The Mariners were founded in 2004 and are one of the eight original A-League teams. It is the first professional sports club from the Gosford region to compete in a national competition. Despite being one of the smallest clubs in the league, the Central Coast Mariners have claimed three A-League Championships from six Grand Final appearances and topped the table to win the A-League Premiership three times. The club has also appeared in the AFC Champions League five times and won the AFC Cup once.
The club plays matches at Central Coast Stadium, a 20,059-seat stadium in Gosford; its purpose-built training facility, Mariners Centre of Excellence, is located in the suburb of Tuggerah.[4] The facility is also home to a youth team that competes in the A-League Youth. The Mariners' main supporters' group is known as the Yellow Army, for the colour of the club's home kit. The club shares a rivalry with Newcastle Jets, known as the F3 Derby, after the previous name of the highway that connects the cities of the teams. Matt Simon is the Mariners' all-time leading goalscorer as of May 2022, with 66 goals in all competitions. The team record for matches played is held by John Hutchinson, who has appeared in 263 games for the Mariners.
History
Formation (2004)
Central Coast Mariners' bid for a franchise in the Football Federation Australia's new A-League competition was aimed at filling the one spot for a regional team that was designated by the FFA.[5] Media speculation prior to the announcement of the franchises in the new league suggested that the Mariners' bid may be favourable due to its new blood. Backing from former Australian international player and club technical directorAlex Tobin, as well as Clean Up Australia personality Ian Kiernan—who would act as inaugural club chairman—also strengthened its proposal.[6] As the only regional bidder, Central Coast was expected to make it into the league by default.[7] Following a reported signed deal with the FFA,[8] the club signed former Northern Spirit coach Lawrie McKinna as manager and Ian Ferguson, a former Rangers and Northern Spirit player, as coach.[9] To aid the FFA's goals of building the profile of the sport, the Mariners created formal links with local state league team Central Coast United.[10] On 1 November 2004, after much expectation, the club was announced as one of eight teams to become part of FFA's domestic competition, the A-League.[11][12] The decision made Central Coast Mariners the first Gosford-based professional sports team to play in a national competition.[13]
At the time of the formation of the new league in 2004, the club was owned by Spirits Sports and Leisure Group.[14] The club announced its search for a star player under the league's allowance for one star player outside of the $1.5million salary cap, insisting that the player should not look at the position as a retirement fund.[15] Coach Lawrie McKinna sought interest from Australia national football team players Ante Milicic and Simon Colosimo, and announced that he may sign more than the three under-20 players required by league rules.[16] Early concerns for the club focussed on concerns over financial stability, but after forming a partnership with technology company Toshiba and a cash injection from local businessman John Singleton, the club's financial worries were eased.[17][18] McKinna was keen to sign local player Damien Brown of Bateau Bay, formerly of the Newcastle Jets.[19] In a decision which prompted the player to declare that he was "over the moon", Brown became the first player to sign with the club. Club chairman Lyall Gorman was pleased that a local had become a "foundation player" and part of Brown's role would be to assist with selection of younger players from the local area.[20] By early December 2004, the club had created a steady foundation of player signings and began negotiations with former Perth Glory striker Nik Mrdja,[21] signing him later in the month as its star attacker.[22] Mrjda was one of the most prominent players in the last season of the National Soccer League, scoring the final goal to secure Perth Glory's finals win.[23] The club's management was reluctant to sign a star player outside of the $1.5million salary cap, stipulating that they "would have to contribute on the pitch and get people to come to the ground."[24]
