It's no longer a matter of if Clive Palmer leaves the game, it's when. The maverick owner of Gold Coast United yesterday crossed a line in a newspaper interview which even the gun-shy Football Federation Australia cannot ignore. Frank Lowy is known to be livid, although not yet livid enough to publicly vent his anger. What is clear, though, is that the only way Gold Coast will be in next season's competition is if Palmer is no longer involved. Given that seems a highly unlikely scenario, get ready for a nine-team league. Having been endlessly provoked by Palmer for the entire three seasons his club has been in the A-League, Whitlam Square has unofficially had enough. Finally, the governing body seems ready to man up.

Chief executive Ben Buckley, who annoyed Palmer with his comments in an interview published in the Herald last Friday - when he said the time had come to ''make a serious evaluation'' of the future of Gold Coast - again stuck his head above the parapet yesterday to echo the sentiments of Lowy, his boss.

'Palmer’s ‘partnership’ with FFA has passed the point of no return.' Credit:Getty Images

''Football fans across Australia will today rightfully condemn the lack of respect inherent in comments made by Clive Palmer,'' Buckley said. ''The comments are offensive to the players, coaches, administrators and volunteers who are the life and soul of Australian football. We welcomed Clive into the game and lauded his investment, but no matter how frustrated Clive may feel about his involvement, these comments are out of order … he has obligations to the competition, his fellow club chairmen and investors in the other nine clubs, and to the game itself.''

Obligations, what obligations? Clearly stung by the hammering he copped across the multi-media platform following his decision to ''suspend'' coach Miron Bleiberg last week, the man who likes to remind everyone he's the richest man in Queensland has reacted with predictable venom, describing football as a ''hopeless game'', the A-League as a ''joke'', and effectively daring the FFA to strip him of his licence.