2018 Pre-Season Games ...... yes they exist !!

[Forum Phoenix]

How much has Bolt's celebrity exposure gotten us? Less members than last year, for all the talk of how great it is we have not been successful in the one metric that is supposed to matter.

It would have been worse without him, and morale considerably lower. Shaun himself has said Bolt has been a catalyst for our positive change.

We really don't need to be so divided over this one.

We've recruited a GREAT squad. Plenty of youth getting a shot. Mike is clearly too smart to play Bolt at the expense of the team. And while he may or may not prove an on field success, he's clearly a great personality, that has uplifted many and and no on can deny his commercial and promotional value. There's a lot to like here for giving away one squaddie position.

And people need to remember, he is the ONLY player we can sign who will pay for his own contract and possibly a great deal more.

 

[Offsider]

I never have nor ever will be a Euro snob, I have supported solely Heart and the Mariners. My introduction to football was through the A-League and Socceroos, I have never once in my life gotten up to watch a stupid f**king game on the other side of the world unless the Soceroos or another Australian was playing. I attend the NPL and watch as many live streams of the NPL as I possibly can, I have f**king commentated NPL matches, how bloody dare you call me a Euro snob you muppet. I champion Australian football at every turn I have been a member of the Mariners every year since I became a fan, I have written f**king reports on our former academy players and how they are going in the NPL. Do not f**king call me a Eurosnob you pretentious assumption making prick. I want us to pick our own players, our players in the NPL, like f**king Jordan Murray or Themba Muata-Marlow. We need our own stars not pathetic transplants from codes desperately trying to still be relevant when they can't run anymore. If Bolt had been trailing in the year Jedinak was here would he have ever gotten a contract? Read McKinna's interview, he never would of if we're to give opportunities to celebrities and we would of lost our own great Australian sportsman. We do not need Bolt, we do not need his fake celebrity status to be a good football club.

Well ???? ............ do you think there might be a chance that by calling you a “ euro snob” ............ it was because by your own admission you actually do ????......... ignore them that is............ that makes you a snob ???? Doesn’t it ????

Oh never mind............. just shit stirring ............ but if I could just point out one glaring inaccuracy in your rant............ which you shouldn’t take to heart being such a noted report writter blah blah blah ............. Bolt’s status is not “ fake”.............. and if you need proof of that, replay the end of fox’s two presentations and count the number of kids and grownups queueing for selfies with him......... on a cold rainy night in nowhere’sville for a bloody trial game ................ being beamed around the bloody world to millions .............That is REAL celebrity status.
I saw one report, probably made by a person not unlike yourself, that said the attendance figure was 6000. How many do you think were there to see how murray and his npl cohorts went ???
The bolt sideshow is not about signing him to a contract .......... that is only the carrot. Managing and selling the sideshow has been a stroke of genius already............. an earner for Bolt’s coffers and launching the new charlesworth’s committment regime.

 

[Insertnamehere]

But according to everyone it shouldn't matter because of all the magical exposure we have gotten? It should all be fixed because of Bolt's magical journey and the $2 million in advertising we are getting. If you get more out of having a good team then having a celebrity then why are we persisting with this charade?

It'll put bums on seats and eyes on TVs but why would it return members?

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Charlesworth didn’t even confirm that sponsorship $$ from Bolt helped fund Ross and Tommy, more that he just dipped into the pocket.

No, but Shaun did say that having Bolt did enable us to go after Ross and Tommy.

Whether that was by increased sponsorship interest in the Club (which I assumed) or whether MC got excited enough to open the wallet further, I do not know, but he did say it was a reason.

I do not see the reason for the heat coming from JP or Michael apart from purist zealotry.

As for saying that it has not helped memberships, I could equally argue that without the Bolt effect we would only have 2,000 members at this stage. The membership argument is drawing conclusions with incomplete data.

We are giving more than enough bench level players chances, we are giving lots of youth players chances.

The space CCM was in at the end of last season needed addressing seriously.

Grabbing Bolt has been a remarkable feat of lateral thinking that has brought an amazing result in publicity, exposure, feel good, and interest in CCM.

FFS, who would have imagined televised trial games against scratch sides for a team that did not get past the first round of the FFA cup. And every time there is one of those games it is then reported in the rest of the media for the next 24hours.

It has even turned Offsider into a glass half full poster (truly amazing result).

I see it as an fascinating chapter in the evolving history of the Central Coast Mariners and am enjoying every minute of it.

Get on board and enjoy the fun.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

It'll put bums on seats and eyes on TVs but why would it return members?

Putting bums on seats is the first step in getting members. Nobody joins cold without first sampling the product.

 

[Offsider]

I love that emoji ......... been wanting to use it for ages. Now read on there is something here for everybody.

At the start of the bolt circus ......... my attitude was the same as most haters but even more critical and vocal.
I live up north where even the budgewoi soccer club is nrl owned and when I enquired as to whether they played the aleague on their big screen I was told if there was nothing else on that others wanted to watch. I tried toget a couple of guys to watch somewhere but failed to even find an avid supporter so I watch my fox with my dogs and unicorn and for the record I do not partake in alchohlic beverages but prefer real coffee.