The Mariners' inaugural season was considered a resounding success by most;[25][26] the team reached the 2006 A-League Grand Final after finishing third during the regular season.[27] Central Coast was defeated by Sydney FC 1–0 in front of a crowd of 41,689—a competition record at the time.[28] The Mariners also won the 2005 Pre-Season Cup, defeating Perth Glory in the final 1–0.[29] Before the 2006–07 A-League season, the Mariners secured the services of then-Australian international Tony Vidmar from NAC Breda for two years.[30] This was the club's first marquee signing, following the lead of Sydney FC (Dwight Yorke) and Adelaide United (Qu Shengqing).[31] Central Coast again reached the grand final in the 2006 Pre-Season Cup, losing to Adelaide United 5–4 on penalties after the score was tied 1–1 after extra time.[32] The Mariners then participated in the 2006–07 A-League season, but was unable to gain a spot in the final series, finishing sixth after the regular season.[33][34]
Club captain Noel Spencer was released by the Mariners, then signed to participate in the Asian Champions League by Sydney FC after the 2006–07 season, and Alex Wilkinson was appointed the new captain. Only 22 years of age at the time, Wilkinson had played every possible competitive match for the Mariners up to his appointment.[35][36] In February 2008, Central Coast Mariners signed an arrangement with English Football League Championship side Sheffield United. The partnership was one of several connections the Mariners made with foreign clubs; other partner clubs included Ferencváros of Hungary, Chengdu Blades of China and São Paulo of Brazil. The agreement benefits the club by providing an opportunity for the youth programme and senior side to draw from the roster of Sheffield United through transfers. The teams also formed a property development joint venture, in the hopes that Central Coast could use its share of income to expand and bolster their Mariners Youth Academy.[37]
The 2007–08 season saw Central Coast win its first premiership on goal difference ahead of Newcastle,[38] following a final round that began with Central Coast and three other clubs level on 31 points.[39] The final series began with a 2–0 loss to Newcastle in the first leg of its major semi-final,[40] but the Mariners forced the tie to extra time by holding a 2–0 lead in the second leg after 90 minutes. A 94th-minute goal by Sasho Petrovski, who had scored earlier to level the tie, gave Central Coast a 3–2 win on aggregate, putting the Mariners through to the 2008 A-League Grand Final.[41] In a rematch with Newcastle, the Jets defeated Central Coast 1–0 in the Grand Final, which ended in controversy due to an uncalled handball against Newcastle in Central Coast Mariners penalty box during the closing seconds of the match.[42] If called, the foul would have given Central Coast a penalty kick and a chance to equalise.[43] As Mariners players disputed referee Mark Shield's decision, goalkeeper Danny Vuković struck Shield on the arm, resulting in an immediate sending off and later suspension.[43][44] Vuković was suspended from both domestic and international competition for nine months, with an additional six-months' suspended ban; the latter period was reduced to three months on appeal.[44][45] Despite further appeals, the ban was eventually confirmed by FIFA in June, to include banning the young keeper from competing at the 2008 Olympic Games.[46] The ban lasted into October;[47] in response, Central Coast signed former Manchester United and Australian international keeper Mark Bosnich on a seven-week contract.[48]
Before the 2008–09 season, Central Coast was predicted to be among the A-League leaders,[49] but had a run of three losses in a row to end the regular season.[50] Even with the losing streak, the club narrowly qualified for the finals, finishing in fourth, two points ahead of Sydney F.C. and Wellington Phoenix.[51] Central Coast lost 4–1 on aggregate in their minor semi-final against Queensland Roar, ending the team's season.[52]
Graham Arnold and Phil Moss era (2010–2015)
In February 2010, following the club's 2009–10 season, McKinna chose to move into a new role, becoming Central Coast's Football and Commercial Operations Manager. Socceroos assistant manager Graham Arnold was appointed as the club's new manager, becoming its second manager.[53] In the lead-up to the 2010–11 season, numerous transfers resulted in changes to the club's squad. The Mariners announced the signing of 2005 Under 20s World Cup winner Patricio Pérez of Argentina in June 2010, followed by Dutch defender Patrick Zwaanswijk.[54][55] In July 2010, it was announced that the Mariners' women's team would not compete in the 2010–11 W-League competition. The club stated that financial reasons were behind the decision, after Football NSW withdrew its funding.[56]
