In front of an all-time record attendance of 21,379 fans at Gosford’s Industree Group Stadium – and with thousands more cheering on at a community Live Site next door – the Mariners overcame a 0-1 deficit in the Isuzu Ute A-League Grand Final to equalise in the 91st minute before dominating extra time to run out 3-1 winners over a brave Melbourne Victory team.
Having won last year’s Grand Final, the Mariners became the first club in A-League history to win all three major titles in the same season – being crowned A-League Premiers, Asian Football Confederation (AFC Cup) Champions and A-League Champions in an unprecedented run of title success. They added a fourth title for good measure, with the Mariners also winning the A-League Club Championship this season after both their men’s and women’s elite teams excelled.
At halftime in the Grand Final, the Mariners’ Josh Nisbett was announced as the Johnny Warren Medallist as the A-League men’s Player of the Year, while Mariners’ coach Mark Jackson was named Coach of the Year.
As Queen’s We Are The Champions blazed out around Industree Group Stadium post-game, scenes of celebration were unfolding throughout the City of Gosford and the network of coastal towns and villages that make up the Central Coast . . . now home to a history-making football club.
Upwards of 10,000 fans passed through the community Live Site at Leagues Club Park directly across from the Stadium. Hosted by Central Coast Council and supported by Destination NSW, the fans who couldn’t get a ticket to the game rode every minute of the drama-filled Grand Final that went 30 minutes into extra time.
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch and Member for Wyong David Harris – the latter also the NSW Minister for the Central Coast – described the Grand Final as “the biggest sporting event ever seen on the Coast”.
Thousands of fans made their way to region for the big game, driving visitation and providing a boon for local businesses right along the Coast. More than 4000 fans arrived in support of visiting team Melbourne Victory alone and helped create a phenomenal football atmosphere in and around Industree Group Stadium.
The Gosford Erina Business Chamber reported that accommodation was close to 100 per cent capacity on the Coast.
Bars, clubs and restaurants reported heavy bookings Saturday night.
Fans were spilling out of Central Coast Leagues Club from lunchtime Saturday and joyous scenes continued until the early hours of Sunday.
Hotels, clubs and restaurants were packed not only in Gosford but at Wyong, Terrigal, The Entrance, Ettalong Beach, Budgewoi and Bateau Bay.
The success of the event was a triumph for the A-Leagues who made the bold decision to take the Grand Final back to the fans and scheduled this year’s decider on the Central Coast for the first time.
It was a grand occasion that the 350,000-plus residents on the Central Coast will never forget and it has left a football legacy for generations to come.
The fans were out in their thousands again Sunday as the Mariners said Thank You to their loyal supporters and their community, with a major celebration at Erina Fair from 12noon.
As the Mariners fought for victory Saturday night, the home active supporters known as the Yellow Army held up a giant tifo that said simply, Gossy Good Times.
The Gossy Good Times show no signs of abating any time soon!
