The Central Coast Mariners have taken the next significant step on the road to developing a first in Australian football, the Mariners Centre of Excellence at Tuggerah.
The Central Coast Mariners have taken the next significant step on the road to developing a first in Australian football, the Mariners Centre of Excellence at Tuggerah.
The club is excited to announce a formal Development Application with Wyong Shire Council has now been lodged, as it continues to push ahead with plans for what it believes will become the pre-eminent professional sporting facility of its kind anywhere in Australia, on the corner of Bryant Drive and Wyong Road at Tuggerah.
“After more than six months of intensive planning, design and extensive negotiation and consultation with Wyong Shire Council, we are delighted to have been able to lodge the completed Plans. We couldn-t be happier with the final design, which draws its inspiration from many of the world-s top sporting facilities,” said Mariners deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Mariners at Tuggerah trust Peter Turnbull.
“This is a landmark milestone on our quest to make the Central Coast the hub of football excellence in this country. Not only will Mariners at Tuggerah offer our club a world-class football and administration facility, but it will also prove to be a tremendous asset for the wider community.
“We-ve already had tremendous support from our joint venture partner Wyong RSL, as well as Wyong Shire Council, and we thank them for their continued backing. Without their blessing, we wouldn-t have been able to even dream of such a significant project, but just as we do, all the parties involved regard this a vital component to the continued development of the Central Coast.
“We also need to recognise the significant contribution of architect Greg Smith, and all those involved from the environmental engineers, to hydraulic engineers,” Mr Turnbull said.
The Mariners at Tuggerah complex will be situated on a total of approximately 22 acres and has been designed with tremendous support from councillors and senior management at Wyong Shire Council.
The development will boast world-class facilities that will host the Mariners in every sense.
The Mariners at Tuggerah site will feature six full sized playing fields, including a boutique arena, ten small sided, multi sport fields, a 6-storey administration building, a sports science building, a 120-room accommodation block, an indoor aquatic centre, gymnasium, refurbished and extended licensed club.
“We are all very excited about reaching this stage of the development and it re-iterates our commitment to the region,” said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.
“And the timing couldn-t be better. With Football Federation Australia-s bid for either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cups, combined with our first foray into competing in the Asian Champions League and our relationship with English Championship side Sheffield United, Mariners at Tuggerah would significantly boost the chances of attracting world class sporting teams to the region.
“This will see us not only have the best facilities possible to promote and nurture our own local talent, but also to attract the best young players throughout the country.”
Once completed Mariners at Tuggerah would not only serve as the Hyundai A-League team-s training base, but also as the base for both the Central Coast-s National Youth League and Westfield Women-s League teams, who would play home matches at the complex-s centerpiece, a 3,000-seat boutique stadium.
“As well as providing outstanding facilities for the Hyundai A-League, National Youth League and Westfield W-League teams, we will now have our own facilities for the Mariners Academy plus Camps, Holiday Clinics and the like.
“And as an added feature, most facilities on site will be available for the use of Mariners Members and members of Wyong RSL Club,” Gorman said.
“This is an important day for the RSL as well as the Mariners, and lays the foundation for the future of the Wyong RSL in so many ways,” said Wyong RSL Club President Geoff Thompson.
If the application runs as smoothly as hoped, the Mariners believe they could have approval for the development by Christmas.
Mariners Memberships for the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season are available online by clicking here or by calling 1300 767 442.
