Turbulence (then calm sailing, then turbulence) thread.

[dibo]

No thanks

 

[pjennings]

Last year corresponding games against Nix, Jets, Adelaide gave a total of 22711. This year 24074 = a 6% increase. Unfortunately our Perth game was the non-existent NYE game and we suffered over a 50% loss compared to that game this year.

 

[sydmariner]

is it time for an f**k off charlsworth banner @ nso

 

[nearlyyellow]

So, as far as ground attendances go, can I ask this question? Everyone that has a season pass to CCS has paid for entrance to 11 games whether they go through the gates or not. When they do ground attendance numbers they are only counting bodies through the gate, are they not? So the revenue contribution for any game at CCS is only defined by the gate numbers. This is fundamentally wrong, surely. The revenue for any home game has already been gained from season ticket holders and does not require attendance at the game. How many season ticket holders don't attend? 10% ? 20% ? 30% ? This represents a distortion on the conservative side of the numbers, surely? That makes the break even numbers very rubbery, yes?

 

[sydmariner]

is it time for an f**k off charlsworth banner @ nso

people on here suggested it @ last years nso game

 

[Jaundice]

Im more than a little disappointed with the central coast to be honest.

 

[dibo]

Why?

 

[rbakersmith]

is it time for an f**k off charlsworth banner @ nso

And who are you going to replace him with... the Russians?

The simple reality is that if Charlesworth decides that he's had enough of his Centre of Excellence funding the football club (which is effectively what the current ownership structure is) then the Central Coast Mariners are history. Kaput. Fini. Nobody else is going to come in and fund a team that loses close to $1m a year and keep it on the Central Coast.

 

[Bladesman]

As I have said before it's Sheffield United 101 - football club positioned as a community asset to drive through development once complete they have no use for football side and run it into the ground, pretend you are willing to sell or even give it way but will never take offers if they come then blame fans. Difference here the is a football licence that might be worth a few $m in North Sydney.

 

[gull]

We've been getting groomed for this for a long while. Slow decline to give the reason to move, helped along by a poor draw (which would have been approved by CCM) and poor results.

I suspect that the success of WSW has become a huge issue for us as it is now very attractive for the FFA to have another Sydney team, and the most interesting quote was that Gallop has been helping with the Sydney games.

Given the figures posted by Dibo and others over the years it's hard to see what is causing us the losses as well, unless it's the COE.

Player wages are paid in full directly by the FFA grant and we don't have any marquee players so no losses there. Stadium rent confirmed at $7500 so hard to see that being a huge drain given the average crowds.

Not sure if travel costs are sponsored or subsidised but assume they are to some degree, and there are match day costs etc plus staff and marketing costs. No doubt there are things I've missed.

We get income from memberships, sponsorships, merch ticket sales and corporate boxes etc which surely would cover most if not all of the above.

Unless the COE is a huge drain I just can't see where we are bleeding so much?

 

[Capt. Awesome]

Lets hope its not suitable to play.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...t-assessments-of-pitches-20141125-11trx9.html

 

[Jaundice]

And who are you going to replace him with... the Russians?

The simple reality is that if Charlesworth decides that he's had enough of his Centre of Excellence funding the football club (which is effectively what the current ownership structure is) then the Central Coast Mariners are history. Kaput. Fini. Nobody else is going to come in and fund a team that loses close to $1m a year and keep it on the Central Coast.

It blows my mind that people cant understand this. What really annoys me is the sense of entitlement from people that have barely offered two bob contribution to the mariners including friends of mine who have rode the 'freebie' train demanding and expecting a first class A league club on the coast with no accountability of the common joe like themselves.

 

[dibo]

That'd be all well and good if the lemon that is the Central Coast had been squeezed dry. I don't believe for a second that it has been.

