Scum in turmoil

[clarence]

con was never in charge of the breakers

con, soccer australia, the nnswsf and some profile players used the unpaid super as a way of revoking the breakers licence and putting con in charge

ironically most of the clubs at the time were behind in payments

even more ironic is that con still owes super from players playing at newcastle united pre-aleague days

Will be interesting if Mr. Harper, now of Foxtel, has any comment about this issue, eh?

He really has to comment about this, after the things he did in years gone by, right?

 

[NewyForever]

All a-league teams are not run professionally enough

bollocks - dont tar us with the brush of your ineptitude

+1, from my experiences of away travel the only place where we constantly have problems because they are disorganised is newcastle

the other clubs, even perth, are good

all a-league clubs could be run a lot better, the victory are the best run club in the country, daylight second

anyways, it doesnt look like we're gonna have a team in V6.

rip newcastle football.

 

[loyalist]

Don't even think victory fans would agree with that

 

[marinermick]

All a-league teams are not run professionally enough

bollocks - dont tar us with the brush of your ineptitude

+1, from my experiences of away travel the only place where we constantly have problems because they are disorganised is newcastle

the other clubs, even perth, are good

all a-league clubs could be run a lot better, the victory are the best run club in the country, daylight second

anyways, it doesnt look like we're gonna have a team in V6.

rip newcastle football.

you'll have a team

it will just be run by someone else

 

[FFC Mariner]

Alt: someone will be running it as opposed to bending it over the table and giving it one up the ass

 

[David Votoupal]

Is it possible to have a fan-owned team, or set up a supporters' trust to own a club? I've seen it work for Stockport and Exeter.

 

[loyalist]

Not in the a-league it isn't

 

[NewyForever]

Is it possible to have a fan-owned team, or set up a supporters' trust to own a club? I've seen it work for Stockport and Exeter.

Not in Newcastle

Their just is not enough support for the jets

 

[Redline]

I wonder how much of that is COn's fault...by all reports he has alienated basically everyone.

 

[MrCelery]

More from the f**k up factory - surely the FFA need to do something about these people and soon.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/a-league/covic-joins-jets-exodus-amid-allegations/2009/03/19/1237055001361.html?page=2

Robert Dillon reports: The head of the Professional Footballers' Association launched a scathing attack on Newcastle Jets management yesterday after alleging that the club's entire playing staff are owed superannuation and bonuses dating back to the start of the financial year.

The Herald contacted the PFA yesterday after departing goalkeeper Ante Covic revealed one of his many gripes with the Jets was that he was owed unpaid superannuation.

Other players said they were also awaiting overdue super. Two quarterly payments, in September and January, have been missed. It is understood the amount unpaid is close to $100,000. Yesterday's allegations are the latest in a line of complaints from people who claim they have been short-changed by the Jets.

Club owner Con Constantine did not deny the Jets may have been tardy with payments and said any debts to players would be "tidied up" in the near future.

PFA boss Brendan Schwab said his organisation was in the process of itemising the collective debts and hoped to be in a position to serve the Jets a letter of demand next week. And, in an extraordinary broadside, Schwab claimed delaying payments was "standard business practice" for the Jets and a contributing factor to the exodus of players since the 2007-08 grand final win.

f**k didnt this happen also with Breakers?! and was Con in charge then too?

con was never in charge of the breakers

con, soccer australia, the nnswsf and some profile players used the unpaid super as a way of revoking the breakers licence and putting con in charge

ironically most of the clubs at the time were behind in payments

even more ironic is that con still owes super from players playing at newcastle united pre-aleague days

Con in charge of the Breakers? What a sickening thought. 

Mick is 100% correct. And what made matters worse, the rumours of players not being paid that were put about by those trying to undermine the Breakers were absolutely false. The players at the time were being paid a week IN ADVANCE. The super issue may well have been true, and I suspect Con is partly correct by saying it is common business practice. But the irony, not to mention karma, is rather thick up here in Boganville.

I'm waiting to see what NNSWSF and FFA do to knobble the Jets like the Breakers were knobbled. I suspect that I'll be waiting a long time. 

