Mariners report profit for financial year
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Central Coast have delivered a shot in the arm to the financial security of the A-League by announcing a profit for the first time in their four-year history today.
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The Mariners had entered the inaugural competition as the A-League’s smallest club and facing arguably the biggest challenge in terms of long-term survival.
But they have constantly punched above their weight – both on and off the field – and with today’s announcement of a financial gain for 2007/08, believed to be about $300,000, continue to rank as one of the league’s greatest success stories.
“It is a tremendous effort,” said Peter Turnbull, the deputy chairman and majority shareholder of the Mariners, who now boast an annual turnover of $7 million.
“It is a reflection of the outstanding work of everyone associated with the Mariners, from the playing group, coaching staff and administration to our members and supporters that we have been able to progress from a concept on a sheet of paper to a turnover of $7 million within three years.
“The directors and management of the club have been working feverishly off the field to capitalise on the outstanding on-field success the club has enjoyed to provide solid foundations for the Mariners to prosper well into the future.
“We must also thank each of our sponsors and corporate supporters, who last season contributed some $3 million to our cause.”
Managing director Lyall Gorman added the news was a promising sign for the club, but said the Mariners would not be resting on their laurels having already set the ambitious mark of becoming “Australia’s premier football club”.
Towards that end, the club today launched a Mariners Academy to provide a pathway for footballers from as young as eight through to the recently introduced National Youth League and, ultimately, the A-League.
“The Mariners Academy is a cornerstone element of our ambition to become the centre of excellence for football in Australia,” Gorman said.
While yet to claim the A-League championship, the Mariners remain one of the most successful clubs over the opening three years of the competition having won a minor premiership and pre-season cup, as well as featuring in two grand finals.
Central Coast will also make their debut in the 2009 Asian Champions League.
The Mariners’ announcement will no doubt be music to the ears of Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy.
Lowy last month claimed the sport’s finances were “reasonably sound” but said one of the biggest challenges remained to get all clubs operating in the black in the coming years.
While the majority are still running at a loss, Melbourne Victory did post a profit last year, with Sydney FC chairman Andrew Kemeny expecting his club to break even in two years.
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, meanwhile, will make good use of this weekend’s FIFA match-day break to assist New Caledonia’s preparation for the first leg of their Oceania World Cup playoff against New Zealand in Noumea on Saturday.
The second leg of the tie will be played in Auckland next Wednesday, with the winner to face the fifth-placed Asian qualifier for a World Cup berth – as well as advance to next year’s Confederations Cup tournament.
© AAP 2013
September 3rd 2008 @ 2:45pm
jimbo said | September 3rd 2008 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
Well done Mariners.
I’m sure Lawrie McKenna drives an 1100cc VW and takes his shopper dockets to the petrol station.
Excellent use of limited resources and a true story of a club built from virtually nothing using community spirit as well as professional abilties.
After last weekends victory over the Roar, the Mariners will be in the reckoning again for the GTS.
September 3rd 2008 @ 11:47pm
Midfielder said | September 3rd 2008 @ 11:47pm | Report comment
Without doubt the club everyone said would fail. I can even remember Les giving the Mariners a serve very early on before Hal 1 even started. Then Les again a few weeks into Hal 1, was talking to Fozzia and bemoaning that the Mariners where in and South Melbourne were not. Even forecast we would not make Hal 2.
The Flying Circus had Mt York, and Lippy …… very few football people thought it would survive with the bling so close. We also had an Anglo coach and manager who was also considered luckily to have a job in front of many better candidates like Eddie Krncevic, Branko & Nick Theo.
Even Gosford did not want us much …….. second best ……..WE WANT A LEAGUE TEAM. Bluetounge stadium opposite the Central Coasts League Club the irony was dripping.
Even in a little regional town the Mariners found it hard to get much media. Also one of the few areas in and around were rugby league had player numbers somewhere near football around 4, 000 to football 10, 000. Many a time this is a league town so FO you sissy soccer diving bastards. BTW today these figures are football 16, 000 and league are under 3, 000 I am told.
As Les said this team will fail.
How they did it was so simple. The coach created a relationship with the 20 local football teams, by first assigning a player to each club and sending that player to the club about twice per month to help with training take shirts for club raffles get players to sign anything they wanted. Had each player allotted a number of schools where they went and did training sessions with the kids playing football.
Then LM set about getting to every one of the local 20 teams and with the entire Mariners squad, players and coaches and ran training nights with each club. LM himself took a big BBQ to these nights and cooked thousands of sausages spoke politely to every Mum who had a question, every Dad wanting advice about training.
They had no money but they knew there were football people in the association clubs and playing football at school and he just went and spoke to them treated them with respect and gave his advice on how to play the game.
Then people started calling up the radio stations why don’t you talk about the Mariners more, questions started to be asked of the local press. LM even won over Singo, how as Singo has often said because he treated me fairly and was always there and working his guts out.
There is not a school fate, or a local football club, that does not see a Mariner, even John Aloisi had to do his bit. The Mariners just built a club around the football community they found themselves in, no BS media campaigns (they had no money anyway to run them) just hard work.
Today they talk about the Mariners model …… it is so simple connect with the park clubs that’s were we have the one advantage over the other codes ….. and simply talk to them give them advise on how to kick a ball, about shape,.
