bathurstmariner
Well-Known Member
... a Mariners supporter - well even more so after reading this:
http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=21500
Mariners habitWednesday, 20 February 2008
Alex Wilkinson and Lawrie McKinna with the Premiers Plate The Hyundai A-League may be only three seasons old, but the competitions only provincial club Central Coast Mariners, is creating a habit for themselves making finals.
Not a bad habit to have you say, with Sundays grand final at the Sydney Football Stadium, remarkably the clubs fifth overall major final. Its also their second appearance in the Hyundai A-League Championship decider, which also makes them the first club to achieve this feat.
Thats quite an accomplishment for the club, who were by far and away the competitions smallest club when it won one of the eight franchises to start the Hyundai A-League. With the smallest population base to work with of just 300,000 people, most believed the Mariners would be the club propping up the league, both on and off the park.
But they have been anything but!
From day one, all at the Mariners believed they could achieve great things and that belief has carried over to the playing and coaching group.
In their first official competition the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship, Australian Qualifying Tournament the Mariners progressed through to the final, where they were beaten by the competitions glamour club and big city rival Sydney FC 1-0 at Bluetongue Stadium.
This was the first of three finals they would make in this first season, winning the inaugural Pre-Season Cup with a 1-0 win over Perth Glory, also at Bluetongue Stadium.
Obviously the most important of these finals was the Hyundai A-League 2006 Grand Final and in a nail-biting final, they went down 1-0 to Sydney FC in front of a capacity crowd at Aussie Stadium (as it was known then).
Season Two saw another productive start, with a second successive finals appearance in the Pre-Season Cup, although it was to finish in disappointment, going down 5-4 on penalties to Adelaide United, after scores were locked at one apiece at the end of extra time. That however didnt transcend into the season proper and they finished out of the finals.
Having deservedly won the Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Premiers Plate, after leading the competition for most of the season, success in the grand final, will make them the first team to secure all three prizes on offer to the clubs in Australia (not including AFC Champions League) and the first to reach a hat-trick of trophies.
So whats the secret to their success?
There is no doubt that the club has based its initial years around stability, both on and off the park. Lawrie McKinna is one of only two head coaches (Ernie Merrick being the other) that have lasted the first three seasons of the Hyundai A-League and it would be hard to see him leaving soon, given that the Mariners have now qualified for the 2009 AFC Champions League, which has always been a major goal for the club.
The stability amongst the full coaching staff has also transferred to the park as well, with the Mariners incurring the least amount of player turnover in the three seasons. Remarkably in those three seasons, the Mariners have used only 34 players, with Adelaide United next at 39 players. To give you an idea, Perth Glory has used the most number of coaches 4 and the most number of players at 49.
Its this stability that has won them many admirers, especially among the Central Coasts population, which was very much a rugby league supporter dominated region. Now though, everybody knows who the Mariners are and what they are about and with its average crowd building each season (was 12,738 in season 3) and Bluetongue Stadium getting sell out crowds, the Mariners are now firmly entrenched in the area and even infiltrating into the northern Sydney suburbs.
I think so, said McKinna, when asked if the clubs stability has been the foundation for this success. I think consistency across the board; weve obviously had the same coaching staff and a large part of that initial (playing) squad.
In Year 2 we never made huge changes; year 3 we never made huge changes and so we picked a good bunch of boys at the beginning and I think we have strengthened the squad every year.
I think consistency on and off the park has definitely helped.
McKinna has been involved from the start, when Frank Lowy first called for submissions to be part of Australias new national competition and drive and passion for the club are now legendary in the region.
Im fortunate enough to have been involved in the club at the beginning when the consortium were putting a bid together. Myself, Alex Tobin and Ian Ferguson were all involved in that. Weve all signed long term deals and I think that typifies what this club is all about and it was always a plan not to burn and get a quick fix.
Year 2 wasnt so successful as year 1, but due to injuries and just missing out on the finals by a game, we fell away a little bit. We certainly came back in year three and weve been at the top of the league for 17 or 18 weeks of the 21 round season and deserved to be Premiers.
I think it just comes down to that steadying influence; players can relax and the coaches can go along and try and build a good team.
And if they manage to win the decider on Sunday, it would arguably place the Mariners as the most successful club in the three and a bit years, since the teams were announced in late 2004.
Who would have thought!
Central Coast Mariners Record
Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
Regular Season 63 24 18 21 87 79 90
Finals 6 3 1 2 6 4 n/a
Total 69 27 19 23 93 83 90
as at the conclusion of the Major Semi Final against Newcastle Jets
Major Honours
Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Premiers
Hyundai A-League 2005/06 Grand Finalist
2005 Pre-Season Cup Winner
2006 Pre-Season Cup Finalist
Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Champion/Grand Finalist ???
http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=21500
Mariners habitWednesday, 20 February 2008
Alex Wilkinson and Lawrie McKinna with the Premiers Plate The Hyundai A-League may be only three seasons old, but the competitions only provincial club Central Coast Mariners, is creating a habit for themselves making finals.
