pix

Windowlickers

Tasmania to give league a sheikh

“Like Gold Coast United, we want to make the league as best as it can be.... But of course we will have to buy players from overseas. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, you can start putting that one about.”

FFT BLOG: Time To Say Goodbye, Frank?

Feb 27 2009:

IS IT time for Roar to get a new coach? It's not for me to decide, of course, but perhaps I can be forgiven for asking the question.

You see, I've been a passionate Roar supporter for a few years now. I've driven my kids up the motorway from the Gold Coast time and again. I've dragged friends along to games. I've purchased programmes, consumed over-priced food, and bought bright orange merchandise.

And sure, I have enjoyed some patches of entertaining football. But I have also been repeatedly frustrated by Roar's chronic inability to get a result when it matters.

Once again this season, Roar's run of form was left much too late, and another poor show in the finals means no Asian adventure next year. Once again, a few mis-firing strikers take the blame. Once again, so much potential, and so little to show for it.

And once again, after last week's Preliminary Final, Frank Farina was insisting that his losing team had played "better" than their opponents. Unfortunately, however, that same familiar refrain has been heard so many times that it's almost become the norm.

Was Roar's game really "better" than the Reds'? If your team goes a goal down and then plays Mad Crazy Attack while your opponents fall back and successfully defend their goal, who is playing "better"?

If your team goes one goal up but cannot land the killer blow, and then falls to a sucker punch in extra time - as so often happened to Roar earlier this season, and last - who has played "better"?

The truth is, this 2008/09 season has never been more than a two-horse race, and Queensland was never more than a great pretender. Results don't lie.

Adelaide were stretched to the limit by their Asian Champions League commitments this year and yet they still managed to finish ahead of Roar on the A-League table. The boys in orange couldn't score a win against them in four attempts. Which team was "better"?

In fact, it was Queensland's failure to finish ahead of Adelaide on the ladder which may have ultimately doomed their Grand Final chances. Farina himself said a preliminary final in Brisbane would have drawn over 40,000 fans. That kind of support may have just carried the squad over the line and into Asia. But just like last year, it was poor results earlier in the season, especially at home, which ultimately cost them the chance of a home final.

And for that, surely, the coach has to accept some share of the blame. In fact, it's fair to ask whether Frank Farina hasn't now become part of an entrenched problem with a perpetually under-performing team.

Like Miron Bleiberg, Farina understands that attacking football draws a crowd, and fans ultimately pay the bills. But Jogo Bonito is a whole lot more fun when you win! Fans will still support a team that plays well and loses, of course, but in truth Roar's football has sometimes been far from entertaining.

Crowd numbers have been poor in Brisbane as much as elsewhere this year, and surely I wasn't the only one who shuddered last week when Farina said it was OK by him if his team "play absolutely crap".

Don't get me wrong - I like Frank ! I think he did a great job in charge of the Socceroos, and I can't help but admire how he sticks by his mates through thick and thin (think Tiatto, Reinaldo, Kruse...).

And sure, as Sydney FC fans repeatedly insist, stability is important.

But Roar next season need to break out of this endless rut. Other A-League clubs are cranking up their game a few notches, with wholesale upgrades on and off the pitch. What's Roar's plan? Maybe a change of coach is a good option to at least consider.

For me, in any case, it's time to say farewell. I'll be supporting the new Gold Coast team next season. And I suspect that many other football fans in this part of the world will be doing likewise.

Particularly if all Frank Farina can promise is more of the same.

FFT BLOG: Viddy's Valentine's Day Massacre

This week I made the big mistake of writing about another team, and my readership took a big hit. Mayeb the story had already been done to death, but I couldn't resist: Vidmar's outburst was a great example of the bizarrely symbiotic relationships between footballers, fans, clubs and the media, which I've become ensnared in a few times myself since I started football blogging.

Feb 19 2009:

ON February 14, 1929, seven men were lined up against a Chicago garage wall and shot dead in a hail of machine gun fire.

The most violent US underworld killing ever witnessed sent local police and criminal gangs into a panicked frenzy.

At the time, Al Capone's Chicago bootlegging and dog-racing operations were turning a tidy profit, but the North Side Irish gang, headed by "Bugs" Moran, was muscling in on the action. Obviously something had to be done.

Exactly 80 years later, after his football team was massacred 4-0 on the pitch, an enraged Aurelio Vidmar sprayed verbal bullets in all directions, including his club, players, and (at least nominally) the entire "pissant" city of Adelaide.

Too many people were muscling in on the action, he said. Something had to be done. But just like the Mafiosi of old, Viddy faithfully refused to name names.

The one person he did single out for attention was a reporter from the Adelaide Advertiser.

"You name them, you should know," he told Val Migliaccio, "You know, because you're involved as well."