In spite of relatively low expectations in the lead up to the season, the 2010–11 season was more successful for the club than 2009–10; the A-League and youth league teams both finished second in their respective leagues in the regular season.[57][58][59] The senior team was then defeated by the premiers, Brisbane Roar, 4–2 on aggregate over two legs in the major semi-final, before defeating Gold Coast United 1–0 in the Preliminary Final to qualify for the 2011 A-League Grand Final against Brisbane.[60][61] By reaching the Grand Final, the club also qualified for the 2012 AFC Champions League.[62] In a championship match that the A-League's website called "classic", Central Coast was defeated 4–2 in a penalty shootout after leading 2–0 with three minutes remaining in extra time to finish runners-up for the third time.[63]
The 2011–12 season was similarly successful, as the club won the premiership for the second time in its history with 51 points, two more than second-place Brisbane.[64][65] The club failed to qualify for a second successive Grand Final, though, losing 5–2 on aggregate to Brisbane in the major semi-final and 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw with Perth Glory in the Grand Final Qualifier.[66][67]
On 21 April 2013, after three losses in Grand Finals, Central Coast won its first A-League title, defeating first-year side Western Sydney Wanderers 2–0 in the Grand Final at Allianz Stadium.[68][69] Arnold re-signed with the club for a further two seasons on 30 August 2013,[70] but on 14 November it was confirmed that he had signed a two-year contract to become manager of J. League Division 1 side Vegalta Sendai, starting in January 2014.[71] Former assistant manager Phil Moss was named the new head coach.[72] Mariners general manager Peter Turnbull left the club as well, and New Zealand international Michael McGlinchey moved to the J. League to play for Arnold's new side.[73] Central Coast finished the 2013–14 A-League regular season in third place, behind runner-up Western Sydney on goal difference.[74] In the semi-final, the Mariners' championship hopes ended with a 2–0 loss to Western Sydney; the game came three days after the team was eliminated from the 2014 AFC Champions League after losing to Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1–0 to finish last in their group.[75][76]
In what was Moss's first pre-season as coach, he did little to change what Arnold had built at the club. The only major changes in the side were with the addition of Senegalese international Malick Mané and Hungarian Richárd Vernes, and Marcos Flores leaving the club, with Mile Sterjovski retiring.[77] Mariners began the season on a high, progressing to the semi-finals of the 2014 FFA Cup and defeating local rivals Newcastle Jets 1–0 at home in the opening round of the A-League.[78] However the season soon turned with the team failing to secure a win for the remainder of the year. After their elimination from the 2015 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off by Chinese side Guangzhou R&F and a continued poor league record after a short mid-season break, the club stood down Moss as head coach. The decision was made on 6 March 2015, with Mariners appointing technical director Tony Walmsley in an interim capacity and captain John Hutchinson in a dual player-coach role, until the end of the season.[79] Portuguese player Fábio Ferreira also joined the team at the tail end of the season.[80] On 15 April Walmsley was announced as Central Coast's permanent technical director and head coach for the 2015–16 season.[81] The announcement came despite an end to the season in which the club finished the league in eighth position.[82]
Post-Arnold era (2015–2020)
Central Coast had their equal-worst A-League performance to date in the 2015–16 season. Their 13 points, the fewest in club history, resulted in a last-place finish, and they set a league record by losing 20 games while winning only 3, a record low for the Mariners. Central Coast allowed 70 goals, the most in league history, and had a goal difference of −37, the worst by an A-League team. The Mariners' totals of goals conceded at home and away (32 and 38 respectively) were also A-League records, and they went the entire season without a clean sheet.[83]
In the 2016 FFA Cup, Central Coast suffered a 2–1 loss to Green Gully SC at Green Gully Reserve, becoming just the second A-League team to be eliminated by a state league team in the FFA Cup.[84] Following this loss the club sacked Walmsley on 8 August 2016, with coaching duties in the leadup to the 2016–17 season taken up by assistant coach John Hutchinson in a caretaker role.[85]
