Bluetongue Stadium rights

[rbakersmith]

It seems like the Mariners have been quite busy today...

Mariners move to assume ground control

Central Coast Mariners could become the first A–League club to assume full operational control of their home ground after submitting an offer to take up the management of Bluetongue Stadium as early as February next year.

Fairfax Media can reveal that on the same day as the club announced their strategic push into Sydney's northern suburbs by relocating an A–League match to North Sydney Oval, they also submitted their bid to Gosford City Council to win the rights for Bluetongue Stadium. Entrepeneur John Singleton currently holds the rights but the venue's only regular tenants are vying for the long-term management in order to set their own terms regarding costs, facilities and upgrades.

The club identified the need to assume control of the stadium as a considerable step in improving their finances as it's understood that their current rental deal requires them to obtain significant crowd figures in order to break even.

After the purchase of the rights, the A–League champions will be able to set operational costs on their own terms and will receive greater profits from ticketing and food and beverage services. General Manager Peter Turnbull vowed that the club will also tailor the venue to fan entertainment, should they be successful, and earmarked the possibility of implementing a beach within the ground similar to that used in the cricket last season.

"[There will be] Lots of fun interactive stuff. New bars, maybe a few more seaside type initiatives inside the ground, maybe the Mariners beach like the cricket last year, it will be fun," Turnbull said.

The club also has ambitions beyond the A-League and is looking to establish the scenic ground as a future home of Australia's youth and women's national football teams. The Socceroos often train in Gosford and while Turnbull acknowledges that they cannot lure senior international fixtures to the venue, he envisages Bluetongue Stadium becoming a regular venue for Young Socceroos, Olyroos and Matildas' games in the future.

"We've got the interest of the Central Coast at heart and we're probably the biggest brand name at the moment in the Central Coast and we want the stadium to be successful. We can bring games via the FFA for the Young Socceroos and the Matildas to can play at Bluetongue and our hope is that Bluetongue becomes the home ground of every Australia team apart from the full Socceroo team," Turnbull said.

The application for the stadium rights quashed suggestions that the Mariners were preparing to relocate to North Sydney Oval after they announced a one-off game at the venue on December 19 against Wellington Phoenix, the first time in ten years that a professional Australian football match will be played there. The Mariners were forced out of Bluetongue for their round six match due to the venue being booked for Carols by Candlelight and the club took the opportunity to reinforce their presence in Sydney's northern suburbs. More than 20 per cent of their members reside south of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Mariners have existing networks with football associations in the area which prompted them to expand their brand further down the freeway.

"We've always had big support from the northern parts of Sydney," General Manager Peter Turnbull said. "We have the commuter base and the 20 per cent of memberships based here so there has always been a strong northern Sydney emphasis with the Mariners."

It's a ground where the roots of the Mariners lie as much of the club's foundation came from the ashes of Northern Spirit. Coach Graham Arnold was one of the many Mariners personnel who once called North Sydney Oval home during the peak of the Spirit's history in the old NSL where they set a crowd record of 18,985 during their debut season in 1998.

Chairman Mike Charlesworth is hopeful of drawing a similar crowd as the scheduling of a Thursday night match at the venue caters to the needs of many of those who commute from the Central Coast to Sydney. "Something like 60 thousand people commute from the Central Coast to Sydney every day. 60 thousand people probably won't get back to Bluetongue Stadium in time for this particular Thursday evening game so what we're really trying to do is service our supporters and people from the coast much better," Charlesworth said.


The Mariners will also provide bus services from the Central Coast to North Sydney for that game.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/mariners-move-to-assume-ground-control-20130806-2rdfa.html

 

[dibo]

RAIL SEATS FARKEN!

 

[FFC Mariner]

Great move if it can be done.

However, the scum have rights to their ground already.

 

[rbakersmith]

Great move if it can be done.

However, the scum have rights to their ground already.

I'm pretty sure Tinkler is only a tenant at Hunter Stadium - it's managed by Venues NSW (which also operates Parramatta and WIN Stadiums).

 

[eenfish]

RAIL SEATS FARKEN!

On a similar wave length, they should change the seats, make em blue and yellow and put a giant Mariners logo in Bay 16 and have it say "CENTRAL COAST" on the top tiers down the sides and "MARINERS" on the bottom tier.

Or, at the very least, re-arrange the seats so it doesn't say "BEARS"

 

[dibo]

Rename it Mariners Stadium?

 

[eenfish]

Rename it Mariners Stadium?

Even if their beer is piss, Blue Tongue at least provide jobs to the coast and their sponsorship provides money to the Stadium.

 

[dibo]

Even if their beer is piss, Blue Tongue at least provide jobs to the coast and their sponsorship provides money to the Stadium.

Not since 31/7/12.
http://www.bluetonguestadium.com.au/default.aspx?id=6&ArticleID=368

And I don't mind their beers, as far as fauxmium lagers and pilseners are concerned.

 

[Atomic]

It's a shame that Blue Tongue is a brand name. I think it's a great name for a stadium and has become quite iconic and synonymous with our team. The Mariners are playing at "Blue Tongue"... "The Blue Tongue"... "Fortress Blue Tongue". Love it! It will change though with a change in sponsorship.

 

[Roy Law]

I know we have had more than our fair share of financial problems in recent years but it is a little bit of a wake up call to know that Carols by Candlelight has more financial muscle than we have

 

[adz]

their beer is piss,
Blue Tongue at least provide jobs to the coast
their sponsorship provides money to the Stadium.

2 from 3 ain't bad

 

[true believer]

so fat yak stadium it is . im good with that

 

[sydmariner]

I'm pretty sure Tinkler is only a tenant at Hunter Stadium - it's managed by Venues NSW (which also operates Parramatta and WIN Stadiums).

same with the knights

 

[sydmariner]

On a similar wave length, they should change the seats, make em blue and yellow and put a giant Mariners logo in Bay 16 and have it say "CENTRAL COAST" on the top tiers down the sides and "MARINERS" on the bottom tier.

Or, at the very least, re-arrange the seats so it doesn't say "BEARS"

aren't you forgetting the part about we are the champions whitch should be written on the seats

 

[eenfish]

aren't you forgetting the part about we are the champions whitch should be written on the seats

Banners hanging from the western stand for every premiership and championship we've won, and a giant one that says "2013 ALEAGUE CHAMPIONS" down the eastern stand

 

[FFC Mariner]

We could do that now I expect if we could afford it.

 

[sydmariner]

We could do that now I expect if we could afford it.

if we can't afford it we can always make our own 1

 

[eenfish]

if we can't afford it we can always make our own 1

Lets just go to Spotlight and buy some fabric, then over to Bunnings for some paint. Easy.

 

[BrisRecky]

same with the knights

Scummers and Knights are lucky to have a home, neither of them have paid their rent on a regular basis...I woulda flicked them

 

[Big Al]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...-run-own-stadium/story-fni2fpy9-1226717205715

Some good initiatives for both Gosford as a city & the club.

New owner has big dreams just needs people to support him to make it happen. Get the feeling though if it is made all to hard he would pack it in just as easily.
He is really pushing the line the club will fold if you don't do what I want. E.g. the 5,000 members push. Not sure if smart marketing, bargaining or a sign of truth that he would just pack it up.