Seven million dollars turnover pales against S14 / AFL / RL budgets, but built from nothing is a very good nay excellent achievement ……….. go the Mariners and lets hope one day the Sh*tty Choppers will finally find a way to connect to their football community.
September 4th 2008 @ 10:26am
Midfielder said | September 4th 2008 @ 10:26am | Report comment
Also all our sponsors are local, with no one big sponsor. Combined the local business sponsors bring in over 3 million with the largest sponsor being the “Central Coast Credit Union” at $300, 000.
But we have 12 sponsors who pay more than $ 150, 000 essentially the local community realise how large the football family is and support it.
The community connection to the broader football family has been seen as an asset by local business A good example is one of the early sponsors was a real estate group of ten agents who paid I think $ 150, 000 in Hal 1 and are still there in Hal 4.
September 4th 2008 @ 10:34am
True Tah said | September 4th 2008 @ 10:34am | Report comment
Midfielder,
maybe the CCM can start looking at taking over parts of northern Sydney, they seem to gel a lot more with their futbol community than Sydney FC has done with its 1 million local players, they have done an outstanding job, along with the Knights, Geelong Cats and ACT Brumbies are the blueprint for successful regional teams
September 4th 2008 @ 10:51am
Midfielder said | September 4th 2008 @ 10:51am | Report comment
TT
They already do and in a huge way the best way example is below I have done some cut and paste about the plans for elite junior development below.
Its not the entire thing just those bits that give and indication of the Mariners physiology and to answer your question about northern Sydney.
Also Yikes if you read this and for Westy as well ……. I have often talked about park sport and my previous posts in this thread show how to aline with park teams, this is how you build player numbers and parent support.
………………………..
The Central Coast Mariners’ one of a kind youth development pathways and talent identification structures have today been formalised with the launch of the Mariners Academy – a Hyundai A-League first for elite young players.
The Mariners Academy will provide a straight-line pathway for aspirant footballers from as young as 8-years-old through to the recently introduced National Youth League and ultimately to the premier level of domestic football in Australia – the Hyundai A-League.
The Mariners Academy will operate out of five centres set amongst the Central Coast and its surrounding regions – Jubilee Park at Long Jetty, Holland Park at Glenhaven, Epping Boys High, Mills Park at Asquith and Hornsby’s Barker College.
At each of these centres, players will receive expert instruction from Mariners Academy coaches with an emphasis on providing an unparalleled professional environment for youngsters to develop their game and grow as players and people.
Each centre will accommodate groups of 16 players at Under 9’s, Under 10’s, Under 11’s, Under 12’s, Under 13’s and Under 14’s age levels, with each group training twice weekly over 12 weeks pre and post Christmas, totaling 32 hours of elite coaching………………………………….
“The Mariners Academy is an extension of these already existing pathways and links aspirant footballers on the Central Coast and its surrounding regions to the very top level of Australian football.”
The Mariners Academy will promote an emphasis on discipline, punctuality and preparedness, the cornerstones of a professional football career.
Academy coaches will aim to improve players’ technical ability, understanding of the game and provide the correct activities, practices and feedback to promote learning……………………………….
Selected Mariners Academy graduates will soon compete in domestic and international competitions and an equivalent program for women is currently being developed following the introduction of the Westfield W-League.
“The guarantee of the Mariners Academy is that we will always be working to ensure that the environment we create is the right one for players to develop their game and to grow as positive young people,” said Mariners Academy Coaching & Development Manager Tony Walmsley.
“Players can express themselves without fear of mistakes, but we need them to compete, show desire and take pride in their performance.
“The Mariners Academy will set the benchmark in terms of professional organisation with staff committed to developing players and passionate about working for the Mariners.”
September 4th 2008 @ 11:42am
Redb said | September 4th 2008 @ 11:42am | Report comment
Where is Central Coast again? somewhere around Gladstone/Rockhampton by my map of our great land
Redb
September 4th 2008 @ 11:55am
True Tah said | September 4th 2008 @ 11:55am | Report comment
Midfielder,
thanks for pointing that out.
I can see some similarities with what the Brumbies did – in 2004, the Far South Coast RU and Southern Inland RU voted to join the ACTRU, taking areas away from “Big Brother”.
The Brumbies and Mariners even have similar colours.
Is Sydney FC worried about losing support to the Mariners? Maybe the Mariners should become Mariners FC to reflect this penetration of the Sydney market. Sydney FC’s crowds have been pretty bad so far, the Mariners may well end up having a higher average this season.
I didn’t realise that Les Murray was so against the Mariners, personally that was the smartest move FFA ever did, thankfully Les isn’t running the FFA!
September 4th 2008 @ 12:38pm
LK said | September 4th 2008 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
Such a stirrer, Redb!
I suggest head directly east from West Coast (of AFL) and you will find it eventually.
September 4th 2008 @ 1:17pm
Redb said | September 4th 2008 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
LK,
remind me if we are ever lost in the desert together that navigation is not your strongest suit.
Redb
September 4th 2008 @ 1:19pm
Michael C said | September 4th 2008 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Redb -
hmmmm, just let’s hope LK doesn’t ask you how close to Perth must be the Western Bulldogs (surely located somewhere near the West Coast??).