Wear white or you’re out: Port’s ultimatum to Gold Coast in China
PORT Adelaide has issued Gold Coast an ultimatum to wear it’s white clash strip in their historic match in China or the deal is over.
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PORT Adelaide has issued Gold Coast an ultimatum to wear it’s white clash strip in their historic match in China or the deal is over after just one year.
As revealed by The Advertiser last week, the Power has asked both Gold Coast and the AFL that the Suns wear their white clash guernsey rather than traditional red and gold jumper - which matches China’s national colours - when they play in Shanghai on May 14.
Power president David Koch on Friday night revealed the demand is in the contract between the two clubs after Port Adelaide bought the rights to Gold Coast’s home game in order to take it to China.
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But both the Suns and the AFL have confirmed to News Corp that Gold Coast will wear its red and gold jumper.
Speaking on radio FIVEaa before the Power’s internal trial game on Friday Koch said:
“It is in our contract that they will play their away strip.
“We’ve been very clear with the Gold Coast. They’re keen to make it an annual event between the two of us.
“I’ve said this quite clearly from the start - if you want this to be only a one-year project for you, then you wear your home strip.
“If you want to be our partner for a number of years, and we understand the synergies between Gold Coast and Queensland and tourism (and China), well then you’ll wear your away strip.
“It’s not an ultimatum, it’s just very clear where we’re coming from.
“We’re paying you half-a-million dollars to buy your home game.”
When contacted, Gold Coast said its position on the guernsey debate remained unchanged and it declined to comment any further.
Koch also confirmed the Power’s commitment to playing in China would be for at least a decade.
“We’re there for at least 5-10 years, every year,” he said.
“We had three, four clubs wanting to play us, because they understand they can go up and leverage off our networks and get potential sponsors.”
In a statement issued by the AFL last week, the league confirmed Gold Coast as the team listed first on the fixture, would wear its home jumper.
“As per a standard Toyota AFL premiership season match between the Port Adelaide and Gold Coast Football Clubs at either of their home venues, the teams will wear their respective home guernseys and shorts during the Round 8 clash at Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai,” the statement said.
Gold Coast has worn its red and gold jumper in all seven of its matches against the Power since it entered the competition in 2011.
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as Wear white or you’re out: Port’s ultimatum to Gold Coast in China
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