I am/was not a charlesworth fan after enduring his every attempt to disengage me and the community in favour of a more rich gate........... but what has turned my head is last week I was in coles, chatting up my fav checkout chick who was filling the milk shelves and she was telling me she was going to take her kids to see bolt at training. Another woman heard us talking and stopped and joined the conversation saying her kids wanted to go as well. Another woman stopped to tell them that her kids had just signed on to play at budgewoi and they were going to see bolt at campbelltown. This when I have failed to get any response from my asking for ccm fans to talk football blah blah blah in over for years.
The bolt exercise ............. whether it was intended or not has turned out to be not about trying to reconvert the disenfranchised supporters from the past but attracting new from grassroots level that don’t have any baggage from the past.............. and that for mine is a stroke of genius.
THEN ....... you add in the changed mc attitude to being competitive for the club to be more successful, and the fact that he has assembled a very experienced group to advise him on things football.

What is there not to like. Bolt’s sideshow is all smoke and mirrors as to the a-league team’s competitiveness. He is a genuinely likeable humble person who adores the kids and takes his rolemodel duties seriously which is endearing thousands of kids to the ccm brand who will have the opportunity to play football and be members in years to come.

Oh !!! ........... and one more thing ........... if he gets a contract, he can be a “mark key “......... taking nobodies place on the squad and there is already a precedence for sitting the “mark key “ on the pine all season aka melb city last season.

I hope Bolt succeeds, as I expect mc wants him to as well ............. so he can sell him to man u for squillions of $$$.

No brainer for me ............

 

[Wombat]

You speak as if he is some mythical deity who should be obeyed and revered. He is a successful sprinter, no more, right now his ability is below that of Dan Heffernan (the English Striker) and I don't hear people asking desperately for him to be addressed properly.

Heffernan was carving it up the NPL. He scored 2 pre season hatricks and had a lovely first touch. He would have looked a boss on the training paddock BUT he had no athletic ability and was not fast enough for HAL, same as Assdribble. I don't think anyone is going to question Bolt's athletic ability JP.
We have alot of famous people living on the Coast but no one like Bolt who is a genuine superstar.
I've watched them at training and no one handles him with kid gloves. The other players even call him Bolt.

He will put bums on seats and he creates excitement.

 

[MagpieMariner]

Putting bums on seats is the first step in getting members. Nobody joins cold without first sampling the product.

This is so true, from my own experience. When my son-in-law invited me to come to a Mariners game (a pre-season against Glory) I came because I didn't have anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon. At that time I considered football to be just about the most boring game ever invented by man (this after watching some EPL games on TV.) 22 guys running up and down a paddock for an hour & a half and no bloody score.
On this first occasion I enjoyed the atmosphere and the fact that goals were scored (final score 3-2 to Glory). I came to a few more matches and quickly became hooked, so much so that I am now a platinum member. Note that I paid up for this season before the Bolt from the blue happened and the other, good, players were signed.
This I think proves that bums on seats can be transformed into members provided the bums are entertained, not necessarily by football quality, the atmosphere has a lot to do with it. I found the atmosphere at the first "circus" game to be highly entertaining, as I'm sure many of the 10K crowd did. So I think for this reason the Bolt experiment is worth while.

 

[Antlion]

Bolt led to Oar and McCormack because the worlds eyes are on us now.
MC knew full well that means we either show the world a terrible product or a good one, and the former would be a disaster.
The other benefit to Bolt regarding recruitment is simple brand awareness. A wider net of players and managers recognising the name. To be fair Phelan had provided much of that too

 

[nebakke]

WE HAVE TO RELY ON BEING COMPETITIVE AND GETTING RESULTS TO REGAIN OLD MEMBERS AND GAINING NEW ONES AND KEEP THEM.
Bolt won’t help us achieve those crunch 3pts running into the finals.

This is the oversimplification that in taking issue with in these discussions - this is about much more than membership numbers or the three points, in fact I seriously doubt that the Bolt thing is primarily about either. It's about viewers and media exposure and the ad revenue that is driven from it. Bolt hasn't been that big a driver from the club when it comes to membership, but he's been front and center when it comes to individual games in which he's played. Considering the 10000 for his first game and the 6000 this weekend, as well as the worldwide exposure - as mentioned by the Cap'n, I think he's definitely doing a job for us. A job that might help keep us in a position to get any points at all in the future.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

I think many things have come together to lead to what we are seeing now, and none really happened in isolation of the others.
Bolt showed an interest and was grabbed.
Signs were that the A league would become independent of the FFA (a requirement of MC's to open up).
Phelan was signed.
Attention was centred on CCM.
The purse strings were opened.

Whether this was a coordinated campaign from the start or whether the opportunity was grabbed, it does not matter. We are back on track again and the Trial has been a factor.

