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Seeing the back of Charlesworth

Will you back MC to the end?


  • Total voters
    39
  • Poll closed .

turbo

Well-Known Member
The stadium is a Council asset, just like playing fields, child care centre etc. If a businessman comes along and says "If you give me a deal on the road plant that is unused at night/on weekends I can run a business. If you don't I'll go bust and blame Council instead of my own poor decisions" I would turn it down too.

You're being disingenuous here to push your angle. The stadium is a unique scarce resource in our region, this isnt a situation of looking for the next vendor for venue or equipment and being able to open the same business somewhere else. If the club folds because a workable deal can't be achieved the community loses their (privately held) only representative in top flight sport, surrounding businesses lose revenue, local people lose work/jobs, there's one less advertisement for the central coast on a national stage and the stadium loses its only full time tenant which puts the cost to rate payers further in the red. There is no way rate payers or the council are better off long term under the current arrangement if their tenant disappears. It's lose-lose and up until this point I suspect they believed MC and the club were bluffing, years later and we're seeing that might not still be the case. Don't let your distaste for MC blind you to logical arguments.

Edit:
And on top of this its reasonable to assume had they gone to tender earlier in favorable market conditions before this information became public and COVID occurred that they would have achieved a higher asking price for the management rights. Now they face the prospect of going to tender with their only permanent tenant in doubt and the very real prospect of reduced crowds for any events in the next year or so depending how all this plays out. They've also missed the boat for getting involved in the women's world cup bid which could have had the palm trees & brisbane water backdrop broadcast worldwide.
 
Last edited:

fruitbat

Well-Known Member
You're being disingenuous here to push your angle. The stadium is a unique scarce resource in our region, this isnt a situation of looking for the next vendor for venue or equipment and being able to open the same business somewhere else. If the club folds because a workable deal can't be achieved the community loses their (privately held) only representative in top flight sport, surrounding businesses lose revenue, local people lose work/jobs, there's one less advertisement for the central coast on a national stage and the stadium loses its only full time tenant which puts the cost to rate payers further in the red. There is no way rate payers or the council are better off long term under the current arrangement if their tenant disappears. It's lose-lose and up until this point I suspect they believed MC and the club were bluffing, years later and we're seeing that might not still be the case. Don't let your distaste for MC blind you to logical arguments.

Edit:
And on top of this its reasonable to assume had they gone to tender earlier in favorable market conditions before this information became public and COVID occurred that they would have achieved a higher asking price for the management rights. Now they face the prospect of going to tender with their only permanent tenant in doubt and the very real prospect of reduced crowds for any events in the next year or so depending how all this plays out. They've also missed the boat for getting involved in the women's world cup bid which could have had the palm trees & brisbane water backdrop broadcast worldwide.


Arguments can be similarly made for business getting deals on access/rights to other fallow assets belonging to Council. If the club fold, the club folds. In fact I am surprised it has taken so long to get to this point. I credit the passion of those who want to keep the club going at any cost, and if passionate fans want to invest themselves in a community based bail out and go into business with Charlesworth then by all means do so; just please don't assume that everyone else thinks its a good idea, or lobby to spend others' funds on it. So what if the region loses its only top flight sport? I dont think the performance over the last 6 years warrants that description in any case. Its become an embarrassment.
Frankly, we wouldn't be even discussing the stadium if Charlesworth had been adequately funding the squad. If the club folds, blame Charlesworth, dont blame Council.
Can an Administrator please cancel my account? I cant see myself wasting any more time here.
 

Ancient Mariner

Well-Known Member
The stadium is a Council asset, just like playing fields, child care centre etc. If a businessman comes along and says "If you give me a deal on the road plant that is unused at night/on weekends I can run a business. If you don't I'll go bust and blame Council instead of my own poor decisions" I would turn it down too.
I can access council run childcare or any other council run playing field. I cannot access Graham Park.
 

pjennings

Well-Known Member
Arguments can be similarly made for business getting deals on access/rights to other fallow assets belonging to Council. If the club fold, the club folds. In fact I am surprised it has taken so long to get to this point. I credit the passion of those who want to keep the club going at any cost, and if passionate fans want to invest themselves in a community based bail out and go into business with Charlesworth then by all means do so; just please don't assume that everyone else thinks its a good idea, or lobby to spend others' funds on it. So what if the region loses its only top flight sport? I dont think the performance over the last 6 years warrants that description in any case. Its become an embarrassment.
Frankly, we wouldn't be even discussing the stadium if Charlesworth had been adequately funding the squad. If the club folds, blame Charlesworth, dont blame Council.
Can an Administrator please cancel my account? I cant see myself wasting any more time here.

Again forget your view as a fan for just a minute. This is a council asset that used to make money (minimal) for the Council before it had a major tenant in an outsourced situation. It then had a major tenant and still made money for the Council and the outsourcer. It then came in house and lost money. In the meantime there has been less access (days when people could access the precinct).

As a Council they have failed in their stewardship of the asset, just as they lost tens of millions of dollars in financial speculation that we as ratepayers are still paying for.