If he knew, Migliaccio wasn't talking either. He publicly derided Viddy's rant as a crazy "Conspiracy Theory" and firmly predicted the coach's dismissal if the Reds lose the preliminary final this weekend.

Vidmar might have been regretting the personal apology he gave Val after his angry outburst. He tried to lock all the media out of AUFC's training, only to be over-ruled by the FFA.

Migliaccio is now suggesting that "prominent European billionaires" might buy out the club. But he's still not naming names. And mind you, the same reporter seems to have got Cristiano's exit from the club all wrong, so who knows? Maybe Migliaccio will be the one looking for a new job next month.

(Speaking of which, how funny was Damian Mori's SBS interview on Sunday? First he criticizes Vidmar, then he praises the club, and then - in answer to a delightfully loaded question - he admits that well, yes, actually, he'd LOVE to take over the coaching role! Cut tape, back to the studio, and an embarrassed commentator explains that Vidmar hasn't actually been sacked yet. Oops!)

The main target of the original Valentines Day massacre, the Polish-Irish "Bugs" Moran, somehow escaped the shooting unscathed. Some say he smelled trouble and fled the scene, others say he was just late arriving. Aurelio Vidmar might have noticed that his verbal bullets didn't hit any major targets either. Aside from the coach, nobody else at Adelaide United is facing an early exit.

One can only wonder if Viddy will be walking out the door of his beloved club next week with all guns blazing, or with the dying words of 1929 victim Frank Gusenberg echoing in his ears:

"I'm not gonna talk. Nobody shot me"

++++

It's been a funny few weeks for Australia's football media, hasn't it? Vidmar's not the only one who's been playing media games lately.

After Danny Tiatto went to the press to help get his mate Liam Reddy reinstalled in goal, he promptly picked up two yellow cards and a date with the FFA. So then it was coach Farina's turn to go to the press with further protestations of his (100% platonic) love for Danny. The ploy worked - Tiatto escaped lightly, with a deferred one-match suspension and a $2,000 fine.

But then Kevin Muscat escaped FFA sanction for a stomping incident, and Farina was back in the press complaining of unfair treatment. Gee, Frank, maybe the FFA just don't like to have these kinds of stories in the newspapers all the time, do ya think?

And what about Pim Verbeek? Before the Socceroos game against Japan, he insisted that his team was perfectly prepared, and gave his support to Jason Culina's move back home. After the 0-0 draw, Pim admitted that his team didn't have enough time together before the match, and his remarks about Culina, who had a quiet game being played out of position, were suddenly far less positive.

I guess there's a coded message in there somewhere. But like Miron Bleiberg says: "Jason has already made up his mind, why to bring it backwards?"

FFT STORY: Palmer Wants To Be Undefeated

This was part one of my report from the official Gold Coast launch (part two is here). The main interest from FFT readers was in the accompanying pics - I assume everyone wanted to see a few players, but certainly Miron and Clive provided plenty of news on their own.

It was an interesting experience attending the presser and watching the club's strangely symbiotic relationship with the media evolve.

Jan 14 2009:

GARY Lord was FourFourTwo's man at the press conference on the Gold Coast today. Here is the first part of his report from Skilled Stadium.

The funniest moment in Gold Coast's press conference came at the start, when Clive Palmer fluffed the big announcement of Jason Culina's signature:

"And so this morning we are announcing that, er, we have signed Justin, uh, uh, Jess Culina to come back here as our captain of the club in 2009/10."

Whoops! Miron raised his eyebrows and looked away, but nobody else in the room even sniggered. To be fair to the bloke, I think it was just nerves. I guess even billionaires get butterflies in their tummies when they are excited!

Clive said the decline in A-League crowds this season was disappointing, and compared it with high attendence at Socceroos games. He said the A-League should "take heed of what the people are saying."

"Australians want to see the best soccer," he said. "And they want to see their international team members back here in Australia."

Clive boasted that Gold Coast now had four Socceroos in the team, including Adam Griffiths and Michael Thwaite, and more wanted to join but could not because of the salary cap. He said Joel Porter should rejoin the Socceroos soon, and Jess Vanstrattan should be a Socceroo next year too.

"If we had the ablity, under the A-League rules, we could bring back three or four more Socceroos to play for Gold Coast United. Other clubs could too. So the A-League I think needs to reform itself and bring Australians the best soccer."

Palmer boasted that 13 of the 21 players that Gold Coast have signed have represented their country previously.

"So we've really got a team that can play anyone in the world, and we are not frightened of any club."

Palmer insisted that "the players you don't know are probably better than the players you do know in this team".

He said Jefferson was "nearly as good as Culina" while he described Robson as a "defensive midfielder that can kick the ball right up over the rest of the midfield and land it at the striker's feet."

Before opening the floor to questions, Palmer asked coach Miron Bleiberg if he wanted to say anything.

"Always!" said Bleiberg with a big grin, finally eliciting laughs from the press.

