Thought experiment: Central Coast Red Bulls

[dibo]

Thought experiment.

Red Bull comes to Mike Charlesworth and the FFA and says "We'll drop $x million on you, finish the COE, shore up the Mariners' finances and build a football superclub on the Central Coast. All you need to do is agree we call the club Central Coast Red Bulls and we're there."

They change the kit could to look something like this:

They sign up Tim Cahill.

The endless off-season mid-season panic selling disappears, the endless ownership turmoil and financial instability disappears, we have a Central Coast club locked in.

Local government gets on board because it hooks the Central Coast brand up with a multinational super-brand, Red Bull leverages it by promoting the active lifestyle that the Central Coast is perfect for and hooks into all the extreme sports bullshit with which they're so enamoured.

What would people think?

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Slow day at work dibo?

I like the experiment. Of course you'd have all the debate about the club losing a part of it's identity and a number of the old supporters will completely abandon the team (and probably support WSW instead).

But, nothing we've done so far has been massively effective in getting our largely apathetic region to get off their arses and go to watch a game. Citing 'per capita' attendance is all well and good - but dollars are what really matter. Such a sponsorship could potentially build greater game day atmosphere as well as greater community/even engagement.

You'd see wider events such as Red Bull Birdman come to the coast, and CCM would have a part of that.

With the extra money we'll be able to afford marquee players, which can help to keep some of the developed talent at CCM rather than losing every player overseas the moment they become half competent.

And Tim Cahill should put bums on seats as well. The Americanised style of promotion may be a bit of a risk in an Australian environment, but I don't think it's without potential, and if that's the style that creates some real game-day atmosphere (and, for the love of god, some actual half-time entertainment) then it should be positive.

 

[Gratis]

I'd be fine with that
I'm hoping that one of man city's rivals is keen to keep up and comes a-knockin'

 

[iEatHands]

I would support this..

 

[sydmariner]

Slow day at work dibo?

I like the experiment. Of course you'd have all the debate about the club losing a part of it's identity and a number of the old supporters will completely abandon the team (and probably support WSW instead).

But, nothing we've done so far has been massively effective in getting our largely apathetic region to get off their arses and go to watch a game. Citing 'per capita' attendance is all well and good - but dollars are what really matter. Such a sponsorship could potentially build greater game day atmosphere as well as greater community/even engagement.

You'd see wider events such as Red Bull Birdman come to the coast, and CCM would have a part of that.

With the extra money we'll be able to afford marquee players, which can help to keep some of the developed talent at CCM rather than losing every player overseas the moment they become half competent.

And Tim Cahill should put bums on seats as well. The Americanised style of promotion may be a bit of a risk in an Australian environment, but I don't think it's without potential, and if that's the style that creates some real game-day atmosphere (and, for the love of god, some actual half-time entertainment) then it should be positive.

Kewell, heskey,ADP,shinji & gallas have struggled a bit to put bums on seats but maby cahill might

 

[nebakke]

Kewell, heskey,ADP,shinji & gallas have struggled a bit to put bums on seats but maby cahill might

Hmm, we might not like to admit it, but I suspect the fact that ADP only really pulled out so late, is a large part of why we had such a good crowd for the 7-2 drobbing last year... I think he's done his bit, the Ono-factor is probably a bit harder to measure...
Heskey is with the Jest - I think that's a very different beast altogether and as a player, I think his pull was always a bit limited.

 

[sydmariner]

Hmm, we might not like to admit it, but I suspect the fact that ADP only really pulled out so late, is a large part of why we had such a good crowd for the 7-2 drobbing last year... I think he's done his bit, the Ono-factor is probably a bit harder to measure...
Heskey is with the Jest - I think that's a very different beast altogether and as a player, I think his pull was always a bit limited.

And kewell

 

[nebakke]

Slow day at work dibo?

With the extra money we'll be able to afford marquee players, which can help to keep some of the developed talent at CCM rather than losing every player overseas the moment they become half competent.

This, I think is one of the trickier things in all of these discussions... The league was always intended to be a development league, from that point-of-view, players leaving, while frustrating, should actually be seen as a positive. I realise that it would potentially help increase the quality of the league, but still, having competent players linger, isn't necessarily a positive for their career development and for the Socceroos.
Once that's said, certainly, it'd be nice to be able to at least hold on to them long enough for them to actually slot in to an active role in a new team, but it money the only factor there?

