CCMFC HAL 12 Fixtures - 2016/17

[tim...]

It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for; Football Federation Australia has today announced the Hyundai A-League 2016/17 draw!

New Year’s Eve is back, the F3 Derbies in Newcastle are included in Mariners’ full season Memberships, we’re returning to Canberra and the December/January period is packed with football action in Gosford!

Our 12th Hyundai A-League campaign kicks off in Western Australia against Perth Glory on Saturday October 8 and fans will have to eagerly wait until round 3 for our first home game to be played on Saturday October 22 against Brisbane Roar at Central Coast Stadium.

Just this morning, the Central Coast Mariners announced that there will be two Hyundai A-League matches played in Canberra and the first of those will be a Remembrance Round clash in the nation’s Capital against Wellington Phoenix on November 12.

One of the most popular fixtures on the Central Coast Mariners’ calendar is our New Year’s Eve match. We are excited to host Melbourne City on the last night of 2016 and look forward to bringing in the New Year with a win in front of a packed Central Coast Stadium.

Either side of New Year’s Eve there are a host of exciting fixtures across December and January that have the mouths of football fans watering for festive season football action. On December 18 we host Brisbane Roar, New Year’s Eve is Melbourne City, January 8 is our derby against Sydney FC and the Australia Day Long weekend we have Perth Glory in town – all at Central Coast Stadium.

To wrap the season up at home we finish with an #F3Derby on Sunday April 9 against the Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp looked at this season’s scheduling with plenty of optimism.

“Once again, we are glad that the FFA have locked in our New Year’s Eve fixture as a mainstay for Central Coast Stadium and we are excited to host Melbourne City,” Mielekamp said. “Not only do we have New Year’s Eve to look forward to, but there are a range of fixtures during the festive season through to the Australia Day long weekend that is great for the local region and fantastic for our matchday experience.

“This season presents a huge opportunity for us to show our true character to the Members, fans and football community. It isn’t in us to give up, it isn’t in us to go home and close our eyes hoping things will get better and that is why this Hyundai A-League season is one of the most important in the Club’s history.

“What is in us, is to always be passionate about our community and never forget who we represent, what is in us is the Central Coast and in representing the Central Coast we encourage our fans to travel in numbers to the host of derbies in Newcastle, Sydney and Western Sydney this season,” Mielekamp said.
- See more at: http://www.ccmariners.com.au/articl...x0skvuo0ofy1sfv53geevmrf#sthash.19Xsi6tK.dpuf

 

[tim...]

Initial thoughts:

Good:
OK with two games in Canberra
NYE tick
Home derby last home game tick
No Sun 3pm games tick

Bad:
Only 1 CCS game in the first 7 rounds
No Boxing Day v Sydney @ Allianz
Playing Glory, WSW, Roar & Nix twice before playing either Melbourne side at all.

 

[Beetlejuice]

to be honest, its a pretty shit draw.

As you highlighted, 1 CCS game in the first 7 rounds.

 

[rbakersmith]

I'd add the Thursday night game against Perth to the bad list. We'd be lucky to get 5K to that.

 

[tim...]

That's the FFA Cup Final weekend from memory - every chance that fixture could change depending on who qualifies (i.e. let's hope we or Perth qualify?)

 

[Rowdy]

As you highlighted, 1 CCS game in the first 7 rounds.

Thats the one that will surely put a dent in the 'engagement'.

Might take till Rnds 11/12 or 13 for the 'game by game' fans to turn up regularly.

 

[Paolo]

Not much to like in tye draw, including no home F3 Derby until round 26, when both our seasons are likely to be over anyway.

 

[sydmariner]

I'd add the Thursday night game against Perth to the bad list. We'd be lucky to get 5K to that.

This is what happened the last time we played a Thursday night game.

 

[rbakersmith]

This is what happened the last time we played a Thursday night game.

To be fair, that was when the boycott was happening.

 

[nebakke]

to be honest, its a pretty shit draw.

As you highlighted, 1 CCS game in the first 7 rounds.

Dunno... It was never going to be brilliant when you consider that last season was a "home season"... It was always going to be light on.... I actually don't think this is all that bad, when you consider the circumstances.
I know it's a patch, it was always meant to be but, if you bear in mind that entrance to the Jest games is free for members, we do lose a home game to Canberra in round 6, but after that we have a trip to the dump, followed by two home games and from then on it almost alternates for the rest of the season, except round 18 which is back in Canberra, but then we have a Jest away game in round 21 - between two home games.
On top of that, we're not playing WelNux or Perff on New Years Eve, I think that'll be a nice change.

