2016/17 Membership

[dibo]

I'm confident that we're not going anywhere (because I think it's a massive punch in the nose to FFA and any potential new club owners if the A-League abandons the Central Coast) but that doesn't mean I don't think MC is looking for potential lifeboats if he feels like he can't make it work here. And I think Canberra is more desperate to have *any* team than they are to get a brand new team of their own. I think they're happy to take a side however it comes.

If the next TV deal is halfway decent, I think we're definitely sustainable here on the Central Coast. Add to that the massive amount of proposed development in Gosford CBD and I think we've got sort of environment demographically and economically that has loads of potential for growth.

This is why I was willing to bear us 'selling' games (and even that is a softening of my previously hardline opposition), but shelling out to play elsewhere makes f**k all sense to me.

 

[rbakersmith]

Why would we pay to do it though? Why not pay money to play in front of our actual fans?

What if the club lost less money by playing in front of 4-5K in Canberra than it would playing in front of 6-7K at home?

 

[dibo]

What if the club lost less money by playing in front of 4-5K in Canberra than it would playing in front of 6-7K at home?

That's an incredibly short-term way of thinking about it. I get turning a five figure loss into a six figure gain, I don't get turning a five figure loss into a smaller five figure loss, when the (non-monetary) cost is taking games from your fans.

 

[dibo]

BTW, for an indication of how much has been proposed for Gosford CBD, check this image out mocking up the proposed developments.

 

[FFC Mariner]

That's an incredibly short-term way of thinking about it. I get turning a five figure loss into a six figure gain, I don't get turning a five figure loss into a smaller five figure loss, when the (non-monetary) cost is taking games from your fans.

When you have no money, survival demands short term thinking.

 

[JoyfulPenguin]

That's an incredibly short-term way of thinking about it. I get turning a five figure loss into a six figure gain, I don't get turning a five figure loss into a smaller five figure loss, when the (non-monetary) cost is taking games from your fans.

I think the only reason we're taking that risk in Canberra is to potentially get more funding in the future from the ACT government. Plus I think selling two games a season to the same place allows us to build a small membership base there. Hopefully it means we secure more funding in the future for us similar to the Giants' deal.

 

[adz]

I think the only reason we're taking that risk in Canberra is to potentially get more funding in the future from the ACT government. Plus I think selling two games a seasom to the same place allows us to build a small membership base there. Hopefully it means we secure more funding in the future for us similar to the Giants' deal.

Problem now is we're selling one game, paying to move the other...

 

[Rowdy]

Gaining 'short-term fans' in Canberra at the expense of losing 'lifelong members' on the Coast, is extremely short sighted.

As soon as the ACT get a team (& they WILL eventually) all- & I mean all those fans will be backing a 'green jersey' the minute they go on sale.

And if CCM claim 'memberships' sold in the ACT, then thats just a furphy as they'll just be football fans who are interested in saving money via the 2 game pass instead of paying for each game separately, plain & simple.

 

[Rowdy]

Charleworth should be focused on the 10's of thousand's of registered football players (26,000 ? last time i saw it stated iirc) kicking a ball around in his own backyard !

 

[pjennings]

I think the only reason we're taking that risk in Canberra is to potentially get more funding in the future from the ACT government. Plus I think selling two games a seasom to the same place allows us to build a small membership base there. Hopefully it means we secure more funding in the future for us similar to the Giants' deal.

That was my first thinking. I cannot believe that Michael Charlesworth is dropping money into the COE to simply move elsewhere

Gaining 'short-term fans' in Canberra at the expense of losing 'lifelong members' on the Coast, is extremely short sighted.

As soon as the ACT get a team (& they WILL eventually) all- & I mean all those fans will be backing a 'green jersey' the minute they go on sale.

And if CCM claim 'memberships' sold in the ACT, then thats just a furphy as they'll just be football fans who are interested in saving money via the 2 game pass instead of paying for each game separately, plain & simple.

Agree totally with your thinking - but suspect it is more medium term thinking. I think the club is making the assumption that Canberra will not be an expansion club when the HAL goes to 12 clubs. Heavens knows there have been plenty of signals that this is the case.

