SYDNEY: A furious Football Federation Australia on Wednesday stripped the tycoon owner of the Newcastle Jets of his licence to run the A-League club after he put it into voluntary administration.
The move came barely 30 minutes after coal baron Nathan Tinkler said the team was insolvent and that Scottish side Dundee United was ready to buy it.
The sport's governing body had given Tinkler and his company, Hunter Sports Group, until 0600 GMT to pay outstanding wages to Jets staff and players, but he instead put the club into administration with debts of Aus$2.7 million (US$2.1 million).
FFA chief David Gallop said a new licence would be issued and be owned and controlled by the FFA, meaning a club from Newcastle, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Sydney, will remain in the A-League.
"FFA has taken this action to protect the interests of the football community in Newcastle and to safeguard the image and reputation of the A-League and its member clubs," he said.
"Newcastle needs a club operating in a stable environment with certainty of resources in order to be successful and competitive in the A-League and to properly represent the community.
"Hunter Sports Group has proved to be incapable of meeting these requirements."
He added that Tinkler had behaved "in a deplorable way towards the players and staff".
"Anyone who takes control of a sporting club has an obligation to respect the people and the traditions of that club. Hunter Sports Group has failed miserably to in this regard."
Barely 30 minutes before his licence was revoked, Tinkler said he was not willing to pay the wages unless FFA guaranteed the club's licence.
He added that Dundee United was prepared to buy the team for Aus$5 million, and a sale was imminent if the sport's governing body did not revoke the his licence and block the sale.
"We have had an offer in for a couple of weeks from Dundee United," Tinkler told Sydney's Daily Telegraph ahead of the FFA announcement.
"The only risk to that is if the FFA decide to act in a morally bankrupt manner and take the licence and that presents a whole bunch of other issues."
The tycoon's ownership of the Jets has been under intense scrutiny this year and the FFA nearly moved to take the club's licence from him after he failed to meet outstanding debts in January.
The Jets finished last in this season's 10-team A-League competition, with several players departing acrimoniously mid-season in a pay row with Tinkler.
Earlier this month, he was reprimanded by FFA for an explosive tirade against a journalist, finding he breached the league's code of conduct.
Comments
Comments are closed.