Brisbane team ready to start training at Carrara Roar leave for Coast
BRISBANE Roar have moved their training base to the Gold Coast due to an ongoing dispute with Logan City Council over alleged unpaid bills.
The Roar start training on Monday at Carrara, where it’s understood they will use football fields on Gold Coast City Council land across the road from Metricon Stadium, the home of AFL club Gold Coast Suns.
The three-time A-League champions have trained at Logan Metro Sports Park since 2018 after the council invested more than $9m in the venue’s upgrade.
But the relationship between the parties has turned sour, with the Logan council suing the Roar over alleged unpaid utility bills – mostly water – to the value of $153,714.96.
In August, Roar CEO David Pourre said under a deal struck with previous Logan councillors, the water bills were waived.
In a September statement, Logan City Council said: “The lease approved by council and signed by Roar management clearly states that the Brisbane
Roar would pay water rates and other charges for the premises, which are otherwise provided rent-free in accordance with the sponsorship agreement.”
The council refused to make further comment on Friday night.
The matter remains in court, with the Roar’s football department having left the premises to set up a base at Carrara.
The Roar will also use facilities at the Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre, which is also operated by Gold Coast City Council.
The majority of Brisbane’s squad will start training on Monday for the new A-League season, which begins on December 27.
But the club’s reigning player of the year, English defender Macaulay Gillesphey, has just started a two-week quarantine period on his return from the United Kingdom.
Roar assistant coach Darren Davies will also spend a fortnight in quarantine, having also just returned from Britain.
Roar head coach Warren Moon is set to add ex-Brisbane Strikers coach Kevin Aherne-Evans to his staff.