 

[dibo]

Tom Smithies in the Terror:

THERE'S nothing like making sure your team is prepared, and nothing is precisely what Newcastle Jets owner Con Constantine aims to do. When the Jets flew to China for the team's prestigious first game in the Asian Champions League, to save $150 per seat the team stopped over in Hong Kong instead of going directly to China. Worse, when the team was in transit in Hong Kong the players were told that Con didn't authorise a meal allowance for the trip there so they had to buy their own meals. After protests, Constantine initially did authorise a meal on the way back. But once in HK again, club CEO John Tsatsimas discovered the trip was over budget - so the players again had to buy their own meals. No wonder the Jets' exodus continued this week with the flight of goalkeeper Ante Covic.

Poured $15 million of his own money in, out of the goodness of his heart eh? They're lucky they don't have strike action on their hands up there, that's ridiculous. How are the players meant to perform to potential with that sort of effort going into preparation and travel? Well, NTS did, but he's the only one.

They get $30,000 assistance per match to travel away. Was he scrimping to try to save a little? Penny pinching bullshit that.

Con out, for the good of the game.

 

[clarence]

Tom Smithies in the Terror:

THERE'S nothing like making sure your team is prepared, and nothing is precisely what Newcastle Jets owner Con Constantine aims to do. When the Jets flew to China for the team's prestigious first game in the Asian Champions League, to save $150 per seat the team stopped over in Hong Kong instead of going directly to China. Worse, when the team was in transit in Hong Kong the players were told that Con didn't authorise a meal allowance for the trip there so they had to buy their own meals. After protests, Constantine initially did authorise a meal on the way back. But once in HK again, club CEO John Tsatsimas discovered the trip was over budget - so the players again had to buy their own meals. No wonder the Jets' exodus continued this week with the flight of goalkeeper Ante Covic.

Poured $15 million of his own money in, out of the goodness of his heart eh? They're lucky they don't have strike action on their hands up there, that's ridiculous. How are the players meant to perform to potential with that sort of effort going into preparation and travel? Well, NTS did, but he's the only one.

They get $30,000 assistance per match to travel away. Was he scrimping to try to save a little? Penny pinching bullshit that.

Con out, for the good of the game.

I can appreciate keeping an eye on your budget, and trying to keep expenses down.......

But, travelling extra time just to save $150 per seat when you have the whole team sitting around -  not good for match preparation.

And all this other talk of slow paying etc.

Really what does it take for the FFA (as franchise holder) to get on the phone and tell Con (franchisee) they are sending over a bunch of auditors to check that he's still a viable concern?

If the Jets get hit with a Letter of Demand from the PFA, I say that would be a good cue for Buckley to start asking questions.

At the moment the Jets are not in season, but are representing the FFA in this AFC CL.

There may be a legal technicality whereby Con can operate how he pleases (internally) til the pre season officially kicks off (when he comes under FFA A-League franchise requirements again?).

 

[FFC Mariner]

I think that the laws governing how you run a company (SGC contributions, Securities Acts etc) and his franchise agreement are in force all of the time.

The FFA may well be looking to have him replaced at the end of V5 and this may well have triggered his frantic asset stripping so expect a "seamless" handover rather than them punting him.

Someone (or lots of someones) are leaking everything to the press and the FFA are silent.

Not a coincidence methinks

 

[Sean]

The press are really starting to hack at Con now, it seems like it will only be a matter months before he gets the boot or there is a large club dispute which makes headlines.

Mick has the media always been at Con about his operations? or is it now that we are seeing articles and alot more scrutiny about how he is running the ship.

 

[clarence]

I think that the laws governing how you run a company (SGC contributions, Securities Acts etc) and his franchise agreement are in force all of the time.

I stand corrected. I forgot that he was  (allegedly) not paying the Super for the players, which is a legal requirement outside of any FFA franchise agreement. 

As far as the actual franchise agreement, I'm not sure how extensive the reach of the contract is, but they are playing under AFC auspices at the moment and the franchise agreement relates to the A-League. Unless there is an extension to that franchise agreement covering football operations while they are playing other competitions, it might be a loophole for Con.

And yes, it is a legal requirement to pay your employees as per the terms of their employment contract but by the time the legal process gets revved up, he would have paid the players. This is a continuing merry go round that is often experienced by many employees in other businesses and often not resolved until the business bites the dust or the employees leave in disgust.

