FORMER star striker Joel Griffiths will be front and centre of the Newcastle Jets’ public relations visit to China next week as the Ledman Group formally takes over the A-League club.
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Martin Lee’s company assumed control of the Jets from Football Federation Australia at midnight on Thursday with a promise to build bridges with the club’s long-suffering fans.
New chief executive Lawrie McKinna replaces interim CEO David Eland on Friday, and one of his first duties will be a four-day trip to China next week.
Griffiths, who played for Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua, two of China’s biggest clubs, will act as a Jets ambassador on the visit, which will include a press conference with Lee, McKinna and FFA boss David Gallop in Beijing on Wednesday.
The trip will also include a visit to Shenzhen, where Lee’s LED lighting firm is based, and a Beijing Guoan Chinese Super League game.
“We’ve asked him to come along because he was a superstar in Beijing, and straight away people look and go, ‘Yeah, Ledman owns Newcastle. Where’s Newcastle? Ah, Joel Griffiths,’” McKinna said on Thursday.
“He’s over the moon that he’s coming with us.
“He’ll be at the press conference because he’s a big name in Beijing.”
McKinna said Griffiths, the A-League golden boot in the Jets’ title-winning 2007-08 campaign, could play an important role in reconnecting the club with its fans.
“I’ll sit down and talk to him about an ongoing role, definitely, because I see him as a big part of the culture up here. Joel Griffiths was a big star with the Jets. He typifies what the Jets players used to be like.
“I think it’s important that Joel’s a part of this club, because he’s a big name here.
“You look at six years ago and the club made the finals, the crowds we were getting. Where’s those 5000 or 10,000 people gone?
“They’re still Jets fans, but they’re not coming to the game. What did they relate to? What was then and [not] now? Joel Griffiths.”
McKinna said he would organise a meeting soon with The Squadron, who have lobbied the club successfully to move to behind the goals at the southern end of the ground, and the club would hold a fan forum on July 20.
“We just want to open the doors and let punters ask questions as well,” he said.
“We don’t want to be hidden behind these glass doors and scared to answer questions. We have to be open. We want the fans to feel like they have a voice that can be heard.
“We can’t think they’re separate to the club; we need to engage them, to make them feel as though they’re part of the club.
“Scott Miller will be going through how the team’s going, how he’s thinking. I’ll give them a spiel on the Ledman Group and where the club’s hoping to head. We’ll hopefully get someone up from the FFA as well, we’ll get the captain involved.”
McKinna said there was “a lot of positivity” since training resumed this week.
“The coaches are over the moon with the vibe around training because these guys are all mates and they’re buzzing,” he said.
“Sometimes there have been certain players in the dressing room who have come from overseas that didn’t really fit in that culture. Scott’s very happy with who he’s brought in so far.
“It’s exciting for them as well with opportunities like we’re working on a trip to China [in August].”
