Clive Palmer: Did you just get bored?

Clive Palmer, A-League Club Owner and Billionaire tries to takeover football, all of it - yet he can't even get his own Franchise right.

Before we forget:

Here's five things Clive did really well -

Signed Jason Culina and made a splash.

Appointed Miron Bleiberg and got plenty of coverage.

Made some nice noises early about his clubs intentions.

Opened the gates for free once the whole crowd thing seemed to be going pair shape.

Signed a whole heap of local talented Youth players.

Here's five, just five things he did really poorly.

1. Game one, away to Brisbane advised his own supporters not to travel.

2. Closed the stadium

3. Refused to pay injured players.

4. Talked the game down and other codes in the Gold Coast region.

5. Refused to sign players for more than one year contracts....which suggests to me the guy wanted out and is looking for an out.

He now has forced his out. Was this his plan all along???

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Quiz: Which A-League football club owner said yesterday, "We don't lose any money really"

"I started the club, I don't want to see it closed. Plus, I can afford it. I've got plenty of money to run the football team. We don't lose any money, really. I'm staying at the club for as long as I can."

We don't lose any money, really.

Who said that. Man United owners, Barcelona, or an A-League owner?

Yes it was Clive Palmer - here's the rest of the article.

Bet the other owners wish they could say the same!

Is Clive running the club to cost - the way our clubs should be run - shunt the high fee players, close the stadium on three sides and build your revenues and THEN spend the lot.

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Gold Coast model is the A-League4Canberra model

Finally an A-League club with a bit of sense - and it's the Gold Coast making it - albeit coming from been knocked on the head, or more like in the bank account.

Gold Coast owner Clive Palmer, Australia's fifth richest man, doesn't like losing money or indeed being in a basket case of a business - which the A-League is. No ifs no buts.

And he's heard the other less wealthy owners wondering how much longer they can support the current financial basket case - how much more can you lose FFA?

So he's come up with a cunning plan.

Get rid of all the highly paid stars....Jason Culina, Bruce Djite, Shane Smeltz and the like......

and then use the Youth team (mainly locals) plus a few seniors and keep your costs low.

And maybe start to get closer to a very small loss making model - giving youth a go - who will exceed eventually and possibly earn the club a transfer fee - and build up local pride local interest.

Now hands up all those smart football and businessmen who thought the previous models at The Jets, Adelaide, Melbourne Victory, Perth Glory, Sydney FC, Wellington Phoenix, NZ Knights, North Queensland Fury, Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast was the way to go.

And Canberra could have this model - youth team focused building crowds, building funds - in fact under this model we could have been in the league years ago.

Back to the future!

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