What would you do differently?

[adz]

This debate is raging over a few threads now, there's a fair bit of complaining over losing players but what are the alternatives? Personally I hate losing players and weakening the team (although isn't it funny how not that long ago we were banging on about how much depth the squad has, up until the replacements had to step up, and now we're in the shit?) but I can understand why it's happening.

Personally, I think the club is building more for the long term with the COE being built to bring income into the club and make it sustainable. Others seem to be going for the "get rich owner(s) to plow millions of dollars in to a loss-making franchise every year", but how's that working out for them? Clive Palmer can afford it but even he kicked up a massive fuss about losing money every year.

Phase 1 of the COE isn't even due to be completed until August next year, yet there are complaints that it's still a construction site? Bit impatient? This stuff doesn't happen overnight!

Anyway, enough of that, I have two questions (for anyone);


1. If you were given the keys to the club today, in its current state, how would you fix things?


2. If you were given the keys to the club, AND the keys to a DeLorean so you could drive back to season 1 (at a comfortable 88 mph), what would you do differently?

 

[Ancient Mariner]

1) Now I would sell to someone who can afford to own a football club and recoup my investment or cut my losses.

2) Absolutely nothing. Look at Lowie's recent statements about the cost of Jet's licence v Gold Coasts. Get in early, get out and take a profit.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Personally, I think the club is building more for the long term with the COE being built to bring income into the club and make it sustainable. Others seem to be going for the "get rich owner(s) to plow millions of dollars in to a loss-making franchise every year",

The two are not necessarilly mutually exclusive.

 

[midfielder]

Market better .... more bums on seats is the answer... get Singo on board in marketing in selling product he a master...

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Market better .... more bums on seats is the answer... get Singo on board in marketing in selling product he a master...

See my recent post on GA and the Russians.

What does the club have to offer to attract new supporters?

 

[adz]

Was hoping for a bit more creativity than "put more money in" and "sell it to someone who will put more money in"...

Maybe it's that simple, though? If they can't afford to put more money in, then sell it to someone who can. After all, there is a long line of rich people waiting to throw a few million dollars away on an A-League club every year.

 

[Nathan Byrn]

1. Call the FFA and tell them what they wanted to happen has happened.Engage a new Accountant- Re-align business model, change ownership structure, hand back rep set-up to the CCF.Make the CCF a stakeholder in the club. Work closely with business comunity engage consultants for marketing. Get Matt Simon back on loan till the K-league starts. Clearly outline ownership of CCM and CCM trust /developments etc.

2. Have a different accountant. In time The COE should of involved community Football ie CCF.

+ a million other things

 

[pjennings]

I will answer number 2 at the moment as number 1 requires much more thought.

I will start with two first points against which these thoughts are made. I think the first three years the club did so many things right and secondly I like the idea of the COE - especially for a small club that needs to differentiate itself in some way.

The downturn in my eyes came with the Season 3 Grand Final. My rant is always that holding the Grand Final here would have cemented so many followers to the club. That was a huge opportunity missed and we should have done anything and everything to make it happen on the Coast. A home Grand Final could have meant a home win, no red card for Danny and a mythology about I was there when the Mariners won the Grand Final to the extent that Bluetongue would have needed to be the size of the MCG. Instead a huge numbers of fans were pissed off because their team lost, they had to go to Sydney to see their team lose and the FFA imposed a huge ban on one of their players.

The second thing is the COE - while it is great in principal - it has been very poor in execution. McCabe had a history of non-delivery - even before the GFC - the partner needed to be someone that had a history of delivery and a love for football. I know that this is a simple thing to say and a lot harder to do but I am very much of the school of if you are can't do it properly then don't do it.

Another area to do with the COE is government funding. The federal government has earmarked money for Tuggerah. The state government has earmarked money for the Bears to set up at Mt Penang including the training and administrative facilities the Central Coast Bears need including state-of-the-art training and recovery facilities. Surely, in a market that is as small as the Central Coast we do not need two sites doing essentially the same thing. This money should have been promised to the Coast as part of a joint precinct at Tuggerah. In July when the Bears lose their bid for inclusion that promise to the Coast would have cost the Libs not one cent and the money will be lost from the coast. Is this simply because we can't talk to NRL people?

The last point is that there needs to be a consistent and viable narrative that the Coast's population understands. In the early years Lawrie was the guy that created the 'family club'. A very saleable narrative. This seemed to morph into the little club that could. To my mind that is not a saleable narrative. It gives the club an inferiority complex that people do not want to identify with especially if the little club that could - doesn't - i.e bandwagon supporters will not stay if there is no delivery.

 

[dibo]

hand back rep set-up to the CCF.

this bit has me curious. why should they do that?

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Was hoping for a bit more creativity than "put more money in" and "sell it to someone who will put more money in"...

Maybe it's that simple, though? If they can't afford to put more money in, then sell it to someone who can. After all, there is a long line of rich people waiting to throw a few million dollars away on an A-League club every year.

Maybe my first answer to #2 was a bit brief. I agree with pjennings the first 3 years were spot on. By nothing, I mean I would not have done things differently.

Unfortunately things have not worked out after for the owners as they may have hoped. Instead of breaking even we are going backwards financially. If we are going to compete we cannot keep surviving on a shoe string.