On 29 August 2016, Paul Okon was hired as Central Coast's full-time coach, succeeding the sacked Tony Walmsley.[86] In Okon's debut as Central Coast manager, the Mariners drew 3–3 with Perth Glory at Nib Stadium, after coming back from 3–0 down at half time.[87] Okon achieved his first win as Central Coast manager in his fifth game in charge: a 2–1 win over defending champions Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on 6 November 2016.[88] However, the Mariners ended the season in eighth.[89]
On 2 August 2017, for the second consecutive year, the Mariners were knocked out of the FFA Cup by a state league team in the first round, after losing 3–2 to Blacktown City.[90] During the 2017–18 A-League season, the Mariners were in the top four at one stage, but after a run of 11 games without a win the club dropped down the table. Okon resigned as manager with Central Coast in ninth entering the last four rounds of the regular season; Wayne O'Sullivan served as an interim manager following Okon's departure.[91] With a six-game losing streak at the end of the season, the team finished last for the second time in three years.[89] Former Brisbane manager Mike Mulvey was hired by Central Coast in 2018.[92] In the first 21 matches of the 2018–19 A-League season, the Mariners won only once.[93] Mulvey was replaced as manager by Alen Stajcic, the former head coach of the Australia women's national team. Despite two wins in his six games as a caretaker manager, the Mariners were unable to avoid finishing at the bottom of the table again. Stajcic was given a three-year contract after the season.[89]
On 4 August 2020, after playing their last game of the 2019–20 season, the Mariners were put up for sale by owner Michael Charlesworth, putting the club at risk of leaving the Central Coast. If no buyer is found, the Mariners' A-League license will be handed back to the FFA.[94][needs update]
In his second full season at the club, in 2020–21, Stajcic made some large signings, re-acquiring the services of former player Oliver Bozanic and signing Costa Rican international Marco Urena.[95][96] The season had begun well with the Mariners beating local rivals Sydney FC in Sydney for the first time in seven years. The Mariners sat in first place after 16 rounds, but would drop points during the later rounds to finish in third place. This qualified the club for their first finals appearance in seven years. They would then lose to Macarthur FC 2–0 in the elimination finals on 12 June 2021.[97]
Ahead of the new season, Championship winning coach Nick Montgomery departed the club to become the head coach of Hibernian, and was replaced by former MK Dons coach Mark Jackson for the title defence.[100] The 2023-24 season saw further success for the club, winning the A-League Premiership for finishing top of the table in the regular season,[101] their first continental title after defeating Al Ahed in the 2024 AFC Cup final,[102] and qualification for the upcoming A-League Finals Series. The Mariners would go on to beat Melbourne Victory 3–1 in extra time in the 2024 A-League Men Grand Final.[103] This Achievement would mean that they had won the treble.[104][105][106]
Central Coast returned to the continental tournament after 9 years since their 2015 AFC Champions League appearance and also making their debut in the AFC Cup. The Mariners were drawn in Group G alongside Malaysian side Terengganu, Indonesian side Bali United and Philippines side Stallion Laguna. On 20 September 2023, Central Coast played their debut match in a 1–0 away lost against Terengganu. In the next match on 4 October, the Mariners recorded their highest ever continental win thrashing Stallion Laguna to a whopping 9–1 victory. Central Coast went on to top the group as leaders with 13 points in which they qualified to the knockout stage. In the knockout stage which is also known as the zonal semi-finals, the Mariners faced Cambodian side Phnom Penh Crown on 13 February 2024, Central Coast went on to win the match 4–0 with Ryan Edmondson scoring a hat-trick to secure the club advancing to the zonal finals facing against Macarthur FC on 22 February, Central Coast went on to win the match in a narrow 3–2 win in extra time thus qualifying to the Inter-zone play-off semi-finals facing off Indian side Odisha winning them 4–0 on aggregate and advanced to the Inter-zone play-off finals facing off against Kyrgyzstani side Abdysh-Ata Kant where the Mariners won 4–1 on aggregate thus qualified to the 2024 AFC Cup final facing against Lebanese side Al Ahed. On 5 May, Central Coast played their final match at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman where in the 84th minute, super sub Alou Kuol scored the only goal in the match to win the AFC Cup for Central Coast.
