North Queensland Fury have been dropped from Australia’s A-league competition from next season. The A-league will go back to 10 clubs next season after expanding to 11 this campaign with the inclusion of a second franchise based in Melbourne.
North Queensland Fury have been dropped from Australia’s A-league competition from next season. The A-league will go back to 10 clubs next season after expanding to 11 this campaign with the inclusion of a second franchise based in Melbourne.
It should be noted that Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle and Perth have all been or are still being supported by Football Federation of Australia (FFA) funds despite possessing bigger catchment areas. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation commented, ‘Perhaps the impacts of Australia’s World cup failure will be felt at other clubs in time, as the balance sheets continue to be stretched at FFA headquarters and the goodwill for football peters out at a domestic level.’
There have been particular issues for Fury. The region is dominated by rugby league. Mistakes made by foundation owner Don Matheson in the club’s first season in 2009-10 were perhaps too big a burden with estimates of losses amounting to $A9m over two budgets. Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou reckons that Fury were ‘founded on a flawed model and were going to struggle to find the community support and engagement needed to flourish.’
Nevertheless, round ball fans in Townsville are greatly disheartened by the news. Michael Palmer, a member of the F Troop supporters group commented, ‘it will be incredibly difficult now at least for one generation if not two for the FFA to establish another team here.’