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Turbulence (then calm sailing, then turbulence) thread.

nebakke

Well-Known Member
Yeah - I'm half expecting them to can the half-time analysis and just be quiet whenever we're on the ball...
Then again, we're playing 'Nux so it might be a blessing to be without those two Kiwi "commentators" ;)
 
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bilo

Well-Known Member
As much as I agree, just remember no Foxtel, No A-League. Don't they give the FFA $40M or something to prop up the clubs. If everyone turns off it might just play into their hands so they can cover more NRL.
 

nebakke

Well-Known Member
As much as I agree, just remember no Foxtel, No A-League. Don't they give the FFA $40M or something to prop up the clubs. If everyone turns off it might just play into their hands so they can cover more NRL.

Leaves them with the problem that had them buying the A-league rights in the first place.

There's nothing else for them broadcast over the summer... No A-league, no content...

EDIT: Not to say we don't need them - just that they're not quite as free to go elsewhere as they'd like everyone to think.
 

Wombat

Well-Known Member
HAL is Foxtels golden goose.
Unfortunately, they have left a bunch of spastics in charge of the animals and a couple of the carers have been touching the animals in less than appropriate ways.
Mike Cockerill, Simon Hill and Adam peacock all do a brilliant job.
The rest vary from outright embarrassing to mildly annoying.

Happy to drop my 4 Foxtels boxes if they continue to wage a childish war.
Rudan, f**ked up with a stupid comment. We have all done the....I wish I didn't say that!
He needs to man up, admit he waffled on like a know nothing fool. Strive to do better and let's all move on.
Before his Poorly thought out drivel I used to like him as a pundit.
 

true believer

Well-Known Member
As much as I agree, just remember no Foxtel, No A-League. Don't they give the FFA $40M or something to prop up the clubs. If everyone turns off it might just play into their hands so they can cover more NRL.
a one month poxtel touch up .
is hardly a no go zone .
indeed compared to the rbb . we are very selective how we tag pox
 

midfielder

Well-Known Member
Maybe like the fans things ask other clubs ... get it out as a news story ... i.e make the story like 1, 000's of people are going to ditch their Fox because ...

Just imagine Bozza when he went on the rant over the media and if one of the first fans action is against Fox .... what's that called irony
 

Forum Phoenix

Well-Known Member
This is not CCM vs Fox.

This is a handful of commentators who'd like to pitch it that way because they are happy to damage Fox's product, and clearly happy to even destroy an entire regional football club, for what certainly looks like personal reasons.

Look at Zelic, "...wait for your opportunity to attack" I'm sorry f**king what??? That is disgraceful.
If his comments don't show the unbridled arrogance and wilful maliciousness of this small group, I have no idea what does.

They need to understand that it is the FANs who watch the games. That WE are the FOX CUSTOMERS. You're not commentating for the club owners. You're commentating for Australian football supporters who pay for Foxtel to watch their club. The game commentary is supposed to add value to the product, not provide you with a platform to wage your own personal wars on owners, coaches or whatever it is that you don't like. It's become so bad that it has become a running joke among all the CCM supporters who have listened to or own FOX. No one can stand listening to it. That's some pretty bad customer feedback - even if we are only one tenth of the product and have the sixth biggest crowds. That is still significant.

And sure we may have only 6,000 members. But the thing about having a population of only 325K. Is that means that 325K is almost certainly connected by only one or two degrees of separation to these members. And if they continue to maliciously attack our club and it's players, openly encourage each other to do so... then this wilful persecution of a regional club will start to blow up. Make no mistake, the Coast are very proud of the Mariners, and rightfully so. Among 325,000 people, that's got to be a lot of unhappy FOX customers to cop just for the sake of letting a handful of very poor commentators repeatedly slag off a part of one of it's own products.

Regions also grow. And CC is one of the fastest. We are the third largest urban area in New South Wales and the ninth largest urban area in Australia. Fox really needs to make these guys pull their heads right in or better yet make a few roll, or I won't be returning and will have to content myself with Setanta and the new FTA agreements.

I'm also sure their very poor commentary teams are not helping with the dwindling viewing numbers in the slightest. How could they be? What do they do when their best chance to create some media hype comes along... they play it down and rubbish it??? Well you can't let that get in the way of good grudge. Even when the player looks better than Del Piero did they still failed to ignite. Pathetic.

Fox now has another HAL club owner who believes regularly bringing marquees in will help. The first marquee alone will have done more for fox/HAL viewers just in LFC members than Zelic will likely contribute over his entire god awful career as a pundit. And they give our team performances shit? o_O Talk about needing a serious performance review.
 
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Capt. Awesome

Well-Known Member
Central Coast Mariners owner hanging tough despite the losses
  • THE AUSTRALIAN
  • JANUARY 30, 2016 12:00AM
  • Ray Gatt
09e42f914f0ede13ce4e237e734ea51d

Central Coast Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth after winning the A-League title in 2013.


He has lost millions, been rubbished and ridiculed and suffered the pain and hurt of his club being written off time and time again.



