Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer has reacted furiously to Football Federation Australia's decision to strip his club of its A-League licence, labelling its chairman Frank Lowy "a dictator who has lost the plot".
Lowy's decision has served only to stir up the billionaire, who threatened a legal stoush less than 90 minutes after Lowy's announcement that Gold Coat United had lost its licence owing to "clear breaches" of the Club Participation Agreement.
“We have been given no notice, we have had no hearing and we will pursue this in the high court in pursuit of natural justice,” Palmer said.
“We don't know what the charge is and Frank Lowy has behaved in the manner of a dictator. He has asked for a fight and now he has one.
“Mr Lowy will have his day in court. He will be cross examined. We'll seek to have the FFA's records opened up over the multi-million salaries of their top executives and we will expose their poor corporate governance.”
Palmer, who has been at loggerheads with FFA for the best part of two years, claims to have tipped $18 million into the club and is adamant Gold Coast United will field a team next year, even if it means financing a breakaway league.
“I have the resources to go out and form a 10-team competition of my own and perhaps that's what I will do. If Mr Lowy wants to take on my wealth against his, let's bring it on,” he said.
Palmer, who praised Lowy earlier in the day, went on the attack this afternoon, claiming United has been punished over his quest to bring “transparency and corporate governance” to the code.
He added: “I have been seeking changes in the running of the game behind the scenes for some time. I don't like to see anybody getting pushed around. Not many people have the means I have to fight this and fight this I will because a terrible injustice has been done.
“The game doesn't belong to Frank Lowy, the owners or me. It's about the supporters and the public and they deserve better.”
Palmer already has the support of Perth Glory owner Tony Sage, who insisted that a nine-team competition next season would be deeply devalued.
“It's the last thing anybody needs, especially with the rights for a new TV deal being negotiated and no immediate sign of there being a second Sydney team,” Sage said.
“The very worst thing right now for the competition is to lose a team at this time.
“While Frank Lowy as chairman of the FFA has every right to be critical of Clive and the way he goes about things, it's patently unjust that (Palmer) has been castigated elsewhere by people who have never put a penny into the game, let alone the $18 million Clive has invested.”
While not agreeing with Palmer's public criticism of the governing body, an attack which saw him call for the head of FFA chief executive Ben Buckley as well as insist FFA's top brass was grossly over-paid, fellow minerals magnate Sage revealed that he and the other eight owners supported Palmer's demands, which include the appointment of a representative of the clubs on the FFA board.
“The owners have been meeting with Frank Lowy one-on-one over the past few weeks and voicing their concerns. I've had my meeting with him and others have too.
“I chose to do it that way and Clive chose to go public, which isn't the way I'd have done it.”
In the interim, FFA is to seek talks with the Gold Coast United players in a bid to persuade them to enter into an agreement to play the final four games of the season. The governing body has said it will pay the players' wages.
Wellington Phoenix has also been informed of the possibility that Sunday's round 22 match against Gold Coast United at Westpac Stadium could be called off.
Phoenix is keen for the match to go ahead.
Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison said the club would work with FFA to explore every avenue possible to ensure the game is played as scheduled.
