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Yeap two hours, must be on in 7 minutes.
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Don't the FFA make them sign contracts that would oblige them to stick it out for a certain amount of time? Or are they desperate for anyone that they'll overlook that if they think it could put an investor off (or does no club have their owner on contracts - surely they do)?
Palmer is such a tight-arsed retard. He could afford to run all the teams and then some.
Palmer is such a tight-arsed retard. He could afford to run all the teams and then some.
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No, I want Smeltz back, because then perhaps he can tell us what kind of football we need to play to get to a Grand Final. 
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
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Don't the FFA make them sign contracts that would oblige them to stick it out for a certain amount of time? Or are they desperate for anyone that they'll overlook that if they think it could put an investor off (or does no club have their owner on contracts - surely they do)?
Palmer is such a tight-arsed retard. He could afford to run all the teams and then some.
Palmer is such a tight-arsed retard. He could afford to run all the teams and then some.
Yeah, should have a contract with a minimum time frame of ownership. If they break the contract and pull out early then will have to pay the costs (or a large portion) of running the team for the rest of the contract period.
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Given the strength of our current squad, wouldnt it make more sense to get Cullina as marquee? I think additional depth with a creative midfielder is the missing piece in the Nix puzzle...
Signing Charlie Miller will however give the YF faithful something large to chant at.
Don't think Culina is worth that much money as an attacking midfielder. Could get similar for much less $$ - Culina is great for the Socceroos as a holding mid.Signing Charlie Miller will however give the YF faithful something large to chant at.
a.haak
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na, it won't be true.
the CEO is going to deny the claims in 1/2 an hour......
the CEO is going to deny the claims in 1/2 an hour......
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Two points about the GC
1, How many people had a bad vibe about Palmer? Rich egotistical fat f**k. He is not a football person. We do not need to prostitute ourselves to develop the game by taking money from people like him. He did just about everything wrong in setting up the club. His PR was a nightmare. Anyone who wants to set up club in the future should look at the way the Phoenix have done things. If you do not engage your local community you are ferked. Take a bow Terry Seripisos
2, There will now be a scramble for the GC players.
The only club with the $$$ to get Culina was probably Sydney. If it is true that they have marqueed Fowler then Culina will probably go overseas. Smeltz would be everyones next target...but who would buy him. Hearts have just signed Aloisi. Adelaide grabbed Van Dyke. Fury, Jets and probably Perth are short of cash. I doubt if he would want to come back to Wellington. Melbourne would possibly be interested. But my money would be on the Roar. They are cashed up after selling Oar, Zullo and co.
The big incentive for him going to the Roar is that he could keep living where he is on the GC and commute. He said the original reason he went there in the first place was lifestyle...so the Roar is the obvious choice.
I hope the Nix don't go for Porter. He was fairly average at GC. We can do better than that.
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btw this isn't official - it's just Cockerill's speculation
Apparently Clive just said on Fox Sports that it was rubbish
Who knows with this rabble though.
a.haak
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Zinidane, Perth are not short of cash, as their owner Tony Sage was on the radio yesterday saying he was prepared to put in as much money as it takes to get the players required to win the A-League!!!!!!
He also asked the football public to let him know which player the club should chase as their marquee player??
He really does have the money and is happy to spend it if it improves the Glory chances of making it into Asia.
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The A-League is facing the biggest crisis in its short history with head of operations, Archie Fraser, resigning in the wake of the troubles surrounding the three Queensland clubs.
It is understood a frustrated Fraser - at the coalface of the successful rescue operation of North Queensland Fury - has informed Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley that he was stepping down, although he may yet serve out notice.
Scottish-born Fraser, a former player who ended his career in Brisbane, has been running the A-League for the 12 months after leaving his previous post as chief executive of AFL side St Kilda.
One of the few FFA officials with a football background, Fraser has been heavily involved in sorting out the recent dramas surrounding Brisbane Roar, North Queensland and most recently Gold Coast United.
Brisbane have avoided FFA ownership thanks to the fire sale of three of their emerging stars and the Fury have been saved by an FFA rescue package.
However, the future of Gold Coast United looks dim after flamboyant owner Clive Palmer told the governing body he would stop paying the bills at the end of next week.
It is understood a frustrated Fraser - at the coalface of the successful rescue operation of North Queensland Fury - has informed Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley that he was stepping down, although he may yet serve out notice.
Scottish-born Fraser, a former player who ended his career in Brisbane, has been running the A-League for the 12 months after leaving his previous post as chief executive of AFL side St Kilda.
One of the few FFA officials with a football background, Fraser has been heavily involved in sorting out the recent dramas surrounding Brisbane Roar, North Queensland and most recently Gold Coast United.
Brisbane have avoided FFA ownership thanks to the fire sale of three of their emerging stars and the Fury have been saved by an FFA rescue package.
However, the future of Gold Coast United looks dim after flamboyant owner Clive Palmer told the governing body he would stop paying the bills at the end of next week.
a.haak
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