Usain Bolt!

[Insertnamehere]

I could see FFA selling the rights to the trial game for what ever there proposed investment is. If bolt signs then they give that to us/bolt. They no worse off, haven’t used the marquee fund and if he signs they can sell more tv rights. They should be happy with that and so should everyone else.

As for part 1. Yes 100% but MC would be hoping to recoup that via ticket sales other sponsors etc that Matt Simon can’t attract

FFA have already stated money for bolt will come from their marketing budget not from marquee fund.

 

[Insertnamehere]

It is turning into a very interesting exercise.

As to his making the grade to A-league level, I still remain fairly doubtful.

However, how about, if in the grand scheme of things his contract costs us a minimal amount and he shows that he can be on the park without making an idiot of himself, do we sign him and then play him off the bench in cameo roles when the result is pretty much resolved.

eg Bolt comes off the bench when we are leading 3-0 and plays as a striker and we catch the opposition up field and he scores. 4-0. The crowd, the world and the sponsors go wild.

Agree. I've always been heavily for this move but I'm highly sceptical he'll make the grade. It's always been for me getting the club exposure, hopefully investment and if bolts a diamond in the rough (albeit diamonds are actually very common and cheap ) then that's a good news story for all.

 

[Ozhammer]

It would really boil my p*ss if the FFA are making any money out of next Friday’s game tbh. Why would they have any rights over a pre-season trial game ffs?

I would rather the club cut any deal directly with Fox but I bet we see Gallop’s ugly mug at the game, assuming someone can give him directions to Gosford that is!

 

[Offsider]

Point (1) You can be sure that MC has not suddenly come up with millions of dollars to splash around. Almost certainly that money was guaranteed by sponsors primarily I would guess Puma. In other words he is still spending the same. Ideally he will open up his purse a bot for the last few signings.

Point (2) The FFA where initially sceptical but Shaun has said they are keen if he is up to scratch. It is unlikely that they will use the 'Marquee Fund' but are morel likely to use a chunk of marketing money and possibly ask Fox and Channel 10 to chip in.

As much as I respect your obvious football knowledge and experience pjennings ............ this reply is not included. Your reply to point one is pure speculation and hope. There is no word from mc to substantiate this situation. He has not done anything “ideally’ for three seasons. I don’t believe he has not had to dip into his pocket as per an initial investment at least.

This is the first that he is said to be wanting a contract worth three million. It has been previously asserted that he wanted to pursue his love of football and money was not an issue .............. maybe three million dollars is not an issue to him, but, it would have bought a couple of marquee players of bobo quality instead of sfc finished with hand me downs simon and co.

It is the unspoken truths of this bolt situation that is the most disappointing and alarming that emphasises .............. we are being drip fed what we need to know and let speculation feed and disguise their motives.

 

[Big Al]

Tracey Holmes has done an hour podcast on Usain joining. It’s called the ticket.

She plugging it today on grandstand and almost every conversation brings it up.

When discussing the success with a guest a throw away line was its so successful that they have to sign him. This is certainly going to be a big pressure in the club.

 

[Big Al]

MM says 15-20 mins foe him on Friday night.

To skil to the time. Hold done on the line and swipe towards the right. I had some problems trying to work it out. MM is stressing the value he has to the team on a mental side

 

[Antlion]

Can anyone access this?
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa...VuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNHk9SvJiG1DFlpbbR-sqQcgm42utw

 

[bikinigirl]

As much as I respect your obvious football knowledge and experience pjennings ............ this reply is not included. Your reply to point one is pure speculation and hope. There is no word from mc to substantiate this situation. He has not done anything “ideally’ for three seasons. I don’t believe he has not had to dip into his pocket as per an initial investment at least.

This is the first that he is said to be wanting a contract worth three million. It has been previously asserted that he wanted to pursue his love of football and money was not an issue .............. maybe three million dollars is not an issue to him, but, it would have bought a couple of marquee players of bobo quality instead of sfc finished with hand me downs simon and co.