My primary issues with this draw is more, as @Timmah already pointed out, that we don't face off against any of the Melbourne sides until after we've played several of the other sides twice.
Once that's said, it's nowhere near as bad as this season, where Adelaide played themselves well into form, and then hammered us what? Twice? In three or four weeks.

The only thing, if anything, is that I don't understand why the Home derby is the second last game of the season... Unless we and/or they, break everyone's expectations this season, that games almost going to be irrelevant in the eyes of many


Oh and fkn Thursday night games!? WHY!? We get few people to watch Perff, so we place it on a day when we're almost guaranteed to get less.

 

[tim...]

I think the club was keen to secure that last home game of the season as an annual event - old boys day etc etc.

 

[Manny_ccm]

Pretty disappointing draw for the Mariners and it's supporters based on the issues highlighted above - I can't believe the lack of 7pm games at home other than New Year's Eve.
Hard to understand why they still haven't balanced out the number of NSW derbies for us.
We play Perth twice in 8 rounds, Wanderers twice in 9 rounds.
1 home game in 7 rounds is ridiculous - how is this supposed to build casual supporter interest and momentum.
The boys are expected to back up competitively for the New Year's eve match after playing 3 days earlier in Melbourne... after not having a match for 10 days prior!
Once again the FFA screw the Mariners fans over in the interests of everyone else.

 

[Big Al]

Pretty simple message. You can have NYE as no one else wants it or watches it and no sat nights until you start winning.

Wonder how lack of home games early will effect membership sign ups. No real rush apart from getting same seat.

Won season opener at home last two disastrous years, now we on the road is this what we need for a better season?

 

[FFC Mariner]

2GO running with Mariners off to Canberra.

Very helpful.

 

[Rowdy]

2GO running with Mariners off to Canberra.

As in relocating ?

 

[Forum Phoenix]

f**king awful. No, abysmal draw.

1 home game in 7 games? Yeah... That'll help us get back to winning ways and get the fans back.

Two 7+ Home starts. One on NYE where it doesnt matter - the other on a f**king thursday where crowds will be shit anyway.

Sydney once.
Newcastle once.
Wanderers once.

3 from 9 derbies.

The only good thing is perth twice ftom a travel $ pov. But we've got to go to Welly twice.

Oh and if walmsley gets off to another shocker... At least his replacement will be in before we really even beging our season from a home fans perspective.

Sean's right... In the face of that draw, going to have to be the time to show our worth. But hope the club is clear that anything less than a great season will be disastrous. No pressure.

And no money ball... We HAVE to spend

Apart from that, im a glass half full guy, but enourage those who can swallow their bile (which as ive said numerous times is not unfair) to do everything you can to shelve it so we can stick together and get behind the club despite how utterly shite we've been for two years. Because the pricks calling the shots care nothing for us long term. Pundits hate us. So if we dont stand up for the club... Dark lonely waters ahead.

 

[dibo]

And no money ball... We HAVE to spend

Leaving all else aside - moneyball is a strategy for how to spend, not how much to spend.

It's about getting optimum value for a given spend. If your squad is worth ~87% of the next cheapest and ~81% of the average, even the optimum results for that spend will likely fall short.

 

[Rowdy]

Sydney once.
Newcastle once.
Wanderers once.

3 from 9 derbies.

Last season we had 6 from 9 derbies.

We asked for balance i.e
4 from 9 one year
5 from 9 the next, with a rotation so that no club gets 2 home games against us 2 years in a row. Thats only fair.

So the famine or feast system remains.

Which will be extremely detrimental to the Mariners bottom line, after the disasterous season last year during the 'feast' and now the subsequent disenchantment due to that disasterous season could & most likely will, come from non-returning fans - Members & casuals alike in this coming season whilst it's our turn at the 'famine'

No one's listening at the FFA
....... more likely no one cares.

 

[FFC Mariner]

As in relocating ?

"Mariners ditch Coast for Canberra "

 

[Paolo]

Im not sure why there is too much shock with the draw.
- Fox largely dictate the draw in selecting their top 100 fixtures for prime slots. We rate poorly so 7pm Sat is not going to happen.
- We have had the swinging derby allocation for quite some time, all clubs want it to change...just not in the cycle when they benefit and this year the big clubs arnt going to relinquish it.