Save the Fury.

Hi All, i am a NQ Fury fan asking for your help.
I am sure you all know the financial problems of the Fury at the moment. currently there is a proposal being put to the Townsville City Council asking for their financial assistance. There have been many negative comments from league fans about this moeny being used for the Fury here in TSV and a major concern that the council will bow to their pressure.
I have created a webpage that will act as a petition to take to council at their next meeting to show support for financial aid to the fury.
Please click the link below and lend your support to keeping the Fury in the A-League next season.
I'm sure you would agree that the league cannot afford to lose a club during the world cup bid year.

http://www.visit-queensland.com.au/173/NQFury_Supporters_Petition.html

Thanks in advance,

Crewcut.

 

Me too, good luck!

$8m ace in Asian plan to spur Fury

ANDREW ALOIA

May 5th, 2010

THE future of the North Queensland Fury is on the cusp of being secured by one of Australian football's richest deals.

A Singapore-based consortium is ready to pour $8 million over three years into the Townsville-based A-League club, effectively turning the financially stricken franchise into one of the competition's best-funded outfits.

Investors include Asian betting giants Mansion88, sponsor of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

Consultant for Mansion88 and respected Malaysian football identity Subramaniam Rasamanickam will meet with Football Federation Australia today with a formal bid for a majority share of the club expected by the end of the week.

The consortium aims to take over running the club on July 1.

''We hope to have a letter for them to consider and get back to us as soon as possible,'' Mr Rasamanickam said.

Interim Fury chairman Archie Fraser, who has worked keenly with Mr Rasamanickam for the past six weeks, sat down yesterday to run him through the club's budget.

While yet to see an agreement or even discuss finances, Mr Fraser welcomed the interest.

''There are a lot of boxes yet to be ticked, but it's great that this sort of interest has been generated,'' Mr Fraser said.

''There are financial guarantees that all investors need to meet and approval FFA need to give before any licence is handed over. We have had some very frank discussions about them wanting to be involved and we have been very open with sharing information because if they are to buy in then we want to make sure they have a clear picture.''

Mr Rasamanickam - who features as the most likely to take over as Fury chief executive if a deal is struck - stressed the consortium has a clear enough picture to consider it a sound investment, one that would open doors to a market previously left shut on them.

A $2.7 million first-year investment would be enough for FFA to hand over the running of the club.

''We are looking at football as a business entity,'' he said.

''The game can open doors that corporate and government contacts cannot do locally in Townsville, across Queensland and Australia. This is very much a business venture, we are not so much on board as sponsors or (financial) donors, but as partners who want to grow a brand.''

Work has already started with Mr Rasamanickam up-to-date on the appointment of a coach.

He said overseas investment would not take away from local ownership, with the lengthy strides made towards community ownership embraced in full.

Mr Rasamanickam, who worked extensively as a competition organiser and coaching director in Malaysia, is keen to further the Fury's player development structures.

''We won't come in like we know everything, I'll be hands on, but we want a local advisory board involved with the running of the club,'' he said.

''Locals need to be engaged in our cause and we believe that youth development will do that in the long run. Having players come through the development structures is what will fill the stadium, local identity will be No. 1.''

The short-term plan will be to strengthen the side with hand-picked visa players which Mr Rasamanickam already has a keen eye on.

Mr Fraser encouraged the enthusiasm, but stressed he would continue to build the club rather than wait for any deal to be done.

''We will stay on the path we are on, building the club, list and appointing of a coach,'' he said.

''That's been made clear and the quicker they do the deal the more influence they will have on how that looks.''

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/05/05/135741_fury.html