If we have players approached by os clubs then it would be nice to have the option of either selling (good deal with Griffiths) or hanging on them until the end of their contract (Matty). And after collecting on a contract, buy out put the money towards a better player not to pay ongoing bills. If we keep selling our silver to survive we will become extinct.

For #1; my answer means if you cannot afford to own football team and the associated costs it is time to sell. With the money other clubs are spending we will not be able to compete. Full salary cap spending, plus a marquee plus a junior marquee, plus injury replacements and guest players, plus being able to compete in the Australian market let alone international, it is no race.

So far we have had very good management in picking up bargains and developing a team spirit with good man management by Lawrie and Arnie. We have had to battle and do it right or collapse. Those days are now over and we will be competing with clubs that have money and no brains but with clubs with money who have learned and are learning.

Every other club is backed by money it is now season 7 and things are getting tougher.

If you cannot get any extra ongoing investment in the club it is time to sell the lot and recoup whatever you can.

 

[adz]

Good stuff.

Maybe the reason they can't afford to run the club now is because McCabe was brought in to bankroll the COE but never delivered, and there is no plan B?

I wouldn't mind seeing what (if any) plans there are to get out of this hole, but that would require communication from the club, and I'm seeing similarities between the way they communicate and the FFA, i.e. don't bother saying anything until the last minute, when everyone is ANGRY and then just tell us some vague crap about everything being fine!

As far as fire the accountant... I won't ask! I hate to think of what the answer might be

 

[Nathan Byrn]

this bit has me curious. why should they do that?

The Central Coast Mariners core business is the A-League franchise. They need to focus on the day to day running of that and getting that in order before they diversify into other areas. From my conversations with the FFA, Football NSW they are not entirely happy with the current model.However I am sure in time it (may) be feasible. The Central Coast Mariners Academy is in name only, funded by the CCF. It is basically another name change from The Coasties, Central Coast United, Central Coast Lightning etc etc. IF The Mariners were to take over rep football it would need to have one if not two dedicated full time staff, focused on development of players and coaches. The CCF had that 3 years ago, in Boyd and Barrett. The Central Coast should have a senior (just like Sydney UNI) team consisting of NYL leftovers and other players that are potential shadow players. The hurdle was about $40,000 and The Mariners did not want to pay $$$. We all know why now.!! The clubs who partially supported the withdrawal of the senior team were told that our best players will filter into the NYL team if good enough. They are looking at 1, yes 1 for next season. The clubs were also told that axing of the senior team would save $135,000 per year of which some would go to the premier league in strips and equipment. The clubs will recieve $0. How much of that saving has been invested into development through CCF programs?? ZERO... The CCF currently pays for an admin person to oversee the Central Coast Mariners Academy and they also pay for the coaches. The Mariners have no-idea how to run a rep football program and have entered this agreement at a time when the club can least afford it. Under staffed and underfunded. Why should a non-for profit association fund a program that is essentially a business (not very well run). The Mariners for years have run a development program 1 night a week. The Central Coast rep kids would train with a "Mariners" coach (usually the same coach as the rep team). This NEW program labelled the Central Coast Mariners Academy is the same as the last 4-5 years. THIS IS NOTHING NEW. In 4-5 years The Mariners Academy Central Coast has produced no players for the NYL and none for the senior team, the argument "give it time" gets thrown around!! It has had time,nearly 6 years. The most important factor that irks me and the FFA and Football NSW is the quota. The CCMA is allowed by their rules to select 4 players from outside the Central Coast area.

 

[Nathan Byrn]

Good stuff.

Maybe the reason they can't afford to run the club now is because McCabe was brought in to bankroll the COE but never delivered, and there is no plan B?

I wouldn't mind seeing what (if any) plans there are to get out of this hole, but that would require communication from the club, and I'm seeing similarities between the way they communicate and the FFA, i.e. don't bother saying anything until the last minute, when everyone is ANGRY and then just tell us some vague crap about everything being fine!

As far as fire the accountant... I won't ask! I hate to think of what the answer might be

Mc Cabe only has a half of a 35% share in the Mariners Development trust.

 

[adz]

... so what's going on then?

This might be a bit out there, but maybe everything is pretty much going to plan? What if the plan all along was to invest the bare minimum, sacrifice early results (think years, not weeks) in order to build a long term powerhouse of a club?

As far as I know, the scheduled completion date (which we only found out because of some random share swap deal that didn't happen) for the COE is August next year. Until we hear anything different it's still going ahead..?

That comes back to the communication issue. What's happening? When is it going to happen?

 

[Roy Law]

I would sell the DeLorean and add it to the truck load of cash I would pay GA to stay.

 

[Revilo]

2. Have a different accountant.

What are the current ones doing incorrectly?

 

[Nathan Byrn]

Lol
actually obviously nothing from their end, clearly they are unable.to give strategical direction ie.... You need to pay super????

 

[Revilo]

Is that an accountant error or a cash flow issue?

 

[Nathan Byrn]

Cash flow is an accountants bread and butter. You dont just hand them the reciepts at the end of the year..Good ones are on-going they provide advice and strategy.

 

[Revilo]

Agreed, but I think that no matter how good the accountant is, if the business isn't being run correctly, and there is no cash, then these situations will still arise.