Palmer funding offer given boot
NQ FOOTBALL has rejected a $ 100,000 sponsorship offer from Clive Palmer.
The rejection sparked explosive claims from Mr Palmer, who said politics had cost Townsville’s sporting families.
However, the two football organisations involved say the sponsorship offer was knocked back solely due to the terms of the contract.
Mr Palmer released a statement yesterday slamming the State Government for “playing politics” with Townsville children’s needs in relation to a $ 100,000 sponsorship offer he made to NQ Football.
His claims were rejected by NQ Football and Football Queensland who said his offer was declined purely on its merits.
Mr Palmer said he was approached by NQ Football general manager Declan Carnes, who Mr Palmer claimed told him the State Government and Townsville City Council “had refused to provide further financial support” to local soccer.
In a statement, Mr Palmer claimed Mr Carnes told him the organisation needed $ 100,000 otherwise the financial burden would fall on more than 3000 local families, many of whom could not afford it.
Mr Carnes confirmed he approached Mr Palmer seeking funding.
He said they had had some support from the council, but had no luck seeking further financial support from other tiers of government.
“There’s no doubt we’ll have to put fees up,” he said.
But Mr Carnes said the NQ Football board’s decision not to accept the sponsorship offer was solely based on “the terms of the contract”.
Mr Palmer also claimed Townsville Deputy Mayor Les Walker, a former member of the NQ Football board, tried to block his donation at an executive meeting.
Cr Walker resigned from the board in June after a Football.
He said he had “never been at a convened board meeting that has discussed any donation from Queensland Nickel Industries, or any other party associated with QNI or Mr Palmer”.
He told the Bulletin in June his resignation had been tendered as he sought to withdraw from community organisations to remove any risk or perception of conflicts of interest.
Mr Palmer claimed once Cr Walker had left, the NQ Football board was keen to press on with the sponsorship deal. But Mr Palmer claimed a message was delivered that the State Government would cut funding to Football Queensland if it allowed NQ Football to accept Mr Palmer’s offer.
Football Queensland general manager Richard Griffiths scoffed at Mr Palmer’s claims.
“The board of NQ Football looked at the proposal and upon viewing the proposal, made the decision ( not to proceed),” Mr Griffiths said.
He said Football Queensland had no input into any NQ Football board decision.
“We’re just trying to run the game as best we can,” Mr Griffiths said. 12- month stint with NQ