They say timing is everything in life, right place, right time etc you know how it goes.  Unfortunately for the FFA the Gold Coast crisis has happened 12 or 24 months too early, and only one year after the sad demise of the North Queensland Fury.

As Clive Palmer and the FFA have discovered the Gold Coast is not that Gold.  Low attendance records, next to no community engagement and a Billionaire owner believing his ego is bigger than the game all leads to a spectacular failure.

Everyone knows the problems, but what are the solutions?

The FFA and A-League need to address the elephant in the room, Western Sydney.  Instead of trying to grow the game in every corner of this vast Country, we need to establish a team in one of football’s heartland, and most populous areas.  Yes, Sydney Rovers failed to get off the ground, but Western Sydney is the best solution for the game, and we must get in before Andrew Demitriou and the AFL gain more territory in this region.

The unsuccessful rovers bid went after the wrong man, sure Lucas Neill is the Socceroos captain, and well respected in the football community but he is not the answer.   It is said that “Offence sells tickets, defence wins championships”, and the A-League need bums on seats in the Sydney area.

Frank Lowy and the FFA need to invest in the man that is a scoring machine for the Socceroos, Tim Cahill.  This would take an almighty effort on everyone’s behalf, with Cahill still enjoying his time at Everton and seemingly over his scoring drought.  As I said earlier, everything is about timing and a return to Australia for Tim Cahill would be more realistic and achievable in 2014/15.

All Australian’s identify with Tim Cahill; he is humble, loyal and naturally engages with the general public.  Cahill is known throughout the nation, even by those who don’t follow football but remember his heroics against Japan in the World Cup.  Tim is a profound goal scorer, and if the FFA want inches in the paper, or minutes on free to air television Tim Cahill is the solution to the problem that is Western Sydney.

Whatever happens in the next few months/years in the football community in Australia, those running the game must remember one thing; The Fans.