Not a bad habit to have you say, with Sundays grand final at the Sydney Football Stadium, remarkably the clubs fifth overall major final. Its also their second appearance in the Hyundai A-League Championship decider, which also makes them the first club to achieve this feat.
Thats quite an accomplishment for the club, who were by far and away the competitions smallest club when it won one of the eight franchises to start the Hyundai A-League. With the smallest population base to work with of just 300,000 people, most believed the Mariners would be the club propping up the league, both on and off the park.
But they have been anything but!
From day one, all at the Mariners believed they could achieve great things and that belief has carried over to the playing and coaching group.
In their first official competition the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship, Australian Qualifying Tournament the Mariners progressed through to the final, where they were beaten by the competitions glamour club and big city rival Sydney FC 1-0 at Bluetongue Stadium.
This was the first of three finals they would make in this first season, winning the inaugural Pre-Season Cup with a 1-0 win over Perth Glory, also at Bluetongue Stadium.
Obviously the most important of these finals was the Hyundai A-League 2006 Grand Final and in a nail-biting final, they went down 1-0 to Sydney FC in front of a capacity crowd at Aussie Stadium (as it was known then).
Season Two saw another productive start, with a second successive finals appearance in the Pre-Season Cup, although it was to finish in disappointment, going down 5-4 on penalties to Adelaide United, after scores were locked at one apiece at the end of extra time. That however didnt transcend into the season proper and they finished out of the finals.
Having deservedly won the Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Premiers Plate, after leading the competition for most of the season, success in the grand final, will make them the first team to secure all three prizes on offer to the clubs in Australia (not including AFC Champions League) and the first to reach a hat-trick of trophies.
So whats the secret to their success?
There is no doubt that the club has based its initial years around stability, both on and off the park. Lawrie McKinna is one of only two head coaches (Ernie Merrick being the other) that have lasted the first three seasons of the Hyundai A-League and it would be hard to see him leaving soon, given that the Mariners have now qualified for the 2009 AFC Champions League, which has always been a major goal for the club.
The stability amongst the full coaching staff has also transferred to the park as well, with the Mariners incurring the least amount of player turnover in the three seasons. Remarkably in those three seasons, the Mariners have used only 34 players, with Adelaide United next at 39 players. To give you an idea, Perth Glory has used the most number of coaches 4 and the most number of players at 49.
Its this stability that has won them many admirers, especially among the Central Coasts population, which was very much a rugby league supporter dominated region. Now though, everybody knows who the Mariners are and what they are about and with its average crowd building each season (was 12,738 in season 3) and Bluetongue Stadium getting sell out crowds, the Mariners are now firmly entrenched in the area and even infiltrating into the northern Sydney suburbs.
I think so, said McKinna, when asked if the clubs stability has been the foundation for this success. I think consistency across the board; weve obviously had the same coaching staff and a large part of that initial (playing) squad.
In Year 2 we never made huge changes; year 3 we never made huge changes and so we picked a good bunch of boys at the beginning and I think we have strengthened the squad every year.
I think consistency on and off the park has definitely helped.
McKinna has been involved from the start, when Frank Lowy first called for submissions to be part of Australias new national competition and drive and passion for the club are now legendary in the region.
Im fortunate enough to have been involved in the club at the beginning when the consortium were putting a bid together. Myself, Alex Tobin and Ian Ferguson were all involved in that. Weve all signed long term deals and I think that typifies what this club is all about and it was always a plan not to burn and get a quick fix.
Year 2 wasnt so successful as year 1, but due to injuries and just missing out on the finals by a game, we fell away a little bit. We certainly came back in year three and weve been at the top of the league for 17 or 18 weeks of the 21 round season and deserved to be Premiers.
I think it just comes down to that steadying influence; players can relax and the coaches can go along and try and build a good team.
And if they manage to win the decider on Sunday, it would arguably place the Mariners as the most successful club in the three and a bit years, since the teams were announced in late 2004.
Who would have thought!
Central Coast Mariners Record
Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
Regular Season 63 24 18 21 87 79 90
Finals 6 3 1 2 6 4 n/a
Total 69 27 19 23 93 83 90
as at the conclusion of the Major Semi Final against Newcastle Jets
Major Honours
Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Premiers
Hyundai A-League 2005/06 Grand Finalist
2005 Pre-Season Cup Winner
2006 Pre-Season Cup Finalist
Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Champion/Grand Finalist ???
