Gold Coast sports curse

The Gold Coast sports curse is an ongoing sports superstition involving the city of Gold Coast, and all of its major professional sports teams.^[1]

The Gold Coast is currently home to two professional sports teams: the Suns of the Australian Football League and the Titans of the National Rugby League. There is a long history of professional sports teams basing themselves in the city and folding, rebranding or relocating shortly after. The Gold Coast has seen several teams in the Australian Football League, National Rugby League, National Basketball League and A-League come and go over the last three decades. As of the end of 2014, Gold Coast-based professional sports teams have a combined 45-year Grand Final drought, having fallen at the preliminary final stage four times. The recurring troubles appear to revolve around poor on field performances, financial problems, ownership issues, stadium curses and/or under performing shortly after signing a marquee player.

Origin of the curse

The exact origin of the curse is unknown but various theories have been put forward. One of the more popular theories involves a broken 30-year agreement between the Bears and the Albert Shire Council. In late 1988 Bears owner Christopher Skase took out a 30-year lease on Carrara Stadium and just a few short years later the team relocated to Brisbane and broke the agreement. The theory states that the Gold Coast has been cursed for the duration of the 30-year lease that will expire in 2018, the year the city hosts the Commonwealth Games.^[2]

Poor performances

Of the six major professional sports in Australia (Australian rules football, basketball, cricket, rugby league, rugby union and soccer) the Gold Coast has had a series of unsuccessful professional franchises set up in the city. Cricket is the only major sport that is yet to test the Gold Coast sporting market. The Gold Coast-based Bears were the first professional sports team to set up base in the city in 1987 and performed extremely poorly in the six seasons they were based at Carrara Stadium. The Bears would collect two wooden spoons, three second-last finishes and a 10th place finish before permanently relocating to Brisbane.

The Gold Coast-Tweed Giants were established in 1988 and only lasted two unsuccessful seasons before being rebranded as the Gold Coast Seagulls. The Seagulls would pick up three wooden spoons in their six seasons that didn't include a finals appearance. In 1990 the Gold Coast Cougars entered the National Basketball League and were rebranded as the Rollers the following season after a poor inaugural season. The Rollers would last six unsuccessful seasons, which included one wooden spoon, before folding. The Gold Coast Chargers were established in 1996 as a replacement for the Seagulls. The Chargers made Gold Coast sporting history in 1997 when they reached the finals and were able to win a finals match in the process. Despite the successful 1997 season, the Chargers had two poor seasons in 1996 and 1998 which would see the NRL dump them from the competition.

After a 9-year hiatus, professional sport returned to the Gold Coast in 2007 when the Gold Coast Titans were established. In 2010 the Titans reached the preliminary final and fell one game short of becoming the first Gold Coast team to reach a Grand Final. As of the end of 2014, the Titans have reached the finals just twice in their 8-year history and picked up a wooden spoon in 2011. Professional basketball returned to the city in 2007 when the Blaze were established. The Blaze was the most successful of the all Gold Coast teams by reaching the finals three times in their five seasons but did pick up a wooden spoon in 2009. A professional soccer team was established on the Gold Coast in 2009 but only lasted three seasons which included two finals appearances and one wooden spoon. In 2011 the Suns were established and received the wooden spoon in their first season.

In total, the Gold Coast has received 11 wooden spoons and has only reached the finals 8 times over the combined 45-year period. The city has never had a team reach a Grand Final, let alone win a national championship/premiership.

Financial problems

The Gold Coast-based Bears were the first professional team to run into major financial issues when it was revealed in 1989 that owner Christopher Skase had spent $29 million propping up the team for three seasons. A year later Skase's Qintex group collapsed and Gold Coast philanthropist Reuben Pelerman took over ownership of the struggling Bears. Pelerman would lose a further $10 million between 1990-1992 and decided to permanently relocate the team to Brisbane in 1993.^[3] Although the Seagulls represented the Gold Coast, their leagues club was based just over the Queensland-New South Wales border which allowed the club to produce revenue through gaming machines as it was legal practice in New South Wales but not in Queensland. In 1991 the Gaming Machine Act passed in Queensland which caused considerable damage to the Seagulls' bottom line. The Seagulls would withdraw from the NSWRL in 1995 due to financial strains.^[4]

