A-League side Newcastle Jets Owner Nathan Tinkler "could be forced to relinquish his second football club inside seven months," according to Robert Dillon of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The "embattled" club was "rocked on Thursday by the resignations" of CEO Robbie Middleby and Chair Ray Baartz, both announced simultaneously on the club's website. In the statement Middleby said he would "continue to serve the club for the 'next few weeks' during an internal review process" and was hopeful his exit would "aid the transition to new ownership and allow the club to start a new chapter." Baartz's departure was "effective immediately." Neither of the two officials, "who have been mainstays since Tinkler assumed ownership" of the Jets in Oct. '10, were available for comment. Football Federation Australia reacted by deploying A-League CEO Damien de Bohun and FFA COO John Kelly to visit Jets headquarters on Monday to "assess the club's viability." The governing body has "waited patiently for five months while Jets management have held negotiations with an unspecified number of interested parties." A source said, "If they want to sell the club, they had better close the deal pretty quickly" (SMH, 1/8).
