While I would want to see a WS team I just don't like the timing. Last time the FFA were after the investors we got the Bakrie family interested and the FFA took them for the Roar. This time we have another group interested and the FFA are looking for investors for their pet West Sydney project. I get the awful feeling we are about to be screwed again.
I've still got that feeling. We brought in the Bakries and lost them when the FFA sold them the Roar and now the Russians are talking with the FFA in the final throes of our deal (just like the Bakries) and I can see us being royally screwed again.
http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/a-league/gold-coast-farce-a-free-kick-for-western-sydney-20120216-1tc7q.html
Gold Coast farce a free kick for western Sydney Michael Cockerill
February 17, 2012
FOOTBALL Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley has effectively put Gold Coast United on notice after a day of high farce in which coach Miron Bleiberg was stood down by volatile owner Clive Palmer, leaving the door open for a team from western Sydney to be fast-tracked into the competition.
Bleiberg was ''suspended'' by Palmer on Wednesday night after publicly suggesting the owner's decision to hand the captaincy to 17-year-old debutant Mitch Cooper was largely ceremonial.
''He will toss the coin, then he will ask Kristian Rees which way to go, and then Kristian will tell him what to do [in the game]. He will do the ceremony, it will take one minute and then the game is normal,'' Bleiberg said.
Advertisement: Story continues below Initially it was thought Bleiberg had been suspended indefinitely, before a club statement revealed he had been stood down only for tonight's match against Melbourne Heart, and is due to resume his duties for Wednesday's rescheduled fixture against Central Coast Mariners.
At this stage, Gold Coast has another two seasons remaining on its licence agreement, but Buckley indicated to The Age yesterday that all bets were off.
''We were excited about the prospects for Gold Coast from day one, no one more than me,'' he said. ''I led that expansion plan. We, and I personally, had high hopes. We've certainly fallen well short of that, and there are issues we have to confront in the future.''
Asked what the club's future was, Buckley said: ''We've had discussions with Clive and his team, and we'll continue to do that over the next weeks to address issues of the crowds, community engagement, and whether there is a real future for the club.
''The A-League's presence on the Gold Coast has not met the sort of growth and sustainability benchmarks we set for the competition, and it's time now to make a serious evaluation. That's our responsibility as the governing body.''
The latest drama follows the recent postponement of the Mariners game at short notice, the club's decision to close three stands at Skilled Park, and its decision not to attend tribunal hearings for sacked players Robson, and Peter Perchtold. Whether the club has breached the terms of the licence agreement is one issue; whether it is damaging the image of the league as a whole is another.
Either way, it seems clear the FFA's patience has worn thin, and there's little doubt a showdown is looming with Palmer. A key to the outcome will be whether the FFA can shore up a new bid from western Sydney in time for next season - allowing Gold Coast to be replaced, and therefore maintaining a 10-team league - something that will impact significantly on the next television deal, which is expected to be finalised by the end of this year.
Buckley insisted the future of Gold Coast and a second Sydney team were ''separate issues'',
but it is believed talks with prospective investors in a western Sydney team have gathered pace in recent weeks. A second Sydney team, Sydney Rovers, was scheduled to enter the league this season before being withdrawn through lack of funding - something FFA chairman Frank Lowy admitted was an embarrassment to the FFA.
''I'm confident over time we will have a team in western Sydney,'' Buckley said.
