$2k for kids to kick ball

Parents reveal costs amid Gold Coast City fallout

LUDOVIC Mahu says his young son was part of a failing system and mismanaged club that had parents forking out nearly $3000 to play soccer on the Gold Coast.

Mr Mahu has spoken out about the increasing fees families were forced to pay at the defunct Gold Coast City National Premier Leagues Queensland team.

Gold Coast City — owned and operated by Palm Beach Soccer Club — increased play- ing fees from around $1400 in 2013 to $2725 in 2017, one of the most expensive in the country.

Parents were told the fees included the hire of fields at Runaway Bay Sports Complex where the juniors played just three games this season.

Fees also allegedly included three mandatory Soccer Genius — a development tool — but many were given just one lesson.

Mr Mahu — whose son played under-12s at City this year — said the club held a monopoly on fees as the only NPLQ team on the Gold Coast and families were given no real services in return while the club bled money each year.

“One of parents actually challenged one of the board members about the price. We found it was very expensive.

“We never really had the feedback on the players or any information on what our kids were doing.”

Mr Mahu’s son has managed to link up with new NPLQ team Gold Coast United but 150 Gold Coast City junior players were left with nowhere to go following the loss of the club’s NPLQ licence.

Football Queensland met with Gold Coast City officials to discuss a solution for the 150 stranded players but are yet to confirm a resolution.

Chairman of new NPLQ team Gold Coast United, Danny Maher, said the astronomical fees pointed to a wider funding issue in the sport that made it increasingly difficult for players to chase their dreams of becoming an elite professional player.

United’s fees stand at $1900 — one of the cheapest in Queensland — on the back of the Sports Gold Coast funding model offered to Palm Beach SC that has reaped around $2 million in sponsorship already.

Mr Maher said the football code was at risk of losing talent to other sports because not all families could afford to pay the fees and the added costs associated with travelling to games in Ipswich, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

“If you’re a state level player your parents better be able to pay $10,000 to $15,000 for the year.

“If you have two or three kids at state level — which often is the case — your family is looking at $40,000 to $50,000 a year.

“It’s got to change. There is no magic solution right now but that is the model.”