It is the unspoken truths of this bolt situation that is the most disappointing and alarming that emphasises .............. we are being drip fed what we need to know and let speculation feed and disguise their motives.

. while i understand where you are coming from people need to get their head around the way Charlesworth thinks ... he is not going to spend on your 'run of the mill' marquees because he can't see a co-funding opportunity

. whether the Bolt experiment pays for itself or not is the gamble he is willing to take

 

[Offsider]

. while i understand where you are coming from people need to get their head around the way Charlesworth thinks ... he is not going to spend on your 'run of the mill' marquees because he can't see a co-funding opportunity

. whether the Bolt experiment pays for itself or not is the gamble he is willing to take

Hang onto that thought bikinigirl ........... while I pick myself up off the floor.
Your comment just reminded me I need to go and feed the unicorn.

You don’t need a university degree to work out the way your charlesworth thinks............ he is a tight arse that has no regard for the club as anything but a commodity................ and there is a co-funded offer from ffa you are probably aware of which doesn’t add much credit to his way of thinking regarding marquee signings blah blah blah.

Oh !!! ............ I am sure you have no idea where I am coming from or you have gotten confused as to who you replied to ???? ............. either way your loyalty is noted............ cheers

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Delusional.
You cant learn to be a professional footballer at 32.
Bolt gone before the end of September.

We’ll see. I 'd love it to happen, be an awesome fairytale to watch unfold. (And beneficial) But I think it’s unlikely he'll be able to as well. Just not impossible. Though I think it's very unlikely he'll be gone by September as well.

Agree. I've always been heavily for this move but I'm highly sceptical he'll make the grade. It's always been for me getting the club exposure, hopefully investment and if bolts a diamond in the rough (albeit diamonds are actually very common and cheap ) then that's a good news story for all.

Yeah that's me to a tee also. I don't think anyone pro Bolt could realistically hold a very different position.

 

[Offsider]

We’ll see. I 'd love it to happen, be an awesome fairytale to watch unfold. (And beneficial) But I think it’s unlikely he'll be able to as well. Just not impossible. Though I think it's very unlikely he'll be gone by September as well.



Yeah that me to a tee also. I don't think anyone pro Bolt could realistically hold a very different position.

Bolt’s greatest asset apart from his mental application is his obvious speed. The lower leagues all round the world are littered with speedsters who just cannot master the control of their feet or brain at speed to control their touch. Buhagiar comes to mind, harold, rootsyersister.
While bolt thinks he can master touch, tactical nouse and the required level of technical skill to make it to a contract .......... three million is laughable.

 

[pjennings]

As much as I respect your obvious football knowledge and experience pjennings ............ this reply is not included. Your reply to point one is pure speculation and hope. There is no word from mc to substantiate this situation. He has not done anything “ideally’ for three seasons. I don’t believe he has not had to dip into his pocket as per an initial investment at least.

This is the first that he is said to be wanting a contract worth three million. It has been previously asserted that he wanted to pursue his love of football and money was not an issue .............. maybe three million dollars is not an issue to him, but, it would have bought a couple of marquee players of bobo quality instead of sfc finished with hand me downs simon and co.

It is the unspoken truths of this bolt situation that is the most disappointing and alarming that emphasises .............. we are being drip fed what we need to know and let speculation feed and disguise their motives.

The proposed multi-million-dollar deal would be largely underwritten by the club and a network of several leading Australian companies

This quote was mentioned very early on in mid July. MC committed to $2.1M and Tony Rallis said they needed $900,000 from the FFA. So over a month ago we knew the $3m figure. Since then Shaun, granted not MC, has told some members of this forum, not me, I think Ozhammer was one, that the vast majority of the MC committed money was externally sourced. Since then the buzz has taken off so I don't think it is a stretch to think the rest has now been sourced. Speculation maybe, but I would say educated quesswork.

