What a story this is!
There are two emails that together have a lot of words so I am going to summarise this reasonably briefly and can copy in posts to questions large chunks of the various emails.
The Central Coast Football [CCF], has done two things Football Australia (FA) and Football New South Wales (FNSW) will not accept. Plus, a further FA / FNSW requirement separate to the first two.
First disagreement: CCA have developed their own player registration system, which according to all the clubs and people involved is many times better than the FA national registration process and secondly is far more useful to both park teams and CCF. The CCF registration system has the full support of all local clubs.
Second disagreement: is CCF have sourced their own insurance which they claim covers more, has more coverage and is a lot cheaper.
These two points have let FA to essentially ban CC teams from all FNSW and FA actives and CCF has been deregistered from organised Football in both NSW and Australia.
The third issue and not directly to local operations is the collection of FNSW and FA fees. CCF being deregistered by FA and FNSW will not need to collect the levies they charge. Further, the argument over the registration and insurance was over a year long. In this time CCF while in dispute have not paid FNSW and FA fees collected on their behalf for the 2021 season.
FA and FNSW are united in their opposition to the actions of CCF and have gone to extraordinary lengths to force the association to use both the national registration system and national insurance scheme.
As a matter of interest, anyone who has dealt with footballs insurance will tell you the long-standing issues. According to local reports, the CCF sourced by CCF is better cheaper and covers more for a longer period of time.
Against the background of these changes, the high-level pathway for Central Coast footballers remains with the two clubs Central Coast Mariners and Central Coast United. Referee and Coach development will similarly remain unchanged from how it has been delivered in recent seasons.
FA and FNSW believe CCF cannot deliver what they can and insist on CCF using their insurance and registration system. Further, they claim the breakaway will destroy the fabric of NSW and Australian Football.
FA also fear other associations will follow suit, and if CCF have identified a better and cheaper insurance other associations will change and use the same insurer.
FA have sent a lengthy email and posted an open letter to all CCF players and officials citing both their concerns and deregistration effects.
Where it ends will be interesting.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
no idea....
Hudddo
Roar Rookie
NRL have made their position on the Central Coast clear over the 25 years people have been talking about having a club up here. They have literally destroyed one of RL biggest breeding grounds, and turned it in to a football hub just to protect 4 failing clubs (5 if you include the Titans). I'm a Bears fan,and I've come to terms with the fact if they come back it will not be as a CC incarnation. Stuff the NRL, and every thing they represent. I thank god we have the Mariners
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Yep. Whenever you see official participation numbers for football, you can safely double it. If it's currently running at 2 million, in all probability, it's closer to 4 million. Throw in all the officials, voluteers and family attending games, those involved in Australian football in some capacity over a whole year is probably closer to 8 million.
Dalsher
Roar Rookie
I always said the Mariners would be much better becoming an NRL club based in Gosford. Bigger crowds by 10,000 +, more money, much more exposure, bigger local support base, great junior setup, no one running the game for their own benefit. NRL is the number one sport on the east coast. We need a footy club locals want to follow
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Is the association making contact with the 12 Sydney associations either seeking support or to see whether they might also follow the same pathway or is it just too early in the year with grassroots registrations only just really opening up and everyone on holiday or sleeping the summer away?
Anne Maxwell
Guest
I’ve always thought the insurance within rego is atrocious! I believe you should be able to take your own insurance for all sports and fir sporting familiars. We had 5 children who all played contact sports and did we. Good got you central coast I hope it works out for you xx
Grem
Roar Rookie
Our players with direct links to that part of the world are wonderful, but are you forgetting Kewell, Tim Cahil, Mark Schwarzer, Paul Okon, Johnny Warren, etc, etc?
Martin Driene
Guest
What’s wrong with CCF representing its member and providing its members better value? It’s about time NSW Football driver more value. The alternative other associations will leave. From CC view point reinvestment in local football infrastructure will will be very much appreciated cause we will get nothing from council.
Pro Rel NSD
Guest
Damn I wonder where attacking other football federations was in JJs white paper....