Under normal circumstances, it would be enough for a lesser person to throw their arms up in the air in despair, say it is too hard and simply walk away.

Australian soccer can do that to you. It has devoured many well-intentioned businessmen and football lovers. But not Mike Charlesworth.

As he surveys the idyllic view at Terrigal beach, the Central Coast Mariners owner and telecommunications millionaire doesn’t act like a man who is ready to chuck the towel in.

Minus $35 million and carrying the scars of many a battle with the fans, players, the media and Football Federation Australia, the Englishman is still hanging tough.

Even as his team sits bottom of the A-League table and seemingly destined for the wooden spoon for the first time, Charlesworth remains positive and upbeat. Yes, it hurts to see the proud Mariners propping up the table, but he knows it is just part of the painful process to a better future for the Gosford based club.

“I didn’t expect to be where we are now in terms of results,” Charlesworth says. “Then again I didn’t expect us to have as many young players in squad as we have now.

“It is difficult to get results with a young squad, which is one of the reasons why we brought in (marquee) Luis Garcia as a mentor. But, yes, I am disappointed. I get it (the anger from fans). I am a fan and I don’t want to be there. I don’t want to be there at the end of the season and I want us to be competing next season.”

As much as he would like to be challenging for the finals, Charlesworth is also a realist and, for him, the important factor is the financial sustainability of a club that has always struggled in that regard. To that end, he has worked hard to turn things around. Charlesworth initiated drastic cost cutting measures which has seen $1 million stripped of the budget. He says the club will lose around $500,000 this season but he believes they will break even next season.

“The Mariners have always lived beyond their means and it wasn’t all that long ago we were over $6 million in the red. There was talk we had no future in the A-League and we got no guarantees from the FFA about that,” he said.

“But our financial stability is better than ever. I couldn't be happier.

“The new broadcast deal should be a game changer. We have just opened the $20 million Mariners office block at our Centre of Excellence and we will have some of the best facilities in the country. We are creating a foundation for the club.

“So, it has to work because my biggest worry is that if things don’t go well with us, and me, the FFA will look to close us down and move the franchise to the Shire.”

While Charlesworth says he is prepared to continue to carry the financial burden on his own, he is adamant he will not dismiss investment from outside sources.

“Just about every club in the world is for sale at the right price, and we are no different, but I am not going to lose sleep over it,” he added. “To often in the past the Mariners were caught up in trying to find buyers or investors — the whole ‘Russians are coming’ business was just bullshit.

“What that did was take away the focus on moving forward with the club. Everything just stopped and there was no planning ahead.

“What I have learned is not to waste time on that stuff. We have to keep pushing ahead, getting things right on and off the field. If someone comes along, good and well. If they don’t I won't lose any sleep.”

The strongly opinionated Charlesworth does not disappoint when asked about a number of subjects.

On promotion and relegation: “I can’t see it happening for at least 10 years or more. It is not feasible. Who wants to invest in a club that is going to be relegated? Look at Newcastle. They finished bottom last season. Would someone want to buy them?”

On the A-League: “We still have to sort a few issues out there. I want it to be in the top 10 leagues in the world, and it can be. But we have some way to go. The issue is that some of the clubs just think about themselves and protecting what they have. We have to be in this together.”

On another Sydney team coming in: “I am all for it and the Shire is the place to have it. It is proven.

“I don’t care what Sydney FC think. It is a good idea to create more competition. We need 12 teams in the league because 10 teams is not enough, it is not engaging and it is dull and boring playing the same teams over and over
 

pjennings

Well-Known Member
Les and Foz have said from the beginning that the Central Coast was a mistake. They wanted the 'football heartland' of Wollongong. The way the league was set up with capital cities plus Newcastle plus one regional team meant that Wollongong was the obvious choice. Wollongong chose not to make a bid and the Spirit Leisure Group did. That is the simple history - but the 'why is the Central Coast in while Wollongong is not' rhetoric has continued since day one.
 
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kevrenor

Well-Known Member
Central Coast Mariners owner hanging tough despite the losses

I must admit, that is a promising reveal on MC's current thinking and I am encouraged by it!

With one exception: "“I am all for it and the Shire is the place to have it. It is proven" - well no it isn't and it isn't. Stupid as.

I must also admit, that I have been impressed by Tony's readiness to change his thinking and doing some different things rather than ride the barrel over Niagara (the one in North America) Falls.
 

Forum Phoenix

Well-Known Member
Probably has been shown before, but thought it was appropriate given the stupidity of the pundits debate.
My wife listened to it and was able to pick who it was.
Yeah it has been up before. But worthy of a re post.

We should pay that guy to do a CCM version.
 

Timmah

Well-Known Member
FWIW, I'm pretty sure Ned was taking the piss and thinks the whole situation has been overblown.

I'm happy the club raised it and stood up for us as members and supporters but I think it's now time to move on and enjoy the football. We won, after all :D
 

Forum Phoenix

Well-Known Member
We’ve just hit storm after storm, lost our bearings, and sailed in a circle.

I think we’re likely also in the bemuda triangle. As our best players keep disappearing.
 

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