Mariners vs Wellington at NSO - Game Talk

[VicMariner]

Is the club losing money though? Have any reliable figures been published?
With crowd averages nudging 10k for the last two years and this season likely to be above. Supposedly 10k is the break even figure. Why are they losing money?

Perhaps maximizing their current revenue streams would be a good place to start. For example look at the CCM club shop and compare it to the Scum's online shop.
They have a greater range and more available. We don't even have this years home shirt up. How many merchandise dollars have been missed and is it the same for other sources of income?

 

[Big Al]

Heart vs. Head.

The banker (Charlesworth) is using his head trying to grow his product in an area that has had previous success, has a lot more financial possibilities & probably better advertising revenue & a larger population to tap into.

Heart - The sole of the club is on the CC while there is some form of a tie in with the old Northern spirit to some.
The Banker wanted 5k member - Achieved
Home crowds are reasonably strong to start the year
18k+ WSW - strong away support
9k+ AU - No away support
Just short of 9k Roar - No away support

I think it's Dibo who quotes 10k attendances like a Break Even. with more Derbies to come we should cover it no problems.

The problem is the head has no idea how to communicate with the Heart.
He has our email addresses via membership - Why not send us a piece explaining the thought processes, ideas & limits on game to be sold.

Like a typical senior manager they make stupid decisions without asking the staff on the ground how there stupid decision affect the team. We have all heard managers try & sell the dumbest ideas & we go if you just asked us we would have told you that won't work because the people on the ground actually no whats happening or it's not practical.

Better communication would lead to less angst & we might trust him. Because we don't we will turn on him real quick & he has shot himself in the foot.

While the Wellington game was sold like a community round & chance for some to revisit the Spirit days it appears it was nothing more than a smoke screen to test numbers to look at re-location. Now diehard supporters who would have loved to attend have to second guess there commitment to the team.
1. Support the boys through think & thin like we are suppose to & enjoy NSO
or
2. Put ourselves first & miss the game on the hope it's a flop & kills the Bankers ideas - Both our team & us as supporters loose out.

Sport & business don't mix - Sport costs a lot of money to run at the top & the only one making money is the TV and without fans to watch & embrace the club there is no product for the TV.
Clubs are run on passion & commitment. Businesses are run on the bottom line only.

 

[bikinigirl]

The main question for me is how exactly is having home games at NSO a solution to the money issues? Are they expecting bigger crowds? Less rent to pay? Neither sounds very long term.

Surely they don't think that simply moving games will be a huge success, so why not step up efforts to promote the club/games on the Coast instead?

. i think this is the crux of the issue ... to me it seems that charlesworth is trying to 'encourage' more people to attend games ... problem is the only people hearing that message are already attending every game - so all he is doing is making them nervous

. the amount of money and effort required to attract people to nso would be better spend on the coast imo ... and it is easier to target

. arnie used to try a similar motivation tactic by complaining in the media that he didn't understand the low crowd numbers ... but over the last year he had changed his tactics - i think they were working. it appears charlesworth has not learnt from arnie's experience (only my take on it, of course)

 

[bikinigirl]

Is the club losing money though? Have any reliable figures been published?
With crowd averages nudging 10k for the last two years and this season likely to be above. Supposedly 10k is the break even figure. Why are they losing money?

. frustrating isn't it?

. also remember the only number that stands out when compared to other clubs in the league is our apparently low overheads (crowd numbers and memberships seem ok). if the issue is the extra-curricular stuff such as the coe ... how will nso help?

. champions league could also be a big burden (which nobody else consistently has) ... but the ffa have offered to increase their assistance (so they may need a chance)

. inform us properly and maybe we will understand ... scare us or threaten us and we may start to question our motivation

 

[VicMariner]

Good article in The Roar:

http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/11/2...th-mixed-messages-around-a-northern-exposure/

 

[bikinigirl]

Good article in The Roar:

http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/11/2...th-mixed-messages-around-a-northern-exposure/

. yep, worth a read ... captures the general sentiment i reckon

 

[midfielder]

Good article in The Roar:

http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/11/2...th-mixed-messages-around-a-northern-exposure/

Agree .... and he is spot on ... I suggest people read the article...

MC needs to be very careful now ... he has pushed a lot of buttons and some folk are very upset .......I liked the way Gallop [according to the Roar article] said NSQ was not up to stadium standard other than the odd community round... sorta blows the move out of the water ... Dibo said Galllop would stop it and he may have already ....

 

[VicMariner]

Lawrie McKinna ‏@LawrieMcKinna 16h
Just so there is no confusion CCM never put in a tender to run Bluetongue Stadium, Council only received one tender which was unacceptable

Just clicked!
What are the implications of this? Is the current stadium deal so good CCM running it is not cheaper? If not and you're running a 1 million loss why not chase a better deal?
Makes you wonder about the planned use of Bluetongue. Perhaps a paltry handful of games is not worth it?

A bit of fan engagement would be nice. You would think all owners would have learned something with the WSW set up. Interacting with the supporters is a win/win proposition.

 

[dibo]

the stanmore crew

REPRAZENT!

 

[radar]

CCMFC is pushing for management rights at Graham Park - is is possible that this is just a *really* ham-fisted attempt to influence Council? Give them the rights or they'll take half the regular business down the road?