. while i understand where you are coming from people need to get their head around the way Charlesworth thinks ... he is not going to spend on your 'run of the mill' marquees because he can't see a co-funding opportunity

. whether the Bolt experiment pays for itself or not is the gamble he is willing to take

BG also hits the nail on the head. MC would much rather people other people pay $3m rather than spend $3m to buy 2 Bobo level marquees.

 

[MagpieMariner]

Can anyone access this?
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa...VuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNHk9SvJiG1DFlpbbR-sqQcgm42utw

I can't, it seems to be behind a paywall, and I wouldn't even use counterfeit money to access any Murdoch site.

 

[Insertnamehere]

The proposed multi-million-dollar deal would be largely underwritten by the club and a network of several leading Australian companies

This quote was mentioned very early on in mid July. MC committed to $2.1M and Tony Rallis said they needed $900,000 from the FFA. So over a month ago we knew the $3m figure. Since then Shaun, granted not MC, has told some members of this forum, not me, I think Ozhammer was one, that the vast majority of the MC committed money was externally sourced. Since then the buzz has taken off so I don't think it is a stretch to think the rest has now been sourced. Speculation maybe, but I would say educated quesswork.



BG also hits the nail on the head. MC would much rather people other people pay $3m rather than spend $3m to buy 2 Bobo level marquees.

Nailed it. I was going to say the exact same thing. Bolt is value for money at $3mill for the exposure. You'd need a CR7 or someone like that in the football World for the same exposure and he ain't coming for $3mill....

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Hang onto that thought bikinigirl ........... while I pick myself up off the floor.
You don’t need a university degree to work out the way your charlesworth thinks............he is a tight arse that has no regard for the club as anything but a commodity..........

The evidence for this: That he has only been willing to lose a million or so a year propping up our club. Whereas we'd like him to lose two or more million a year to ensure we kick ass on field.

The evidence against this: Quite literally saving the club, and the millions he's continually losing keeping us afloat.

I get it. We all want more money spent on better players. But he's explained it, in depth, and so has Shaun, but some people just refuse listen or take them at their word. Because you still think this is some big sinister cash grab idea. That is a genuinely ignorant position to hold. There are any number of better, and safer ways to make money than the Central Coast Mariners. I own multiple businesses, and on this issue people really are delusional.

I'm honestly not sure what it would take for people to get over it and stop demonising MC for not being willing/able to lose more of his own money. There's only two answers you will now seemingly ever be happy with, but he can't afford to do the first, and the second, sell up... if he was to do that right now, means losing millions on what he's invested. Why should he do that? So the fantasy owner you have in your heads that will be happy to lose three times as much as MC can white knight in. We're a small market. And we are not the great golden opportunity people for some crazy reason seem to imagine. We should consider ourselves lucky he hasn't already deemed us beyond hope and cut and run or we wouldn't even have a club to be talking about.

Your perpetual argument with this reality has no possible positive outcome for the club that I can see, whereas at least a decent measure of the negativity is unnecessary, divisive and only has potential to be damaging.

Realistically from what I can tell; we have a good coach, a great CEO, a great head of membership, a great football department, a great academy, and now a significant asset in Phelan in helping us build an execute a powerful vision for the club. And despite the outcry, we also have an owner who has demonstrated that he's willing to cop losses and hang in there for the long haul and work towards the long term vision of becoming sustainable and maybe even one day... (heaven forbid) make him a profit. Evil, evil businessman that he is.

What we don't have is a good football team yet. Needs to change. All agree. That's the plan.

But money's the glass ceiling when it comes to on field quality, so CCM think outside the box and come up with a way to actually make people give a shit about the smallest, regional, spooning team, and even help attract new and big sponsorships and drive revenue... that's bloody miraculous... and yet half of us just want to put shit on them about it.

Mental.

Ancient's post was great. We have to innovate and leverage whatever we can if we are to survive and grow. Football puritanism is a luxury I just don't believe we can afford right now.

And the uncharitable pessimism gets old fast and is mostly just lame.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Bolt’s greatest asset apart from his mental application is his obvious speed. The lower leagues all round the world are littered with speedsters who just cannot master the control of their feet or brain at speed to control their touch. Buhagiar comes to mind, harold, rootsyersister.
While bolt thinks he can master touch, tactical nouse and the required level of technical skill to make it to a contract .......... three million is laughable.

