The transport charges issue for the Gold Coast is a furphy. This type of direct cost - ie it is charged per ticket - is simply included in the ticket pricing model. At the start of the season Gold Coast's accountants - who worked out how to get the best squad in the A-League under the cap - would have assumed that crowds were going to be above 5,000 for every match and popped the $3.50 (or so) on top of the other costs making up the ticket prices. So that cost would have been accounted for. End of - as they say.
The real issue is the crowd number. And the secret there is that the Gold Coast has always had better soccer organisation than Brisbane. So much so that when Hamish and I got our coaching licenses it was the Gold Coast administration that organised it including the instructor. So why hasn't Gold Coast tapped into that?
Only 2,600 turned up last night. The cap was 5,000. So all the cap has done is alienated fans and potential fans. Quiet a few seemed to have come down from North Qld. The ones that were there wanted to sit behind the goal - they broke away and got there when GC went 1 down. Soon the security removed them.
Also see this:
Jason Culina is clearly not happy. What are his options. I keep thinking of the guys who dressed up as Miron, the owner and Jason at the season opener - with Miron and the guy that owns them yelling instructions to Jason. Funny at the time. Interviewed after the game, Jason looked downhearted. What will other potential returning socceroos think of this? First John Aloisi, then Jason, then Lucus Neil's Western Sydney franchise bid being ignored.'To add to Saturday night;s drama, the Queensland derby was in fleeting danger of not even beginning after North Queensland chairman Don Matheson took issue with the state of the pitch. Matheson held prolonged discussions with A-League boss Archie Fraser, Skilled Park groundsman Peter Cronin and an FFA ground inspector before and during the warm-up. Although the surface on the western side of the field looked patchy, Fraser said it was flat and playable.' Courier Mail Online
Yesterday's other game, CCM v Adelaide in Canberra also seemed a tame 0-0 (with someone sent off for picking up the ball at a free kick). Again hardly any fans (although 5,437 sounds OK now) - Robbie Slater complained that Bluetongue could have been full.
6 comments:
Thought NQ played really well in the second half. Good to see a team go 1-0 up and keep attacking.
Cullina was very professional but his anger was obvious. Subtle swipe at Miron "Yes it is time to decide on the best 11 and stick to it", and Palmer "Off field issues are discussed in the dressing room and have an effect".
Prediction: Either FFA takes over GC in entirity (they must have broken at least one franchise rule) or South Queensland Roar here we come.
Do you think the owner would allow that? Would 60 minutes re-do their story?
'theworldgame' site reckons there'll be a showdown this week. Claims that Palmer's strategy violates some 'participation clause'. Apparently Hyundai are not impressed!!
Palmer is simply trying to get the State Govt to waive the fee or the FFA to pay it for him.
yes Ray Gatt on Friday in The Australia covers a few theories including political angles. FFA are not known to fire real bullets particularly against GC. Then again he has backed down before.
Orangecrush: "... or South Queensland Roar here we come".
Noooooo. The change to 'Brisbane Roar' was one of the few gleaming rays of the last twelve months.
One key to the Roar's publicity I think is to exploit the civic cult, developing a relationship with the BCC, having a presence on Ourbrisbane.com (along with other Brisbane representative teams) and things like that.
Disappointing that today's courier mail story was that the Board are not letting go and not letting FFA. When will enough be enough?
Either Brisbane for Brisbane members (and Ballymore) or a mega rich investor (and Suncorp). This halfway stuff is not good. I am not sure sponsors as owners works for fans.
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