Colours and badge
The home jersey worn by the Mariners is mostly yellow with sleeves that are navy blue. The away uniform is a mostly plain navy blue jersey with yellow as a secondary colour.[107] In the 2011–12 season, the club had its kits manufactured by Hummel, as the A-League's Reebok deal had expired at the conclusion of the 2010–11 season. In September 2012, it was announced that the Mariners had signed a two-year deal with Kappa for them to be the official apparel supplier.[108] The team logo is a yellow football at the centre of a blue curling wave, which symbolises the beaches of the Central Coast.[109]
Since 2012, the Mariners have worn special pink kits for one match in October to raise money and awareness for Pink Ribbon Day, part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Mariners club collected donations at the ground, as well as auctioning the match-worn kits on online auction site eBay with proceeds going to the charity.[110][111]
Central Coast Mariners plays home games at Central Coast Stadium, Gosford. It is located in Grahame Park, between the Gosford Central Business District and the Brisbane Water foreshore. It is constructed to make the most of its location, being open at the southern end, giving filtered views of Brisbane Water through a row of large palm trees. It is within walking distance of Gosford railway station and is adjacent to the Central Coast Leagues Club.[112]
The stadium has a capacity of 20,059,[I] and the highest attendance for a Mariners game was a sold-out 21,379 in the 2024 Grand Final, assisted with portable seating at the southern end of the ground.[113] Difficulties in drawing spectators led the Mariners to schedule matches in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons away from Central Coast Stadium, at North Sydney Oval and Brookvale Oval. The club's goal was to play closer to its fan base in north Sydney, which majority owner Michael Charlesworth estimated to be about 20% of its total supporters.[114] Following attendances at North Sydney Oval that were similar to those at Central Coast Stadium, Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop suggested in December 2014 that it would be unlikely that the club would be permitted to continue playing in north Sydney.[115]
Supporters and rivalries
The active supporters' group for the Mariners is called the Yellow Army,[116] who sit in bay 16 of Central Coast Stadium during home games.[117] In addition to the Yellow Army, there is a Central Coast Mariners Official Supporters Club, which was established during 2013.[118] The Central Coast region has about 300,000 residents, which gives the Mariners the A-League's smallest local fan base. Accordingly, the Mariners acquired a small-market image among commentators.[25][119]
The Mariners developed a strong rivalry with Newcastle Jets throughout their first season, often referred to as the F3 Derby.[120] The naming is a title previously used for the Sydney–Newcastle Freeway, the major motorway which joins the two clubs' cities.[121] The rivalry's origins date back to before the teams played against each other in the A-League. A May 2005 Oceania Club Championship qualification match, which went to a penalty shootout that the Mariners won, helped create hostility between the sides. In the game, a tackle by Central Coast's Mrdja broke one of Newcastle player Andrew Durante's legs, causing him to miss the following A-League season; Mrdja offered no apology for the tackle, upsetting Jets players.[122] Fans of the clubs battled verbally before and after one 2011 derby match, leading the Newcastle Herald's Josh Leeson to call their actions "immature and laughable."[123] In more recent seasons, the F3 Derby has gained less attention in the press than the derbies in Melbourne and Sydney, but Central Coast player Nicholas Fitzgerald maintains that "the players and fans still take it very seriously."[124]
Central Coast also have a rivalry with Sydney FC. Like Newcastle, Sydney FC is close in proximity to Central Coast.[125] In 2006, the Central Coast Express Advocate's Richard Noone called the Central Coast–Sydney rivalry "Arguably A-League's fiercest".[126]
Affiliated clubs
Through an investment in the Mariners by Sheffield United the club has the following international affiliations:
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
John Hutchinson currently holds the team record for number of total games played with 271 matches in all competitions. Former captain Matt Simon has the second most appearances for the club with 238 matches. Alex Wilkinson, Joshua Rose and Storm Roux are the tied third most capped player with 206 appearances each.[146] As of 2020, Central Coast's all-time highest goalscorers in all competitions is Matt Simon with 66 goals, twenty-three more than Adam Kwasnik.[147]Jason Cummings has scored the third most goals for the club with 31.[146]
Central Coast's highest attendance at its home stadium, Central Coast Stadium, was 19,238 against Newcastle Jets in their round 19 match of the 2007–08 season. This was the second highest crowd at the ground for any sport since the first match at Central Coast Stadium in February 2000.[148] This record attendance at Central Coast stadium was broken during the 2022–23 season for the second leg of the A-league semi-final against Adelaide United FC. The Mariners won 2–0 (4–1 on aggregate) in front of a sell-out crowd of 20,059 people. The attendance record was further broken at the 2024 Grand Final, where 21,379 attended the game, ending in a 3–1 win for the Mariners after extra time.