And Tim Cahill should put bums on seats as well. The Americanised style of promotion may be a bit of a risk in an Australian environment, but I don't think it's without potential, and if that's the style that creates some real game-day atmosphere (and, for the love of god, some actual half-time entertainment) then it should be positive.

The whole thing is indeed, an interesting experiment... I'm not sure how I think it'd go... I think there's a real danger that that Americanised promotion approach, will be effective in the short term but will look and feel, too plastik-y (without wanting to sound like one of them Ultraz) for a lot of fans, new and old.

At some point though, the club and the fans, will probably have to decide whether they're there to promote football, or be a business first... Or whether it's reallly there to be there... Because it's part of the community.

What's wrong with the half-time entertainment btw? Doesn't seem to me to be particularly worse than what I see everywhere else... It's not great, but it's a way to fill a fifteen minute gap... I like the littlies playing though

 

[nebakke]

And kewell

What about him?

 

[sydmariner]

What about him?

Has he & gallas done a lot to increase crowd number like the other marquee player as mentioned before

 

[Big Al]

I'd even let them re-name bluetongue stadium
& they can Re-name the Gosford Council to Red Bull Council

but they better not play at NSO

& can we have T. Henry to finish off the chances as well

 

[sydmariner]

I'd even let them re-name bluetongue stadium
& they can Re-name the Gosford Council to Red Bull Council

but they better not play at NSO

& can we have T. Henry to finish off the chances as well

I'd rather have cahill

 

[priorpeter]

I'd even let them re-name bluetongue stadium

Already happening

 

[Atomic]

When I first considered the thought experiment, my #1 consideration is that whatever happens, I want our club to survive. At present, I harbour fears for the long term viability of the Mariners in its present form. The question I have is Do we continue as is or do we change course? I guess this is at the heart of dibo's experiment.

Then I started to think about integrity. Is the Red Bull option akin to us becoming a whore and selling ourselves to the highest bidder? If so, what "unspeakable acts" would we have to do to earn the money? But then again, what unspeakable acts are we doing now to earn our money? Playing at NSO, dare I say "whoring ourselves out" at NSO, for example, makes us far from the pure and wholesome club that I like to think we are.

I think the major difference between the proposed unspeakable acts that we may have to do under the Red Bull banner and the unspeakable acts we are currently doing is that what we are currently doing is all in desperation. We are currently trying to keep our head above water... fight off the ATO... get bums on seats... all whilst waving goodbye to our best and brightest players that I, for one, have invested emotionally in. I breaks my heart to see WeeMac, Maty, Tommy, Ollie et al, all leave me so we can make a dollar. It makes me feel like my club is a brazen harlot, giving $5 gobbies behind Pulse night club on a Saturday night.

The RB solution is different. It provides security and a proven business model. It also promotes the thing that I'm really passionate about... The Central Coast. I started supporting the Mariners not because their jersey is yellow or that they play soccer. I started supporting them because they represent me and my region. Had it been an NRL team, I would have supported that - one one proviso... that it truly represented the Coast.

So, to adress the matter at hand, yes, I would support the Red Bull initiative on the following conditions:
They can provide this team with long term viability
They remain 100% on the Central Coast
They appreciate the supporters and listen to them
They invest in the region, both from a business point of view and a football development point of view

If the price I have to pay is seeing the best team in the country run around in those gawd-awful jerseys and we change our name to the CCRB's, then that's a price I'm willing to pay.

 

[nebakke]

Has he & gallas done a lot to increase crowd number like the other marquee player as mentioned before

Hmmm, Kewell is a bit of a tricky one as well, I think... He's been in the A-league over a couple of rounds so, arguably, the novelty factor has worn off a bit... Combined with how he is no longer an active 'roo... I thought he did his bit in that sense, while at Victory though.

Gallas, nope, I wouldn't think so So yes, I'll let you have that one without any qualifications

 

[nikko]

When I first considered the thought experiment, my #1 consideration is that whatever happens, I want our club to survive. At present, I harbour fears for the long term viability of the Mariners in its present form. The question I have is Do we continue as is or do we change course? I guess this is at the heart of dibo's experiment.

