Hey everyone,
I wanted to open up a discussion about something that’s been on a lot of people’s minds - our relationship with the club as supporters and how the Mariners approach growing the supporter base. While we’re all familiar with the history, it’s worth revisiting some context to help frame the challenges we face and spark ideas for solutions.
The Mariners have always been one of the smaller, less-funded clubs in the A-League. After 2013, the club was millions of dollars in debt, and Mike Charlesworth stepped in, investing millions of his own money to save it. His efforts included completing the Mariners Centre of Excellence (MCE) at Tuggerah, intended to provide long-term income, but parts of it were sold off to keep the club afloat.
The years that followed were tough - wooden spoons, selling home games, and fears of relocation were constant concerns. Then, Richard Peil joined as an investor just as the club began to experience a wave of success, highlighted by back-to-back championships and the 2024 treble. However, his sudden departure left a sour taste for many fans. While he claimed credit for much of the team’s achievements, he also gutted the back-office staff, leaving the club in disarray. His exit was capped off by a club-funded documentary - intended to celebrate those two seasons - which felt more like self-promotion than a genuine tribute.
Now, we’re back to a shoestring budget, and fans are increasingly frustrated by the lack of communication, engagement, and basic support from the club.
The Problems We Face
Many of these points have come from forum discussions and fan feedback, highlighting recurring frustrations and missed opportunities. Here are some of the key issues being raised:
- Lack of transparency: Communication about player movements, injuries, and general club operations is severely lacking.
- Minimal social media presence: Platforms like YouTube and others are underutilised, missing opportunities to engage fans and promote the club.
- Lack of customer support: Fans trying to contact the club with issues - whether about memberships, tickets, or anything else - report they can’t get through to anyone or receive responses.
- Membership struggles: Delayed launches (like the 3-game membership this year), slow processing times, and a lack of promotion make it hard for fans to commit.
- Merchandise issues: Limited options, uninspired designs, and poor availability - possibly due to "on demand" or short-run production - leave little variety, incentive, or opportunities for fans to buy.
- No local presence: The Central Coast is full of weekly markets and community events, yet the Mariners rarely have a presence - no merchandise, no membership drives, nothing.
Game Day: More Than Just the Match
One of the biggest areas for improvement is the game day experience, which feels like a missed opportunity. Why not turn match day into a "Coastie Carnival" that brings the whole community together?
This could involve working with the council and local businesses to create a festive atmosphere not only around the stadium but also in key locations like Kibble Park. Picture market stalls, food trucks, kids' activities, live music, merchandise tents, and membership sign-ups - it could make Gosford feel like Mariners Town on match day. Local businesses could also get involved, creating partnerships that benefit the club and the broader community. A true carnival atmosphere could turn game day into an unmissable event, even for casual fans or people new to the sport.
Fans vs. Customers
This brings me to a bigger issue - how the club sees us. As football fans, we’re often treated as if we’ll stick around no matter what. There’s a sense that we’re not worth the same effort other businesses put into keeping their customers happy. But here’s the thing: we are customers.
We buy memberships, tickets, merchandise, and food at the stadium. We follow the team across the country and even around the world to support them. We’re part of the revenue stream keeping this club alive. Yet, it feels like we’re treated as a nuisance rather than an asset. And it’s not just us - the same applies to sponsors. What value do they get for their investment? It feels like fans and sponsors are seen as little more than ATMs - there to give money without much thought to what we get in return. Without fans and sponsors, the club doesn’t exist. How long could any other business survive with this approach?
A significant part of this issue may come down to the club's reliance on wealthy benefactors to cover financial shortfalls. When someone is willing to throw money into a loss-making venture, there’s little incentive to focus on sustainable revenue streams or invest in engaging with fans. There’s also a general perception that football clubs are inherently unprofitable, which might discourage the innovation needed to change that narrative.
