Central Coast Mariners FC
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So the A-League draw for the 2011-12 A-League season has come out this week, and what a draw it is for Mariners fans.
It begins with a Grand Final rematch in Brisbane on the 8th of October the A-League wisely deciding on a later start to avoid clashing with the finals of the NRL & AFL.
Best of all is that 12 of the 13 home games take place on a Saturday afternoon which should help fans come through the gate.
Obviously the NYE fixture is still intact and only one Midweek fixture, Wednesday during the school holidays, which could well work out.
The Mariners will play the Melbourne Heart in a regional match, which looks set to be somewhere in Victoria (Melbourne Heart were reportedly talking to Geelong a while back).
The first F3 derby is nice and early away to the Jets in Round 3 on the 23rd of October and the Mariners will have two home derbies against the Jets in Rounds 10 & 15.
The first against Sydney FC is Round 7 in Sydney on the 19th of November, Sydney will only make one trip to Bluetongue this year, in Round 22, March 3rd.
Of course the draw can’t be great for everyone and while it’s great for the Mariners, it completely destroys Sydney FC, whose poor start last year cost them, they face a tough start again this year, although I think it’s hard for us to have any real sympathy for Sydney FC.
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I’m not going to lie it still hurts. We finally scored in a Grand Final, we lead 2-0 and then it was taken away.
Was Pedj Bojic fouled? It looked like it, but Breeze said no and we’ll never know what might have been.
We can take nothing away from Brisbane they’re deserved champions after such a great season, but to be so close it hurts.
Kwasnik did wonderfully through the match, Matt Ryan was a star and deserved the Joe Marsden medal, and Bernie was a master stroke of a sub.
Graham Arnold has made this team what it is, yes a lot of us were skeptical, but Arnie has proven us wrong, taking a team that the media said would come 9th or 10th and taking them to within one kick of winning the A-Leage Grand Final.
So does it still hurt? Of course. But it will get better, let’s not look back on three minutes of madness, but let’s look back on an amazing season, we’re going to Asia and that’s all that matters.
Today is the beginning of the 2011-12 season, it’s our year, we’ll claim the domestic double.
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Welcome to the Central Coast Mariners blog on the offside, with the A-League grand final it seemed like a great time to dive right in but first I thought I’d introduce myself.
I’m Chris Hockman and I’ve been a Mariners fan since way back in 2004, that’s right before they even existed.
I supported the Mariners bid with the FFA for admission to the A-League all those years ago and was a founding member of the Marinators.
Since the FIFA Club World Championship Qualifiers I worked with the Central Coast Mariners on match day, mainly as a stretcher bearer, but also in the media area, helping photographers and journalists with various things.
I wrote for Pintculture.com as the Mariners corrospondent and also ran a weekly statistics column for them.
In 2010 I ended my time at the Mariners as I married the love of my life, which involved moving to San Antonio, TX, USA her home. It was a tough decision, and leaving Bluetongue Stadium after the Newcastle Jets match was tough but something I do not regret.
Since leaving I have kept up my support for the Mariners, thanks to Fox Soccer (I know, it should be football) I’ve been able to catch most games and have been writing as the Australian Football Examiner for Examiner.com. We will also be hosting an A-League Grand Final party tomorrow night here in San Antonio.
This page will allow me to be completely biased in my love for the Mariners and focus on Mariners news, a great passion of mine.
COME ON YOU YELLOW!
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Are you a Mariners fan, either in Australia or following the league from abroad? If so, then we need you. We’re looking for a new Central Coast Offside blogger. If you’re interested in sharing your opinions and helping us to better cover the A-League here on The Offside, go to http://www.theoffside.com/bloggers and fill out an application. You could be right here blogging in a day or two.
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Mark Bosnich is walking with more spring in his step – literally as well as figuratively It looked doubtful for a while, but the ex-Manchester custodian will, in all likelihood, make his return to the A-league in two week’s time.
“I’ll return to training as soon as possible and with the help of the club and my team-mates I’m determined to do all that I can to push my case for a starting berth against the Wellington Phoenix,” said Bosnich in a recent interview.
Although initial diagnosis speculated that Bosnich’s hamstring was ruptured, scans have shown that he’s only suffered a strain and will be probable for selection against the Phoenix. Thank goodness — we need all we can get against the mighty force of New Zealand.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Tonight’s Mariners vs. Glory fixture wasn’t touted as a curtain-raiser, but it certainly raised worries for Lawrie McKinna despite a 4-1 win.
It all started with a tragic injury to superstar goalkeeper Mark Bosnich. I think everyone in Bluetongue stadium grimaced with collective sympathy as Bosnich collapsed after taking a goal kick – rupturing his left hamstring.
To make things worse, Read the rest of this entry »
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