Then I started to think about integrity. Is the Red Bull option akin to us becoming a whore and selling ourselves to the highest bidder? If so, what "unspeakable acts" would we have to do to earn the money? But then again, what unspeakable acts are we doing now to earn our money? Playing at NSO, dare I say "whoring ourselves out" at NSO, for example, makes us far from the pure and wholesome club that I like to think we are.

I think the major difference between the proposed unspeakable acts that we may have to do under the Red Bull banner and the unspeakable acts we are currently doing is that what we are currently doing is all in desperation. We are currently trying to keep our head above water... fight off the ATO... get bums on seats... all whilst waving goodbye to our best and brightest players that I, for one, have invested emotionally in. I breaks my heart to see WeeMac, Maty, Tommy, Ollie et al, all leave me so we can make a dollar. It makes me feel like my club is a brazen harlot, giving $5 gobbies behind Pulse night club on a Saturday night.

The RB solution is different. It provides security and a proven business model. It also promotes the thing that I'm really passionate about... The Central Coast. I started supporting the Mariners not because their jersey is yellow or that they play soccer. I started supporting them because they represent me and my region. Had it been an NRL team, I would have supported that - one one proviso... that it truly represented the Coast.

So, to adress the matter at hand, yes, I would support the Red Bull initiative on the following conditions:
They can provide this team with long term viability
They remain 100% on the Central Coast
They appreciate the supporters and listen to them
They invest in the region, both from a business point of view and a football development point of view

If the price I have to pay is seeing the best team in the country run around in those gawd-awful jerseys and we change our name to the CCRB's, then that's a price I'm willing to pay.

whats wrong with $5 gobbies behind Pulse?

 

[sydmariner]

When I first considered the thought experiment, my #1 consideration is that whatever happens, I want our club to survive. At present, I harbour fears for the long term viability of the Mariners in its present form. The question I have is Do we continue as is or do we change course? I guess this is at the heart of dibo's experiment.

Then I started to think about integrity. Is the Red Bull option akin to us becoming a whore and selling ourselves to the highest bidder? If so, what "unspeakable acts" would we have to do to earn the money? But then again, what unspeakable acts are we doing now to earn our money? Playing at NSO, dare I say "whoring ourselves out" at NSO, for example, makes us far from the pure and wholesome club that I like to think we are.

I think the major difference between the proposed unspeakable acts that we may have to do under the Red Bull banner and the unspeakable acts we are currently doing is that what we are currently doing is all in desperation. We are currently trying to keep our head above water... fight off the ATO... get bums on seats... all whilst waving goodbye to our best and brightest players that I, for one, have invested emotionally in. I breaks my heart to see WeeMac, Maty, Tommy, Ollie et al, all leave me so we can make a dollar. It makes me feel like my club is a brazen harlot, giving $5 gobbies behind Pulse night club on a Saturday night.

The RB solution is different. It provides security and a proven business model. It also promotes the thing that I'm really passionate about... The Central Coast. I started supporting the Mariners not because their jersey is yellow or that they play soccer. I started supporting them because they represent me and my region. Had it been an NRL team, I would have supported that - one one proviso... that it truly represented the Coast.

So, to adress the matter at hand, yes, I would support the Red Bull initiative on the following conditions:
They can provide this team with long term viability
They remain 100% on the Central Coast
They appreciate the supporters and listen to them
They invest in the region, both from a business point of view and a football development point of view

If the price I have to pay is seeing the best team in the country run around in those gawd-awful jerseys and we change our name to the CCRB's, then that's a price I'm willing to pay.

What are they renaming bluetounge stadium to

 

[dibo]

all whilst waving goodbye to our best and brightest players that I, for one, have invested emotionally in. I breaks my heart to see WeeMac, Maty, Tommy, Ollie et al, all leave me so we can make a dollar.

This is the bit that won't change until/unless we are on the same level as big leagues overseas. If we are remain far below the budget and standard of Japan, Belgium, Scotland and Switzerland then we will always be an exporter of talent. It's up to us to be as good a nursery as possible; as we overtake more leagues we will lose fewer players, but we'll always lose some.

 

[dibo]

Already happening

The brewery is closing down too.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Great post Atomic