The Newscastle Jets lose $A2-$3 million each year. Photo / Getty Images
All Whites forward Jeremy Brockie may have played himself into more financial difficulties in soccer's A-League following revelations his new club Newcastle is facing a cashflow crisis.
Brockie left one of last season's expansion teams North Queensland Fury when the Townsville-based franchise was in danger of collapse.
Now the midfielder
faces a similar predicament at the Jets, with the club today admitting it was struggling to pay players and its creditors.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper today reported Newcastle chairman Con Constantine, who has owned the club since its creation in 2000, has been forced to approach the Football Federation Australia (FFA) for a loan to help the club through the next few months.
The FFA is pondering whether it should step in to save the ailing club, which, despite operating on the league's tightest budget, continues to lose $A2-$3 million each year - with Constantine footing the shortfall.
A-League chief executive Lyall Gorman declined to reveal how far the FFA would be prepared to assist the Jets but said the league had opened talks with the club.
"We've been made aware of some short-term financial issues with the Newcastle Jets and that they've fallen behind in meeting some of their short-term financial obligations," he said.
"We're working with them to try and better understand what that looks like and how short-term it is. Hopefully, we can find out as quickly as possible the full extent of what the real issues are."
Jets chief executive John Tsatsimas confirmed funds were not available to cover all the costs of running the club.
"It's true that we're experiencing some financial issues at this point in time, and certainly we've fallen behind in a couple of areas.
"We've been unable to keep up with certain creditors, and this week we haven't been able to pay the players."
Constantine remained confident the club's financial problems could be solved with short-term assistance.
"I don't want a handout. I just need a little help to get over this obstacle and, in the future, I promise everything will be tidied up."
Constantine vowed "every dollar the FFA gives to me will be given back", and that he specifically wanted to cover the players' wages.
- NZPA