Newcastle United Jets Football Club, commonly known as Newcastle Jets, is an Australian professional soccer club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier competition, the A-League, under licence from the Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was formed in 2000 when it joined the National Soccer League (NSL) and was one of only three former NSL clubs to join in the formation of the A-League.
Adelaide United Football Club is a professional men's soccer club located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The club was one of the eight founding members of the A-League Men and have competed in it concurrently since its formation, under licence from the Australian Professional Leagues.
A-League Men is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competition for the sport. A-League Men was established in 2004 as the A-League by the Australian Soccer Association (ASA) as a successor to the National Soccer League (NSL) and competition commenced in August 2005. The league is currently administered by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), contested by thirteen teams; eleven based in Australia and two based in New Zealand. The men's, women's and youth leagues have now been brought together under a unified A-Leagues banner.
John Paul Hutchinson is a football manager and former player who serves as interim manager of J1 League club Yokohama F. Marinos. He played as a central midfielder for Eastern Pride, Northern Spirit, Manly United, Chengdu Blades and Central Coast Mariners, for whom he served as captain. Born in Australia, he represented the Malta national team.
Daniel Vukovic is a former Australian professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the goalkeeping coach for Central Coast Mariners FC. Vukovic also represented the Australian national team during his career. Vukovic is the holder of several A-League records: he has the most clean sheets of any goalkeeper in A-League history (103), and he is the only goalkeeper to score in the A-League.
Labinot Haliti is a former professional soccer player who played as a second striker or winger. Born in Yugoslavia, he represented Australia at youth level.
Graham James Arnold is an Australian soccer manager and former player who most recently coached the Australia national team. Arnold was first appointed to work as a head coach of the Australian national soccer team in 2000. After head coach Frank Farina was sacked in 2005, Arnold worked with Guus Hiddink for the 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign, in which they made the second round of the finals. After Hiddink left, he became interim coach of the Socceroos. Arnold went on to qualify Australia's U23 men's national soccer team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Arnold then went on to assist Pim Verbeek for qualification of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Arnold's next move was to take the manager role at struggling A-League club the Central Coast Mariners between 2010 and 2013, where he guided the club to a Premiership and a Championship. He is a member of the Football Federation Australia Football Hall of Fame. Arnold went on to win two Premierships, one Championship and an FFA Cup with Sydney FC. In August 2018, Arnold was appointed head coach of the Socceroos - Australia's senior men's national soccer team.
Matthew Blake Simon is a retired Australian international football (soccer) player who played as a striker. Simon attended St Edward's College, East Gosford, where he was influenced to play soccer.
Daniel James McBreen is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played in the Romanian Divizia A for Universitatea Craiova, in the Scottish Premier League for Falkirk, in the Football League for Scunthorpe United, in the A-League for North Queensland Fury, Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners, in the Chinese Super League for Shanghai Dongya and in the Hong Kong Premier League for South China. He is the formerly head coach of the Newcastle Jets youth team.
Alen Stajcic is an Australian football manager and former player, and is the current manager of Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League. He was the head coach of the Philippine women's national football team from 2021 to 2023. While as a footballer he was a NSW Premier League player and an Australian Youth Representative.
The 2008–09 A-League was the 32nd season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the fourth season of the A-League competition since its establishment in 2004. Two new clubs, North Queensland Thunder and Gold Coast Galaxy had received tentative licences from the FFA but these were revoked for the 2008–09 season on 12 March 2008. Expansion plans are on hold until the 2009–10 season. Based on their 2007–08 performances, the Central Coast Mariners and the Newcastle Jets competed in the 2009 AFC Champions League for the first time.
