Newcastle Jets have been rescued by a consortium led by Sydney FC, Western United and Western Sydney Wanderers as rivals fight to keep the club alive.
The Jets have been undergoing a tumultous period off the pitch as Football Australia announced that the club’s A-League and W-League license under the ownership of absentee owner Martin Lee due to unpaid debts.
This is not the first time that supporters of the club have faced dark days. Five years ago, former owner Nathan Tinkler placed the club into voluntary administration that eventually ended up with the club being reformed as a new entity under the same name.
As fans find themselves in a woefully familiar terrirory all over again, the club have been handed a temporary reprieve with a consortium led by Sydney FC, Western United and Western Sydney Wanderers taking control temporarily until a new owner can be found.
The consortium have appointed former NRL boss Shane Mattiske as the Executive Chairman, and the club’s official website quotes him as saying: “Today is a very positive step in the history of a great club which has strongly represented Newcastle, the Hunter and Northern NSW for two decades.
“The uncertainty that has overshadowed the Jets in recent times has been removed and the club now has a strong financial foundation to support its drive for further success in the A-League and Westfield W-League.
“Today’s announcement recognises the importance of the Newcastle Jets to Australian football and the strong commitment APL has to football in the Hunter and Northern NSW region.”
The respected sports administrator also insisted that he will be working with Newcastle supporters to ensure that the club can move forward in a positive direction going ahead.
“There is no question that the future success of the Jets will rely heavily on the support of the local community and I look forward to working closely with the many passionate supporters of this great club.
“The club needs all its supporters to stand up and strongly get behind their team.
“We thank all those that have supported the club through the recent period of uncertainty, particularly the club’s players, staff, sponsors, members and all those in the broader Newcastle Jets family.”