Miron talked about six months of "hard work". He told how he had gone to Brazil and left his money in the hotel safe, walking the streets with a plastic watch and ten dollars in his sock to watch "the real football in Brazil."

"I wasn't even flying First Class!" he explained.

"Well, it wasn't Economy either," Palmer hurriedly quipped. More laughs.

Miron said that the team now exceeded his original expectations. He thanked Clive for taking so much interest in the team, particurly during the global financial crisis.

After thanking the club's legal and media teams for their professional support, he singled out Branko Culina for playing an intermediary role over many months of protracted negotiations with son Jason.

He said Jason Culina's return in his prime was a watershed moment for Australian football.

"Don't take it lightly, but three or four years ago when we started the A-League, the best players that was ready to come here, the youngest of them would [now] be 38 and the oldest would be 45."

Palmer then explained why the club has not started marketing or selling memberships to date.

"We wanted to make sure that the people of the Gold Coast knew what kind of club they were getting, and what kind of players they would be supporting, and not just join the club out of blind loyalty."

He said fans would now be supporting Gold Coast United because of the excellence they will show on the pitch.

By this time Palmer was in his stride and talking at a fast pace. He said the club had a "unique opportunity at this point in time to remain undefeated in winning the A-League. And that's what our new goal is."

The press gallery burst into laughs, as did Miron.

"Did I turn white?" Bleiberg asked, touching his face. But Clive pushed on like a dog with a new bone.

"If we are defeated during the year," warned Clive, "Miron will be travelling economy class."

"I think on paper, our team is so much more experienced than anyone in the A-League. We all know a good team will beat a team of champions, but we think we've got the coaches to make our team a good team too."

FFT BLOG: Giggles' Golden Future

This blog post was incredibly frustrating. I got an interview with two GCU players and while it was not explosive stuff, I thought it was quite a scoop. But then I had to wait over two weeks before the story even made it online, and even then it was just a blog post which got minimal hits.. A lesson in media, or public taste, or what? I still don't know...

At any rate, it was great talking to the players - thanks again to Scott and Steve!

Feb 13 2009:

SHADOWS are slowly creeping across the grassy green fields of the Merrimac Soccer Club.

The skyscrapers dominating the near horizon are tinged with the pink and orange hues of sunset. I sit with my wife on the terrace of the Italian Club, which doubles as a de-facto club headquarters, and gesture towards a crowd of youngsters who are finishing their CoastPro coaching clinic session.

"That big guy over there is the goalie, Scott Higgins," I say. "He used to play for Queensland Roar. He's also played in Scotland and Israel. And that stocky bloke in the blue shirt is Steve Fitzsimmons, who's been playing state league lately but used to be with the New Zealand Knights."

The names don't mean much to my wife, but then again, neither do names like Joel Porter, Shane Smeltz, or even Jason Culina (don't ask about David Beckham...). I start the interview a few minutes later by asking Scott and Steve what it felt like to be in a squad with such quality players.

"Well, obviously when names like that are thrown around it's pretty exciting for guys like Steve and myself," said Scott. "We are certainly not the big names, but like you see in all football clubs, everybody makes up the squad."

"The talk of private jets and helicopters is all very exciting, but we'll see how that goes. As long as we're doing the business on the field."

It soon becomes obvious that these lads are totally focussed on the task ahead of them, grateful for the opportunity of a Gold Coast United contract, and determined to give the coming season everything they've got.

It's already been a long journey for Higgins and Fitzsimmons, who were involved through ex-Roar staff with the original Gold Coast Galaxy consortium. Both will be turning 33 this year, and both feared the opportunity of A-League football had gone when that bid failed.

"We've sort of always been involved," said Steve, "We were always in the frame. But to be honest, me and Scott thought our chances were going down."

"We thought that was it for us," agrees Scott. "But Clive's come in, and Gold Coast United has happened... We can just count our blessings, I guess."

"Now it's up to us how long we're there for. Miron has told us that as long as we're fit and working hard, there's no reason why we can't be in the squad for a few years to come."

And with the club's ambitions knowing no bounds, a contract with United FC could take these boys anywhere. We talk about the changing face of the A-League, and the welcome return of Jason Culina.

"I think Jason's set the precedent, coming back at 29 years of age and the peak of his powers," says Steve. "Hopefully now others will take his lead."

Scott says guys like Craig Moore, Danny Tiatto and Charlie Miller have also shown that older players can extend their careers and still lift the quality of the domestic game.

"I wish the A-League would have happened when we were 22 or 23!" says Steve with a smile.

"It's fantastic for kids these days," agrees Scott.

We talk about players moving into Asian clubs where there are no salary caps. The name Adam Griffiths comes up. Both agree a contract is definitely a contract, but they can also see a reality where both club and player can see benefits from a deal.

