The Central Coast Mariners are the current whipping boys of the A-League.
Four wooden spoons in five seasons don’t lie and despite some promising play under former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic, they remain far from a serious threat for A-League glory.
However, most fans of football in Australia take little joy from that fact.
Stajcic is well liked and respected, the Mariners’ home venue is one of the best in the league and the club has developed a litany of talented youngsters over the years; many of whom have gone on to achieve great things in the game.
Right from the start, Central Coast had always been a little different. As part of an FFA determination that a regional team should form part of the inaugural A-League season in 2005-06, its birth was somewhat forced and has subsequently resulted in constant financial challenges throughout its 15 years of participation.
Early on things looked bright, with three runners-up medals across the first six A-League seasons, before the glorious Graham Arnold inspired championship season of 2012-13 where the coach took the oft bridesmaids to the mountain for the first and still only time.
Since, the train has derailed.
Without a finals appearance since 2013-14 and just a paltry 26 wins from the clubs last 161 matches, it is easy to identify the need for the tough and passionate fibres that exist in Mariner fans.
Those fans come from a beautiful part of New South Wales’ east coast, an area just an hour or so north of Sydney and one in which somewhere near 350,000 people reside.
It is a relatively small base on which to draw, especially considering the 566.4 square kilometres that the entire region encompasses, extending to the north, south and west.
Only Wellington Phoenix can claim a less populous area upon which to build a fan-base, with little more than 200,000 residing in the windy city. Elsewhere in the A-League, clubs from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide enjoy higher numbers, potential fans and the greater chance of securing the lucrative sponsorship deals required to keep football clubs afloat.
In reality, not too many clubs have been doing a sterling job in that area over recent seasons, with broadcast money ensuring survival and the recent lowering of those commitments highlighting just how financially fragile the A-League actually is.
The reality of a considerably lowered salary cap looms for the 2020-21 season, as does a continued exodus of quality foreign players and now it appears almost certain that two A-League owners who have had enough of the financial strain will offload their commitment in the short-term future.
What does the future hold for the A-League? (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Newcastle’s owner Martin Lee has apparently agreed to terms with a Sydney businessman; now apparently set to take over the Jets by the beginning of the new A-League season and Central Coast’s owner Mike Charlesworth has also put his club on the open market.
The Jets’ new arrangement is reported to ensure the club remains in the Hunter, yet there were immediate calls for potential relocation as soon as the Mariners news broke.
The ACT immediately began jumping up and down, lathering in the thought of presenting a local team for A-League play, ideas around a potential crowd-funding arrangement that would see the fans take ownership of and rescue the Mariners, also began circling and now a third ‘solution’ has come to light.
An A-League owners fund has been mooted as a potential saviour for clubs that enter into the murky waters of resale; with the wealthiest of owners using their financial clout to keep struggling clubs operating instead of vanishing from the competition.
Alen Stajcic (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Should the Newcastle deal not transpire in the way Jets’ CEO Lawrie McKinna recently forecast that it would and Charlesworth not be able to find a buyer for the Mariners, such a fund may well be the only way the clubs could possibly continue in the A-League.
Their absence would be undesirable and sad, yet some argue that natural attrition merely removes those requiring “propping up” and creates a more sustainable model with only clubs capable of surviving doing so.
Personally, I find that view somewhat harsh and forgetful of the long term goal of building the top tier to a point where it can flourish; supported by a successful second tier that will accommodate those clubs not enjoying the best of days.
That is where natural attrition lies in football, where hard times mean relegation and not extinction.
The Central Coast Mariners have brought much to our competition and whether a new owner, the fans or other A-League owners come to the rescue, we should all cheer if and when it does occur.
The league would lose a great deal without the palm trees and sauce bottles at Grahame Park.
NoMates
Guest
Replace them with a Auckland side end of story, and kick Roar out for a Canberra team.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
I have no issue with A-League crowds, they bobble around 10k, and that's ok. What most football fans have an issue with is that a perpetual cellar dweller like the Mariners gets a permanent hall pass to continue playing in the top tier, rather than be replaced by a hungry club from the tier below.
jamesb
Roar Guru
The Mariners have had more than “5 good seasons in total”. Between 2005 to 2014, they only missed the finals twice. In that period, they appeared in four grand finals, for one championship. And they produced players like Ryan, Sainsbury, Jedinak, Rogic, Amini. I understand people are concentrating on the “now”. But they were successful in the past, and they can be successful in the future. Now here is the thing. The A League has been struggling over the last five to six years. And when you have a competition that is going to the dogs, small teams like CCM would be the first ones affected. Also if the sport can’t overcome the challenge of keeping an established small A League club afloat, then how will football in this country expect to have a second division and promotion/ relegation, which are much bigger obstacles?
