TINKLER BACK ON BOARD WITH JETS

In a massive turnaround, billionaire Nathan Tinkler has taken back the Newcastle Jets’ licence he handed in to Football Federation Australia last month.

Tinkler said in a statement: “Frank Lowy flew to Brisbane to meet with me face-to-face and I took that as a sign of goodwill. It was a gesture I certainly appreciated.

“I welcomed the opportunity to meet and discuss these issues in person. We now have a way forward and I remain committed to ensuring the Newcastle Jets is one of the most successful clubs in the Hyundai A-League.

“I am delighted to be able to support the Newcastle Jets on behalf of football fans in the Hunter region and to continue to build a strong relationship with the community.

The Hunter Sports Group sent an email to thousands of Jets members explaining the move, on Tuesday afternoon.

Here is that email.

“Dear (name deleted),
We are aware you have been through a tough month after the Hunter Sports Group (HSG) returned its A-League licence. With all the confusion surrounding the situation, it was difficult to clearly understand what this meant for the future of the Newcastle Jets. Be assured, during this time our commitment to football and the region has never wavered.

We are pleased to confirm that following a series of confidential negotiations with the Football Federation of Australia (FFA), the HSG has agreed to continue and honour its 10 year licence agreement.

This outcome quite simply would not have been possible without Nathan Tinkler’s generosity, the total commitment of HSG’s CEO Troy Palmer or the passion and enthusiasm shown by our members towards the Newcastle Jets.

We take confidence from the FFA’s determination to have the HSG continue its work with the community, to continue building a model that is recognised as the best in the league. We now take this confidence forward.

We also would like to thank our members for fighting for the existence of an A-League team in the Hunter.

Unfortunately there has been a lot of inaccuracies written and spoken in the media about this process and how it unfolded. This is not the time for recriminations. It is a time to celebrate that decisions have now been made and are being made that will benefit football and ensure a much more secure future for the code throughout Australia.

It will not benefit the healing process to elaborate on the Jets licence fee and how it came about, the long running Jason Culina insurance matter and what steps are now being introduced to ensure that the A-League becomes a great football competition with a sustainable financial structure and business plan.

We are pleased to confirm after detailed negotiation and discussion, the HSG and the FFA have agreed on a conciliatory outcome. This is a great win for the Hunter region with the Newcastle Jets remaining in the A-League and the competition restructured with a more secure financial footing and base.

There are still many innovations and changes to be made to make the A-League an even better competition and for the Jets to rebuild a team around our many exciting young local talents but with the best of endeavours and spirits we are moving forward.

We thank the many members, fans and corporate partners for their support and for the many that understood our position that was to take a stand when there was no other option.

Above all, to the players, management and coaching staff who showed your true support and loyalty, thank you. You are the true believers.

Now is the time to unite as our focus returns to football and winning Championships for the Hunter.

We offer you our hand to come back on board for a truly exciting ride.”

Details on this story in NBN’s news at six.

Read the Football Federation of Australia statement here