"I mean, that's how all the big clubs work in Europe," says Scott. "If the club can benefit financially and the player benefits, well, you know, then both should be happy. But obviously that's not always the way."

Of course neither of these players is thinking of moving abroad right now! In fact, both see opportunities for a long-term future with the Gold Coast United club, even when their playing careers are over.

While it's early days yet, they talk about maybe one day integrating their CoastPro business with official club clinics and other community projects. Clearly both are excited by the prospects an A-League club brings to the region.

"Obviously the Roar cam down here a little bit in the early days," says Scott, who is originally from Brisbane. "But now for the Gold Coast to have their own team, their own identity, I think for the kids of the Gold Coast it should be fantastic."

"What an impact Clive has made," nods Steve, who moved up from Sydney 8 years ago. "It just proves, with the right marketing and the right team you can fill up stadiums. No doubt."

What about the other football codes? Do they think the Gold Coast can support an NRL, AFL, basketball and A-League teams?

"Queenslanders kind of jump on a winning team, to be honest," says Scott. "When the [Brisbane] Strikers made that Grand Final all those years ago, the average crowd was ten or twelve thousand, and then they got forty five thousand to the Grand Final.

"With the team Clive and Miron and Paul Okon have built, hopefully we're going to be winning more than we're losing, and we'll get people coming down and supporting us."

Scott, Steve and a few other local-based players (including James Brown and Richard Greer) were doing the rounds of local clubs during the big Junior Sign-On this weekend. But there hasn't been a whole lot more involvement with the club to date.

"We done medicals, we've done initial fitness testing, and currently we're on light training programs," says Steve. "But apart from that, we've just got to report in and stay healthy."

Both players are clearly fit and determined to stay that way. And while the papers are full of rumoured pre-season games against Singapore, Hong Kong, Fulham and Everton, they are not letting the hype distract them.

"Things will be a lot clearer after that first couple of weeks of training," says Scott. "We'll probably get a program for the next couple of months, saying this is where we are going to be, this is what's happening."

"But nothing beats game time," says Steve, as Scott nods vigorously.

So do they really think the Gold Coast will be able to beat any team in the world, as Clive Palmer contends?

"That's probably a great attitude to have." says Scott. "I mean, obviously you respect teams, but you should never fear anyone. At the end of they day, we are all professionals.

"Obviously if you're playing the likes of a Man United, or a Fulham, or an Everton if they are going to come over here, you're going to respect them, but certainly not lie down and fear them.

"So exciting times, and when Clive speaks about going through the season undefeated, you know - high expectations. But players put expectations on themselves too, you know."

At this point, the 2.01 metre goalie pins me with a steady glare, perhaps wondering if I have any idea how hard a professional footballer works to make a success of his career. I suddenly understand why Miron selected him.

We start talking about the infectiously positive attitude being generated by the new club, and I compare it with the latest news from the Newcastle Jets. A shadow passes over Steve Fitzsimmons' face.

"Well I had the unfortunate experience, when I was playing for the New Zealand Knights, and we were in the biggest rut. Those players had that attitude, they were hating to be where they were, they were professionals, but going through things like that... They were a good team."

His voice tapers off as he shakes his head. I suddenly start to wonder how much the crisis at the Knights might have affected his own career chances.

"Obviously the Phoenix have done a lot better this year!" he laughs. "Anyway, I'm happy to be here!"

While the excitement of big crowds and private jets is still a few more months away, Steve and Scott are happy to be running clinics and fielding excited questions from youngsters.

"It's great to be meeting fans, and seeing the kids already asking where they can get Gold Coast United jerseys," says Scott. "So it's pretty exciting."

We talk for a few more minutes about the club's debut game against the Roar (Scott reckons any other team will still bring 20,000 fans) and the challenges of tropical heat in North Queensland, where both have previously played games. Then I remember that both players are still wearing sweat-soaked shirts from their coaching clinic, which ended in a downpour of rain.

I've already offered to buy the lads a beer, which they politely declined (true to coach Miron's strict standards). So I thank them for their time and head back across the terracotta tiles in search of my wife.

Walking away, I'm more impressed than ever with the dedicated attitude and hard-working ethic that footballers like this bring to the game. Sure, it's great to have superstar marquees flying into the country, but less celebrated players like Scott and Steve are the ones who really make the modern A-League possible.

Good luck next season, boys!

PS: Anyone interested in a CoastPro coaching clinic can contact the boys at coastpro@ymail.com

FFT BLOG: Lessons From The Smeltz Saga

Feb 6 2009:

AUSTRALIAN football fans should be applauding Gold Coast United's determination to hold on to players like Shane Smeltz and Adam Griffiths.

Enforcing such contracts is the only way we'll ever stop A-League clubs from routinely flogging our nation's best players abroad.