Big Daddy
Guest
If the Mariners were/are struggling why on earth would you bring in new franchise's. Most clubs hardly have crowds and history tells us with so many clubs having ownership changes. Newcastle Jets aren't much different.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Roberto, What exactly do you want to Australian football scene to look like? I for one have no faith in local football club administrators doing what is best for the game, what they will do is what is best for their club. I'm not saying they aren't good people, but they are there to look after their club. So once we have that bridge between the A League clubs and the likes of the South Melbourne's, APIA's and the NE Metro Stars, will we need another bridge between them [because that too will become a closed league] and another group of clubs wanting into the National 2nd Division. I am certain there will be a National 2nd Division, sooner rather than later. I can't wait for the ongoing debate on how we select the clubs wanting to be part of that set up.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Rodger The new CEO has already stated that he is not concerned about the NRL and AFL, does not care what they do, and we don't need to worry about them. That being the case, let's set up a proper football structure now.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
I think we want to see the NPL and A-League bridged. We want something which sits between the two and which will allow P&R, not in 20 years, but next year.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Rodger Everyone appears to be in furious agreement about boutique stadiums, with capacities of 10k to 15k. Grand finals only happen once a year, and you'll get plenty of debate about whether that is the best way to determine the Championship. Also worth remembering that even in the NSL era they had some very big grand final crowds. To be honest, I don't see how the license fee determines whether we get good football or not. One thing for sure, big license fees mean P&R will never be introduced.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Yes, I believe it was that sort of thinking. Sort of goes hand in glove with the salary cap, it's about saving clubs from themselves, making sure they don't spend what they don't have, etc. Of course, they then introduce a relatively high salary floor, which defeats that particular purpose of the cap. The other purpose is equalisation, but not sure that is really being achieved either.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
You have raised a whole new question to be tackled here Newbie. What do we all really want to see. Watching games with a few 100 or on occasions a few thousand people watching. At local council grounds, with no corporate facilities, no seating half the time, do you really want to go back to last century? The quality of football does matter, just watching the game last night between Melbourne City and Adelaide, take out the OS players from both sides, would we have got such an exciting finish, with such great touches and moves. Sure Adelaide have uncovered young Australian talent as have other clubs, but not having any OS players, because, and lets be brutally honest here, without what we currently have atm, there will be none what so ever. And if that's what you want to see, just pop out and support your local NPL side.
OzNix
Roar Rookie
Think you will find that the Greater Wellington Region (Wellington, The Hutt Valley and Porirua has combined population of between 300,000-400,000 people. We also draw a large number of supporters from the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa... So our population is similar to that of the Central Coast.
chris
Guest
Chopper some good points but I seriously believe that player fees are not as exorbitant as people make out. Fees at grass root levels are around $350. When you look at the costs of running a club is $350 really that high? Ground fees, referee fees, insurance, playing equipment, uniforms all add up. Football has a huge playing base with very little money coming in at the top. So you can't really expect FFA to subsidise playing fees. For example, rugby league can subsidise rego fees because they have large funds coming in from the top but not many players at grass root level. I know FFA has as one of its priorities to reduce fees, but not sure they can reduce it as much as some people think.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Roberto, where would these lower teams play? At there local council ground? So the two South Australian clubs that won the Australian NPL Championship, Campbelltown City and NE Metro Stars would you want them to play at their own suburban grounds or at Hindmarsh?
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Nothing has changed Chopper, it was the same way back in 1977 when the NSL got started. I can remember local clubs having players under contracts and putting 10k on their head to transfer to an NSL club, but no, the NSL changed the rules with the help of Soccer Australia, so local clubs got 3 / 5ths of FA
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
If you are right Roberto, and the FFA won't be able to sell a License Fees for the A League then we can kiss good bye to what we have seen in the past 15 years, No more 50+ grand-finals, no more boutique stadiums, but local council grounds, with a few hundred people watching on. Personally, I have been there, done that, got the T shirt and no thanks. The NSL failed us, it failed you, it failed me. The club administrators had more say in all things football than a current A League License holder does today. AND those same people back then, they failed to support the game. So you want P/R come hell or high water, with no regard how it is going to effect the sport as a whole. Shame on you.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
I'm pretty certain that once the FFA sign a multi BILLION dollar broadcast deal, it will be reversed, but until then, Licence fees are necessary if the game is to grow. Going back to 1977 is not the way forward. take the 'Rose Colored Glasses' off and try seeing the reality of it all. Personally I don't want to watch Semi-Professionals running around a council ground in front of a few hundred people. That is what both the AFL and NRL want, they want you to speak on their behalf. IF you loved the game as much as you have said that you do, in the past, then you would immediately come out and look at things as they are, not as you want them to be.
Johan
Guest
Disco Stu- you’ve deliver again! Great piece. I too believe that the mariners should be kept in the a league and should stay on the central coast. The teams that should go are the new Melbourne team, Western (generic) United and the proposed team at MacArthur FC should be folded before it begins. There is no appetite for 3 teams in Sydney and Melbourne. BTW- Your Population figures re Wellington are a bit misleading though as you should really include the towns of Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt which are part of Wellington’s Urban area and then you get 400,000.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Not sure it has been documented officially, yet I believe there was an over-arching belief that there was not enough money in the domestic game to support it. Silly really, because you sell one and then buy one, and the players value is obviously still assessed with their salary. However, it would have given those holding talented players some real weight in the market, something the Mariners would have enjoyed considering the talent they produced.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
If the A-League is about to have its finances halved, that might be the perfect time to introduce an NSD. A-League salary spending will plummet to $1.6 million, and you might have a case where an NSD club can get away with spending $500k to $800k on player salaries. All of a sudden, it's affordable, and the jump from one to the other is not so great. Now is actually the perfect time to do it, not some idealised time later on this century.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
The more we continue with license fees, the further out into the future P&R gets pushed (which the current owners love). This might be the circuit breaker we're looking for. If no one wants to buy that license, that might be a godsend, we want those licenses to be worth zero dollars, we want existing clubs to have the opportunity to be promoted into the A-League, even if that consigns the Mariners to the history books. Worthless licenses means it's time to start promoting clubs on merit and we can forget about license fees forthwith.