Player power kicks in ... to get Energy back for CQ
BRYCE Ruthven isn't going down without a fight.
The former CQFC Energy player is urging Central Queenslanders to join him in fighting for the region's right to have a local team in the National Premier League competition.
The move comes after the Energy were stripped of their licence last week, and removed from the competition for the remainder of the 2014 NPL season.
Ruthven and his CQFC team-mate Jordan Miller started a campaign to convince Football Queensland the region needed an NPL squad.
Ruthven created Facebook page, Save the CQ NPL Team, to push his message, and said it had already gained enormous support.
"As a playing group, we all want to keep playing in the NPL and have set up the page to try and get support for an NPL team in CQ," he said.
"We came up with the idea of the Facebook group to prove that there is support for an NPL team in CQ, other than just word of mouth.
"We didn't have a goal set (for Likes on the page) but to have over 500 in under 48 hours is great. It's more than the CQFC Energy page had."
HELP SAVE THE CQ NPL TEAM
Like the Save the CQ NPL Team page on Facebook
Pledge sponsorship support by messaging Bryce Ruthven on the Facebook page
Ruthven said CQFC senior players were meeting with Football Queensland boss Geoff Foster on Monday night to push their case.
"We are meeting with Geoff Foster to prove that there is support for a team, not only from here but from all around the State," he said.
"Realistically we could participate. We want Football Queensland to take control of the club.
"It's going to be easier for them to do that than to not have us in the competition.
"All of our accommodation, flights and games for the season are already organised.
"Football Queensland in the past supported the Gold Coast Stars when the Queensland State League was around (so) there's no reason they can't support us, and it will prove they care about the development of football in the region."
After uprooting his life to compete in the NPL, Ruthven said he wasn't going to let the opportunity slip through his fingers.
"We're making a stand by still training twice a week, and not joining local teams, to say we want an NPL team," Ruthven said.
"I was one of the players who moved up here to play ... it's disappointing from not just from a playing point of view but a whole life point of view."