Central Coast Mariners FC facts for kids
 |
||||
| Full name | Central Coast Mariners Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Mariners, The Yellow & Navy, Coasties | |||
| Short name | CCM | |||
| Founded | 1 November 2004 | |||
| Stadium | Industree Group Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 20,059 | |||
| Chairman | Richard Peil | |||
| Head Coach | Mark Jackson | |||
| League | A-League Men | |||
| 2022–23 | 2nd of 12 (champions) | |||
|
||||
The Central Coast Mariners Football Club is an Australian professional soccer team. They are based in Gosford, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The team plays in the top Australian league, the A-League Men.
The Mariners started in 2004. They were one of the first eight teams in the A-League. Even though they are one of the smaller clubs, they have been very successful. They have won the A-League Championship three times. They also finished first in the regular season (called the A-League Premiership) three times. The club has also played in the AFC Champions League five times. They even won the AFC Cup once!
The team plays its home games at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford. This stadium can hold over 20,000 fans. Their special training place is called Mariners Centre of Excellence in Tuggerah. It's also home to their youth team. The Mariners' biggest fan group is called the Yellow Army. This is because their home uniform is yellow. They have a big rivalry with Newcastle Jets. This match is known as the F3 Derby. It's named after the highway that connects the two cities. Matt Simon is the Mariners' top goal scorer. He has scored 66 goals! John Hutchinson has played the most games for the club, with 263 appearances.
Contents
History of the Mariners
How the Club Started (2004)
The Central Coast Mariners wanted to join Australia's new A-League soccer competition. They aimed for a special spot for a regional team. Many people thought the Mariners had a good chance to join. They had support from famous soccer players and community leaders.
On November 1, 2004, the club was officially announced. They became one of the eight teams in the new A-League. This was a big deal for Gosford. It was the first time a professional sports team from the area played in a national competition. The club signed Lawrie McKinna as their first manager. They also signed local player Damien Brown. He was the first player to join the team. Soon after, they signed star striker Nik Mrdja.
The Lawrie McKinna Years (2004–2010)
The Mariners had a great first season in 2005–06. They reached the 2006 A-League Grand Final but lost 1–0 to Sydney FC. They also won the 2005 Pre-Season Cup. This was their first trophy!
In 2007–08, the Mariners won their first A-League Premiership. This means they finished first in the regular season. They made it to the 2008 A-League Grand Final again. But they lost 1–0 to their rivals, the Newcastle Jets. This game was a bit controversial. Their goalkeeper, Danny Vuković, was suspended after the match. He was banned from playing for a while.
The Graham Arnold and Phil Moss Years (2010–2015)
In 2010, Graham Arnold became the Mariners' new manager. He was the second coach in the club's history. The team had a strong season in 2010–11. They reached the 2011 A-League Grand Final for the third time. It was a very exciting game against Brisbane Roar. The Mariners were leading 2–0, but Brisbane came back. The Mariners lost in a penalty shootout.
The 2011–12 season was also successful. The club won the Premiership again! This was their second time finishing top of the league.
Central Coast won 2–0 against Western Sydney.
On April 21, 2013, the Mariners finally won their first A-League Championship! They beat the Western Sydney Wanderers 2–0 in the 2013 A-League Grand Final. This was a huge moment for the club.
After this win, Graham Arnold left to coach a team in Japan. His assistant, Phil Moss, became the new head coach. The Mariners continued to do well. They finished third in the 2013–14 season.
A Tough Period (2015–2020)
The years after 2015 were challenging for the Mariners. In the 2015–16 season, they finished last in the A-League. They lost 20 games, which was a league record. They also let in 70 goals, which was the most in league history.
The club changed coaches several times during this period. Paul Okon and Mike Mulvey were some of the managers. Even with new coaches, the team struggled. They finished last again in 2018 and 2019. Alen Stajcic took over as coach in 2019. He tried to turn things around.
