Back on the radar: North Sydney Oval. Photo: Tim Clayton
The Central Coast Mariners' controversial plan to play some home games at North Sydney Oval next season has hit an early hurdle. Football Federation of Australia says it will not allow the matches at the venue unless it undergoes major renovations, including upgrades to the playing surface.
The news comes after Fairfax Media revealed on Tuesday the Mariners were exploring the benefits of moving some home games to the venue as part of a strategic push into Sydney's northern suburbs.
The Mariners are due to play a one-off A-League game against Wellington Phoenix at North Sydney Oval on December 19, and on Tuesday confirmed they would explore the possibility of staging more games there if the attendance was encouraging.
If the Mariners are satisfied they can draw a crowd at North Sydney, the pressing issue will become the standard of the oval, with A-League boss Damien de Bohun on Tuesday echoing the FFA's stance and ruling out relocating games unless there was an overhaul of the poor facilities and the playing field.
''There's some serious work [required] to get North Sydney Oval to that stage,'' de Bohun said. ''The facilities, the infrastructure, obviously there's a cricket [pitch] in the middle of the ground.
''While we've allowed it from time to time, for it to become a more regular location they'd be needing to look at things like drop-in and drop-out wickets so we can play football on a surface that's conducive to the standard and level of the Hyundai A-League.''
Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth confirmed on Monday the club's losses of approximately $1 million a year had prompted him to explore having a greater presence in Sydney's northern suburbs to attract more fans. The club is also understood to be attracted to North Sydney Oval due to the lower running costs and rental fees of the venue.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Mariners said the club would study the off-field success of its game against Wellington Phoenix ''before making any decision or commitment to play further matches at North Sydney Oval''. The statement also said the Mariners had an ''unwavering'' commitment to the Central Coast and sought to reassure fans they were not seeking to completely relocate, nor would they move away from their state-of-the-art training base at Tuggerah.
While the FFA is happy for the Mariners to make a strategic push outside of the central coast, it will not allow that to happen at the expense of the standard of football or the quality of the stadium.
''The Central Coast Mariners, I think, have done a fantastic job as a club on the field and you've seen this year they've improved their memberships dramatically off the field - they've grown to 5000 members,'' de Bohun said. ''They're looking to expand their appeal and footprint, which is fine. Overall, what they're saying strategically makes sense about wanting to get more fans. That's fantastic but we just need to make sure the facilities line up.''
The mayor of North Sydney Council, Jilly Gibson, is eager to bring football to the region on a regular basis and suggested the council might financially contribute to the upgrade of the stadium as part of the rejuvenation of the North Sydney CBD.
''We are well into discussions and consultations with the Mariners and we're hoping for a positive outcome in the new year,'' Gibson said on Tuesday. ''We want as many games as possible.''
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