- Apr 27, 2003
- 11,597
- 2,968
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- Other Teams
- B'ham CityFC Adelaide United FC
Mariners Get The Money
August 12, 2005
Central Coast Mariners head into their A-League pre-season semi-final tonight financially secure with up to $1 million pledged in the past 24 hours by the region's business community.
A successful sponsorship rally on Wednesday night, headed by advertising guru John Singleton, Football Federation Australia chief executive John O'Neill and radio heavyweight Alan Jones, has helped the Mariners shore up their finances.
The Mariners had been rumoured to be struggling, having to ask the FFA for an extension in paying its $1 million franchise fee amid concerns of a financial black hole of around $2 million.
But Mariners chief executive Lyall Gorman said the midweek rally had helped create plenty of interest and strengthen the club's financial position.
"We've been swept off our feet today with sponsorship offers and opportunities – I believe it would be somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million – as a result," Gorman said.
"We'd been aiming to get around $2 million of money to ensure the club remains locally owned and lives, breathes and stays on the Central Coast for the foreseeable future.
"The club is in a very strong position and last night was a wonderful success."
Singleton has been among the leading financial supporters of the club, already pledging $250,000 a year over the next four years to the Mariners.
The club has also signed computer giants Toshiba as sponsors, with the company supplying all the Mariners' technology equipment needs for the next 12 months.
But Gorman said the club still needed around $1 million to meet their financial target, though they were hopeful of achieving this.
Central Coast's opponents tonight, Melbourne Victory, have also had questions asked of their finances, needing to raise another $2 million to reach the estimated $5 million they need to operate in their first year.
But on the field Victory have topped their pre-season competition group with a win and two draws.
In the other semi-final, Sydney FC host Perth Glory at Aussie Stadium on Sunday.
Well done Mariners!
Now it's only the silly people who are broke. A small area like Central Coast with maybe 300,000 people can raise the cash but the "Sports Capital" of Australia can't raise the cash in an area of nearly 4 million people.
Lift your game Melbourne!
August 12, 2005
Central Coast Mariners head into their A-League pre-season semi-final tonight financially secure with up to $1 million pledged in the past 24 hours by the region's business community.
A successful sponsorship rally on Wednesday night, headed by advertising guru John Singleton, Football Federation Australia chief executive John O'Neill and radio heavyweight Alan Jones, has helped the Mariners shore up their finances.
The Mariners had been rumoured to be struggling, having to ask the FFA for an extension in paying its $1 million franchise fee amid concerns of a financial black hole of around $2 million.
But Mariners chief executive Lyall Gorman said the midweek rally had helped create plenty of interest and strengthen the club's financial position.
"We've been swept off our feet today with sponsorship offers and opportunities – I believe it would be somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million – as a result," Gorman said.
"We'd been aiming to get around $2 million of money to ensure the club remains locally owned and lives, breathes and stays on the Central Coast for the foreseeable future.
"The club is in a very strong position and last night was a wonderful success."
Singleton has been among the leading financial supporters of the club, already pledging $250,000 a year over the next four years to the Mariners.
The club has also signed computer giants Toshiba as sponsors, with the company supplying all the Mariners' technology equipment needs for the next 12 months.
But Gorman said the club still needed around $1 million to meet their financial target, though they were hopeful of achieving this.
Central Coast's opponents tonight, Melbourne Victory, have also had questions asked of their finances, needing to raise another $2 million to reach the estimated $5 million they need to operate in their first year.
But on the field Victory have topped their pre-season competition group with a win and two draws.
In the other semi-final, Sydney FC host Perth Glory at Aussie Stadium on Sunday.
Well done Mariners!
Now it's only the silly people who are broke. A small area like Central Coast with maybe 300,000 people can raise the cash but the "Sports Capital" of Australia can't raise the cash in an area of nearly 4 million people.
Lift your game Melbourne!