The F3 Derby is a soccer rivalry between Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets. It is the longest standing derby in the A-League Men. The rivalry originated due to the team's relative geographical proximity, with the Mariners located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, the Jets in Newcastle, immediately to the north. The two clubs were also the only two clubs from outside capital cities in the inaugural A-League seasons, which contributed to the rivalry.
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier competition, the A-League, under licence from the Australian Professional Leagues (APL). formerly under licence by the Football Federation Australia (FFA). The club had established itself as a major force in both Australia and Asia, having won one A-Leagues Premiership and an AFC Champions League title in its history. As of 2024 they were the only Australian club to win the elite Asian confederation club competition.
The 2012–13 A-League was the 36th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the eighth season of the Australian A-League since its establishment in 2004. The 2012–13 season saw the introduction of a new Western Sydney-based team, the return of Newcastle Jets FC after their A-League licence was returned by FFA, and the end of Gold Coast United after they were removed from the competition at the end of the previous season. This season was also the last A-League season to be broadcast exclusively on paid television, after SBS obtained the rights to a live Friday night game each week of the A-League season, and all A-League finals games on a one-hour delay, on a $160 million four-year broadcast deal, effective from the 2013–14 A-League season onwards.
The 2013–14 A-League was the 37th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the ninth of the A-League since its establishment in 2004. The season began on 11 October 2013, with Western Sydney Wanderers as the defending A-League Premiers and Central Coast Mariners as the defending A-League Champions. The regular season concluded on 13 April 2014, with Brisbane Roar crowned Premiers. The 2014 Grand Final took place on 4 May 2014, with Brisbane Roar claiming their third Championship with a 2–1 win in extra time against Western Sydney Wanderers.
The 2015–16 A-League was the 39th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the 11th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. Melbourne Victory were both the defending A-League Premiers and Champions. The regular season schedule was released on 29 June 2015. The season commenced on 8 October 2015 and concluded on 10 April 2016. The finals series commenced on 15 April 2016 and concluded with the 2016 Grand Final, held on 1 May 2016.
The 2017–18 A-League was the 41st season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the 13th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. The season began on 6 October 2017 and ended with the Grand Final on 5 May 2018.
The 2018–19 A-League was the 42nd season of national level soccer in Australia, and the 14th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. The regular season commenced on 19 October 2018 and concluded on 28 April 2019. The play-offs began on 3 May 2019 and ended with the Grand Final on 19 May 2019. Sydney FC defeated Perth Glory in the Grand Final.
The 2019–20 A-League, also known as the 2019–20 Hyundai A-League for sponsorship reasons, was the 43rd season of national level soccer in Australia, and the 15th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. The regular season commenced on 11 October 2019 and was scheduled to conclude on 26 April 2020, though was postponed to 19 August 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused Football Federation Australia (FFA) to suspend the season from late March to mid July. The season resumed on 17 July 2020, which meant the finals occurred in mid-August and the Grand Final was held on 30 August 2020.
The 2020–21 A-League was the 44th season of national level soccer in Australia, and the 16th since the establishment of the A-League in 2004. The season was started on 28 December 2020 and concluded with the Grand Final on 27 June 2021. The start of the season was later than previous seasons as a result of both the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand, and as part of a gradual shift to move the competition from summer to winter. Wellington Phoenix played the majority of their home matches at Wollongong Showground in Wollongong due to international travel restrictions.
↑ "Harry now a Central figure"(subscription required). The Sun-Herald. Sydney. 10 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2006.
↑ "United tied to Mariners"(subscription required). The Sunday Telegraph. Sydney. 24 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2006.
↑ "Mariner Brown– Wingback signs"(subscription required). The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 12 November 2004. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2006.
↑ "Mariners get Grand Final hero"(subscription required). The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 15 December 2004. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2006.
↑ Maddaford, Terry (6 February 2007). "Dramatic win sets up Melbourne home final". The New Zealand Herald. p.C10.
↑ Newman, Paul (24 January 2007). "Pathetic Mariners Coach: our worst effort in two years: Fans livid as Mariners end season with whimper". Central Coast Express Advocate. p.88.
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