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
Lol the Balkans of Aussie sport since the 1950s, no one has ever called it that in Australia!! Dont try and compare the game here with a part of the world you know nothing about, The best players Australia have ever produced (and still to this day produce) have all had connections to the Balkans
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Staring to think we should change our name to the Mariners Olympic or Mariner Knights... FMD according to the FA letter JJ is off to the State & Local gov to attack our association with the view to having funds and or services reduced... Good luck mate we are a swing seat and the size of the Football community up here is huge as a percentage of the population... 15K registered players assume 4 contacts per player... that 15 K players plus 60 K contacts i.e. 75K in a population of 310 K... Then their was the FFA cup when we played SFC who had 4 starting players developed on the Coast including 3 from our academy... Redmayne ... academy ... Wilkinson developed from a kid on teh Coast... Caceres academy.... Buhagair academy .... No internal transfer fees paid.. ever .... Lets not forget the 14 players the Mariners gave their first professional game to who went on to play for the Socceroos of which 4 have captained the Socceroos.... Mostly the worst weekend time slot ... Also local league thinking council that have put every obstacle possible in our way to stop further development of the COE and getting management rights for the stadium..
chris
Guest
And why should it "cost next to nothing" to play football? Are you blaming the govt. for lack of grants etc? Who's going to pay for the ground hire? Referees? Gear and footballs and equipment? Electricity to keep the flood lights on. Players insurance? Should it all be free?
chris
Guest
What pathway is there for AFL exactly? To play for some Melbourne suburb v another Melbourne suburb? That's the pinnacle. No doubt football has a lot of issues. But that's what happens when you have so many associations, so much overseas competition etc etc. When you are a small sport like AFL and you have just one governing body globally, its easy as.
Bludger
Guest
How are the executive brigade running these large federations supposed to demand their huge pay packets when people go off and do their own thing for less? That's not how the 'executive model' of more for 'me the exec' works. Good on Central Coast.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
LH & Buddy Both very accurate posts... but seems like FNSW & FA don't want decent ..... as I posted above JJ using FA to go to state and local governments to pressure they don't pay or provide services could be huge mistake on his part ... IMO well overplaying his hand as I said this is a swinging seat in both state and fed elections.... and we have 15K players ... so assume 4 contacts to each player thats the original 15 k players plus 60K contacts so 75K people in a population of 320K... Can you imagine state politician telling people to pay more money to FA & FNSW otherwise they won't provide services... and bear in mind Football on the Coast has more players than NRL / Union / AFL / Cricket combined... Big call JJ wish you luck
Buddy
Roar Rookie
The national registration system is a clunky piece of second rate software - rolled out before it was ready or had the capacity to serve the community. Tweaked, and tweaked again and revamped and is still nowhere near best practice. As for insurance - that has been a bugbear of associations and local clubs for eons. The best FNSW could offer was that if a whole team took extra coverage they could get a policy that might be worth having. It puts people off playing especially if you are self employed and have to be fit for work din spite of anything you might get up to at weekends.
Bludger
Guest
Good to see Australian soccer reverting to it's traditional default state of CHAOS as soon as the Lowy's left the scene. The pro game was sold off to overseas for a song, the FFA is governing a failure of youth development. It really is the "Balkans of Aussie sport." As it has been known colloquially since the 1950s. It should cost next to nothing for kids to play the sport and get well coached along the way. Maybe this game is just not compatible with our country? It's values are terrible and out of step with the rest of this nation. With Australian rules football and cricket, you know the pathways. In soccer here it is user pays and YOU PAY and PAY. So, a lot of people just walk away and do something else and occasionally watch a bit of Euro ball on the tele. It seems we need yet another revolution or coup d'etat. :(
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
It seems a ridiculous situation. Surely we all review our procedures and the contracts we have for insurance and similar products on an ongoing basis. That's been the way of the modern world, as I know it, since the early 1990s at least, when corporations and we all really, accepted change as the only real constant in business, and our lives. What's wrong with FA and FNSW that they don't regularly review and update their insurance and registration process?
Pro Rel NSD
Guest
The only thing that CCF may miss out on if there is was a full time season NSD. That would be a shame to miss out on but than again maybe there is no team in the region that could compete so maybe they not even missing out on that. I guess the travel times make playing Sydney teams pretty pointless anyway.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
JJ The CC at both state and federal level is a swinging seat..... twice the Mariners have been a core promise for the winning member.... Love to be the government that tells the Coast we are going hinder the way we pay you or reduce your services because your local association found better insurance.... and insisted on the local association using a national data base registration rather than one localised for your local area... The CC is a mixture of blue collar, trade, and parra professional people ... they have broadly been the most supportive of FA.... but they don't like being messed around and they don't scare easily ....