The Clive and Miron show

[T]

Clive suspends Miron

And the show continues... kinda feel sorry for the GC

By Vince Rugari
Feb 16 2012 10:56
Get more on: bleiberg | goldcoast | aleague | palmer
GOLD Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg has been suspended from managing this weekend's game by owner Clive Palmer in a row over comments in the press.

Palmer is said to have been enraged by Miron's remarks yesterday about 17 year old Mitch Cooper being handed the captaincy of the club this weekend.

Bleiberg said the diea was Palmer's, but then stressed Cooper would simply be wearing the armband and calling the coin toss as skipper.

"He will toss the coin," said Bleiberg yesterday. "Then he will ask Kristian Rees which way to go, and then Kristian will tell him what to do (in the game).

"He will do the ceremony, it will take one minute and then the game is normal."

He added: "Our owner likes to think a bit outside of the box and I think he's come up with a great idea which I endorse.

"He said if we are playing with such a young team this weekend - and that's what Gold Coast United is all about, to give career paths to young players - we might as well let one of them be captain for the weekend."

The club will now be without a coach, an adult skipper and field just two players over 23 when they face Melbourne Heart tomorrow.

Today injured Gold Coast keeper Glen Moss confirmed his coach's suspension on Twitter.

He revealed: "Guys, Mike Mulvey will do the job for us Friday night as the club has suspended Miron. Mike has full respect of the group and is a top coach"

Club chief executive Clive Mensink delivered the news at the club's training base at Carrara this morning, saying United made the decision to appoint Cooper as captain 'seriously'.

"Reason being is the club does take the matter seriously in appointing Mitch as captain," Mensink said.

"We believe in Mitch for the future of the club and the game and he's proven himself at international level.

"The club did take the matter very seriously, the decision was not made lightly or jokingly and I think it's being disrespectful, some of the comments towards Mitch and the club in regards to his appointment... that it was ceremonial.

"We haven't made it that way at all. It was a decision made in all seriousness with the future in mind. It was an opportunity to provide more leadership for the future."

Assistant coach Mike Mulvey, who is also in charge of the club's National Youth League team, will take the reins for their match against Melbourne Heart.

"Mike Mulvey will step up as coach (for this weekend) and we'll just go from there. Mike's been around (Miron) long enough to be able to do the job," Mensink said.

Senior players at United are understood to be furious with the decision to hand Cooper the captaincy.

But Mensink said the club's management had not lost the respect of the dressing room, instead pointing to the media for 'beating it up'.

"At the end of the day, the players have just got to play," he said.

"They're all talking about contracts, et cetera et cetera... (but) if they're not playing and they're not getting positive results then they don't get contracts.

"The thing to think about is we are on the bottom of the ladder whether we like it or not. We are looking to the future. We need to depend on these (young) guys and give them the opportunity."

When asked if Bleiberg could walk out on the club, Mensink said: "That's for Miron and the club to discuss."

The FFA have been approached for a response to the latest Gold Coast crisis.

 

[true believer]

this is another fat and lazy liberal party flunky owning a football team.
this fool also wants to own a tv station .god help us all

 

[adz]

A bit weird, isn't it!

Firstly, a 17y/o being handed the captain's armband is taking the piss slightly, isn't it?

Then Miron mouthing it off in the press... and then getting suspended by the club for it!

And people think the Mariners have issues!

 

[true believer]

miron should be given bozza's job on the football show .once bozza is given the FFA CEO job

 

[midfielder]

If ever the old adage that power and money can go to someone's head ... CP must be IMO the best living example I have seen...

His latest that RL is a better game and the A-League a joke ... what can you say...

Tho's on CP...

 

[midfielder]

Interesting comment before his latest outburst from ESPN... http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1023020/rob-brooks:-gold-coast:-football-club-to-farce?cc=3436

 

[adz]

Merged topics.

What a nutcase. If it wasn't obvious he didn't give a toss about the club, there are no doubts now. They should just give GCU the flick... with or without a new club in Western Sydney, the league is better off without them.

 

[midfielder]

Miron quits...

Miron Bleiberg quits as Gold Coast United coach

STRIPPED of his "dignity" by Clive Palmer, an emotional Miron Bleiberg has quit his job as Gold Coast United coach.

Still reeling after being suspended by United's billionaire chairman for saying Palmer's elevation of 17-year-old debutant Mitch Cooper to team captain was a ceremonial gesture, Bleiberg cut ties with the A-League cellar dweller on Sunday.

