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The Central Coast Mariners May Have Played Their Last Ever A-League Game

The Central Coast Mariners May Have Played Their Last Ever A-League Game

The team could relocate from Gosford after owner Mike Charlesworth revealed his plans to sell the club.

Max Sherry

Max Sherry

The Central Coast Mariners are up for sale.

The Gosford-based club have potentially played their last ever A-League match after owner and co-chairman Mike Charlesworth revealed his plans to move on.

Despite pumping money into the club several years ago in a bid to save them from liquidation, Charlesworth handed the club's A-League licence back to Football Federation Australia yesterday, insisting that a change at the helm is needed to take struggling club forward.

"We've struggled in recent years through a lack of investment, now is the time someone must be found to drive it forward," Charlesworth told SBS.


Samuel Silvera of the Mariners.
PA

"I'm sure next year we'll pull through and start to build the A-League again.

Despite clinching an A-League championship back in 2013 under current Socceroos boss Graham Arnold, the four wooden spoons in the last five seasons has put the club back in financial turmoil.

And with tensions mounting among local fans, it appears a move out of the Central Coast region looks more than likely with potential suitors from Europe reportedly interested.

Matt Simon holds the ball up against Melbourne Victory.
Twitter/Central Coast Mariners

UK-based telecoms millionaire Charlesworth said: "We were in talks with a couple of clubs in Europe but when the coronavirus came along everything changed.

"Everyone is suffering from top to bottom but even more so the small to medium-sized clubs.

"The global market has been very hard hit.

"It's extra hard for me because I'm 12,000 miles away and now I'm locked out of the country.

"Ideally, we'll find the right investors and a local chairman who have the best interests of the club at heart."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football, Transfers, A-League, Australia

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

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@maxysherry