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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer...e-central-coast-mariners-20200924-p55yv5.html
Owner of former La Liga club set to purchase Central Coast Mariners
By Dominic Bossi
September 25, 2020 — 7.12pm
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If the A-League is only as strong as its weakest club, the competition could move up a notch next season.
A local businessman is on the cusp of purchasing Central Coast Mariners and has vowed to inject some much-needed capital to transform the perennial strugglers into a club that can compete for silverware. Sydney-based investor and technology businessman, Abdul Helou, said he had reached a sale agreement in principle with Mariners chairman Mike Charlesworth for the club and its associated property.
The Mariners are close to securing new owners and will stay at home in Gosford.Credit:Getty
As revealed by the Herald on August 6, Helou had signalled an interest in the club and is now on the cusp of purchasing its A-League licence as well as the commercial real estate in Tuggerah owned by Charlesworth.
A deal won't be finalised until it is approved by Football Federation Australia, which will undertake due diligence when it is presented with the proposed sale. It appears the FFA is all that stands in the way of Helou's takeover. The club declined to comment but Mariners sources suggested talks had reached a critical stage.
Prospective buyer: Sydney businessman Abdul Helou is on the cusp of buying the Mariners. Credit:LinkedIN
"I’ve lived in Australia my entire life. Whilst I travel extensively throughout the year, it has always been a dream of mine to own a club at home," Helou said. "I feel I can add tremendous value to Central Coast Mariners FC both from a commercial aspect as well as a football growth aspect."
Should Helou's purchase go through, he has vowed to make the club an A-League force again. He wants the club to remain on the Central Coast and plans to develop the second stages of the club's Centre of Excellence in Tuggerah.
His proposal includes a hotel, multi-level car park and an elite indoor sports centre built alongside the Mariners' training field in Tuggerah in time for the 2023 Women's World Cup, where it will be available as a base for teams.
Helou has close ties with clubs abroad, including former La Liga club Rayo Vallecano, which he owns a stake in. There are no plans for a formal link between the Mariners and clubs abroad but it remains a possibility.
"It’s hard to say now, however I have extremely strong ties to several La Liga and EPL clubs. The appropriate cross-border collaboration will be decided in due course," Helou said. "Considering the value I’ll be introducing into the team from an overseas player perspective, I believe we should be serious contenders as one of Australia’s top teams."
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If his purchase is ratified, Helou will resist making widespread personnel changes. Instead he will look to complement existing club staff with more specialists.
"I’m not a fan of 'out with the old, in with the new' concept. However, the entire management team and back-end support for the club will require a solid investment to bring it on par with the other top clubs in the A-League," Helou said. "We will be retaining all employees and simply adding and filling the missing gaps that the organisation as a whole requires."
Since winning the league title in 2013, the Mariners have become the weakest club in the A-League. They have taken the wooden spoon four times in the past five seasons. Undermining the club's woeful on-field performance has been a lack of funding. The Mariners have not only spent the least in the A-League on their squad over the past five seasons but also on support staff, coaches and team resources.
Owner of former La Liga club set to purchase Central Coast Mariners
September 25, 2020 — 7.12pm
Leave a comment
If the A-League is only as strong as its weakest club, the competition could move up a notch next season.
A local businessman is on the cusp of purchasing Central Coast Mariners and has vowed to inject some much-needed capital to transform the perennial strugglers into a club that can compete for silverware. Sydney-based investor and technology businessman, Abdul Helou, said he had reached a sale agreement in principle with Mariners chairman Mike Charlesworth for the club and its associated property.
The Mariners are close to securing new owners and will stay at home in Gosford.Credit:Getty
As revealed by the Herald on August 6, Helou had signalled an interest in the club and is now on the cusp of purchasing its A-League licence as well as the commercial real estate in Tuggerah owned by Charlesworth.
A deal won't be finalised until it is approved by Football Federation Australia, which will undertake due diligence when it is presented with the proposed sale. It appears the FFA is all that stands in the way of Helou's takeover. The club declined to comment but Mariners sources suggested talks had reached a critical stage.
Prospective buyer: Sydney businessman Abdul Helou is on the cusp of buying the Mariners. Credit:LinkedIN
"I’ve lived in Australia my entire life. Whilst I travel extensively throughout the year, it has always been a dream of mine to own a club at home," Helou said. "I feel I can add tremendous value to Central Coast Mariners FC both from a commercial aspect as well as a football growth aspect."
Should Helou's purchase go through, he has vowed to make the club an A-League force again. He wants the club to remain on the Central Coast and plans to develop the second stages of the club's Centre of Excellence in Tuggerah.
His proposal includes a hotel, multi-level car park and an elite indoor sports centre built alongside the Mariners' training field in Tuggerah in time for the 2023 Women's World Cup, where it will be available as a base for teams.
Helou has close ties with clubs abroad, including former La Liga club Rayo Vallecano, which he owns a stake in. There are no plans for a formal link between the Mariners and clubs abroad but it remains a possibility.
"It’s hard to say now, however I have extremely strong ties to several La Liga and EPL clubs. The appropriate cross-border collaboration will be decided in due course," Helou said. "Considering the value I’ll be introducing into the team from an overseas player perspective, I believe we should be serious contenders as one of Australia’s top teams."
Related Article
A-League
Chinese-linked investment firm on cusp of buying Newcastle Jets
If his purchase is ratified, Helou will resist making widespread personnel changes. Instead he will look to complement existing club staff with more specialists.
"I’m not a fan of 'out with the old, in with the new' concept. However, the entire management team and back-end support for the club will require a solid investment to bring it on par with the other top clubs in the A-League," Helou said. "We will be retaining all employees and simply adding and filling the missing gaps that the organisation as a whole requires."
Since winning the league title in 2013, the Mariners have become the weakest club in the A-League. They have taken the wooden spoon four times in the past five seasons. Undermining the club's woeful on-field performance has been a lack of funding. The Mariners have not only spent the least in the A-League on their squad over the past five seasons but also on support staff, coaches and team resources.
