One of the key figures in former A-League franchise North Queensland Fury "believes the club can be successfully resurrected," according to Ray Gatt of THE AUSTRALIAN.
However, Queensland Local Government Minister David Crisafulli "has expressed concern that the poor crowd for last Sunday's opening day of the Townsville Football Cup could hurt any chance the club has of being reconsidered when Football Federation Australia looks to expand the A-League after 2017."
Despite "heavy advertising and marketing," only 1,400 people attended. The tournament "is being used as a means to gauge a possible Fury A-League reincarnation," but the response left disappointed organizers "bewildered and hoping for crowd figures to improve markedly on the final two days tonight and on Saturday night." Northern Fury Chair Rabieh Krayem, who was the CEO when the club was "unceremoniously dumped" by FFA from the A-League in '11 because of financial issues, "is leading the charge for the Townsville entity to get back into the big time by 2019."
Krayem and Crisafulli "believe they have a good case to be part of the expansion." Crisafulli: "I think it is ticking all the grassroots boxes, but we are missing one ingredient ... can we generate the public interest at a time when all sports are struggling to do so?" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/27).
