Alicia
Well-Known Member
[size=20pt]Mariners, the pride of the Coast[/size]
By John Singleton
January 23, 2008 12:00am
I'M a proud man this week, watching the baby I helped to create come of age in spectacular fashion.
The success of my beloved Central Coast Mariners is a story of the power of sport, and of the ability of a team to unite a region when the community feels like it is part of the club.
Last weekend the Mariners were crowned A-league minor premiers and on Sunday play for the right to host the grand final.
I've had property on the Coast for 60 years. I watched as rugby league turned its back on us and so, last year, did rugby union.
So when the submissions were made for an eight-team football competition I made the case for the Coast to Frank Lowy, and as a director of Football Australia I then left the room when the final decision was taken.
But it's easy to forget that at the time the team didn't exist, the sponsors and the competition didn't exist.
It was almost an impossible dream. It was a massive struggle at first - I remember going to meetings with chairman Lyall Gorman and we'd walk out without a single sponsor. We had to tap our friends.
I was brought up with soccer like most of us - you play it until you're 10 and then you switch to league, that's where your heroes come from. Now we've got a whole generation of kids who've known nothing but the Mariners.
The players all live here - nine of the final squad were born and raised here.
Most of all we've been very, very fortunate in having Lawrie McKinna as the driving force. He's the coach but also the driving force, the club's spiritual leader.
Just weeks ago Lawrie was doing a local radio interview and suddenly offered to host a barbecue - along with John Aloisi - to the first callers to ring in. Three days later he was cooking the sausages in his backyard.
It isn't just a football club, Lawrie set out to create something that was a vital part of the community.
I doubt there's a primary or high school they haven't visited and trained at, or a shopping centre of whatever size they haven't been to.
Lawrie can coach, too. We did make the grand final in the first year, last year missed the playoffs by a point, and this year we've been on top for all bar a week or two.
Now we are guaranteed a place in the major club competition across Asia next season, when the cream of club sides from Japan, China or Korea could be travelling to the Coast.
It opens up sponsorship opportunities way beyond the Central Coast, even international companies will want to be involved, especially if we're successful in it.
The Mariners can be part of the whole renaissance of the Central Coast.
* John Singleton has no direct involvement in the Mariners except as a sponsor through Bluetongue Stadium.
Share this article
By John Singleton
January 23, 2008 12:00am
I'M a proud man this week, watching the baby I helped to create come of age in spectacular fashion.
The success of my beloved Central Coast Mariners is a story of the power of sport, and of the ability of a team to unite a region when the community feels like it is part of the club.
Last weekend the Mariners were crowned A-league minor premiers and on Sunday play for the right to host the grand final.
I've had property on the Coast for 60 years. I watched as rugby league turned its back on us and so, last year, did rugby union.
So when the submissions were made for an eight-team football competition I made the case for the Coast to Frank Lowy, and as a director of Football Australia I then left the room when the final decision was taken.
But it's easy to forget that at the time the team didn't exist, the sponsors and the competition didn't exist.
It was almost an impossible dream. It was a massive struggle at first - I remember going to meetings with chairman Lyall Gorman and we'd walk out without a single sponsor. We had to tap our friends.
I was brought up with soccer like most of us - you play it until you're 10 and then you switch to league, that's where your heroes come from. Now we've got a whole generation of kids who've known nothing but the Mariners.
The players all live here - nine of the final squad were born and raised here.
Most of all we've been very, very fortunate in having Lawrie McKinna as the driving force. He's the coach but also the driving force, the club's spiritual leader.
Just weeks ago Lawrie was doing a local radio interview and suddenly offered to host a barbecue - along with John Aloisi - to the first callers to ring in. Three days later he was cooking the sausages in his backyard.
It isn't just a football club, Lawrie set out to create something that was a vital part of the community.
I doubt there's a primary or high school they haven't visited and trained at, or a shopping centre of whatever size they haven't been to.
Lawrie can coach, too. We did make the grand final in the first year, last year missed the playoffs by a point, and this year we've been on top for all bar a week or two.
Now we are guaranteed a place in the major club competition across Asia next season, when the cream of club sides from Japan, China or Korea could be travelling to the Coast.
It opens up sponsorship opportunities way beyond the Central Coast, even international companies will want to be involved, especially if we're successful in it.
The Mariners can be part of the whole renaissance of the Central Coast.
* John Singleton has no direct involvement in the Mariners except as a sponsor through Bluetongue Stadium.
Share this article
