Sunshine Coast Fire FC issued ‘possible elimination’ letter from Football Queensland

A Queensland football club is on the cusp of a legal stoush with its own governing body after being told they were being removed from the state’s top senior league and junior affiliates. Go inside the dispute

Sunshine Coast Fire.

The Sunshine Coast Fire FC are threatening legal action against their own governing body, accusing it of ‘trying to destroy the club’ after they were told it was being removed from the top senior state league competition and junior affiliates.

On October 10 the Fire received a legal letter from Football Queensland advising them they had ‘no right to continued participation’.

Documents attained by this masthead read that the Fire had not been invited to apply for a new license for the NPL.

They may apply for Football Queensland affiliation if they wish, which would allow them to participate in the lower tier competitions.

Both FQPL1 sides finished clear of relegation in 2023 with the men’s ending up in ninth spot and the under 23s in eighth.

Sunshine Coast Fire’s managing director Noel Woodall said he was blindsided by the decision.

“We have no clue why Football Queensland has taken this action against us,” he said.

“We’ve had ongoing problems with FQ for some years and I have a theory as to why that is being done but I’d rather deal with that in a courtroom if necessary.

“They’ve given us no explanation, no reasoning why and because the contracts are yearly they’re just not renewing ours.”

Football Queensland were approached but declined to comment.

On October 17 it was reported by Football Queensland their Provisional Declaration of Leagues for Under 9-18 Boys for 2024.

The Sunshine Coast Fire were the only Queensland club to be removed from all of the above divisions.

Mr Woodall said the decision was unjust.

“There’s no secret that there’s been hostility between the Fire and FQ because we have been unhappy with the performance of FQ and we haven't been shy in saying so,” he said.

“We knew that if we were outspoken and stood up for our members, within our rights, that FQ don’t like that.

“We’re not surprised by the action, we think it’s totally unjustified but because of the conduct we’ve had from them previously it doesn’t surprise me.”

Noel Woodall pictured in 2012. Picture: Warren Lynam.

Woodall said the club had engaged a King’s Counsel to undertake the necessary steps to contest the decision.

In May it was reported by this masthead that the Fire had progressed to the second phase of Football Australia’s national second division.

Whether or not the club would enter it’s senior men’s team into the national second division was still unclear, but either way this decision would impact the Fire’s lower tiered senior men’s and women’s teams as well as their junior sides.

Woodall said the support from parents, players and the wider football community had been positive.

“They (FQ) are trying to destroy us or cause us damage so that parents and players feel like they don’t have anywhere to play,” he said.

“At the end of the day a lot of the parents are with the Fire because of the quality of our training programs and what we’ve been able to deliver through the results that the kids are achieving.

“Out of the huge number of we’ve got the majority of parents have been very positive and very supportive.”

The shocking news follows another dispute between the two parties in August, with just two regular season rounds remaining, the Fire’s under 16s girls team were stripped 39 ladder points for fielding ineligible players.

The team consisted of three 15-year-olds and three 13-year-olds that opted to play up in the under 16s division to better their skills.

In 2022 all younger-age players received dispensation from FQ to play in the u15s competition before moving to the u16s in 2023.

Instead of being celebrated as minor premiers, sitting 17 points clear of second place with a positive 103 goal differential, the team fell to sixth place and were unable to qualify for the finals.