The Central Coast Mariners today confirm that Andre Gumprecht, Paul O’Grady, Greg Owens and Nick Rizzo will be farewelled from the club ahead of the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season.
The Central Coast Mariners today confirm that Andre Gumprecht, Paul O-Grady, Greg Owens and Nick Rizzo will be farewelled from the club ahead of the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season.
Club stalwart Gumprecht was one of four players that contributed to the Mariners- most recent Hyundai A-League season that was a starting player in the club-s first ever fixture in May 2005.
The 34-year-old departs the Mariners having contributed to 86 competitive fixtures, during which time the German-born midfielder netted five goals.
O-Grady, 30, joined the Mariners as a foundation squad member from NSW Premier League outfit the Marconi Stallions in early 2005 and has since contributed 42 competitive appearances to the yellow and navy cause over the course of four largely injury interrupted seasons.
Owens, 27, was signed by the Mariners ahead of their historic Hyundai A-League Premiership winning campaign in 2007/08 – where he contributed to 15 Hyundai A-League fixtures – before sitting out all but one match of the Mariners- most recent Hyundai A-League season.
Rizzo joined the Mariners late in their preparations for the AFC Champions League 2009 and made one appearance off the bench against Korean FA Cup holders Pohang Steelers on Match Day 5 of the Mariners- Group H campaign.
Gumprecht, O-Grady, Owens and Rizzo have each completed their training commitments with the Mariners and their departures alongside that of Gold Coast United-bound midfielder Matthew Osman signals the beginning of the Mariners- meticulous pre-season squad revamp that may yet include the signings of as many as six new Hyundai A-League squad members.
In other squad developments, midfielder Shane Huke has been granted an extension to his AFC Champions League contract and will wear Mariners colours throughout the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season, while National Youth League (NYL) graduates Matthew Lewis, Nathan Sherlock and Brady Smith have concluded their AFC Champions League commitments and are now under consideration for either NYL or Hyundai A-League contracts for the forthcoming season.
“Everyone at the Mariners and our members and supporters alike extend their thanks to Andre, Paul, Greg and Nick for their contributions to the Mariners journey in recent seasons and pass on our best wishes to them in their future endeavours,” said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.
“Andre, Paul, Greg and Nick have been great ambassadors for our club in the community and on the pitch during their respective tenures with the Mariners and we-ll remember their respective efforts for many years to come.
“As is the case with every pre-season, we are exhaustively pursuing all avenues available to us to ensure that the line up that takes to the pitch at Bluetongue Stadium throughout the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 is of the best possible quality.
“To that end, we anticipate being in a position to announce some exciting player signings in the short-term future as we step up our campaign to maintain and expand on the heights that we have scaled with incredible consistency since our inception.”
The Mariners will next be in action in a competitive fixture for the kick off of the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 – a blockbuster away clash against the Melbourne Victory at their Etihad Stadium home on Thursday, 6 August. Kick off is at 8pm.
Membership renewal information for the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season will soon be distributed to existing Mariners members, with information for new Mariners members to be made available shortly at www.ccmariners.com.au.
