McCabe to pump $1million into youth academy

[Bear]

Holy f**k!

Hope its not all hot air. Massive for our "little club" if its true.

 

[Bear]

Central Coast Blades?

 

[Alicia]

When the stadium is renamed, do you think they'll rip out the seats and we'll get yellow and blue ones??  That would be pretty cool!

 

[ponno]

This is exciting news! Hopefully it all comes true and we become a super power in the HAL - is possible... and I agree with the comments about having a good business model... success off the field is as important as on the field...

 

[scottmac]

When the stadium is renamed, do you think they'll rip out the seats and we'll get yellow and blue ones??  That would be pretty cool!

Does that mean the mariners have the right to decline the use of the stadium to tenants?

 

[dru]

Is this the end of "What have SU done for us lately" threads?

Nope! Not until one of SU best players come here on loan will some people see this as a good thing.

When the stadium is renamed, do you think they'll rip out the seats and we'll get yellow and blue ones??  That would be pretty cool!

Roof and bar for the northern concourse before we change the seats would be my preference.

The Mariners will head to Chengdu for acclimatisation ahead of next year's ACL campaign, with McCabe adding: "If we get the link right, you'd expect a couple of players from Chengdu to end up at the Mariners in the next few years."

This I think will be great for us with ACL and I think Chengdu and Dubai will be where the most value for this deal will be given the move of 3+1 import rules for AFC

 

[dbryant]

Does that mean the mariners have the right to decline the use of the stadium to tenants?

We'll likely need the cash, but we could in theory do so, provided there is no pre-existing contract with regards to their use.

 

[Atomic]

Central Coast Blades?

In all seriousness, I had the same thought Bear... Great minds think alike (...or fools never differ)

However, wasn't there some talk around recently about a conspiracy to drop "Central Coast" and just call ourselves The Mariners to aid a more "global" branding? Maybe a change to The Blades might be on the cards??? It seems to me that SU might be trying to globalize Blades as two of their other clubs are called that.

(Mods... feel free to cut and paste this into the Conspiracy theory thread  )

 

[Jorome Alexander Bennett]

Barcelona have a global branding without dropping Barcelona.
I don't think they'll look at changing to Blades. Unneccessary, no benefits. I simply like Mariners too much. I really hope they don't change it. I love our logo.

 

[dru]

Central Coast Blades?

In all seriousness, I had the same thought Bear... Great minds think alike (...or fools never differ)

However, wasn't there some talk around recently about a conspiracy to drop "Central Coast" and just call ourselves The Mariners to aid a more "global" branding? Maybe a change to The Blades might be on the cards??? It seems to me that SU might be trying to globalize Blades as two of their other clubs are called that.

(Mods... feel free to cut and paste this into the Conspiracy theory thread  )

From my understanding Chengdu and Dubai are wholly owned by McCabe or SU something which we are not. I really can't see us changing.

 

[Bear]

McCabe dose not own the Mariners dru..... yet

 

[midfielder]

When the stadium is renamed, do you think they'll rip out the seats and we'll get yellow and blue ones??  That would be pretty cool!

YES YES YES.

Also paint on Mariners logos around the ground especially the outside.... and put pictures of Mariner Superstars around the ground ... some names Tommy / Grumps/ LM / Micheal B

Make everybody that comes to Blueground understand this is a football stadium.

 

[Blair]

40 Million Best new i have ever heard in ages im buzzing.

 

[dru]

McCabe dose not own the Mariners dru..... yet

Guess time will tell, I don't see it happening as Dubai is a new team that they are starting.

Now for the 40million dollar question is blades a worse or better name than stuff like fury, roar or mariners. 

 

[midfielder]

Central Coast Blades?

In all seriousness, I had the same thought Bear... Great minds think alike (...or fools never differ)

However, wasn't there some talk around recently about a conspiracy to drop "Central Coast" and just call ourselves The Mariners to aid a more "global" branding? Maybe a change to The Blades might be on the cards??? It seems to me that SU might be trying to globalize Blades as two of their other clubs are called that.

(Mods... feel free to cut and paste this into the Conspiracy theory thread  )

No stay the Central Coast Mariners in time Mariners but we are the Central Coast Community Team

 

[offtheball]

When the stadium is renamed, do you think they'll rip out the seats and we'll get yellow and blue ones??  That would be pretty cool!

Does that mean the mariners have the right to decline the use of the stadium to tenants?

More importantly does it mean we can hire a decent groundsman?

Should be able to buy a decent pump for $40million.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Blades is Sheffield Uniteds nickname as Sheffield was (pre Thatcher) the home of cutlery/knifemaking in the UK.

Doesnt really translate to Australia.

The development announcement is the best news for ages, gives the club a secure (revenue generating) base of operations and surely a NSPL team cant be too far away (pretty please, just to f**k off the Lightning really).

Post games up there once built I assume?

 

[Tassiemariner]

This is the biggest, most important announcement about the future of our club since PT joined.

