Mariners eye more games in Sydney - Sydney Morning Herald

The Mariners celebrate winning the 2013 Grand Final. Photo: Getty Images

Central Coast Mariners are looking to move a number of home games to North Sydney Oval next season in a bid to curb financial losses, although sources close to the club fear it could lead to an eventual relocation.

The Mariners have already agreed to play one game at North Sydney Oval this season - against the Wellington Phoenix on December 19 - and it is understood that a strong attendance could convince the club to move more home games away from Bluetongue Stadium in a bid to attract fans from south of the Central Coast.

''I think what's more important is that there's a market in North Sydney that I believe is hungry for a professional sporting identity,'' Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth said. ''It's just difficult, as we all know, building a sustainable model with your club based in a relatively small community like Gosford.''

The club's shareholders are losing patience with the rising losses at the club and Charlesworth confirmed that a strategic push into Sydney's northern suburbs was seen as a possible solution to the financial woes. He denied the club would be rebranded or completely up-rooted from the Central Coast

''One of the things I really need to do coming in as new owner is to look at all possibilities and build a sustainable long-term future,'' Charlesworth said. ''It's not sustainable, the losses that we're making exceeding $1 million a year. It's not sustainable for the Central Coast or for any particular owner, certainly not myself. So something has got to change and if it doesn't change their won't be a Central Coast Mariners, full stop. Finito.

''We have to make this work because that's the alternative, there is no football club, full stop, unless we do something. So that means a lot of work on the Central Coast and a lot of work in other regions.''

The Mariners' joint submission with ANZ Stadium to assume the management of Bluetongue Stadium was recently knocked back by Gosford City Council, which will take charge of the venue as of February 1 next year. The club is unhappy with its current rental deal - understood to be worth an initial $7500 hiring fee, excluding other operating costs - and the denied submission has prompted it to look into moving some home games to North Sydney.

Sources close to the club fear the lower costs of staging games at North Sydney Oval could lead to an eventual relocation. It's understood there are fears that the financial incentive of playing at North Sydney Oval will sway the directors into moving the majority of home games there.

The Mayor of North Sydney, Jilly Gibson, confirmed that discussions had already taken place over next year's fixtures.

''I was absolutely thrilled when he [Charlesworth] first approached us with this idea,'' Gibson said. ''He's expressed his desire to have more games.''