A-LEAGUE action will return to Townsville for the first time since the 2011 axing of the North Queensland Fury in August.

The Townsville Bulletin can reveal that the Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets have agreed to terms and will play a round robin pre-season tournament with matches on August 24, 27 and 30 at the Townsville Sports Reserve.

An official announcement is expected to be made later this week.

The three clubs will be in Townsville for a nine-day training camp as well as for the matches.

The Townsville Sports Reserve will receive a temporary upgrade to accommodate the influx of fans, with seating used in the Townsville 500 V8 Supercars event to be transplanted into the venue.

It will be the first time A-League sides have clashed in Townsville since Football Federation Australia controversially removed the Fury from the national league on March 1, 2011.

It is also believed to be the first pre-season tournament of its kind in Australia since the A-League was launched in 2004.

And with the 2014-15 A-League season to kick off on October 10, it is expected all three clubs will bring close to full-strength rosters North.

That could include Soccerroos returning from the World Cup in Brazil, with Newcastle players Mark Birighitti, Josh Brillante, Adam Taggart and Brisbane’s Ivan Franjic and Matt McKay named in Australia’s 30 man squad.

Former Fury players Jack Hingert, Matt Smith and Shane Stefanutto are all in Brisbane’s squad as well and could also play their first games in Townsville since being forced to leave in 2011.

The tournament is a major coup for both the sport and the city, with the Northern Fury — currently playing in the second tier National Premier League — operating on a five-year plan for readmission to the A-League.

The Fury will also play curtain-raiser matches as part of the tournament.