However, the club has the potential to thrive if it starts rethinking its approach. While football operations alone may never be highly profitable, diversifying into other areas - whether related to football or entirely new ventures - could help stabilise the business and support its long-term growth. What those areas might be is up for discussion, but one thing is clear: the current approach isn’t working, and it’s time for a fresh perspective.
The football department has done incredible work over the years, but the business side feels forgotten. A successful club needs both to function, and it’s time for a wake-up call: We, as fans, are worth more effort.
What Can We Do?
There’s a FRG meeting on Tuesday night (Feb 28), and Mike has asked to join us for part of it to hear feedback on fan-related issues and discuss creative, fan-driven initiatives. While this is a great opportunity, it’s also late notice, and we already have a few key items likely to be raised. These include:
- The team song: Over the years, "I Won’t Back Down" has become the unofficial anthem of the Mariners, played before and after games. However, this season, it’s been reserved for after wins only. This change was put to fans as a way to make it more exclusive, but Mike has reportedly been told something different, related to corporate reasons. We’ll be raising this for clarification and discussion.
- The return of "The Loose Cannon": The match day program has been sorely missed by many fans, and we’re exploring whether it can be brought back.
- FRG processes: A few points about how the group works and communicates will also be discussed.
Given the limited time with Mike, we may not get through everything in this meeting. However, even if some ideas aren’t raised this time, starting the conversation now will help us prioritise for future meetings.
Here are a few ideas that could be worth discussing further:
- A proper fan engagement strategy that includes regular updates, community events, and stronger social media presence.
- Turning game day into a Coastie Carnival, with activities around the stadium and across Gosford to build excitement and community spirit.
- Improving customer support so fans can easily resolve issues with memberships, tickets, and merchandise.
- A commitment to better merchandise - both in terms of variety and quality - and making it accessible.
- Exploring ways to diversify the club’s revenue streams through partnerships, community programs, or other related ventures that elevate the Mariners brand.
I’d love to hear your thoughts - what do you think of these ideas?
Are there other issues or initiatives you’d like to raise, either now or in future meetings?
I wanted to open up a discussion about something that’s been on a lot of people’s minds - our relationship with the club as supporters and how the Mariners approach growing the supporter base. While we’re all familiar with the history, it’s worth revisiting some context to help frame the challenges we face and spark ideas for solutions.
The Mariners have always been one of the smaller, less-funded clubs in the A-League. After 2013, the club was millions of dollars in debt, and Mike Charlesworth stepped in, investing millions of his own money to save it. His efforts included completing the Mariners Centre of Excellence (MCE) at Tuggerah, intended to provide long-term income, but parts of it were sold off to keep the club afloat.
The years that followed were tough - wooden spoons, selling home games, and fears of relocation were constant concerns. Then, Richard Peil joined as an investor just as the club began to experience a wave of success, highlighted by back-to-back championships and the 2024 treble. However, his sudden departure left a sour taste for many fans. While he claimed credit for much of the team’s achievements, he also gutted the back-office staff, leaving the club in disarray. His exit was capped off by a club-funded documentary - intended to celebrate those two seasons - which felt more like self-promotion than a genuine tribute.
Now, we’re back to a shoestring budget, and fans are increasingly frustrated by the lack of communication, engagement, and basic support from the club.
The Problems We Face
Many of these points have come from forum discussions and fan feedback, highlighting recurring frustrations and missed opportunities. Here are some of the key issues being raised:
- Lack of transparency: Communication about player movements, injuries, and general club operations is severely lacking.
- Minimal social media presence: Platforms like YouTube and others are underutilised, missing opportunities to engage fans and promote the club.
- Lack of customer support: Fans trying to contact the club with issues - whether about memberships, tickets, or anything else - report they can’t get through to anyone or receive responses.
- Membership struggles: Delayed launches (like the 3-game membership this year), slow processing times, and a lack of promotion make it hard for fans to commit.
- Merchandise issues: Limited options, uninspired designs, and poor availability - possibly due to "on demand" or short-run production - leave little variety, incentive, or opportunities for fans to buy.
