Michael Searle the right man for Gold Coast Titans, says Chris Close
by: Margie McDonald
From: The Australian
March 23, 2012 12:00AM
GOLD Coast business manager and former international Chris Close yesterday came out with guns blazing in defence of besieged Titans managing director Michael Searle.
"If I want someone running my ship under the circumstances he's been dealt, then certainly I'm backing Michael," Close said.
Searle has maintained the football part of the Titans is viable and will turn a profit this year, despite the financial problems facing the organisation's property arm.
And Close said the Titans would not fold as the previous incarnations of the Gold Coast -- the Giants (1988-89), Seagulls (1990-95), Gladiators (1996) and Chargers (1996-98) -- did.
"Look at this way, there's been many people who have trodden the path before him (four previous clubs) that didn't have the process, the resilience, the commitment or the amount of intelligence Michael has to get the thing off the ground and running," he said.
Close said the financial strife concerning the club's Centre of Excellence was being confused with the other issue of whether the Titans could afford their high-quality playing roster. Just this week, they added Dave Taylor from South Sydney for next year. And they are chasing Test utility Cooper Cronk.
"Do you think some of the players attracted here would have come if the place was so abysmal?" Close said. "Ask them and they'll tell you they came here because Michael Searle rejuvenated their love of playing football. The Centre of Excellence is a whole different set of circumstances."
Close said former players Preston Campbell, Clinton Toopi and Dean Widders were running community programs on health, welfare, education and training that were set up by Searle and now had Queensland and federal government backing.
"It is a reality, we are making a difference to young people's lives," he said.