The Rollers had their NBL licence revoked in 1996 due to financial difficulties.^[5] In 2012 it was revealed three of the four Gold Coast-based franchises had run into financial trouble and two would fold as a result. Shortly after having his A-League licence stripped, Clive Palmer revealed he had lost $18 million during his three-year stint as owner of Gold Coast United.^[6] The franchise would fold at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season. Blaze owners invested $12 million into the franchise before shutting down the club in early 2012.^[7] The Titans fell into $35 million debt by mid-2012.^[8] Chairwoman Rebecca Frizelle revealed the Titans were just weeks away from folding.^[9] A creditor's report released a month later confirmed the extent of the damage for the Titans.^[10]

Ownership issues

Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer was known for his antics.

Christopher Skase was the first controversial owner of a Gold Coast sporting franchise when he funded the establishment of the Gold Coast-based Bears. He was particularly known for his extravagance and seemingly endless amounts of money. During the launch of the Bears in 1987, Skase handed VFL chief executive Ross Oakley an empty envelope that was supposed to contain a $4 million cheque which was the team's licence fee.^[11] In 1988 Skase organised for prized recruit Warwick Capper to be given a penthouse at the five-star Mirage resort which included his own personal butler and private concerts with John Farnham. Skase also bought Capper a menswear shop and a $145,000 vase as a wedding present.^[12] He would often travel to the games at Carrara in a helicopter or a luxury boat and on one occasion had his barber fly from Brisbane to cut his hair during a Bears game.^[13] Mark Williams revealed in 2008 that Skase would fly in food on game days from Maxim's restaurant on Toorak Road in Melbourne and had the Bears players living at the high-end Park Royal hotel in Surfers Paradise where they were served seafood platters every day.^[14] In late 1989 Skase's Qintex group collapsed and he fled to Spain.^[15] The move almost ended the Bears permanently if not for Gold Coast businessman Reuben Pelerman taking over ownership of the club.^[16]

In 1996 charismatic businessman Jeff Muller was notoriously stripped of his rugby league licence before the team ever took to the field after rumours had surfaced his wife was picking the team based on player's posteriors.^[17] Similar to Skase, former Titans owner and CEO Michael Searle gave the impression of financial security but was later found to have left the Titans in turmoil. After years of presumed off field success, it was revealed in 2012 that Searle had plunged the Titans into $35 million debt.^[18] The crippling situation nearly ended the Titans who were eventually taken over by the NRL in 2015.

Controversial Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer was known for being outspoken against several rulings made by the governing body and questionable decisions. Prior to Gold Coast United entering the A-League, Palmer arrogantly declared his team would go through their first season undefeated and provided a private jet to help with travelling.^[19] The team experienced its first loss after four games. He first tested the governing body's patience in 2009 when he introduce a crowd cap of 5000.^[20] A year later Palmer decided to reintroduce the crowd cap.^[21] In early 2012 he insisted 17-year-old Mitch Cooper captain the team on debut.^[22] Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg labeled the decision farcical and was subsequently suspended by Palmer.^[23] A week later Palmer forced his players to wear playing shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Freedom of speech" during a game against Melbourne Victory.^[24] Four days later he was stripped of his A-League licence and the club would fold a month later.^[25]

Marquee signings, little success

Rugby League Immortal Wally Lewis joined the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1991 and captain-coached the club to three successive wooden spoons.

Warwick Capper became the first marquee signing to move to the Gold Coast when he joined the Bears in 1988 on a three-year $1.2 million contract.^[26] Capper had kicked 103 goals in 1987 for the Sydney Swans and was considered the premier forward in the competition at the time. Capper had a disappointing stint with the Bears and would only kick 71 goals total between 1988-1990. In 1988 the Giants secured Ron Gibbs as their first marquee signing.^[27] Gibbs had been a part of the 1987 Premiership winning side at Manly and was a New South Wales representative. The Giants would not have success during Gibbs' three-year tenure, finishing second last in twice. The Seagulls pulled off a major coup in 1991 when future Rugby League Immortal Wally Lewis agreed to move to the Gold Coast. The major signing did not translate into on field success as the Seagulls received the wooden spoon in 1991 and Lewis was given the role of captain-coach for 1992.^[28] The team once again received the wooden spoon in 1992 and Lewis decided to retire as a player and focus solely on coaching in 1993. The move was not a fruitful one as the Seagulls picked up a third successive wooden spoon in 1993 and Lewis cut all ties with the club.

