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Gold Coast A-league franchise

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Gold Coast United FC (working title)
Founded2008
GroundSkilled Park,
Robina, Queensland
Capacity27,000
CoachIsrael Miron Bleiberg
LeagueA-League

The Gold Coast's pending Hyundai A-League team is an association football (soccer) franchise, first known as Gold Coast Galaxy FC and currently under the working title of Gold Coast United FC.

The franchise has been the subject of bidding by two consortia based in South East Queensland on the Gold Coast, bidding for the right to be accepted into the Hyundai A-League.

Consideration for 2008/2009 League

The consortium under the working title of "Gold Coast Galaxy FC", led by real estate magnate Fred Taplin was, along with Template:ALeague NQT, was considered for admission for the 2008-09 season but Football Federation Australia delayed expansion of the league until at least the 2009-10 season.[1] [2] The Galaxy was strongly expected to join in the 2008-09 season along with North Queensland Thunder, expanding the league to ten teams. Although the Galaxy bid appeared to have good support, the Thunder bid appeared much less secure, particularly after a major financial backer pulled out of the franchise on March 5, 2008. The FFA determined on 11 March that neither team would be granted entry "in the best interests of the league," given that a nine team format was generally unfavoured.

During the off-season prior to the 2008/2009 season a number of players were touted to join the club and it made some tentative signings, including former Queensland Roar manager Miron Bleiberg[3], goalkeeper Scott Higgins,[4] and Felipe de Souza Campos. Without entry into 2008-09 season, the players became free agents and can still sign for the 2009-10 season depending on the terms of their next club contracts. The franchise was also linked at times with signing players such as Nwankwo Kanu[5] and Adelaide United's Angelo Costanzo.

The name 'Galaxy' was an interim name and it was always undetermined whether or not that name would be used by the club as a permanent name. Galaxy was said to have have ties to American Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy, which would have meant pre-season warm-up matches and possible player sharing opportunities (as occurs at present in the sister club arrangement between Adelaide United and Miami FC). Indeed, in February 2008 there was even talk of David Beckham turning out for a pre-season match[6] The Galaxy consortium had planned to market the club deep into Northern New South Wales, down to Coffs Harbour.

Consideration for 2009/2010 League

Once the FFA had decided not to have new franchises in 2008/2009, the focus turned to 2009/2010. The Galaxy consortium's chances of entering the A-League were dealt a severe blow in June 2008 when a rival consortium headed by real estate and mining billionaire Clive Palmer entered talks with the FFA[7]. On June 3, 2008, Fred Taplin announced that the Gold Coast Galaxy had dropped out of the race for the Gold Coast licence and a place in the A-League 'in the interests of football'[8]. The same day, FFA chief Ben Buckley confirmed that the Palmer consortium had succeeded in securing the franchise [9].

Likely facilities

The club would most likely play out of the new Skilled Park stadium. The Galaxy franchise had proposed that the club's colors be yellow and blue, similar to the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans.[10]


References

  1. ^ "NO A-League Expansion this season". FourFourTwo. 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  2. ^ "Hyundai A-League expansion delayed". A-League. 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  3. ^ Coast reaches for stars
  4. ^ Monteverde, M (2008-02-24). "Scott Higgins joins Galaxy of stars". Courier Mail. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  5. ^ Gold Coast Keen on Kanu SBS The World Game website, Retrieved on June 6th, 2008
  6. ^ Gold Coast Chasing Beckham Gold Coast Bulletin, February 22nd, 2008 Retrieved on June 6th, 2008
  7. ^ Billionaire eclipses Galaxy A-League bid Gold Coast Bulletin, May 30th, 2008 Retrieved on June 6th, 2008
  8. ^ "Galaxy Bosses: 'We Quit...'". FourFourTwo. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  9. ^ FFA backs Clive Palmer's Gold Coast A-League bid Brisbane Courier Mail June 4th, 2008 Retrieved on June 6th, 2008
  10. ^ "Gold Coast, Townsville set for A-League". Sydney Morning Herald. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2008-02-13.

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