CCMFC might have it s problems but the local Councils have been on the nose since I moved here over 30 years ago.
 

pjennings

Well-Known Member
'The Mariners have been taken for granted': Central Coast politician's touching plea to save the Mariners

'THE MARINERS HAVE BEEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED': CENTRAL COAST POLITICIAN'S TOUCHING PLEA TO SAVE THE MARINERS
By Lucas Radbourne Aug 12 2020 1:34PM

Shadow Labor Minister for Central Coast, David Harris, has launched an emotional plea to the Central Coast community to save the embattled Central Coast Mariners A-League club.
The future of the Mariners is currently highly uncertain after long-term owner Mike Charlesworth put the club up for sale.

While FFA still have an element of control over franchise decisions - although are increasingly taking a backseat towards an independent A-League - the decline in both club fortunes and supporter persistence has had a significant impact on the club.
Harris wrote an opinion piece in the Coast Community News that pleaded for the community to stand up and support the club now, in their greatest time of need.
"The Central Coast has always struggled for a regional identity because of government policies, movements of population for employment and the way the Coast developed as a cheap holiday destination or as a dormitory for Sydney workers," he writes.
"The Central Coast has always had the attitude of being a “battler area”, of being left behind or forgotten. That may be justified sometimes, but it is time that we moved on and started to talk the region up.
"I was born on the Coast, I have raised my family here and I’m proud to be a “Coastie”. So, how does the Central Coast Mariners fit into this issue of identity?
"The Mariners is our only national sporting team. There have been other attempts like the ill-fated Northern Eagles Rugby League consortium, which was a merger of Manly and North Sydney, transplanted to the Central Coast.
"The point of difference is that the Central Coast Mariners was born from the Coast, the team is based on the Coast, and club has invested in the Coast.
"I remember that incredible day when the street parade was held after the Central Coast Mariners won their A-League title.
"The pride and excitement on the faces, young and old, on that day, still makes me smile.
"I was proud to be from the Central Coast."
It's a touching sign for many A-League fans, especially from Gosford given the club's history of significant issues with their local council, to see a politician come to such a passionate defence of an A-League side.
There has been a long-standing feeling across the league that the lack of political support and funding for the nation's most participated sport is one of the factors contributing to the stagnation of the A-League.
Harris writes that if the Central Coast Mariners fail, the Gosford area may never see another national sporting team again.
"Truth be told, maybe the fact that we had the Mariners has been taken for granted," he continues.
"Maybe our Council hasn’t really understood how they can leverage a relationship like other areas such as Western Sydney Wanderers and Blacktown Council have?
"The decision of current majority shareholder, Mike Charlesworth, to sell his stake in the club, is partly because of the financial commitment to own and run a football club, partly because of COVID-19 and the economic hit, but also because there has not been a commitment from organisations like Council to develop a meaningful partnership.
"I’m not saying Council should commit millions of dollars of ratepayers’ money to prop up the club, but I do think that there is not a willingness to properly explore options that could benefit ratepayers and the community.
"I’m a season ticket holder, I’m a football fan and player, I love sport in general, but I have always recognised that the Mariners’ franchise was an opportunity to sell the Central Coast on the national and global stage.
"The Coast needs the Mariners much more that the Mariners needs the Coast. A new buyer could relocate the franchise tomorrow to Canberra or Southern Sydney.
"If that happened, then we would lose our only national team, the youth structure and our ticket to the national media and sporting stage.
"Before the Central Coast Mariners, who had heard of the Central Coast in Asia and even parts of Australia?
"Would we struggle to ever get a national team again? Probably – and that would be a tragedy."

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/the-ma...ans-touching-plea-to-save-the-mariners-551653
 

turbo

Well-Known Member
The saddest thing is that thanks to Charlesworth the community has turned its back on them.
I think a decent chunk of community support can be rebuilt when they’re given a reason to hope and there’s some runs on the board. Supporting perpetual wooden spoons is a tough sell but once there’s some genuine chance of being competitive all but the most jaded supporters will give the club a second look.
 

Ironbark

Well-Known Member
I think a decent chunk of community support can be rebuilt when they’re given a reason to hope and there’s some runs on the board. Supporting perpetual wooden spoons is a tough sell but once there’s some genuine chance of being competitive all but the most jaded supporters will give the club a second look.
Yeah I agree. There are plenty I know who just don't see the point in watching guaranteed losses. If were simply competitive, a mid table team, there would be a big proportion who'd return
 

jacobsfl

Well-Known Member
I think a decent chunk of community support can be rebuilt when they’re given a reason to hope and there’s some runs on the board. Supporting perpetual wooden spoons is a tough sell but once there’s some genuine chance of being competitive all but the most jaded supporters will give the club a second look.
I look back at game highlights from 2012 and 2013 when we were arguably at our peak squad wise, those are the crowds we can get back so I'm definitely of the belief that it can be restored
 

pjennings

Well-Known Member
I’m heading the CC mariners supporters club AGM next Monday evening. I only joined a few months ago (first meeting) and Shaun M will be the guest. If there are any questions anyone wants me to ask, pls let me know (and if any of you are going pls say hi), cheers, Tim
I'm going Tim. It'll be good to put a face to the name
 

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