Soccer: Fury set to fold

[DIEHARD]

Fury set to fold

The impending A-League execution of North Queensland Fury, after just two seasons in the competition, is almost certain be rubber-stamped by Football Federation Australia at its next board meeting in Sydney on Tuesday.

The expansion club, which has just launched its community ownership model and needs a $650,000 cash injection from the peak body to meet its $1.5 million survival target, has been on death row for months.

There looks to be little to no hope of a reprieve for the team rooted to the foot of the ladder with an FFA board member disclosing ahead of the meeting that he didn?t expect Fury to ?bring anything new to the table?.

The same member insisted that a final decision would be made on Fury?s fate at the board meeting after several stays of execution as the club desperately forages for funds.

After pumping in over $1.5 million to keep the club alive this season, FFA has decided that, baring the late emergence of a financial saviour, it are expendable, with the A-league likely to revert to 10 teams next season.

A draw with 10 clubs has already been drawn up, casting further doubt on Fury?s future.

The club?s CEO Rabieh Krayem, who has battled valiantly behind the scenes to find backers, hasn?t given up but admitted on Wednesday the outlook is looking almost as bleak as the Townsville weather with cyclone Yasi bearing down on the city.

Krayem claims it will be a ?tragedy? if the club is allowed to be blown apart by the forces of high finance, telling The World Game: ?I feel we have proved there is enough grassroots support for an A-league club in north Queensland.

?Hopefully the FFA will take that into account when deciding our fate. We released our community ownership model last Friday and the response has been good.

?We have confirmed sponsors for $450,000 and about another $400,000 in other undertakings from the community, so we are not too far away.

?The FFA is so close for there being a return on their investment.

"I still maintain there is huge interest in the sport in this region and the FFA should be congratulated for what they have done to date.

?I?m hopeful we will get and answer soon the FFA gave all the documentation they have asked of us.?

?As far as I am concerned it would be a tragedy if we were allowed to die.?

But it seems the club?s pleas will fall on deaf ears with the FFA board member adding: ?It has come to a point where a decision needs to be made looking into next season.?

Fury?s last home game of the campaign ? and probably ever ? against Brisbane Roar on Saturday has fallen victim to cyclone Yasi, with Krayem saying: ?Football falls a distant second when people?s safety is at risk. And right now in Townsville that?s the biggest issue.?

The club winds up its season away to Wellington Phoenix the following Sunday with a new date for the Roar duel yet to be determined.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-lea...ry-set-to-fold

[DIEHARD]

It would be pretty devastating to see Fury go. I didn't think it was a great idea to begin with, but I didn't think they'd fair so badly.

I feel bad for their fans and I hope they continue but we will see.

[TITAN PETE]

Looks like they'll their own Nathan Tinkler or Clive Palmer to bail them out