A-League boss Lyall Gorman wants Gold Coast United fans to return to Skilled Park for the club's next game.

United owner Clive Palmer opened the gates for free for yesterday's clash with Central Coast Mariners, which was rained out after 20 minutes, and around 10,000 showed up despite the horrible weather conditions.

It was by far Gold Coast's best A-League crowd but Gorman does not want it to be a one-off and hopes the locals return to show that there is a future for the club.

"There's still a bit of oxygen up here," Gorman said of the state of football on the Gold Coast.

"They [the fans] have got to come and prove that. There's a January 3 game and then a January 14 game [North Queensland Fury].

"They are telling games where they've got to come back and just really show Clive Palmer that it's worthwhile from his point of view."

Before yesterday's match, Gold Coast had averaged about 2,700 to their home games and although the tickets were free, a crowd of over 10,000 in inclement conditions shows that there is some life regarding support for the football club in the area.