If Smeltz had flown off to Turkey after winning the Johnny Warren medal on Monday night, he would have been following a well-worn route overseas. Former medal-winner Nick Carle left for Turkey before ending up in the English Championship, while last year's winner Joel North is currently on his way to Beijing.

How long do we want to remain a football factory for our World Cup competitors?

On Tuesday morning, FourFourTwo exclusively reported that the Nix had "signed off on paperwork" to sell Smeltz to the Turks. I'd barely finished reading that story when Gold Coast United told me Clive Palmer had talked to Shane the night before, and the star striker was still happily on his way to the Gold Coast.

Personally, I wasn't taking too much notice of the story. The Turks had already tried to snare Smeltz a few weeks earlier, and had been knocked back. Asian clubs chasing Adam Griffiths had also been knocked back. It was blindingly obvious that Clive Palmer was simply not interested in selling his contracted players to anyone, at any price.

Nevertheless, there was Mike Cockerill in the Sydney Morning Herald reporting the deal as a fait accompli. Was I missing something? Was Smeltz himself pushing for a move abroad?

Phoenix CEO Tony Pignata certainly thought so.

"Shane definitely wants to go," Pignata told Cockerill."I was happy to do the paperwork for him. I was in contact with Shane yesterday afternoon just going through the bits and pieces. As far as I'm concerned, Shane will go."

Oh really? So where were the quotes from the player? Well, apparently he was "uncontactable today, his phone switched off".

So what about his agent, Leo Karis? Well, apparently the Nix deal was made by "a Turkish agent acting for the Ankara club".

"I'm not sure whether Shane had advised his agent or not," said Pignata. "I rang Leo yesterday afternoon to let him know what was going on."

And what about the player's contract with the Gold Coast? Well, said Tony, that "will be up to the FFA."

It wasn't long before FourFourTwo had Leo Karis on the line:

"I'm always looking for profitable opportunities for my clients," said Leo, "But I did not feel comfortable with this situation."

Comfortable? What did that mean? Had he been seriously considering the offer? Did he even know what was happening?

"Shane has a contract with Gold Coast United starting in April 2009 and he intends to join them at that time," added Karis. "That is the end of the matter. Of course if Real Madrid were to come in June or July and offer to buy Shane, and if they go through the proper channels, and GC United were consulted and Shane was keen, then we would consider it. But for the moment, Shane is going to Gold Coast United."

For the moment? What did that mean?

I am guessing Karis finally got hold of Smeltz on the phone shortly afterwards. Or maybe he had a quick chat with Clive Palmer. At any rate, he was sounding a lot clearer by the time he talked to AAP on Tuesday night.

"Wellington have been participating with an agent who is not authorised to represent Shane in a bid to cash in on the player before his contract expires, unbeknown to me or the Gold Coast. I have a binding contract to say I am Shane Smeltz's agent and no-one else can represent him. He doesn't want to go to Turkey and will be a Gold Coast player next season."

So finally the whole silly thing was over, right?

Well, not quite. Next morning, Mike Cockerill was still pedalling his story.

'Wellington maintain they are within their rights to do the deal as Smeltz's contract does not expire until April 1, with chief executive Tony Pignata saying: "The deal happened in a rush but we have agreed to release him. We don't receive a big fee but Shane wanted this, it's a great move for him and a great move for his family. We called Miron as a courtesy to let him know what was happening." '

It was left to Smeltz himself to kill of the story once and for all, with these comments to a Gold Coast newspaper.

"As far as I'm concerned nothing has changed and I'm coming back to a place I still consider home. I believe this is all just talk and I plan to play a big part in a successful side and hopefully make a little piece of history. It's something I've been thinking about for a while and I'm excited."

So what happened?

Did Smeltz really talk to Pignata about the deal, and indicate an interest? And if so, could you blame him? If someone was waving a million dollars under my nose, I'd at least want to see a deal on paper (and talk to the people holding my contract) before I said no.

In any case, the whole thing was another storm in a teacup, just like the Adam-Griffiths-to-Seoul story a few weeks earlier.

The bottom line is that Smeltz and other Gold Coast players are simply not for sale. And that is good for the A-League.

Finally we have a club that can afford to hold onto players, even if they are not allowed to pay them what they are worth because of salary cap restrictions. That just confirms what a fantastic job Miron Bleiberg did in the first place, capturing players like Smeltz and Griffiths months ago.

Like I said on my blog a few months back, HAL 2.0 is already here. Other A-League clubs won't be competitive in coming seasons if they just want to turn young kids into gold and then sell them off.

Instead of searching for deals abroad, they will have to hold onto their talented players, and maybe even search for investors instead.

That's gotta be good news for everybody, except perhaps a few cynical old club CEOs.

FFT BLOG: King Con v. Clivezilla

Jan 29 2009:

BEHOLD! Two giant, monstrous beasts rampaging across the Australian football landscape! Only one will survive! Only one will dominate the future of the A-League!

