CCM Fans and the club

[Luca Brasi]

As for not great timing - tomorrow is Remembrance Day, so what do you expect?

No shit?
The point being that the RSL is a diverse, billion dollar organisation that is going through some serious governance issues at the moment. In NSW it has been accused of sitting on $500m in cash and assets and not using it for their core business of caring for veterans. Given the circumstances it may have been more prudent to deliver support to other armed service charities like Soldier On or Walking Wounded for the Remembrance Day round. I get that this is an FFA not a CCM initiative.

 

[Timmah]

I get that this is an FFA not a CCM initiative.

I think this line sums it up - it's an FFA initiative, simple as that.

 

[dibo]

Okaaaaay then.

 

[midfielder]

Shaun

With Mel City and the Flying Circus both needing coaches next year... me hopes we are putting offers to Okon for a longer stay.

 

[pjennings]

Hi Shaun

I saw this in the Australian the other week and would like some further comments on both the economic metrics and football nursery goals.

“They don’t understand our vision. I wouldn’t have come to this club (he had been at the Wanderers for several years) if I didn’t believe in our long-term future.” Mielekamp has produced a five-year strategy for the club that he believes will underpin its future success.

The strategy includes:
• 12,000 members and $1.2m revenue;
• Four major partners exceeding $3m in corporate revenue;
• Spending the full salary cap and having a marquee player every three years;
• Qualifying for the Asian Champions League and winning the A-League Premiers Plate;
• Attaining 14,000 average home attendances;
• The largest academy and pathway nursery to the A-League.
“In five years’ time, I expect we will be one of the most community-minded, innovative and entertaining sports brands in Australia,” Mielekamp said.


I'm sure everyone wants to meet these targets as I suspect it would mean that having all games at Gosford becomes viable.

Can you expound a bit more on these goals and how the club is working towards them? TBH when we had around 3000 members I never dreamt of having 6000 members. 12000 seems the same now but I have been surprised before.

I assume that part of the increase will be tied to an increase in development in Gosford with the associated bars and restaurants that makes the whole matchday experience better, as well as possibly managing or leasing the stadium so that we can control food and beverages better.

 

[Shaun Mielekamp]

Hi Shaun

I saw this in the Australian the other week and would like some further comments on both the economic metrics and football nursery goals.

“They don’t understand our vision. I wouldn’t have come to this club (he had been at the Wanderers for several years) if I didn’t believe in our long-term future.” Mielekamp has produced a five-year strategy for the club that he believes will underpin its future success.

The strategy includes:
• 12,000 members and $1.2m revenue;
• Four major partners exceeding $3m in corporate revenue;
• Spending the full salary cap and having a marquee player every three years;
• Qualifying for the Asian Champions League and winning the A-League Premiers Plate;
• Attaining 14,000 average home attendances;
• The largest academy and pathway nursery to the A-League.
“In five years’ time, I expect we will be one of the most community-minded, innovative and entertaining sports brands in Australia,” Mielekamp said.


I'm sure everyone wants to meet these targets as I suspect it would mean that having all games at Gosford becomes viable.

Can you expound a bit more on these goals and how the club is working towards them? TBH when we had around 3000 members I never dreamt of having 6000 members. 12000 seems the same now but I have been surprised before.

I assume that part of the increase will be tied to an increase in development in Gosford with the associated bars and restaurants that makes the whole matchday experience better, as well as possibly managing or leasing the stadium so that we can control food and beverages better.

Yes there is a lot of detail involved in the strategic plan. The membership growth does have a lot of specific detail based on improvements to our CRM (the program that runs our membership and makes sure your cards all scan and are delivered) and the data we have available. Data capture is a crucial element to all of this.

Also the Academy needs to improve to become what is classed as a tier 2 Academy. To do this and along with our current Academy pathway and structures should result in us having the largest Academy structure and pathway in the A-League. It is a big goal considering the size of some of the other Academies but it is possible.

It is a very long conversation and one that we are looking at hosting a forum in the new year to outline to members.

Is this the type of information you were looking for?

 

[pjennings]

Yes there is a lot of detail involved in the strategic plan. The membership growth does have a lot of specific detail based on improvements to our CRM (the program that runs our membership and makes sure your cards all scan and are delivered) and the data we have available. Data capture is a crucial element to all of this.

Also the Academy needs to improve to become what is classed as a tier 2 Academy. To do this and along with our current Academy pathway and structures should result in us having the largest Academy structure and pathway in the A-League. It is a big goal considering the size of some of the other Academies but it is possible.

It is a very long conversation and one that we are looking at hosting a forum in the new year to outline to members.

Is this the type of information you were looking for?

