Official release from Football Federation Australia

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has today announced that Gold Coast United Football Club will not be represented in the Hyundai A-League 2012/13 season.

FFA has made the assessment that the a level of public and corporate support on the Gold Coast for a Hyundai A-League team falls below the minimum requirements for a professional club.

In addition, a viable business plan and adequate capital investment have not materialised over the past six weeks since the termination of the license held by Gold Coast United Pty Ltd on 29 February.

"FFA is bitterly disappointed that Gold Coast United Pty Ltd failed to develop a market for football on the Gold Coast over the past three seasons," said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.

"Today's decision to exit can be directly attributed to Gold Coast United Pty Ltd's lack of community engagement and its inability to build a football culture around the club.

"We acknowledge the hard work and commitment over the past six weeks by Football Queensland, Gold Coast Football Association, the Gold Coast players and coach Mike Mulvey. The team showed great professionalism and pride in performance in the way they completed the season.

"FFA's mandate is to govern for the good of the game and this decision is the only responsible course to take in ensuring we have a sustainable Hyundai A-League."

The potential for a National Youth League team to remain on the Gold Coast is currently under discussion with Football Queensland.

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