Mariners 1 Canberra 0....Thanks, but no thanks.
The Mariners and Capital Football signed a partnership to enable the Youth of Canberra a chance to play A-League football.
Great, but it didn't raise my pulse at all.
As a Canberra football fan, I want more. Much more than a partnership with a club some 400km away.
I want our own team, for all our Youth.
Matthew Kemp, Joe Simunic, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Kaz Patafta, Carl Valeri, Adam Casey, Peter Buljan, Shaun Ontong to mention a few. All of these could play for the team at sometime in their career.
The Brumbies have done it with local talent. Why not the football team?
Surely we can do this ourselves?
So thankyou to the Mariners and Capital Football in the short-term, now let's get on with our own A-League bid.
Our own pathway, for our own Coaches, Players and Fans.
Which 16 year old wants to leave Canberra to try and make it at the Coast?
And what are his chances of succeeding if he does have to go to Gosford. Besides they have their own Youth in their thousands, not to mention the kids in North Sydney!
We have enough players, enough quality in terms of Coaches, Support Staff, Sports Management and Administration in this town.
We need to plan for the future of our players. The future of the city as the Capital of Australia. And the future economically, socially and culturally as the nation's capital looks increasingly towards our Asian football friends.
All our resources, time and creativity should be moving towards an outstanding secure A-League bid and team.
You can read the press release from the Mariners but as a Canberra football fan it does nothing for me!
Does it excite you? Really?
Are we doing enough in this town for football's future. I don't see the evidence, or hear the talk do you?
Wollongong, Townsville and the Gold Coast all seem well ahead with their bids.
The best we have is a partnership with The Mariners, whatever that means!
I'm not happy, are you?
Capital endorsement for Mariners
The Central Coast Mariners’ vision to become the centre of excellence for football in Australia received another glowing endorsement today, with ACT football body Capital Football announcing a formal association with the current Hyundai A-League front runners.
The landmark partnership between the Mariners and Capital Football will see both organisations trade their respective expertise in the spirit of promoting the sport of football to the ACT while enhancing and retaining player and coach participation numbers.
Furthermore, the Mariners Youth Academy, the only one of its kind in the Hyundai A-League, will welcome the most promising players from its Canberra equivalent, the Capital Football Academy, on a regular basis.
By establishing this unique youth development pathway, the Mariners will provide the ACT’s elite aspirant professionals with a straight line connection to Australia’s premier football competition.
In the immediate term, the arrangement confirms that the Mariners will host at least one pre-season training camp in the nation’s capital every year, culminating in a trial match against a local selection.
Significantly, the arrangement between the Mariners and Capital Football brings the total number of registered players operating under the Central Coast’s ever expanding network of ties to local and state wide football associations to some 85,000.
"The ACT has produced some excellent football talent in previous years and we are excited to see what football in Canberra can now achieve with this new partnership," said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.
"Our Youth Academy has such enormous potential, we have already put a system in place where we have identified the best young players from the Central Coast and surrounding regions and to have now formalised an arrangement with a region rich with football tradition is extremely positive news for our youth development potential.
"This is yet another example of how serious we are in our quest to be the centre of excellence for football in Australia and developing grassroots football is at the core of making this dream a reality.
"My full commendation to Capital Football for their commitment to providing their players with a professional pathway to aspire to."
In recent years, Canberra has produced several football talents of international quality – most notably Italian based Qantas Socceroo Carl Valeri, Adelaide United young gun Shaun Ontong, Perth Glory defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Melbourne Victory pair Matthew Kemp and Kaz Patafta.
In establishing a direct pathway to the Hyundai A-League for Canberra youths, it is all but certain that the next jewel to emerge from the ACT will be wearing Mariners colours in the Hyundai A-League.
The Mariners have travelled to Canberra twice previously, firstly to take on ACT Premier League heavyweights Belconnen United in a trial match at the Belconnen Soccer Centre – a fixture that was won 4-0 by the Central Coast in front of several thousand local fans.
Lastly, the Mariners trounced their southern rivals Sydney FC 3-0 in the final round of the Pre-Season Cup group stages at Canberra Stadium – a match that was watched by a significant contingent of yellow-clad Members and supporters.
"When I first met Lawrie McKinna earlier this year, I was impressed with the Mariners’ team culture and their eagerness to support the football community," said Capital Football Director Peter Maybury.
"There wasn’t a problem for players to sign autographs or go out to junior football clubs and this shows me that not only will our best players improve their football skills, but also learn some valuable life lessons."