Is 3 million confirmed? Was it for 3 years or 1? What are the terms? Do we keep all gate? All additional sponsors? What rights do we have to exploit and monetise his image, brand and global fame?

Name me one other player we can afford who is a chance of not just paying off his 3 mill in sponsorships, but of making us money on top of that?

The money obviously has no relation to his footballing ability or lack thereof. That's glaringly obvious. It's purely bout the value of his brand. Which has already proven to be enormous.

Fernando Torres could not do what Bolt can financially for us. Honda, 2.9 million either. I don't see how this is even up for debate.

 

[Offsider]

Is 3 million confirmed? Was it for 3 years or 1? What are the terms? Do we keep all gate? All additional sponsors? What rights do we to exploit and monetise his image, brand and global fame?

Name me one other player we can afford who is a chance of not just paying off his 3 mill in sponsorships, but of making us money on top of that?

The money obviously has no relation to his footballing ability or lack thereof. That's glaringly obvious. It's purely bout the value of his brand. Which has already proven to be enormous.

Fernando Torres could not do what Bolt can financially for us. Honda, 2.9 million either. I don't see how this is even up for debate.

My point ...... the point of my reply ........... please keep it in context ............... was not about money but the realisation of a 31 yr old trying to gain control of a ball at the speed he is renowned for and given as his greatest asset in football........... not the ability of his brand to make money blah blah blah.

If he successfully can prove his worth at three million .............. he should be talking to an epl team. Whether or not the club can realise a profit on their investment would depend on the contractural agreements with the bolt brand, the ffa, puma blah blah blah ........... of which I personally couldn’t give a f***k about.............. and I am sure nobody on here would know the financial details of bolt’s, pumas contracts etc.

To your question as to who we can afford ???? .............. obviously nobody ......... not till scrooge grows his arms or shortens his pockets.......... or decides to treat the club, it’s fans, the a-league with respect and compete. Surely it is obvious we need to agree to disagree.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

If he successfully can prove his worth at three million .............. he should be talking to an epl team.

Surely it is obvious we need to agree to disagree.

Yes. It’s obvious.

 

[Offsider]

The evidence for this: That he has only been willing to lose a million or so a year propping up our club. Whereas we'd like him to lose two or more million a year to ensure we kick ass on field.

The evidence against this: Quite literally saving the club, and the millions he's continually losing keeping us afloat.

I get it. We all want more money spent on better players. But he's explained it, in depth, and so has Shaun, but some people just refuse listen or take them at their word. Because you still think this is some big sinister cash grab idea. That is a genuinely ignorant position to hold. There are any number of better, and safer ways to make money than the Central Coast Mariners. I own multiple businesses, and on this issue people really are delusional.

I'm honestly not sure what it would take for people to get over it and stop demonising MC for not being willing/able to lose more of his own money. There's only two answers you will now seemingly ever be happy with, but he can't afford to do the first, and the second, sell up... if he was to do that right now, means losing millions on what he's invested. Why should he do that? So the fantasy owner you have in your heads that will be happy to lose three times as much as MC can white knight in. We're a small market. And we are not the great golden opportunity people for some crazy reason seem to imagine. We should consider ourselves lucky he hasn't already deemed us beyond hope and cut and run or we wouldn't even have a club to be talking about.

Your perpetual argument with this reality has no possible positive outcome for the club that I can see, whereas at least a decent measure of the negativity is unnecessary, divisive and only has potential to be damaging.

Realistically from what I can tell; we have a good coach, a great CEO, a great head of membership, a great football department, a great academy, and now a significant asset in Phelan in helping us build an execute a powerful vision for the club. And despite the outcry, we also have an owner who has demonstrated that he's willing to cop losses and hang in there for the long haul and work towards the long term vision of becoming sustainable and maybe even one day... (heaven forbid) make him a profit. Evil, evil businessman that he is.

