Central Coast now football's turf

Bullish ... the Mariners claim that the Central Coast is a football town following their A-League triumph. Source: Paul Miller / AAP

Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth will use the A-League trophy to challenge rugby league on the Central Coast, warning: "This isn't a NRL town anymore."

Buoyed by his club's emphatic grand final triumph, Charlesworth is planning to win over Gosford like the Western Sydney Wanderers have that other traditional league heartland.

While the NRL has continually fobbed off the idea of a Coast franchise - despite heavyweight support from Wayne Bennett, John Singleton, even commissioner Wayne Pearce - the Mariners are set to launch a series of forums in coming months to better understand and represent local sports fans.

The move comes in the same week NRL chief executive Dave Smith has copped a hammering for failing to understand league's heartland, with critics pointing to the fact less than 5000 fans attended the City-Country match in Coffs Harbour.

The league's failure to produce an NRL team on the coast is also starting to show a financial cost, with the two most recent NRL games at Bluetongue Stadium attracting crowds under 12,000.

"I know people say this is a rugby league town but not anymore," Charlesworth said last night. "It's a football town now. For us, turning all sports fans here towards the A-League is now our single biggest challenge."

Certainly there is work to be done. Like trying to determine why the new premiers, undoubtedly the A-League's most successful team after making four of eight grand finals, attracted only 10,000 fans to the preliminary final against Melbourne Victory a fortnight ago.

Asked if the stigma of going winless in all three previous deciders had affected support, Charlesworth said: "That's exactly what I aim to find out.

"In coming months we're going to hit the road and conduct a series of forums, talk to people and really listen to what they have to say. Not just football fans but those who aren't members of the Mariners. If you live on the Coast and aren't a part of this club, we want to know why."

Skipper John Hutchinson agreed the club was ready to achieve "big things" on the back of their maiden A-League triumph, insisting it wasn't unreasonable to think regular home crowds could be increased to 15,000 next season.

"I understand the heartache our followers have experienced in recent years because I've felt it as well," Hutchinson said.

"But hopefully now we've won the competition, we can really grow our crowd numbers, particularly at Bluetongue Stadium."

Born and raised in Cheshire, England, Charlesworth assumed his controlling interest in the Mariners from March, when a series of financial dramas left players unpaid.

Asked if, following last Sunday's success, he had picked the perfect time to become involved, the businessman said: "Well, it's certainly given us a fantastic platform to build from.

"This is a club that develops young players better than anyone else. In the past three years we've sold $3.5 million in talent. There isn't another club in the A-League that has done that."

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