- No local presence: The Central Coast is full of weekly markets and community events, yet the Mariners rarely have a presence - no merchandise, no membership drives, nothing.
Game Day: More Than Just the Match
One of the biggest areas for improvement is the game day experience, which feels like a missed opportunity. Why not turn match day into a "Coastie Carnival" that brings the whole community together?
This could involve working with the council and local businesses to create a festive atmosphere not only around the stadium but also in key locations like Kibble Park. Picture market stalls, food trucks, kids' activities, live music, merchandise tents, and membership sign-ups - it could make Gosford feel like Mariners Town on match day. Local businesses could also get involved, creating partnerships that benefit the club and the broader community. A true carnival atmosphere could turn game day into an unmissable event, even for casual fans or people new to the sport.
Fans vs. Customers
This brings me to a bigger issue - how the club sees us. As football fans, we’re often treated as if we’ll stick around no matter what. There’s a sense that we’re not worth the same effort other businesses put into keeping their customers happy. But here’s the thing: we are customers.
We buy memberships, tickets, merchandise, and food at the stadium. We follow the team across the country and even around the world to support them. We’re part of the revenue stream keeping this club alive. Yet, it feels like we’re treated as a nuisance rather than an asset. And it’s not just us - the same applies to sponsors. What value do they get for their investment? It feels like fans and sponsors are seen as little more than ATMs - there to give money without much thought to what we get in return. Without fans and sponsors, the club doesn’t exist. How long could any other business survive with this approach?
A significant part of this issue may come down to the club's reliance on wealthy benefactors to cover financial shortfalls. When someone is willing to throw money into a loss-making venture, there’s little incentive to focus on sustainable revenue streams or invest in engaging with fans. There’s also a general perception that football clubs are inherently unprofitable, which might discourage the innovation needed to change that narrative.
However, the club has the potential to thrive if it starts rethinking its approach. While football operations alone may never be highly profitable, diversifying into other areas - whether related to football or entirely new ventures - could help stabilise the business and support its long-term growth. What those areas might be is up for discussion, but one thing is clear: the current approach isn’t working, and it’s time for a fresh perspective.
The football department has done incredible work over the years, but the business side feels forgotten. A successful club needs both to function, and it’s time for a wake-up call: We, as fans, are worth more effort.
What Can We Do?
There’s a FRG meeting on Tuesday night (Feb 28), and Mike has asked to join us for part of it to hear feedback on fan-related issues and discuss creative, fan-driven initiatives. While this is a great opportunity, it’s also late notice, and we already have a few key items likely to be raised. These include:
- The team song: Over the years, "I Won’t Back Down" has become the unofficial anthem of the Mariners, played before and after games. However, this season, it’s been reserved for after wins only. This change was put to fans as a way to make it more exclusive, but Mike has reportedly been told something different, related to corporate reasons. We’ll be raising this for clarification and discussion.
- The return of "The Loose Cannon": The match day program has been sorely missed by many fans, and we’re exploring whether it can be brought back.
- FRG processes: A few points about how the group works and communicates will also be discussed.
Given the limited time with Mike, we may not get through everything in this meeting. However, even if some ideas aren’t raised this time, starting the conversation now will help us prioritise for future meetings.
Here are a few ideas that could be worth discussing further:
- A proper fan engagement strategy that includes regular updates, community events, and stronger social media presence.
- Turning game day into a Coastie Carnival, with activities around the stadium and across Gosford to build excitement and community spirit.
- Improving customer support so fans can easily resolve issues with memberships, tickets, and merchandise.
- A commitment to better merchandise - both in terms of variety and quality - and making it accessible.
- Exploring ways to diversify the club’s revenue streams through partnerships, community programs, or other related ventures that elevate the Mariners brand.
I’d love to hear your thoughts - what do you think of these ideas?
Are there other issues or initiatives you’d like to raise, either now or in future meetings?
