Palmer flies banner for free speech

A helicopter carries a banner reading 'Freedom of Speech' before the round 23 A-League match between the Newcastle Jets and Gold Coast United at Hunter Stadium. Source: Getty Images

CLIVE Palmer continued to push his free speech message by hiring a helicopter to hover over Hunter Stadium flying a "Freedom of Speech" banner last night before Gold Coast United's clash with Newcastle.

FFA had banned Palmer, who last week started up rival organisation Football Australia, from buying advertising signage at the Newcastle venue.

Palmer will honour his pledge of an all expenses paid trip to Fiji for 15 Gold Coast players despite being stripped of the club's A-League licence.

Queensland's richest man has told The Courier-Mail that he will not be reneging on his promise, made to the United's squad that lost 1-0 to Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park on February 17.

The match was just a day after former coach Miron Bleiberg was suspended by Palmer for comments he made about the club owner's decision to appoint 17-year-old midfielder Mitch Cooper as stand-in skipper despite it being the youngster's A-League debut.

Bleiberg subsequently parted ways with the club, with Palmer insisting the mentor was sacked despite United's foundation coach announcing his resignation the day before his axing.

Palmer said he was proud of the young United side's performance against the Heart and believed the squad was more than deserving of a holiday reward.

"Even though the FFA has taken the licence off me, I'll still be rewarding my players," he said.

Palmer yesterday continued his verbal assault on FFA, saying the game's national governing body had "closed the door" on Gold Coast United and "jeopardised" football's development in the region.

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Palmer flies banner for free speech