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Gold Coast to host Fulham

1 May 2009 | 09:14 - SBS

EPL opposition ... Gold Coast United boss Clive Palmer (left) pictured with coach Miron Bleiberg (AAP)

Gold Coast United will lift the veil on their Skilled Park home with a pre-season duel against touring Fulham on July 9 - just three days before Celtic take on their arch-adversaries Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium.


Mark Schwarzer's Cottagers, currently seventh in the Premier League, will complete their Australian itinerary two days later with a clash against A-League champions Melbourne Victory.

Gold Coast hope to recoup a large slice of an estimated $300,000 outlay by attracting a 20,000-plus crowd to their 27,000-capacity crucible.

United CEO Clive Mensink confirmed the clash would go ahead when he told The World Game: "We have agreed in principal to play Fulham. It's going to be a tremendous way for us to introduce ourselves to our supporters on home soil.

"We hope they will come in droves to watch two very good teams and enjoy Socceroos team-mates Jason Culina and Mark Schwarzer facing off against each other.

United's billionaire boss Clive Palmer, who has also earmarked pre-season road trips against the national teams of New Caledonia, Singapore and Hong Kong, added: "We'll have our top squad together for the Fulham game. We feel it's the sort of quality fixture which will grab the attention of the Gold Coast public.

"If we beat them, then we'd fancy ourselves against anybody. It will be an excellent barometer of how good we are, and I'm sure we'll do well."

United, who are still awaiting the arrival of a host of key squad members, began their footballing life on Thursday night by crushing local Premier League outfit Mudgeeraba - without a win this season - 12-1 in a practice match played over two 30-minute halves in front of 1000 inquisitive fans at the suburban Sidd Bigg Park.

The game is part of a promotional blitz around the city with the A-League expansion club due to play a host more local sides before they ramp up their preparations for the new season with a clash against Perth Glory in WA and a collision with fellow newcomers North Queensland Fury in Cairns.

Refereed by United coach Miron Bleiberg, it was a contest only in the loosest sense of the word but offered a glimpse of what Gold Coast fans can expect in 2009-10 from Oceania Player of the Year Shane Smeltz, who found the net nine times.

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