"I'll not be back," Bleiberg said.

"Clive can take my job, but he took away my dignity. No one can take away my dignity.

"If Clive wanted to hurt me, he succeeded. If he didn't mean to hurt me, he made a mistake.

"According to him, he made the right decision to suspend me. From my point of view, it wasn't.

"I respect his decision, but there is no doubt in my mind that the punishment to suspend a coach for a thing like this, after all what we had gone through together, didn't fit the crime."
It's the second time 57-year-old Bleiberg has parted ways with an A-League club.

In November 2006 he was replaced as coach of the then Queensland Roar by Frank Farina.

"It hurt me because it was the first time, but still it was more a political coup," he said.

"When it happened with the Roar, the team was fourth on the ladder. This time ... I left the club before the end and the team was at the bottom of the ladder, which hurts me."

Bleiberg had been due to return to coaching duties today before Gold Coast's home clash against Central Coast Mariners on Wednesday night.

It's now expected assistant Mike Mulvey, who was in charge of Gold Coast's 1-0 loss to Melbourne Heart on Friday night, will be elevated to the head coach role.

Palmer said Bleiberg had been "spectacularly unsuccessful" this season, but the departed coach said Palmer had to share the blame.

Title contenders for its first two seasons, Gold Coast has become the competition's whipping boys after an exodus of players who wanted more security than the one-season deals Palmer was offering.

"If I spectacularly failed, the same applied to him," Bleiberg said.

"There are only three players left from the starting XI (last season): Glen Moss, Adam Traore and Michael Thwaite.

"Every team in the world that has to change eight players from a successful team from the previous year, it's more likely they will fail than they will succeed."

 

[Roy Law]

It was clear at the beginning of the season when GCU had let go most of their 'name' players and relied on Youth that they would not be around next year. I feel sorry for genuine GCU fans but the management of the club are getting what they deserve; Palmer's attitude towards the local football community, to the players and staff, and to the FFA and game in general continues to be a disgrace and unacceptable. We are watching the final death throes of a misguided enterprise. I just can't trust the FFA to get it right when they seek to replace GCU.

 

[midfielder]

Clive Palmer and BB both on the world game tonight...

Should be interesting. Neither man with a background in Association football being interviewed by a fanatical one eyed zealot & his cohorts.

 

[midfielder]

Or as Winston Churchill once nearly said, “Never, in the field of World Football, was so much written, by so many, about a football club supported by so few”

 

[adz]

I thought the Clive Palmer interview was interesting. Clive had a bit of a blast at a wide range of problems, some of them about the FFA I would like to hear answers to, especially the executive pays and what limitations they are putting on the clubs. Ben Buckley was useless, and basically said nothing.

I would have liked to see them both go head to head rather than one at a time but I suspect Buckley doesn't have the nuts to do that.

None of these issues make the whole Miron saga right either...

Any thoughts on the interviews tonight?

 

[midfielder]

ADZ

Tho CP was a bit of a bully and had a list of one liners to say... but he did make some valid points the main being the clubs needed to be more independent of FFA...

As for BB what can you same ... very soft seemed more intent in not offending anyone and seems scared of CP...

Cannot see FFA agreeing to what CP wants nor paying half the loss ...

The biggest disappointment was Fozzie ... when CP came on were was the fire HHHMMMm but with BB he was much harder ....

I am no real BB fan but give me a choice between CP & BB and I cannot see CP running the game...

 

[MrCelery]

I thought the Clive Palmer interview was interesting. Clive had a bit of a blast at a wide range of problems, some of them about the FFA I would like to hear answers to, especially the executive pays and what limitations they are putting on the clubs. Ben Buckley was useless, and basically said nothing.

I would have liked to see them both go head to head rather than one at a time but I suspect Buckley doesn't have the nuts to do that.

None of these issues make the whole Miron saga right either...

Any thoughts on the interviews tonight?

Agree. Palmer surprised me. For a supposedly anti-football, pro-League person he seems keen enough to be involved. Yes, he's an arrogant dickhead. But at least he answered the questions and asked some pertinent ones too. I still think he's a tool for the way he goes about his business and the bizarre decisions he's recently made.

Buckley spoke typical politician-speak. I don't think he answered a single question fully. Obviously he is in 'damage control' and doesn't want to inflame things further.