As a football fan whose enjoyment of the game is captive to the result, which creature do YOU support?

Down in Newcastle, "King" Con Constantine has already decimated an entire championship team! Now he is ruthlessly laying waste to his own terrified fan base! In one giant maw he clutches a frantic Adam Griffiths - screaming "LET ME GO-O-O!!!" - while the other hand flicks Squadron members off the balcony of his corporate box.

Enraged by his inability to sell off players and win games simultaneously, Con's now threatening to trash the reputation of Australian football teams in Asia! The FFA have timidly tried to stop him, but he is clearly out of control! GRRRRRRRR!!!!

Meanwhile, north of the border, "Clivezilla" Palmer is threatening to blow the salary cap out of the water! He's already signed Jason Culina - now he wants to sign the rest of the Socceroos as well!

His all-star squad is set to annihilate lesser opponents next season, leaving nothing but a trail of smoking devastation! The A-League will be destroyed and we'll never, ever qualify for the World Cup again! BWAAAHAHAHA!!!

Pretty scary, isn't it?

If you believe all the hype, either of these monsters could consign the A-League to ultimate disaster. But in fact only one of them represents a real danger.

Con's business plan seems to involve building a champion team then carving it up and selling off the pieces like a venture capitalist run amok. I can only assume that Con is over-exposed to the global financial crisis and frantically trying to rake in some cash. Otherwise, where's the business sense in it?

If he is planning to sell the club, he'd better make a deal quickly or there won't be a club left to sell! Making players' lives a misery is bad enough, but Con is also destroying his local fan base.

Worse yet, he's holding back the development of the A-League by actively ensuring that his players join foreign teams rather than moving to other Australian clubs.

Jade North was on his way to the Fury before Con cashed in on a deal with Korean side Incheon. Adam Griffiths is now on his way to the Gold Coast, but Con's still desperately trying to line up deals with Seoul and Beijing.

Con has made it clear that he will always consider any offer for any player, no matter how disruptive it might be to his squad, his fans, or the player himself.

By contrast, Gold Coast United has made it clear that Griff, Smeltz and all our other players are not for sale at any price.

If Con has his way, Australia will never be more than a giant football factory for other nations, churning out youngsters who go abroad as soon as they can.

If Clive Palmer's business model proves more successful, the salary cap will keep rising until we can match the wages of Asian and even European clubs.

Successful Aussies playing abroad will be lured back home, and the standard of the local league will lift accordingly. Aussie kids won't have to go play abroad because some of the best teams in the world will be right here.

So which monster do you support? I'll put my money on the dragon, not the monkey.

It's all very well to talk about developing young players, but (as Con's behaviour shows) we obviously need to develop some more professionally-run clubs as well. To that end, in case you missed it, this recent Miron Bleiberg interview (by fellow FourFourTwo blogger Chris Paraskevas) had a few fascinating insights.

Miron talked about being the driving force behind setting up the new Gold Coast club: "Up to three or four months ago Clive didn't know that a game of football involved eleven players on either side. He'll be the first to admit it."

He also talked about being forced out as Queensland Roar coach for commercial reasons, when a bad deal was made with Suncorp stadium:

"We looked at the initial costs to hire the stadium but then they forgot about the costs for the police and road closures, council approvals, cleaning deals and all of a sudden it started to be a financial strain on the club..

"So they came up with the great idea that instead of Miron Bleiberg - with all due respect to the nice guy with green eyes and attractive football - if we brought someone like Frank Farina who has a big name, the crowd's would double.

"So it had almost nothing to do with football. It was more a commercial decision. So they brought Frank Farina and have the crowds improved?"

Ouch! Obviously, Bleiberg still holds a grudge. He says a win against the Roar next year will be worth ten points to him: "Why? Because of human nature. Because of what they've done to me. I want to pay them back. Every goal we score against them will make me more happy."

Someone to love and someone to hate, eh?

++++

Finally, some good news from the club - long-awaited Gold Coast United Club Memberships should be on sale by the end of February!

Starting prices will be $199 per adult, or $462 for a family of five (two adults, three kids), in the areas behind goal including the supporters bay. That will give you access to all fourteen scheduled A-League home games next season.

Memberships will be sold directly through the club Website, rather than through an agency like Ticketek. Registered members will enjoy special deals like first chance to buy tickets to celebrity matches or finals. So if you haven't already done so, register your interest at the official club Website now.

FFT BLOG: The Power Of Positive Thinking

This blog post meant a lot to me, and was the culmination of many months - if not years - of personal experience and thought. It also helps explains why I have been so enthusiastic about the new Gold Coast team. Oddly, it only got 10 comments. I hope many others took something away from it!