The Resurgence (2020–Present)
Central Coast won 6–1 against Melbourne City.
In the 2020–21 season, under coach Alen Stajcic, the Mariners started to improve. They made it to the finals for the first time in seven years. After Stajcic left, Nick Montgomery became the coach. He led the team to their first ever FFA Cup final in 2022. They finished fifth in the A-League that season.
On June 3, 2023, the Mariners played against Melbourne City in the 2023 A-League Men Grand Final. The Mariners won the game with an amazing score of 6–1! This was their second A-League Championship, ten years after their first. Jason Cummings was named the best player in that final.
After this big win, Nick Montgomery left the club. Mark Jackson became the new head coach. The 2023–24 season was even more successful! The Mariners won the A-League Premiership again. They also won their first ever continental title, the AFC Cup. Then, they went on to beat Melbourne Victory 3–1 in the 2024 A-League Men Grand Final. This incredible achievement meant they won the "treble" – three major trophies in one season!
Winning the 2023–24 AFC Cup
Central Coast won 1–0 against Al Ahed.
The Mariners returned to play in an Asian tournament after nine years. This was their first time in the AFC Cup. They were in a group with teams from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Their first game was a 1–0 loss away from home. But in their next match, they won 9–1 against Stallion Laguna. This was their biggest win ever in an Asian competition!
The Mariners finished first in their group. This meant they moved on to the knockout stage. They beat Phnom Penh Crown 4–0, with Ryan Edmondson scoring three goals. Then they won a tough game against fellow Australian team Macarthur FC 3–2 in extra time. This sent them to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals. They beat Odisha FC 4–0 over two games. Next, they faced Abdysh-Ata Kant from Kyrgyzstan and won 4–1.
Finally, on May 5, 2024, the Mariners played in the 2024 AFC Cup final against Al Ahed from Lebanon. The game was held in Oman. In the 84th minute, a player named Alou Kuol scored the only goal. This goal won the AFC Cup for the Central Coast Mariners!
Team Colours and Badge
The Mariners' home uniform is mostly yellow with navy blue sleeves. Their away uniform is mainly navy blue with some yellow.
Since 2012, the Mariners have worn special pink uniforms for one game in October. This is to help raise money and awareness for Pink Ribbon Day. This event is part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The club collects donations and auctions off the game-worn uniforms. All the money goes to charity.
Home Stadium
The Central Coast Mariners play their home games at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford. The stadium is in a beautiful spot near the water. It has an open end that gives views of Brisbane Water. It's also easy to get to from Gosford railway station.
The stadium can hold 20,059 people. The biggest crowd for a Mariners game was 21,379 fans. This happened during the 2024 Grand Final. Sometimes, the Mariners have played games at other stadiums. This was to try and reach more fans in north Sydney.
Fans and Rivalries
The main fan group for the Mariners is called the Yellow Army. They sit in a special section of Central Coast Stadium during home games. The Central Coast region has about 300,000 people. This means the Mariners have one of the smaller local fan bases in the A-League.
The Mariners have a big rivalry with the Newcastle Jets. This match is often called the F3 Derby. It's named after the highway that connects the two cities. The rivalry started even before the A-League began. A game in 2005, which the Mariners won in a penalty shootout, helped create the strong feelings between the teams. Fans of both clubs get very excited for these games.
The Mariners also have a rivalry with Sydney FC. Sydney FC is another team located close to the Central Coast.
Partner Clubs
The Central Coast Mariners have connections with other soccer clubs around the world. These partnerships help the club and its players.
Some of their international partner clubs include:
They also have player development partnerships with clubs like:
Everton
Southern
Portimonense
In Australia, they have relationships with local organizations like:
Central Coast United
Players
First-team Squad
|
|
Youth Players
|
Retired Jersey Numbers
- 19 –
Matt Simon (forward, 2006–12, 2013–15, 2018–22)
The number 19 jersey was retired to honor Matt Simon. He played many years for the Mariners.