 

[nebakke]

I read the article re Charlesworth moving games and while don't agree, I can see his point, it is his hand in his pocket after all ...must be hard running a HAL team

Well sort of... But then again... While there have certainly been successful moves of sporting franchises in history of sports, from memory, it always takes a while to establish them in their new location etc... So to my mind, it's a surefire way for MC to lose lots of money in a panicked attempt at reaching break-even.
I think that's a lot of it for me, I disagree with it in the first place, but I also think that it's ill-advised and that it's doubtful that it'll ever provide much of, if any, financial benefit to the club. I know that we have fans down that way, but I am doubtful that the coast fans will travel in any sort of number, once the novelty factor wears off. At that point, I think he's at the mercy of the North Shore fan base, which may be smaller than he is hoping.

 

[nebakke]

It also comes back to that discussion again, of how many support CCM for local-patriotic reasons as much as for sporting reasons. Football is traditionally a lot more territorial than NRL/AFL for example. For mine, I have no problem admitting that I am not likely to keep supporting a club playing mainly out of NSO. What would be the point? I support the Mariners because I like what they have stood for so far and because I think it's nice to see something growing from the coast and it's good to have local sports etc. etc. etc... I don't support them for the principle of supporting a football team.... Might as well support the Jest (ptyih) or someone else then.
I'm CCM till I die, or they leave the coast and thus cease to really be CCM, whichever comes first...

 

[Jaundice]

We've been getting groomed for this for a long while. Slow decline to give the reason to move, helped along by a poor draw (which would have been approved by CCM) and poor results.

I suspect that the success of WSW has become a huge issue for us as it is now very attractive for the FFA to have another Sydney team, and the most interesting quote was that Gallop has been helping with the Sydney games.

Given the figures posted by Dibo and others over the years it's hard to see what is causing us the losses as well, unless it's the COE.

Player wages are paid in full directly by the FFA grant and we don't have any marquee players so no losses there. Stadium rent confirmed at $7500 so hard to see that being a huge drain given the average crowds.

Not sure if travel costs are sponsored or subsidised but assume they are to some degree, and there are match day costs etc plus staff and marketing costs. No doubt there are things I've missed.

We get income from memberships, sponsorships, merch ticket sales and corporate boxes etc which surely would cover most if not all of the above.

Unless the COE is a huge drain I just can't see where we are bleeding so much?

You touched on a few but the costs would be enormous. Game day organisational staff, police, security, physios, doctors, backroom staff, business operational costs, insurance, psychologists, equipment, hiring fees, travel, accommodation, dieticians, food, youth squads, academies, 50k+ minimum wage on potential kids the list could go on and on.

 

[MagpieMariner]

Until the beginning of season 3, I was solely a follower of AFL. I became a follower of the Mariners because they are local, not because I particularly like football. If the Mariners move away from the Coast, I stop following football, I'll just concentrate on AFL again. There may be quite a few others like me, not brought up on football, who follow the Mariners for similar reasons, and will stop following for similar reasons.

 

[dibo]

That's the cost of doing business. It's always been the cost of doing business. It'll still be the cost of doing business if they move half our games to North Sydney too.

But look at the incomes. 80% of supporters live on the Central Coast. Moving games from the Central Coast dilutes the association with the region and dilutes their commitment. If they're half as likely to support the side because half the games are gone, then we've just wiped out 40% of the supporter base. Even if the people of northern Sydney are twice as keen to support the club, that means we will have had a net drop of 20% in supporter numbers.

It's gambling your base in the hope that they'll be replaced by people who will be willing to support someone else's team who brings half a season's worth of games to a patently unsuitable venue. It's stupid. It was stupid when we were playing one game at NSO. It's stupid with us playing one at NSO and one in Brookvale. It will be worse if we move more.

I get that we're making losses. This is *not* the way to fix that.

 

[dibo]

For what it's worth, I think there's a lot of merit to an A-League club being based in northern Sydney, just not ours.

If you're from northern Sydney and want a club there, start lobbying for it. But hands off the Mariners. They belong to the Central Coast.

 

[Jaundice]

At best it will make us viable, at worst its his last throw of the dice. I also have my doubts on the venture like everyone else, Im very disappointed its had to come to this.

The solutions that no one really has the answers for could take years too implement or see results. Perhaps Mr Charlesworth doesn't have the bank balance or inclination to throw good money after bad in the gamble.