fourth richest man sign Gold Coast United's licence
Sydney FC has a rival as the A-League glamour club after Australia's fourth richest man arrived by helicopter to sign Gold Coast-US drive.
Iron ore baron Clive Palmer, worth over 1.5 billion dollars, also overflew the country in its own jet to accept the Football Federation of Australia conditions for competition of the ninth club.
He said United would be a target A-League crown and a Champions League berth for Asia in their debut season in 2009-10, bringing its financial muscle behind the quest.
Palmer said the club would have access to any of his three private jets to travel to away games and had opened its purse strings to attract the best players in the world.
The 53-year, one of the main funds of the former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen to failure "Joh for PM" push in the mid 1980, has signed Queensland Roar former mentor Miron Bleiberg as coach.
Bleiberg is one of five former employees Roar involved with the Coast consortium that has received the FFA provisional approval this week for A-League inclusion.
It was Palmer money which enabled the United become the ninth team in an expanded competition when he committed last month.
While 90 minutes late for his press conference, Palmer has been waiting extravagant useful on arrival at United's Park qualified home at Robina by helicopter after a quick stop-off Coolangatta after a flight of 'West of Australia Pilbara region.
Whether Gold Coast could replace inaugural champions Sydney FC as the glamour team competition, the colourful businessman, said: "Gold Coast Glamour," it is not bad ".
"(Glamour) is certainly better with Gold Coast is not it.
"I do not think I have any glamour or glitz," he said.
"... But we do not have jets and helicopters for the pleasure of watching them.
"They will certainly be there to help the club."
Palmer immediately set targets, saying top United would be a target 2009-10 A-League crown who try to make tourism the band football capital of Australia ".
"We want to win the first year. We are only there to win, "he said.
"I would say that we have the people and experience to make an impact.
"I am confident he will succeed because I very rarely get involved in things which are not a success."
The A-League salary cap rises to $ 1.9 million for the upcoming season, but big and signed guest players are exempt from the CAP.
Palmer said four or five-star overseas are regarded as marquee players while Bleiberg recommends signature "stars" short-term stints.
The owner would-US suggested new avenues if the Coast qualified for Asia.
"When you play A-League you are limited by the salary cap, but if you do go to the Asian Cup, you can use a whole lot of other players and make Australia a force grappling with, he said.
"This was not the case in the past and this is an area that we believe we can achieve a kind of success and the Gold Coast the type of recognition it should have."
Bleiberg, to begin signing players in November, believed his new club is best placed to succeed than local competitors Queensland Roar, who finished sixth in their debut season.
"Like everything in life when you do something a second or third time you do it better," he said, adding Palmer support made life easier.
"I am a little embarrassed to say but, like everything in life that depends on how much money you have."
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