This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
October 12, 2018, marked a memorable day for Central Coast Mariners, an Australian soccer club, as they welcomed Olympic sprint great Usain Bolt for a high-profile trial. However, the club is now facing an uncertain future after its chairman/owner, Mike Charlesworth, announced his departure on Tuesday.
Charlesworth, who helped save the Gosford-based strugglers from financial ruin in 2013, stated that he would sell his majority stake or hand it back to the A-League if he could not find a buyer.
Usain Bolt's trial with the Mariners was a significant event in 2018, generating global publicity for the club. Although the Jamaican sprinter was unable to agree terms and left after a few months, the experience brought attention to the team.
Charlesworth's chairmanship started in 2013 with an immediate triumph as the Mariners claimed their maiden title under Graham Arnold. However, the club quickly fell on hard times, and the chairman has been criticized for running the team on a shoestring budget.
Mariners Chief Executive Shaun Mielekamp expressed optimism that a buyer could be found to keep the team on the Central Coast, but conceded that the club's future remains unknown.