Historically when we went from 10-11 games to 13-14 games we lost crowds. If we go to 16-17 games how many more will we lose? My feeling is that this is a multi-pronged strategy.

1) The first is to get some money a la GWS from the ACT government. This will help us in the short to medium term by people paying for us to take games there- but it will also help Canberra in their (what has to be medium term) push to get into the HAL. Any subsidiary here means that there is less pressure on gates from CCS

2) Secondly as I said before going to 16 or 17 games may dilute our crowds further. When the HAL is expanded to 14 teams 13 home games will be the norm - taking 3 or 4 games to Canberra after expansion to 12 means that the pressure on season tickets is not so great and can be maintained when the HAL is then further expanded to 14 to bring in Canberra.

3) Connect with a strong football area to complement our own area.

As I said in an earlier post my ideal expansion would be to go straight to 14 teams with 1 Sydney, 1 Melbourne, Canberra and Wollongong with a true 26 round home and away. 13 rounds at home - and a further 6 within an easy drive at either Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong or Canberra. I see this partnership as strategy to bridge between the two expansions. I may be naïve in my thinking - but it is a strategy or would consider if I was the owner and given historical experience.

Charleworth should be focused on the 10's of thousand's of registered football players (26,000 ? last time i saw it stated iirc) kicking a ball around in his own backyard !

Agree totally

 

[Wombat]

What if the club lost less money by playing in front of 4-5K in Canberra than it would playing in front of 6-7K at home?

Saving a few pennies at what cost?

We are already on the nose as far as the Australian Football community are concerned.
We usually look stupid, due to our short sighted decision making but playing in front of 5k in Canberra is embarrassing.

 

[shipwreck]

Thank f**k Europe is on this off season

 

[JoyfulPenguin]

Saving a few pennies at what cost?

We are already on the nose as far as the Australian Football community are concerned.
We usually look stupid, due to our short sighted decision making but playing in front of 5k in Canberra is embarrassing.

I agree that it would be pretty embarrassing if we were to get a small crowd in Canberra but I disagree that this will put us in the wrong with anyone bar the every day pundit. In fact I think the likes of David Gallop and Stephen Lowy would be pleased that we would go out on a limb to develop not only our membership and viewing catchment but a potential expansion market.

 

[Rowdy]

I'm sure they're really happy with this little deal in the ACT BUT it's Lowy's & Gallop's job to grow the game across the country, NOT ours !

 

[MagpieMariner]

We would need to play a hell of a lot better than we have this past season if we expect to make something out of Canberra visits. Even if football followers down there are starved of top level matches, they still won't fork out good money to watch what we dished up for most of last season. That's another reason to think we won't be moving any time soon.

 

[MrCelery]

BTW, for an indication of how much has been proposed for Gosford CBD, check this image out mocking up the proposed developments.

If the large-scale development for the CBD is anything near like what is happening or has already happened in Newcastle it will be a massive boost for the Central Coast and the Mariners.

I'm just amazed that Gosford has been so dormant for so long considering it's closer proximity to Sydney.

Newcastle does have some advantages I suppose, such a port, plenty of industrial land, and easy access to the Hunter Valley.

Let's face it though, the choice between living in Gosford-by-the-sea and the desolate wasteland of western Sydney is really a 'no-brainer'.

 

[dibo]

Charleworth should be focused on the 10's of thousand's of registered football players (26,000 ? last time i saw it stated iirc) kicking a ball around in his own backyard !

13,800 was the figure reported to FNSW in 2015.

 

[pjennings]

Over 20,000 reported by Capital Football in 2015 including over 12000 juniors

 

[dibo]

Over 20,000 reported by Capital Football in 2015.

Which is why they should have an A-League team.

 

[tim...]

Ignoring the 10's of thousands of registered footballers - the club offered $15 memberships to each and every one of them for the past few years. Barely more than $1 per game. If memory serves, they were free when a sponsor was able to subsidise them.

The club also visits every club bienially to run 'club nights'. I'd also argue the Buhagiar signing is a pretty decent step in the right direction too.

They're not perfect by any means but it's a bit rough to say the club doesn't focus on local football.