Jan 22 2009:

SPORTS psychologists teach athletes to ignore negative thoughts and focus on positive outcomes. But as recent A-League events demonstrate, it's not just players who need to maintain a healthy degree of optimism.
First we had Sydney fans attacking one of their own team members. Then we saw more loutish behaviour from coach John Kosmina, this time grabbing Frank Farina by the neck. Finally, Jets owner Con Constanides threatened to throw his own supporters from the balcony of his corporate box. Seriously!

These nasty incidents sparked internecine frenzies of online bickering, with frustrated fans turning against their clubs - and each other - in fits of frothing rage.

Now, some might see such episodes an inevitable part of any new league's growing pains. It's no coincidence that both Sydney and Newcastle are former champions who missed the finals this year. No doubt raised expectations - on the pitch, in the stands, and around the boardroom - have a lot to do with these current crises.

But there's also no doubt that both clubs have become thoroughly infected with what one journo recently called "something rotten".

More than anything else, what all these coaches, club owners and flipped-out fans urgently need is a change of attitude.

Contrast all the emotional train wrecks above with the Gold Coast United club today. Without a ball having been kicked, fans are already flocking to the club's wildly cheerful vibe.

While Miron Bleiberg signed up one big name after another, the entire football community buzzed with excitement. At last week's launch, the coach paid tribute to owner Clive Palmer's relentlessly positive drive and enthusiasm from Day One.

Palmer then went even further, insisting that the new team would go through their first season undefeated. Seriously? Well, yeah - seriously!

But what was the reaction from the Australian football public? A huge belly laugh of derision.

It was the same thing with our marquee signing. Jason Culina - Jason frikkin' CULINA!!! - comes home to play in the A-League and all you could hear was criticism, moaning and cheap sniping. Seriously!

OK, folks, laugh all you want. But the results are already speaking for themselves. Just look at our squad.

Or consider Miron's comments about a prospective warm-up game against Everton or Fulham: "We are not really chasing them, they are approaching us ... It shows that we are making an impression before a ball has been kicked and we welcome that."

Finally, take a good, long look at Clive Palmer himself. Whatever you might think of his character, his politics, or even his money, Australia's richest man is a a walking, talking, laughing advertisement for the power of positive thinking.

The self-made billionaire has not just been in the right place at the right time - 1970s Gold Coast property boom, 1990s global minerals boom - he has also had the right attitude to make the most of those circumstances.

Just last week, for example, he took a $46.5 million punt on a single oil well in WA's Carnarvon Basin. One analyst called it "the largest single personal investment I have ever seen in Australian corporate history".

If the well doesn't strike black gold, Clive's money is wasted. But thanks to modern seismic technology, there's at least an even chance of success. So it's not a totally uninformed wager.

Will Zeus-1 be a gusher? Who knows? Will Gold Coast United go through season one undefeated? Who knows?! But either way, Clive Palmer is giving it a go, and a few bad results won't be enough to make him pack up and leave town.

Sure, it's easier to be successful when you are rich, just like it's easier to be happy when you win.

But you are never going to be successful at anything if you can't dump all the negative baggage in your own head.

Seriously.

IN OTHER NEWS:

* Here's a measure of Clive Palmer's passion for his new football team, Gold Coast United - the homepage of the billionaire's privately-owned company, Mineralogy Pty Ltd, includes news updates about the squad. Sure, the news is a little out of date, but it's still an interesting sight on a corporate website.

* If the Nix miss the finals, there's a good chance Shane Smeltz's 12 goals will be overtaken by Central Coast's Matt Simon. And speaking of positive thinking, here's Simon talking about his latest Socceroos callup: "2005 I would never have thought that, I was just sitting down thinking about what I was going to do for the rest of my life workwise. Now a couple of years down the track...! If you put your mind to something anything can happen."

FFT BLOG: Dreams, Dilemmas, Drinks and Desserts

This blog was the second part of my story from the official GCU launch at Skilled Park. I missed blitzing the news with my big scoops, because I was so busy loading up the pics for FFT. But KA later told me the pics were breaking records for hits on the FFT site, so it was worth it from the magazine's p.o.v.

Jan 15 2009:

CLIVE Palmer already sees his team as the next best thing after the Socceroos. In fact, if he had his way, his team might just about BE the Socceroos.

"There's many players - nearly as good as Jason, I could say, in the Australian team - who would love to play for Gold Coast United next year but can't. And that's a sad thing. It's a sad thing that they can't come back home and play in Australia while they are at the peak of their career."

He repeatedly emphasised that Gold Coast fans who come to watch his squad will be seeing five or six Socceroos in action. And he clearly wants more Aussie internationals coming home to boost the A-League.

"We shouldn't be frightened of ourselves," he said. "We've got great players in Australia and we've got great juniors. And our juniors want to see our best players play.

"It's embarrassed me a little bit to see all of the hoo-ha about Jason Culina coming back. After all, Australia's his home, that's where he wants his children to live, that's where he wants to settle down in the future, so why wouldn't he want to be here?