The more I think about it rationally, the more I think that this is the most likely motivation.

thats all I can imagine it would be. MC tries to put the fear of god into the council, club puts out contradictory statement as damage control for fans and to cover whatever legal can of worms MCs original statement opened

 

[midfielder]

For the sake of the argument ... what if any is the games played at NSO to expand the fan base is OK..

For me the answer is one ... two in the season we have a community round like this season...

Tho's ... from 0 to 13.... as I said for me 1 + the community round every second season...

 

[dibo]

I'm simply not convinced it *will* expand the fan base. A 'community round' game is fine, because it's about doing something different. But magically attracting a bunch more supporters? Sceptical at best.

 

[true believer]

I can't see anything but a loss going to NSO
we have our 3 memberships .we don't travel to away games (this may change in another 2 years)
I certainly won't be forking out 55o bucks for 6 games .
so it starts coming down to individual games .im working ,it's raining .
it's easy to just watch at home .

 

[Big Al]

For the sake of the argument ... what if any is the games played at NSO to expand the fan base is OK..

For me the answer is one ... two in the season we have a community round like this season...

Tho's ... from 0 to 13.... as I said for me 1 + the community round every second season...

I am happy with 3 as long as it was capped. would have the added benefit of making the membership cheaper on the coast as you get less games you pay less. That could make it more affordable for more people. with the option of extending your membership to include NSO. Would represent 3:1 in games which covers the membership split.

As for saying our membership is 20% in Northern Sydney the coast is unique in its proximity to Sydney. Plenty work there & plenty move there but still keep there Coast born & bread tag. They probably don't mind coming back home to watch the game & drop in & see mum or there friends etc.

Also when to play at NSO. The A-League plays more games over the Christmas/New Year break - This is when all of north sydney comes to the coast for their holidays so you can't play much past the 19th Dec. i reckon they are probably pushing it having it that close to Christmas as most office will shut down around then.

Bet he is spewing no one believes him this time. Anyone can make a mistake once but an idiot makes the same mistake twice.

 

[gull]

I can't see how he is rocking the boat to get stadium rights when according to McKinna the Mariners didn't put in a tender for management rights.

Quoted from the SMH article: "The Mariners' joint submission with ANZ Stadium to assume the management of Bluetongue Stadium was recently knocked back by Gosford City Council, which will take charge of the venue as of February 1 next year."

Interesting to know who is correct, the SMH or McKinna, or was this an offer put in before the actual tender?

Given the Mariners have expressed their strong interest in managing the stadium previously it seems odd that they have now lost that interest....

 

[Big Al]

Quoted from the SMH article: "The Mariners' joint submission with ANZ Stadium to assume the management of Bluetongue Stadium was recently knocked back by Gosford City Council, which will take charge of the venue as of February 1 next year."

Interesting to know who is correct, the SMH or McKinna, or was this an offer put in before the actual tender?

Given the Mariners have expressed their strong interest in managing the stadium previously it seems odd that they have now lost that interest....

unless as VicMariner put it - They have no interest because they have no interest in using BT.

 

[yellowcake]

For the sake of the argument ... what if any is the games played at NSO to expand the fan base is OK.

One.

Tip the hat to the Spirit connection. Put the product in the window to try to encourage potential fans to Gosford.

 

[yellowcake]

Also, who's suggestion is it that the 20% of non-Coast members live in North(ern) Sydney / North Shore? Or how many of that 1000-odd don't have strong ties to the Coast and would equally be aghast at the potential loss of the regional identity of the club.

The Mariners have given the Central Coast a unifying identity like nothing we've ever had before. I couldn't stomach losing that and that's the scary thing:
Charlesworth says "finito" if they don't try something and have it succeed. Doesn't succeed - as we've all suggested (with the loss of us) - still "finito".

But don't forget, last year if Mike Charlesworth hadn't stepped up to bail us out - "finito" back then. So, care is required with the anti-Charlesworth sentiments, here and anything displayed at the game.

 

[midfielder]

Also, who's suggestion is it that the 20% of non-Coast members live in North(ern) Sydney / North Shore? Or how many of that 1000-odd don't have strong ties to the Coast and would equally be aghast at the potential loss of the regional identity of the club.

The Mariners have given the Central Coast a unifying identity like nothing we've ever had before. I couldn't stomach losing that and that's the scary thing:
Charlesworth says "finito" if they don't try something and have it succeed. Doesn't succeed - as we've all suggested (with the loss of us) - still "finito".

But don't forget, last year if Mike Charlesworth hadn't stepped up to bail us out - "finito" back then. So, care is required with the anti-Charlesworth sentiments, here and anything displayed at the game.

Good point, and remember he has attended three fans forums and those that compare him to Fat Tony hhhmmmm just not the case ...

I don't want to loose any games and while I live on the Coast now, I am one of the NS folk and Epping was my base ... but I did have family on the Coast and strong connections ...

It's kinda mixed ... one game to me OK .... but beyond that is hhhmmmm and TBH I don't think FFA will let us fold the COE is worth to much to Football ....

 

[Ancient Mariner]

But don't forget, last year if Mike Charlesworth hadn't stepped up to bail us out - "finito" back then. So, care is required with the anti-Charlesworth sentiments, here and anything displayed at the game.

This.

How would you feel if you were putting a million a year into the club and started to see "Charlesworth out" banners displayed by the fans or read some of the crap written here.

Wake up!!!!