What we don't have is a good football team yet. Needs to change. All agree. That's the plan.

But money's the glass ceiling when it comes to on field quality, so CCM think outside the box and come up with a way to actually make people give a shit about the smallest, regional, spooning team, and even help attract new and big sponsorships and drive revenue... that's bloody miraculous... and yet half of us just want to put shit on them about it.

Mental.

Ancient's post was great. We have to innovate and leverage whatever we can if we are to survive and grow. Football puritanism is a luxury I just don't believe we can afford right now.

And the uncharitable pessimism gets old fast and is mostly just lame.

I take exception to your last sentence............. it only get’s old because there is no change and it is not lame if it is based on real terms............. I notice you only say “mostly” which indicates you have reservations in that area. Yes it is uncharitable, pessimistic and even disappointing .............. but it doesn’t matter how much lipstick you want to put on your optimistic pig ............ it is still a pig.
The position of the club at this point in time is all a result of charlesworth and the decisions he made since gaining control of the club.
Did you support him when he tried to move the club to nth sydney ????

What you say is not wrong in some respects. It is not an unreasonable attitude to try and trade out of the hole he has dug for himself......... but if you are a business orientated person which you say you are .......... you would know that trying to trade your way out of the hole, will not work for a community business like a football club without the support of people that put their arses on the seats and their hands in their pockets to pay to see a competitive game of football. There is too much competition for the recreational dollar in australia with all the sporting competition for that dollar. I think charlesworth underestimated that when he tried some of his ridiculous tricks. End of argument.
Coaches get the sack if they lose the changeroom, charlesworth has lost the community support and the ONLY way he will get it back is to make the team competitive again. Sugar hits like bolt will help short term but it depends what he does from there doesn’t it.
As regards your whining about charlesworths losses .......... for christ sake ............ quantas wrote off billions and won’t pay tax for the next twenty years despite making record profits. Turnbull donated his prime minister’s salary totally to charity and has his bank accounts all off shore........... you obviously don’t understand australia’s taxation system. I’ll see your “multiple businesses experience” and raise you five years in insolvency administration out of sydney.

I envy your blind loyalty to ccm .......... but prefer to keep my realistic allegiance to the a-league and what football has to offer as an australian sport overall. Time is running out to the luxury of no relegation. If ccm is to survive the changes to the football scene, maybe selling all or part of the asset may be a better solution than standing on the plank pissing into the wind.

I take your point about the pessimism not being constructive and will try and desist in future if that will make you happy. It is just that
I have just finished watching the press releases of sfc’s latest signings.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

'Mostly' because even relentless pessimism has it's place. And I think being charitable, honest and even handed matters a great deal.

No I did not support a move to North Sydney.

SFC's recent signings are great. I hope when we're cashed up with Bolt sponsorship money we may be able to afford their level of squad expenditure, instead of being stuck developing their talent for them, while praying for an oil baron saviour who wants nothing more in the world than to be able to lose vast sums of money on an Australian football team for tax purposes.

My loyalty is not blind, it's just not fragile nor vengeful, and it will always be maintained as long as I can clearly identify good intention and effort going in. And that goes for both on and off field. Which I think is clearly there for anyone with an ounce of fairness in them to see. On the contrary, I think the people in our club try very hard, and Charlesworth actually cares about the club, as evidenced by his significant losses, yet consistent (if sometimes shit) philosophy to try an innovate a path forward for the HAL"s smallest club. I don't think our bad year last year had anything to do with him at all. I think that lies firmly on Okon and Jolic's shoulders. And MC's appointment of Mulvey, Monty and Phelan since has been very good imo. And yep, I'm happy as a lipsticked pig in mud about the Bolt circus. Some pundits may not like it, but there are plenty out there who see it as an audacious piece of strategic brilliance and a real coup.

Whining about Charlesworths losses That cracks me up.

As to the rest of your hyperbole, sorry, but I've got a pig that needs some matching eyeshadow.