Hopefully the trust taking over Bluetongue Stadium's management rights means a better pitch conditions.
Hopefully they do bring in more foreign imports for next year's Asian Champions League
and a loan player from Sheffield United in the next few weeks.
We don't need major overhaul in players but we need that extra spark to gives us that lift before the finals + ACL

But the prospect of the "the construction of a massive new training complex at Tuggerah, which will include a 120-room hotel as well as state-of-the-art training and administration facilities" just makes me jump for joy" makes me just think what a fantastic, forward-thinking, stable club this will be in 20 years time.

Can't wait to see this grand plan being put into action

 

[marinersman]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/a-league/mariners-super-model-should-set-the-trend/2008/12/08/1228584743830.html

Mariners' super model should set the trend
Michael Cockerill
December 9, 2008

WELL done Central Coast Mariners. Well done Peter Turnbull and Lyall Gorman for believing in the dream, and well done Kevin McCabe for sharing in it. It's not often you get a good news story from every angle, but this is one. It wasn't that long ago the Mariners were on life support.

Now, after last week's re-structuring of their ownership model, their future is assured. The Mariners are aiming to become the A-League's version of the Green Bay Packers. A small club with big ideas putting itself ahead of the curve.

The best houses always have the strongest foundations. At the start, the Mariners didn't have money, but they did have enthusiasm, and determination. Because of that, they have become the role model of a community club - not through largesse but through sheer hard work.

It is these foundations which last year encouraged Turnbull to move his money from Sydney FC, and which this year enticed McCabe, who owns his home-town club, Sheffield United, as well as sides in China, Hungary and the UAE.

In these fraught economic times, it could be seen as folly to be spending instead of saving. But McCabe doesn't see it that way. "Football is the world game and always will be," he says. "Put it this way - I travel all the time, and I don't see its popularity waning."

Instead, McCabe sees his latest investment in the Mariners as a smart one, not a risky one. He could be right. Having dug deep into the grassroots, where they can now access a database of 60,000 players across the Central Coast and northern Sydney, the Mariners have laid their foundations. Now they have to build the house. Which is where the newly formed Mariners Trust comes in.

It is this trust, which has now assumed the majority stake in the Mariners and is owned by McCabe, Gorman and Turnbull, which will take the club to the next level. A state-of-the-art, $60 million training complex at Tuggerah is planned for starters. The first sod could be turned by this time next year.

There is also the mooted swapping of talent - both playing and coaching - between McCabe's worldwide network of clubs. Down the track, the trust would like to control the management rights to Bluetongue Stadium. But the first team won't be neglected. The trust intends to make clever investments - primarily in property - to ensure there is sufficient cash flow to make the first team "perennially successful".

With the Mariners about to make their debut in the Asian Champions League, the restructure could hardly be better timed. "Think local, act global". It's not an original slogan, but one Gorman has taken on board with a vengeance. Just days after winning last season's minor premiership - which secured passage to the ACL - the Mariners started brainstorming how they would make the most of the opportunity. They see Asia as the springboard, and intend to jump as high as they can. Both local and state government are already on board - last month, the Mariners addressed NSW Cabinet ministers after they met at the Mingara Club, outlining the possibilities.

NSW tourism officials, for instance, are likely to take road shows to China, Japan and South Korea when the Mariners play in the ACL. When they're playing in Gosford, there will be trade shows held around the ACL matches.

It's not rocket science, but it is proactive. And that's what the restructure is ultimately about. One day, there might not be a salary cap in the A-League, and there aren't too many Frank Lowys or Clive Palmers living on the Central Coast. It could be a jungle out there, and this is the Mariners' way of making sure they can do better than survive.

 

[serious14]

NSW tourism officials, for instance, are likely to take road shows to China, Japan and South Korea when the Mariners play in the ACL. When they're playing in Gosford, there will be trade shows held around the ACL matches.

And this is why football is one of my favourite things _off_ the park as well, and more proof that if you're serious about branding yourself internationally, you get behind it...... it is truly amazing to watch how organically business grows when football is involved.

The best example I can think of (aside from this one obviously) is to just look at the match tickets for Australia's upcoming qualifier against Uzbekistan.  The sponsors list reads like a who's who of business in Asia and the Pacific Rim:

Asahi - best beer in Japan
Emirates - enormous Middle Eastern airline
Epson - one of the bigest imaging products distributors in all of Asia
ING - giant financial institution, got arms everywhere
Kirin - _another_ Japanese beer
Konica Minolta - MORE imaging products
Pocari Sweat - had one of these in China, they call themselves an 'ion supply drink'
Samsung - best corporation in the world  ;D
Toshiba - electronics megagiant

And these are just the official partners of the qualifiers - then you bring in the Australian sponsors, and the away teams sponsors, and everything else that goes with that.

You must surely think that our competitors in Australia would go "pft, sure, your domestic comp. isn't anything to write home about yet", but we just turn around and show them articles like this one.

Football _is_ the number one sport on the planet, on and off the field.  Boys and girls, we as a club are about to go to some mighty exciting places.  Bring it on.

;D ;D ;D