Central Coast Mariners owner exits as local, international investors circle

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Discussions over the sale of the Central Coast Mariners to English side Queens Park Rangers are set to be revisited after control of the A-League club was ceded by long-time chairman Mike Charlesworth.

The Australian Professional Leagues announced on Monday that it had taken over the management of the Gosford-based Mariners, effective immediately, with the aim of selling the club to a new owner by the end of the season.

Charlesworth, who became Mariners chairman in 2013, has forfeited the club’s participation agreement to compete in the A-Leagues, an APL statement said, with the league’s operating body taking the “proactive step” of terminating the agreement - but it does not mean the end of the club.

Newly-appointed APL chief executive Steve Rosich spent Monday at the club’s Tuggerah base working through the situation with players, staff and officials, who have been assured it will not affect their on-field fortunes.

“The APL Board is resolute in its commitment to fans and stakeholders to protect the game’s best interests, and make decisive action to ensure the ongoing growth, stability and integrity of the A-Leagues,” said APL chair Stephen Conroy.

“As custodians of the game, we believe it is the best course of proactive action - for the short and long-term interest of the club - to terminate the current CPA under the current ownership, and run an expedited and robust sale process to find a new and stable long-term owner for the Mariners.

The Mariners are looking for a new owner.

“We believe in the value that Central Coast Mariners FC brings to the A-Leagues. They’ve shown with the right investment and community engagement, they have a vibrant fan base and a proven ability to consistently compete for on-field success.”

It is another turbulent chapter in the Mariners’ colourful 21-year history, but it could soon lead to stability - and not necessarily under Damon Hanlin, the club’s presumed prospective incoming owner.

Hanlin, the former chairman of NPL NSW and Australian Championship side Sydney Olympic, had been in talks with Charlesworth to buy the Mariners and lodged formal documentation with the APL and Football Australia in late 2025, pending due diligence, the passing of a fit-and-proper person test and other requirements.

However, it is far from a fait accompli that Hanlin will assume control, with the APL to launch a fresh sale of the club amid “engaged local and international interest”.

Former Central Coast Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth.

One source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told this masthead that Hanlin’s agreement with Charlesworth had fallen through, and that the APL’s takeover manoeuvre represented a clean slate.

Multiple sources say that English Championship club QPR - home to Australian trio Kealey Adamson, Daniel Bennie and Jayden Pearlman - had also been negotiating with Charlesworth to buy the Mariners in the off-season and had even reached an agreement with him, only for the deal to fall over at the eleventh hour, at which point they withdrew their interest.

The APL will now attempt to revive those discussions, but sources say that two other European-based clubs, plus a local consortium, have already signalled their intent to be part of the process.

The Mariners won all three of their A-League championships under Charlesworth’s stewardship, including an unprecedented treble in the 2024-25 season.

QPR’s owners were in talks to take over the Mariners in the off-season.

However, Charlesworth has been openly attempting to offload the club for many years, citing financial strain, which has led to significant cutbacks on spending, the departure of treble-winning coach Mark Jackson, many of his star players, and other key office staff - including their social media operator.

The Mariners have not posted on X (formerly Twitter) since late October, and announced Jackson’s departure - the week before the start of the season - with a crudely-made graphic.

The latest round of turmoil to hit the A-League comes after former champions Western United were placed in “hibernation” mode in September - although there could be a route back for them, having avoided liquidation and settled a tax debt with the ATO, with the club announcing last week that all court proceedings against them had been dismissed.

Western United’s coach, John Aloisi, has left the club to take up his first role abroad with Chinese Super League outfit Chengdu Rongcheng.