Newcastle have lashed out at the FFA’s decision to deny the club a chance to host the A-League grand final, with Gary van Egmond declaring the move was not in the spirit of the game.
The Jets are set to appeal Football Federation Australia’s ruling that next month’s decider be played in Sydney after the governing body decided neither Central Coast or Newcastle had adequate stadia to host the grand final.
Under A-League rules, the winner of the major semi-final earns the right of home advantage for the championship game.
But this season that will almost certainly not be the case with minor premiers Central Coast or the second-placed Jets set to “host” the grand final at either the Sydney Football Stadium or ANZ Stadium.
“We think it’s in the best interest of the game, growing the game, and taking the game to the biggest possible audience that we play in a stadium that has the capacity to host 40,000 plus people,” said FFA chief executive Ben Buckley.
“Clearly Newcastle doesn’t have that available to them and neither does Bluetongue Stadium on the Central Coast.
“We’ve talked about that with the chief executives before Christmas and whilst no one wants to give up the rights to host a grand final, there’s general agreement that it’s in the best interest of the game.”
Newcastle’s EnergyAustralia Stadium holds 26,000 people, while Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford has a capacity of 20,059.
The Mariners, while disappointed, are understanding of the situation with coach Lawrie McKinna saying: “We can play at Plume Park in Gosford for all they want as long as we get there and have a chance to win it.”
The Jets, though, are far less accommodating to the idea, with not just the championship but a place in the Asian Champions League at stake.
“That hasn’t been confirmed to me yet, but it would be disappointing, and I don’t think it’s in the spirit of the game,” said van Egmond.
“If it’s good enough for the FFA to have the Novacastrian people come out week in week out for the national competition, and their team does well enough over the whole of the year to earn the right to get into the grand final first than they should host it.
“We’re in a situation where we’re playing for a spot in Asia, and that’s worth a lot of money for our club.
“For us to be given the best opportunity of qualifying is to play at home if we win that right to host the grand final, but I don’t know if we can move the goalposts at this point of time.”
Any appeal, though, is likely to have little impact, with Buckley adding: “They can make a submission to us, but it’s pretty clear in the rules we’re the final decision makers when it comes to where the grand final is hosted.”
In terms of scheduling, the final round of the competition could not have ended up any worse for the FFA.
There would have been no such dramas over the grand final if both Queensland Roar and Sydney had maintained their spots in the top two.
Jets fans have organised an online petition to lobby the FFA on this issue – to sign, please go to this petition
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I am pretty sad with the decision on the FFA taking charge over the Grand Final as they are starting to let all the public know that when the decisions are not with their ideas then they are able to make any decision to change regardless to anyone or anything. With following the Jets from the start of the A League season we attend almost all home games as it is our family outing with five children it is not that easy to travel all over the place and with all of our hopes that our Jets get to the Grand Final most family with more than 2 children might find it very difficult to travel to see the team that they have supported for all this time have the chance to be NUMBER 1 . IT IS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE JETS FANS AND THE FAMILIES NOT TO MENTION THE UP AND COMING CHILDREN FOR THE GAME OF SOCCER.
The only way that more people will turn up in Sydney for a grand final than at EA or Bluetongue is if Sydney FC make it to the GF.
If they do not make it then, as Tina said, many families who make up a large amount of the crowd at either club would be unlikely to take their children to Sydney for the game as they would be not be returning home until late into the night, possibly midnight. What parents would have their young kids out that late on a school night? A sell out at either EA or Bluetongue would be preferable to a less than half full stadium in Sydney.
If Sydney FC did make the GF, then the stadium would be full. However, that stadium would then be a sea of blue with massive support for the home side, which did not earn the right to host it. Why should the fans of the “away” team be given preference over the “home” ones?
the online petition to keep the Grand Final in Newcastle if we win the right can be found at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/youearnityouhostit/
Why change the rules now. If we win the right to host the grand final it is OUR grand final. Not Sydney’s. Kepp the grand final in Newcastle and let us have a sold out stadium instead of a half full stadium in Sydney. How good would a GF in Newcastle be for the game up here!!!!! GO THE JETS!!!
If anyone is signing the petition.
Don’t be alarmed if the dodgy petition website asks for a donation after you sign the petition. Just ignore it.
Assuming the Jets got hosting rights, by not letting them host it at Energy Aust. Stadium the A league is missing a great chance to improve the profile of the A League/Football game in Newcastle, a Rugby League dominated town. This is just another descision based on Money and not considering the fans. As dutchy says we come out all year to our ground to watch our team, sorry did we play any home games in Sydney? I for one will not be travelling to Sydney regardless, i will be waiting for our boys to return Victorius to Newcastle where they and the game belongs!
Shows how little respect the FFA has for regional football.
I find this decision from FFA absolutely crazy, as other people have written it is all about money for the hierachy. It reminds me of an old boys club who just change the the rules whenever it pleases them. I for one will continue to support the Jets (Hopefully to greater heights than the Knights) – However the FFA have lost all the support & faith i had in them to do the right thing for the Australian game. And how about doing the right thing by the fans that go to support their team each week. I don’t see the suits from FFA at EAS every home game. Good luck jets bring home the silverware boys.
If the FFA has there selfish, money-hungry way, why doesn’t the jets and the jets fans all BOYCOTT the grand final if it is to be held in Sydney or some other place other than Energy Australia stadium or Blue Tongue stadium.
Newcastle Jet’s supporters are primarily in Newcastle NOT 200km south in Sydney!!! Newcastle Jets FC home ground is located in Energy Australia Stadium in Newcastle NOT down the coast where Syndey FC is based at!!!!
If on the event Newcastle wins the major semi’s and then sydney earns its way to the grand final, it would be CRIMIAL for the FFA to have the game in Sydney. the fans of Newcastle have rapidly grown and faithfully supported the a-league.. and the thanks we get is having OUR advantage home grand final STOLEN from us because the FFA HQ is a bunch of money-hungry, selfish, greedy, lowelife scum that think it can push around a ‘country’ town…..
If the FFA wants a minimum crowd of 40,000 by all means they can spend their own money from their won pockets to upgrade Energy Australia Stadium and Bluetongue Stadium. If the FFA thinks they will be getting fans from this brainless descision they can know that i will forever be boycotting the a-league untill the people in charge for this disappointing desicion are sacked shamefully!
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