http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-01/palmer-initiates-independent-football-body/3863084?section=qld

Meanwhile, in Australia ...

Billionaire Clive Palmer has announced he is starting an independent football body called Football Australia, aimed at holding Football Federation Australia (FFA) accountable for running the game.

Before the announcement, Palmer, who owned Gold Coast United before the FFA yesterday terminated its A-League licence, tweeted "Today I have launched Football Australia and we aim to replace incompetent FFA".

I'm a bit confused.

He wants to kick start a rival organisation that will have jurisdiction over the current league..? Or am I misreading that? How would that work?

It basically wouldn't ... he's just an arrogant, eccentric capitalist who has fat stacks.

As far as I can work out this is just a stunt because his franchise was stripped of his licence (again, because he kept acting like a jerk).

I don't think he's serious enough to contemplate a Packer series or a Murdoch Super League type swoop, and besides, there's very little money in Australian football.

Gotcha.

Why did his team get stripped of it's licence? I read the follow-up article but that was pretty much devoid of details too.

It was a "three strikes" decision. The club has money troubles, and has staged bizarre protests attacking the FFA at its ground as well.

I think what has really happened though is that the franchise has been on its legs for a while but hasn't wanted to publicly admit the fact, and Palmer has meanwhile been running around abusing the FFA because he's nuts.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said the club had told the governing body repeatedly it wanted to leave the competition at the end of the 2011-12 season, while at the same time making contradictory public statements.

Buckley said the FFA had exhausted all attempts to organise an exit strategy with no assistance from Gold Coast.

Cheers.

Very odd behaviour from a man who should know better.

Bizarre. The Pheonix are meant to be playing them over here on Sunday but it's still not certain whether the game will go ahead. Just when I was considering going for the first time this year. 😆

Out of interest Burnsy, do you support any A League team? Can't remember if you've mentioned it before.

I've always struggled with the concept of supporting a team other than Arsenal but have become more a Phoenix fan since living in Wellington and going to games regularly. Started out just going for the love of seeing live football but got caught up in it when they were in the playoffs a couple of years ago and when I was at that semi final they won on penalties I found my self celebrating as if it was Arsenal in the Champions League!

Captain wrote:

Very odd behaviour from a man who should know better.

The resource industry has a tendency to thrust greatness upon some whose frames are not built to support it.

Indeed, he's just another big mouth oligarch who thinks he runs the world.
Good on Wayne Swan for cutting them down to size.

Too right Biggus.

I was saying online earlier today that I'll be calling these "mining magnates" oligarchs from now on. Suitably pejorative for a bunch of worthless fat bastards who think they deserve to run society and aspire to bring down governments and establish special economic zones for their own benefit, etc.

"Our" Stan and Uzi seem cute and cuddly in comparison.
Maybe because they're big fish but in a very big pond.

18 days later

Conspiracy theories should at least make some sense!

Why CIA of all groups 😆

I actually subscribe to the idea that many green movements are funded / supported by certain parties for rather disingenuous reasons. But that's no different than many other lobby / pressure groups.

Yeah, it's pretty hilarious.

Clive is a member of the Liberal National Party (the ones on the Right) in Queensland and they're trying to explain how this nonsense is either a clever joke (which it isn't) or proves he's a 'maverick'.

One of the richest men in the country basically just supplied proof that he's a complete foaming at the mouth moron at least when it comes to politics.

Burnwinter wrote:

This is what this mug has been up to today:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-20/palmer-says-green-groups-funded-by-cia/3901920

I'm confused Burnsy, where do the Jews and the Freemasons fit into all this. 😆

Burnwinter wrote:

Yeah, it's pretty hilarious.

Clive is a member of the Liberal National Party (the ones on the Right) in Queensland

No, in Australia politics is not Left/Center/Right, but Right/Extreme Right/Fucking Extreme Right. 😉
The LNP's policy guidelines are if it moves - Shoot it, if it doesn't- Chop it down.

I would describe our politics as Soul-Destroying Middle Managers (ALP) vs Oligarch Lickspittles (Coalition) at the moment.

With a helping of Sanctimonious Pricks (Greens) on the side.

10 days later

Anyone following the A League playoffs. Was at the Wellington Phoenix-Sydney FC game last night and what a roller coaster it turned out to be! Phoenix were up 1-0 in the 77th minute and by the 83rd it was 3-2! The Phoenix made it 2-0 then Sydney scored basically straight from the kickoff, then scored straight away again so it went from feeling safely through to extra time in the space of about 90 seconds, then the Phoenix got a breakaway resulting in a penalty for 3-2 which turned out to be the winner. Most incredible 5 minutes I've seen live.

Didn't see that one, but I watched Smeltz's hat trick last night mate (though not live).

Bit disappointed with that one - was hoping Melbourne would beat Perth so we'd get the next game here.

Nope. Stopped going a few years back because I moved away, then I lost touch with the friends I used to go with - thinking of starting up again next A-League season, but I'm not sure I'll have the time spare.

I was in the Shed for probably half of all home games during the first years or so of the Glory franchise back in NSL days, when I was at uni, up until when d'Avray was manager.

I actually own a place a handful of blocks from Members Equity Stadium on Brisbane St, but I'm not living in it right now for tax reasons. 🙁

Will be a tough trip for Wellington. It's across 4 timezones so must be pretty close to the furthest "domestic" away trip in world football.

a month later

Saw that on the news last night. Wondered if it was the same guy. 😆

A man who wants to build another Titanic might be a good candidate to run Spurs 😆

7 months later

That T-Rex has more strapping than Diaby.

Actually the T-Rex would be the perfect mascot for the Liberal party here.

That's a quality nutter billionaire you got there. I clicked expecting to see this guy

7 months later

Australia host Iraq in Sydney tonight (7:30pm EST, 5:30pm Perth), and will qualify for the WC if they win. Coming off a morale boosting 4-0 win over Jordan in Melbourne, and Iraq have nothing to play for or be uptight about, so it might be a fairly free-scoring match.

Hope we stick it to them comfortably, their defence is apparently very weak in the air which bodes well.

Best player on the pitch is some Iraqi seventeen year old. Depressing.

Iraq surprisingly fought really hard for the match and almost scored a few times.

Well done Australia though. I placed a 15 dollar bet on them at 4/1 and they scored right after, rendering my bet ineligible. Damned

Kennedy often delivers against these weaker nations—it's like a lot of the pre-match analysis said, Iraq couldn't defend high balls for shit. Would've been embarrassing if we hadn't won with the chances we got.

Still—Australia qualifies 😃 Good, one more point of interest for me in next year's WC.

Indeed, it's great now that we've got a virtual free spot in every world cup.

Biggus wrote:

Indeed, it's great now that we've got a virtual free spot in every world cup.

At least while Asia stays shit. Once that dynamic ends we'll have to migrate back to Oceania and start tonking the Kiwis again.

I reckon someone like Scotland, Ireland or Belgium who always just miss out should move to CONCACAF to give them more chance in much the same way. 😉

Maybe England if there's a repeat of 1994. 😉

True, I actually initially said England but then changed to some who rarely qualify. Maybe we could move to Asia too, although the travel would be a bit far. 😆