Hi Shaun

Yes it is the type of info - but I'm happy to hear more detail in a forum early next year. Thanks

 

[Kripple]

It is great that the club has a strategic plan in place with some aspirational targets around number of members and average crowds. Unfortunately the club has done very little to promote its brand in schools on the Central Coast in the last 12 years. Other than the Mariners Active program where NYL players come into schools and take a short session very little effort has been put into promoting games, particularly in Primary schools. To do this properly the club needs to have buy in from the A League players. This seems to be in the too hard basket even though the players are on contract and being paid a good wage. If players were attached to a small group of schools and were visible in the schools many students would drag their parents along to games to watch the players they have built a relationship with. Have offered to coordinate this with a number of staff but nothing has ever eventuated. More AFL and League players from Sydney have visited CC schools than Mariners since the inception of the A League. Very disappointing.

 

[FFC Mariner]

 

[Timmah]

It is great that the club has a strategic plan in place with some aspirational targets around number of members and average crowds. Unfortunately the club has done very little to promote its brand in schools on the Central Coast in the last 12 years. Other than the Mariners Active program where NYL players come into schools and take a short session very little effort has been put into promoting games, particularly in Primary schools. To do this properly the club needs to have buy in from the A League players. This seems to be in the too hard basket even though the players are on contract and being paid a good wage. If players were attached to a small group of schools and were visible in the schools many students would drag their parents along to games to watch the players they have built a relationship with. Have offered to coordinate this with a number of staff but nothing has ever eventuated. More AFL and League players from Sydney have visited CC schools than Mariners since the inception of the A League. Very disappointing.

Potentially the most astonishing post I've read in my time here.

 

[pjennings]

Hi Kripple,

My experience with schooling means I don't believe the AFL and League claim is correct - having been heavily involved in my kids schools from the beginning of the HAL until recently. There may, however, be areas that need re-jigging. I'm sure Shaun would be keen too address real issues if you can give him examples of where you think the club is falling down. Shauns's email which is at the beginning of the thread is shaunm@ccmariners.com.au

Of course there are limits to how much the squad can be asked to do while still attending to their 'day job' and that balancing task has to be agreed between Paolo and the non-football side of the club.

 

[sydmariner]

Hi Kripple,

My experience with schooling means I don't believe the AFL and League claim is correct - having been heavily involved in my kids schools from the beginning of the HAL until recently. There may, however, be areas that need re-jigging. I'm sure Shaun would be keen too address real issues if you can give him examples of where you think the club is falling down. Shauns's email which is at the beginning of the thread is shaunm@ccmariners.com.au

Of course there are limits to how much the squad can be asked to do while still attending to their 'day job' and that balancing task has to be agreed between Paolo and the non-football side of the club.

Doesn't Kwasaldinho handle all that stuff.

 

[FFC Mariner]

This seems a variant on the "my kid didnt get picked for reps because the coach plays favourites" posts we see every grading season.

CCM's work with the areas clubs is well known and I dont think the club needs to justify itself in this area.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Hi Shaun

If the club are still negotiating to take over the management of CCS, you guys might want to think about gathering as much feedback as possible from the poor buggers who actually have to put up with their "customer experience"

Yesterday is was 50% full and they couldn't cope. Massive drink queues, food ran out in some places after 20 mins etc etc.

What I noticed was at Newcastle the people I go with buy food and drinks because the outlets are staffed, stocked and efficient. At CCS we don't.

I reckon if you need to put a case to council about how badly they run the place, a survey of your members would provide them with blistering feedback.

 

[Tevor]

Hi Shaun

If the club are still negotiating to take over the management of CCS, you guys might want to think about gathering as much feedback as possible from the poor buggers who actually have to put up with their "customer experience"

Yesterday is was 50% full and they couldn't cope. Massive drink queues, food ran out in some places after 20 mins etc etc.

What I noticed was at Newcastle the people I go with buy food and drinks because the outlets are staffed, stocked and efficient. At CCS we don't.

I reckon if you need to put a case to council about how badly they run the place, a survey of your members would provide them with blistering feedback.

Spot on, I rarely buy any food and drink anymore because there is a 10 min wait on the chips or the lines are too long. Not to mention the choice and quality. If I new my purchases would help the club I would be more inclined to buy more than I do now. As long as they addressed some of the issues.

 

[MagpieMariner]

The outlet I went to ran out of hotdogs before the match even started!

 

[adz]

It gets worse every year. Prices go up and quality of service goes down.

 

[sydmariner]

Yeah it's a shame that they don't have eagle boys pizza anymore

 

[priorpeter]

Hi Shaun

If the club are still negotiating to take over the management of CCS, you guys might want to think about gathering as much feedback as possible from the poor buggers who actually have to put up with their "customer experience"

Yesterday is was 50% full and they couldn't cope. Massive drink queues, food ran out in some places after 20 mins etc etc.

What I noticed was at Newcastle the people I go with buy food and drinks because the outlets are staffed, stocked and efficient. At CCS we don't.

I reckon if you need to put a case to council about how badly they run the place, a survey of your members would provide them with blistering feedback.

Quoted for truth.
If I'm gonna be paying $8.50 for a beer, I'd prefer not to have to line up for half an hour for the privilege.

 

[dibo]

I'm normally happy to have a beer at a game, but didn't bother yesterday.