Con would know this game (of not paying players) very well, and he may well be banking upon the team getting past the group stage and making some serious money, before getting payments back on time.

If the club is technically insolvent, however, it surely cannot continue competing in this ACL?

 

[marinermick]

Mick has the media always been at Con about his operations? or is it now that we are seeing articles and alot more scrutiny about how he is running the ship.

the media has been fantastic in the past but they have turned quite dramatically since the grand final

 

[marinermick]

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...n/1468479.aspx

JETS chief executive John Tsatsimas will investigate a heated exchange between coach Gary van Egmond and star recruit Ljubo Milicevic at training yesterday.

The coach and player traded expletives before the defender stormed off the pitch and did not complete the session.

The incident occurred after Milicevic disputed a ruling by van Egmond during a three-on-three training drill. The exchange was the second between the pair in the session.

Both played down the incident afterwards.

Milicevic declared it no different to bust-ups between managers and players at clubs around the world. Van Egmond refused to comment, other than saying the matter would be dealt in-house.

"I'm aware there was an exchange," Tsatsimas told The Herald last night.

"I had a preliminary conversation on it with the coach but I have not spoken to both parties at length.

"I was not there at the time, and once I have the full details I will deal with it appropriately."

The Jets have today off training but the matter is unlikely to be resolved before they regroup tomorrow to continue preparations for the crucial away Asian Champions League clash against Nagoya in a fortnight.

"Ljubo has returned to Melbourne this afternoon for a family funeral. I am in Sydney for a meeting tomorrow but it is something I will look into," Tsatsimas said.

Milicevic joined the Jets in February after a year out of the game in which he battled depression.

His break followed a tumultuous stint at Melbourne Victory, where a personality clash with captain Kevin Muscat led to a falling out with management. In February 2008, Milicevic came to an agreement with the club to mutually terminate the final year of his contract.

Despite having not played for a year, Milicevic arrived at Newcastle in superb physical condition after engaging a personal trainer.

He has quickly become an integral part of the squad.

He started in both rounds of the Asian Champions League against Beijing and Ulsan and helped set up a goal against the Koreans.

The blow-up continues a drama-charged week for the Jets in which goalkeeper Ante Covic departed for Sweden and it was revealed players were owed nearly $100,000 in unpaid superannuation.

 

[marinermick]

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...y/1468480.aspx

THERE is no doubt that Ljubo Milicevic brings tremendous qualities to the Newcastle Jets.

His organisational skills, fierce determination and knowledge have taken the hard-nosed defender to the European Champions League, where he led his upstart Swiss club Thun against the might of Arsenal, Ajax and Sparta Prague.

Only 27 but with a wealth of experience, Milicevic could be the rock on which the Jets build a new era of success, much the same way as Manchester United built their treble-winning outfit on the wonderfully combative but unfailingly abrasive Roy Keane.

The danger is that for all his good intentions, Milicevic may only succeed in upsetting team harmony.

As much as Sir Alex Ferguson loved his captain, it is unlikely the Manchester United boss would have tolerated being told to "f--- off" at training.

Milicevic's blow-up with coach Gary van Egmond yesterday was not a one-off outburst.

The Herald has witnessed several heated exchanges between the former Melbourne Victory centre-back and teammates, coaching staff and even administrative staff.

Lauded for his leadership qualities, Milicevic has always been a man of strong opinions and is rarely afraid to express them.

One player, who did not want to be named, admitted that Milicevic's constant haranguing of teammates was "doing our heads in".

There is no question that the Jets needed an injection of steel after their lame defence of the A-League title a season in which they finished with the wooden spoon.

For his part, Milicevic says his rants are done to fire up the players and that was part of his brief.

On arriving in Newcastle last month, Milicevic made no secret of his ways.

"I don't want to overstep my mark, but every team I play in I want the boys to be the best they can be," he said.

"If everyone puts in an extra five per cent, the team will be a little bit better.

"There's a lot of talented young boys here, but they have to realise talent's not enough."

 

[FFC Mariner]

Hasnt taken long has it??

 

[midfielder]

Hasnt taken long has it??

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D