Club Leaders
Management Team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Richard Peil |
| Chief Executive Officer | Alyssar Narey |
Coaching Staff
| Position | |
|---|---|
| Sporting director | Matt Simon |
| Head Coach | Mark Jackson |
| Assistant coach | Danny Schofield |
| Assistant coach | Josh Rose |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Danny Vukovic |
| Analyst | Liam Chauncy |
| A-League Team Manager | Darren Dobson |
| Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach | Cade Mapu |
| Head Physiotherapist |  Nick Van Reede |
| Head of Performance | Dean Benton |
| Academy Co-ordinator | Cameron Stone |
| MPIO | Alyssar Narey |
| Head of SAP and GSAP | Anthony Tugrul |
| Head of NPL Men | Lucas Vilela |
Head Coaches
| Name | Period | Honours | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lawrie McKinna |
2004–2010 | A-League Premiership: 2007–08 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup: 2005 A-League Coach of the Year: 2005–06 |
|
| Graham Arnold |
2010–2013 | A-League Premiership: 2011–12 A-League Championship: 2013 A-League Coach of the Year: 2011–12 |
|
| Phil Moss |
2013–2015 | — | |
| Tony Walmsley |
2015–2016 | — | |
| Paul Okon |
2016–2018 | — | |
 Wayne O'Sullivan |
2018 (a.i.) | — | |
| Mike Mulvey |
2018–2019 | — | |
| Alen Stajcic |
2019–2021 | — | |
| Nick Montgomery |
2021–2023 | A-League Men Championship: 2023 | |
| Mark Jackson |
2023– | A-League Men Premiership: 2023–24 A-League Men Championship: 2024 AFC Cup: 2023–24 |
Team Captains
| Dates | Name | Notes | Honours (as captain) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2007 | Noel Spencer |
First club captain | 2005 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup |
| 2007–2012 | Alex Wilkinson |
2007–08 A-League Premiership 2011–12 A-League Premiership |
|
| 2012–2015 |  John Hutchinson |
2012–13 A-League Championship | |
| 2015–2017 | Nick Montgomery |
||
| 2017–2018 |  Alan Baró |
||
| 2018–2020 | Matt Simon |
||
| 2020–2022 | Oliver Bozanic |
||
| 2022–2024 | Danny Vukovic |
2022–23 A-League Men Championship 2023–24 A-League Men Premiership 2023–24 A-League Men Championship |
Club Records
John Hutchinson has played the most games for the Mariners. He has played 271 matches in total. Matt Simon is second with 238 games.
Matt Simon is also the club's all-time top goal scorer. He has scored 66 goals! Jason Cummings is third with 31 goals.
The biggest crowd at Central Coast Stadium for a Mariners game was 21,379 fans. This happened during the 2024 Grand Final. The Mariners won that game 3–1 in extra time.
Club Achievements
Domestic Trophies
A-League
- A-League Men Championship (Grand Final Winners)
- Winners (3): 2013, 2023, 2024
- Runners-up (3): 2006, 2008, 2011
- A-League Men Premiership (Regular Season Winners)
- Winners (3): 2007–08, 2011–12, 2023–24
- Runners-up (3): 2010–11, 2012–13, 2022–23
Cups
- Australia Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2021
- A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
- Winners (1): 2005
- Runners-up (1): 2006
Continental Trophies
- AFC Cup / AFC Champions League Two
- Winners (1): 2023–24
The Mariners Medal (Player of the Year)
|
|
|
|
Team of the Decade
2005–2014 Central Coast Mariners
Football Club Team of the Decade
Images for kids
-
Lawrie McKinna was the first coach of the Mariners.
-
Central Coast Stadium, the home ground of Central Coast Mariners.
See also
In Spanish: Central Coast Mariners Football Club para niños
- Central Coast Mariners FC (W-League)
- Central Coast Mariners Academy
- List of Central Coast Mariners FC seasons