"And why shouldn't the soccer authorities in Australia make it so the best Australians can live and play in Australia?"

Palmer suggested that A-League clubs who recruit a Socceroo "could get a $10,000 credit in the salary cap for each game the Socceroo plays for Australia". So for example, a player who plays eight games for Australia would earn his club an $80,000 exemption.

"We're just a normal club," said Clive when asked about his personal finances creating a possibly unfair advantage other clubs. "We're not gonna lose too much money. But the point about it is, well, it's the chicken or the egg...

"What comes first? I've always thought you've got to develop your product in your business, to get public support, to get the revenue.

"So we can't be frightened of the future. We can't say we want to restrict people because they are too good for us. I don't think anyone's too good for Australians to watch playing soccer in Australia. Do you?"

Reflecting on the fact that Sydney FC was still in contention for the finals despite a run of nine losses in a row, Palmer dismissed the artificial equality of the eight-team A-League today.

"You've got to have elite clubs from time to time, in any competition, for the fans to get excited."

Mion chipped in: "Someone to love and someone to hate."

"Do you think having more money and more superstars next season is going to make people love you or hate you?" asked a reporter (the guy from Fox I think).

"We don't have more money," said Clive. "We can't spend more money. All these players are within the salary cap except for Jason.

"They have come here because I have said to them, 'Do you want to make history? Do you want to be part of an inaugural club in the A-League that goes through undefeated?

"When you are 45 you can sit down with your kids and say I played for the Gold Coast in 2010/11? Or do you want to sit where you are in Brazil and enjoy a Pina Colada?'"

The drinking theme was something that Bleiberg - a teetotaller himself - took up later on the pitch. He said that if he called up Jason Culina and said "Let's go for a beer", he would expect Jason to politely make an excuse. And he said he expected the same level of professionalism from all his players.

Miron described Culina's return to Australia as "the opportunity of a lifetime". He compared how Culina's life at PSV could have been for the next few years - a few games, a bit more money, but minimal coverage in the newspapers - with the excitement already being generated in the Aussie media.

He also spoke about commercial revenue opportunities for Culina if his move home generated increased popularity.

Bleiberg pleaded for fans to understand that Culina was accepting a huge weight of responsibility as part of his move.

"The first game of next season, I will have a two ton weight on my shoulders. But Jason will have a three ton weight."

And in a possible veiled swipe at a certain well-known marquee, Bleiberg said: "A lot of great players, without mentioning any names, that came here towards the end of their career, and what happened to them now? They are 35 and nothing, we just remember the last... It's like you go to a restaurant, maybe the dessert is bad, that's what you remember, you know?

"And Jason will come here, and maybe after the age of 45 he will be the Lord Mayor of the Gold Coast. Who knows what's the future like?"

A reporter asked if Culina would play a more offensive role in midfield. Bleiberg joked that it was a "trade secret".

"I remember Jason when he was 18 or 19, and he was a purely attacking player. Over the years in Holland last time I saw him play, he played as right fullback and he hated it. And that's part of the answer for you, why he wants to come back. Maybe I promised him something that I am not allowed to say publicly..."

Whoops!??

Clive quickly jumped in and started talking up defensive midfielder Robson, who has been playing since the age of 17 for Flamengo, in front of crowds between 75,000 and 120,000. The implication was clear to anyone reading between the lines - Culina wants to play up front!!!

The press conference was drawing to a close. But before it ended, Palmer made two more slip-ups with players' names.

"When you look at our strike power up front," said Clive, "With Schulz, with, sorry, with Smeltz, and - "

Bleiberg's head dropped to the desk, his hands seemingly in prayer.

"And then of course we picked up... what's that fellow from Roar?"

"Tahj," said Miron, as the journalists again burst into laughter.

"As a dessert!" explained Miron.

Miron asked journalists to appreciate that Clive Palmer's knowledge of football had improved a lot since the last press conference. Fair enough, but clearly he still has some way to go.

Nevertheless, there is no denying that with the advent of Clive Palmer's Gold Coast United team, the A-League has already changed forever. Miron has done a fantastic job of assembling a stellar squad, and Clive Palmer is clearly fully committed to ensuring their success and home and abroad *.

More power to both of them. Now it's up to other teams to respond.

The declaration of the Gold Coast squad spells the end of the long recruitment phase. Now the marketing campaign starts in earnest. Ticket packages will be announced next week.

And Clive insists that the local community will ultimately be funding the team, not his money.

Meanwhile, it seems that Mile "Plan B" Sterjovski is clearly one of those "other" Socceroo players who missed out on a deal. I suggest other A-League clubs should be calling his agent ASAP.

* The Gold Coast team are hoping to have warm up games against two INTERNATIONAL squads from Asia on their way to the Beijing Birds Nest game next June.