 

[yellowcake]

Michael and Joyful Penguin, while I've disagreed with your opinions (and taken exception to the "OK, thanks 'champ' but jog on" addressed to Bolt) I definitely have no dislike for you - Mariners fans.
I hate, Joyful Penguin, that at Green Gully for supporting your team, you got pushed in the mud and ridiculed (although I guess we've all had that in recent times). Unfortunately that can come in good times too. I had a punch thrown by a WSW "fan" in an inner-Sydney pizza shop a few months after the 2013 GF after identifying as a CCM supporter.

 

[Offsider]

Michael and Joyful Penguin, while I've disagreed with your opinions (and taken exception to the "OK, thanks 'champ' but jog on" addressed to Bolt) I definitely have no dislike for you - Mariners fans.
I hate, Joyful Penguin, that at Green Gully for supporting your team, you got pushed in the mud and ridiculed (although I guess we've all had that in recent times). Unfortunately that can come in good times too. I had a punch thrown by a WSW "fan" in an inner-Sydney pizza shop a few months after the 2013 GF after identifying as a CCM supporter.

“ yellowcake” ........... is that in like yellowsnow ???.

A number of years ago now I bought a membership. Made the mistake of going to the game at bluetongue by train. Got off the train and went to dunny. Wsw mongrels kept me in there stopping me from exiting until they had all finished. I got on the train and went home. The twenty odd of them were too brave for this pensioner ......... caught without his unicorn.

 

[Wombat]

The driveby's 1st ever HAL game at Pirtek was interesting to say the least!! LOL.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

“ yellowcake” ........... is that in like yellowsnow ???.

A number of years ago now I bought a membership. Made the mistake of going to the game at bluetongue by train. Got off the train and went to dunny. Wsw mongrels kept me in there stopping me from exiting until they had all finished. I got on the train and went home. The twenty odd of them were too brave for this pensioner ......... caught without his unicorn.

I miss the days when the supporters groups all invited each other to 'their' bar for away trips.
Well, all except for MV supporters, they were the only ones too good for that. Typical from them as we now know.

Always disappointing to hear of that sort of shit. We are all supporters of the game. Nobody should ever be made to feel unsafe because of their jersey or allegiance.

 

[Insertnamehere]

I miss the days when the supporters groups all invited each other to 'their' bar for away trips.
Well, all except for MV supporters, they were the only ones too good for that. Typical from them as we now know.

Always disappointing to hear of that sort of shit. We are all supporters of the game. Nobody should ever be made to feel unsafe because of their jersey or allegiance.

It's unfortunate that fans seem to have to be adversarial for every moment of a season rather than just the 90 mins of game time. Worse still are those who think being an asshole ultra is cool.

 

[marinermick]

I miss the days when the supporters groups all invited each other to 'their' bar for away trips.
Well, all except for MV supporters, they were the only ones too good for that. Typical from them as we now know.

Always disappointing to hear of that sort of shit. We are all supporters of the game. Nobody should ever be made to feel unsafe because of their jersey or allegiance.

The Phoenix fans invite you back to their pub. They even have an allocated away liaison that makes sure you have an awesome night on the town after the game. Wellington is a fantastic away trip.

 

[BrisRecky]

This fan v fan hatred shit annoys the crap out of me, I just don’t get it ...
I’ve had my run ins ( mostly scummers)
Surrounded at central station ( wrong day to wear a CCM hat) one day by junior scum when we were going to the in laws at Campbelltown , strangely enough pensioner level Jests fans came to the rescue and told em to f**k off
Stopped at the lights at GOSFORD Hotel and some scum dog jumped up on the bonnet ( idiot)
And then there was getting piss poured on me at the scumdome from the upper deck and then the f**ktards barricaded the bus in ....still not as bad as my cousin in holland whose mate was put in a coma by Feyenoord Ultras, the weird bit is , they were both fully decked out in Feyenoord colors themselves, apparently they stopped to get a beer at the wrong bar outside the ground...an excellent reason NOT
I mean we never had this shit during the NSL did we? Cause I can’t remember seeing any

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

The Phoenix fans invite you back to their pub. They even have an allocated away liaison that makes sure you have an awesome night on the town after the game. Wellington is a fantastic away trip.

There's a Wellington away trip?
That's great to hear though.It's a shame it's not such a thing these days, but I guess too many dickheads have caught onto the game and don't want to promote the 'we're all fans of the same sport' culture that all supporter groups bar one decided to promote at the start. My old boss was a city supporter and he'd get shoved around a bit if walking past some MV supporters on game day. Just not good enough. Heckle him by all means, but it's just sport. If you can't be civil outside the game, then you're doing it wrong.

 

[Insertnamehere]

There's a Wellington away trip?
That's great to hear though.It's a shame it's not such a thing these days, but I guess too many dickheads have caught onto the game and don't want to promote the 'we're all fans of the same sport' culture that all supporter groups bar one decided to promote at the start. My old boss was a city supporter and he'd get shoved around a bit if walking past some MV supporters on game day. Just not good enough. Heckle him by all means, but it's just sport. If you can't be civil outside the game, then you're doing it wrong.

It blows me away daily that professional athletes get paid to play children's games, let alone that people take it too seriously.