the rest of the interview above (in case you didn't click the link 
)
Q. Does the same philosophy apply to your players, in other words if they do get bigger offers you won't stand in their way?
A. The culture of the Mariners is that we're a team that will always attract the best young talent in Australia. We've sold in excess of $3 million worth of players overseas over the last three or four years, which is more than any other club.
Young players can look at the Mariners and say, “They do look after their youth, they do provide a progression”. You can see that in the last few months with Tom Rogic. Does that mean we're a selling club? I wouldn't call us a selling club, I'd call us a developmental club.
Q. Are there any parts of the A-League model which you think need particular emphasis in the near future?
A. I believe the clubs need a greater level of autonomy. I would like to slowly move towards a self-ownership model, I would like a greater say in how the league is run.
The new management structure is excellent; David Gallop has got a good team around him, they're very communicative, they listen to us like never before, so we're on the right track. But there are areas of improvement.
If we are to attract serious investment, to attract the wealthy investors - and I wouldn't put myself in that category - then we need to move towards more autonomy. An MLS model, maybe, where you get a greater say in the destiny of your own investment. That's what I would like to see evolve.
Q. Where do the Mariners themselves need to improve?
A. We have to get to a break-even point as soon as possible. We're still losing money. The financial difficulties we've had has meant certain cutbacks. We lost (former youth coach) Tony Walmsley overseas (Sheffield United), which left a big hole, for instance. So we need to cover that.
But generally speaking the structure is good, the squad is strong enough. It's more a case of fine-tuning. For instance, it's my vision to have greater control to have junior teams, rep teams, on the Central Coast. They should be all under the professional club of the area. That gives sponsorship advantages, advantages in terms of marketing. At the moment I see it as very fragmented in the area.
Q. The Centre of Excellence at Tuggerah? Have you cleaned up the situation there?
A. Tuggerah is very much part of the future. The vision put in place by Peter Turnbull and Lyall Gorman was the right one. Football clubs inherently don't make money, but the commercial activities around football can. That was the intention of the development.
It's a fantastic development, and it's my commitment to see that through. It will happen over the next two years. We will have the most successful football-based development in Australia, bar none.
Q. So work will re-start shortly?
A. Yes.
Q. And the full vision will be realised?
A. Absolutely.
Q. A different tack. Where does the Asian Champions League fit in your priorities?
A. That's a difficult one. Financially, we lose money. It's fundamentally wrong, in my opinion, to go into a competition expecting to lose money. That's not how it should be. It's something we have to look at very closely for next season.
Q. Are you suggesting you may not accept an invitation for next year?
A. It's a big question mark. We need to get to a point of break-even as quickly as possible, so it's a case of sitting down and looking at the pros and cons.
Q. The Russian investors? Is a deal still possible?
A. It's still possible, like other deals are still possible. My commitment to this club is to put it on a sound financial footing and see through the (Tuggerah) development. If there are people wealthier than me, and they're willing to come in - it could be the people from Russia, the people from China, the people from the Moon, who knows - then of course we'll talk to them.
Yes, if the Russians are willing to come good, then we will sit down and try and strike a deal. We want investment in the Mariners; we don't want to be turning money down. If that means me leaving the club in six, 12 months’ time because it gets sold to Russia's wealthiest man, most people on the Central Coast wouldn't be too upset by that.
Q. The final question, then, if someone else does come in to take over, how important to you is it that they keep the culture going?
A. It's incredibly important that it remains. All the discussions we've had with potential buyers, they agree, they believe in the culture. There might be more money around for a marquee player, for instance, but the actual culture won't change.
)Q. Does the same philosophy apply to your players, in other words if they do get bigger offers you won't stand in their way?
A. The culture of the Mariners is that we're a team that will always attract the best young talent in Australia. We've sold in excess of $3 million worth of players overseas over the last three or four years, which is more than any other club.
Young players can look at the Mariners and say, “They do look after their youth, they do provide a progression”. You can see that in the last few months with Tom Rogic. Does that mean we're a selling club? I wouldn't call us a selling club, I'd call us a developmental club.
Q. Are there any parts of the A-League model which you think need particular emphasis in the near future?
A. I believe the clubs need a greater level of autonomy. I would like to slowly move towards a self-ownership model, I would like a greater say in how the league is run.
The new management structure is excellent; David Gallop has got a good team around him, they're very communicative, they listen to us like never before, so we're on the right track. But there are areas of improvement.
If we are to attract serious investment, to attract the wealthy investors - and I wouldn't put myself in that category - then we need to move towards more autonomy. An MLS model, maybe, where you get a greater say in the destiny of your own investment. That's what I would like to see evolve.
Q. Where do the Mariners themselves need to improve?
A. We have to get to a break-even point as soon as possible. We're still losing money. The financial difficulties we've had has meant certain cutbacks. We lost (former youth coach) Tony Walmsley overseas (Sheffield United), which left a big hole, for instance. So we need to cover that.
But generally speaking the structure is good, the squad is strong enough. It's more a case of fine-tuning. For instance, it's my vision to have greater control to have junior teams, rep teams, on the Central Coast. They should be all under the professional club of the area. That gives sponsorship advantages, advantages in terms of marketing. At the moment I see it as very fragmented in the area.
Q. The Centre of Excellence at Tuggerah? Have you cleaned up the situation there?
A. Tuggerah is very much part of the future. The vision put in place by Peter Turnbull and Lyall Gorman was the right one. Football clubs inherently don't make money, but the commercial activities around football can. That was the intention of the development.
It's a fantastic development, and it's my commitment to see that through. It will happen over the next two years. We will have the most successful football-based development in Australia, bar none.
Q. So work will re-start shortly?
A. Yes.
Q. And the full vision will be realised?
A. Absolutely.
Q. A different tack. Where does the Asian Champions League fit in your priorities?
A. That's a difficult one. Financially, we lose money. It's fundamentally wrong, in my opinion, to go into a competition expecting to lose money. That's not how it should be. It's something we have to look at very closely for next season.
Q. Are you suggesting you may not accept an invitation for next year?
A. It's a big question mark. We need to get to a point of break-even as quickly as possible, so it's a case of sitting down and looking at the pros and cons.
Q. The Russian investors? Is a deal still possible?
A. It's still possible, like other deals are still possible. My commitment to this club is to put it on a sound financial footing and see through the (Tuggerah) development. If there are people wealthier than me, and they're willing to come in - it could be the people from Russia, the people from China, the people from the Moon, who knows - then of course we'll talk to them.
Yes, if the Russians are willing to come good, then we will sit down and try and strike a deal. We want investment in the Mariners; we don't want to be turning money down. If that means me leaving the club in six, 12 months’ time because it gets sold to Russia's wealthiest man, most people on the Central Coast wouldn't be too upset by that.
Q. The final question, then, if someone else does come in to take over, how important to you is it that they keep the culture going?
A. It's incredibly important that it remains. All the discussions we've had with potential buyers, they agree, they believe in the culture. There might be more money around for a marquee player, for instance, but the actual culture won't change.
Good one ADZ