2005 NRL Premiership winning captain and Clive Churchill Medalist Scott Prince joined the Titans in 2007 as the club's inaugural marquee signing when he signed a contract worth $1.6 million.^[29] After a few poor seasons, he captained the club to its best result of a preliminary final in 2010 but the team lost the home final to the Roosters and subsequently fell one game shy of a Grand Final appearance. In 2009 Prince signed a five-year contract extension with the Titans that would keep him a "Titan for life".^[30] Following the 2012 season, the Titans arranged for Prince to be moved to the Brisbane Broncos despite being contracted for another two seasons. In 2008 the Blaze signed former Boomers star Shane Heal and looked to build on a playoffs appearance the season before.^[31] The Blaze finished in last place by the end of the 2008-09 season and Heal subsequently retired.

Socceroo Jason Culina became Gold Coast United's first marquee player in 2009 when agreed to a three-year contract worth $3.6 million.^[32] Culina had been playing with European giants PSV Eindhoven and was considered to be one of the biggest signings ever made in the A-League. He captained the club to a third placing in the 2009-10 season but unexpectedly lost a home final to the sixth placed Newcastle Jets in penalties. Less than a year later he was released from the final 13 months of his marquee contract after requesting to negotiate elsewhere.^[33] In 2012 Jamal Idris agreed to join the Titans on a five-year contract worth $1.8 million and became the club's newest marquee signing.^[34] Idris was considered to be one of the best young players in the NRL and had already represented New South Wales and Australia. Injuries and weight problems prevented Idris from ever fulfilling his potential with the Titans and was granted an immediate release just two years into his five-year contract.^[35]

Stadium curse

While the Bears were based on the Gold Coast, local media outlets often referred to the dwindling crowds and poor on field results as the Curse of Carrara.^[36] The Gold Coast Bulletin later superimposed a picture of two white elephants at Carrara Stadium to further enforce the point. Former Titans owner and CEO Michael Searle once suggested that the newly created Gold Coast Suns would disappear into the Carrara 'black hole' with in five years.^[37]

2009 stadium demolition

In late 2009 the Suns made the decision to demolish the old Christopher Skase-built Carrara Stadium and build a new $144.2 million stadium on the same site.^[38] Some believe the demolition of the stadium signified the Gold Coast sports curse being lifted for the newly created AFL team and point to several signs as proof that are typically issues for Gold Coast teams. After the new stadium opened in May 2011, it took the Suns until Round 20 of the following season to finally win its first home game at the venue, which they did by defeating Greater Western Sydney by 30 points.^[39] In their short history, the Suns have improved each season since entering the AFL, have not run into financial problems, have not been involved in a major on-or-off field scandal, has never had an opposition player kick double-figure goals against them, has not lost a match by more than 100 points since Round 14, 2012, have avoided private ownership and had their marquee signing, Gary Ablett, Jr. win the highest individual honour in the league.^[40] Others believe the curse won't be officially lifted until a Gold Coast-based team is able to win a premiership/championship in one of the national sports leagues.

Failed teams

Media outlets have often labelled the Gold Coast a sporting graveyard.^[41][42][43] A total of 9 professional teams have folded, rebranded or relocated. Former Bears CEO Andrew Ireland attempted to relocate the team from the Gold Coast to Brisbane several times, much to the dismay of owner Christopher Skase and a vocal fan base who believed Ireland was "taking their club away".^[44] Ireland's persistence eventually paid off in late 1992 when the Bears relocated to Brisbane and the Gold Coast was left without an AFL team for 19 years.

References