I thought SBS were a little too respectful in their questions. Should have brought in Tony Jones from ABC!

I'm surprised that no one asked the question: "Players and coaches that say things that bring the game into disrepute are heavily sanctioned. Is there a similar penalty for owners who do the same? Will Palmer receive similar punishment?"

 

[Muppet]

I must admit I have not seen the interviews on TWG as yet but having been following the papers and twitter. There are so many issues out there I don't know where to begin..... almost.

Clive - The man has more money than he knows what to do with it. Clive is Clive and he is an antagonistic person at the best of times. Once you cut through the hype he does make a hell of a lot of sense regarding the running of the league. I have been saying for a while now that the the A League needs an independent commission that takes into account the needs of the owners who are the ones dipping into their pockets to run the league. If I were Clive I could understand some of his frustrations with the way the Comp is being handled. I in no way defend the manner in which he runs Gold Coast United but he has a lot of salient points which need to be listened to and acted upon by the FFA.

The FFA and in particular Ben Buckley and complicit in the situation they now find themselves in with Clive. For a man who is reportedly paid $1.2 per year Buckley sure does have a way of stuffing things up (World Cup bid, NQ Fury, Western Sydney etc). It does not bode well if he is the one negotiating the new Pay TV deal. I would not think there are many club owners who have a regard for the man. The question is when will Lowy take the action that is necessary and get rid off and place someone with football knowledge into his position. Actually look at the FFA board. How many actually come from a football background?

Rather than shoot the messenger, in this case Clive (for all his faults) how about some focus gets put on the running of FFA and their relationships with the owners and fans. Agitate for independence of the A League. We are the only major sport in Australia that does not have one and look where we are.

 

[offtheball]

I thought Clive's point that the game should not be played live into the region in which it was being played was a good idea.

 

[Bladesman]

Didn't see the interview on World Game but Buckley was on the Big Sports Breakfast this morning it sounds as though he was exactly the same as he was last night with the politicians answers. He was asked a number of times about the $1m pay packets for the 5 executives and would not state that Palmer was wrong all he would say that he would know the figures better than Palmer.

The problem I see with the FFA since it has come under Buckley is he is running it like the AFL which is a 1 country sport where as O'Neal understood administering a worldwide game. The FFA make decisions on the fly just like the AFL and NRL based on the media hype so just like our idiot politicians make very short term ill-conceived decisions which are detrimental to the game. The refereeing standards and judiciary are a prime example of this, they will never admit they get something wrong and then don’t allow any right of appeal when they make horrendous decisions.

 

[dibo]

So apparently Tinkler has the shits that he paid a "standard" $7m licence fee that it turns out nobody else has had to pay and is looking at suing.

BOOM!

 

[midfielder]

The Jets have backed Clive ... and FFA have reacted to the Jets backing FFA...

 

[Forum Phoenix]

So much bullshit. Clive is a two faced egotistical c**t who knows how to play the game very very well. And too many people are falling for it.

5 mill for execs, is for 9 key staff members. Still a lot of money though tbf. But look at this guy, the billionaire cheapskate who won't spend a nickle on advertising or community initiatives to build his club while slagging the game in the mainstream press.

I'll take the quite guy smart enough not to give anything to the fat crazed billionaire f**k who is so DESPERATELY trying to pick a fight.

The Tinkler 7million Clive stated is now reported to be closer to 4. Clive is such a trouble causing asshole he would bring teh entire league down for the thrill of it if he could.

This is not a standard new club licence fee like GCU. It's for a pre existing club and all that entails. Pre existing fan base, brand,
player contracts, coaching staff, facilities and support strictures etc etc etc...

Clive knows this all too well.

Total Asshole. Do not be conned. It is SOOOOOO MUCH EASIER to criticise and say how something should be better, tahn to actually do the job.

Don't believe me? The prick has one club to run, and it's a total farce. Who on earth would want this assholes advice on running our "hopeless game"??

Clive knows how to make money. Clearly. But Clive also clearly knows NOTHING about football. Cares nothing for it. And CLEARLY doesn't know how to run a club.

He is a cancer to our game and could prove to be the worst enemy football has ever had in his country.
No wonder Buckley is playing a very quiet hand. WHat choice does he have.

And yes, Foster is all so courageous when he sees an easy victim. Yet Clive needed to be held, at the very least, equally accountable.