Jets riled at rumours of club facing budget cuts

Newcastle Jets boss Lawrie McKinna has insisted it’s business as usual for the new A-League season.

Newcastle chief executive Lawrie McKinna: ‘We are pushing ahead very well and are expecting another great season’

Newcastle Jets boss Lawrie McKinna has insisted it’s business as usual for the new A-League ­season despite concerns in some quarters that they could face ­fin­ancial issues as a result of Donald Trump’s trade war with China.

As revealed in The Australian yesterday, Jets owner Chinese multi-billionaire Martin Lee appears to be under some financial pressure after seeing his LED lighting fortune cut in half in only five months as a result of the US President imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Chinese imports to the US.

Lee is chairman of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange-listed Ledman, which has seen its share price go from 11 Chinese renminbi ($2.25) to about 5.20 renminbi ($1.06) a share.

It is a situation, which The Australian revealed, that saw Lee approach club management several months ago with the idea of cutting the Jets players’ wage budget by $600,000. He eventually back-tracked amid suggestions it would have a telling affect on the club as it attempts to go one better after its loss to Melbourne Victory in last season’s grand final.

Still, McKinna is adamant that nothing has changed at the club and that they are operating without any issues.

A one-time mayor of Gosford and former Central Coast Mariners coach, McKinna, along with coach Ernie Merrick and football manager Joel Griffiths, was instrumental in the incredible turnaround at the Jets that saw them go from the wooden spoon in the 2016-17 season to within touching distance of the championship last season.

“There are no issues and we are operating as normal,” McKinna, speaking from Germany, told The Australian yesterday. “If anything, we are on an even better footing than we were last season.

“We have a slightly bigger budget. We had one of the smallest football staffs in the A-League but we have now hired two extra ­people and Joel is on full-time.”

McKinna took exception to suggestions the club “had only signed five new players” for this season. “We only signed five because that’s all we wanted to sign. We believe we already have a great squad,” he said. “Plus we wanted to make sure we re-signed some key players, and that is what we have done with the likes of Steven Ugarkovic, Dimi Petratos and Nigel Boogaard.

“As well, we have brought in Brazilian striker Jair and he is on a very decent contract. So our intentions are very clear.”

McKinna, who helped broker the deal for Lee to buy the Jets from Football Federation Australia for $5 million in May 2016, said the Chinese businessman is “as committed as ever” to the Jets.

“Martin loves the club, he loves his football and he deserves to have success,” McKinna added.

“Under him, we are seeing the club continually grow.”