The Central Coast Mariners are pleased to announce that club legend Matt Simon has been promoted to the role of Sporting Director.
The former player spent 12 seasons at the Mariners, first making his debut for the club in 2007. He scored a club record 66 goals for the Mariners across 238 appearances, becoming a Central Coast legend along the way.
He was unfortunately forced to retire due to an injury sustained in the then named FFA Cup, officially calling time on his playing career before the first match of this season.
From there he moved into a role with the Mariners football department, becoming the Head of Recruitment and Player Welfare. Simon has now been promoted, officially becoming the Mariners Sporting Director.
While Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery will still oversee the football department, Simon will now hold a senior position alongside assistant coach Sergio Raimundo.
Montgomery is pleased to have Simon working alongside him in this new role, believing that he is the perfect man for the job.
“It is a fantastic development for a legend of the club. Everybody knows how much he means to the club and in his role since he retired, he has flourished. He has a lot of contacts in the game and understands the A-League more than anybody. He understands what it is like to be a young player here, an experienced player and a visa player,” he said.
“It is a role that is perfectly suited to him with his knowledge and understanding of the club. I have no doubt that he has a massive future in this role. We talk about culture in this club and Matt helped create that DNA when the club was founded.
“I was fortunate enough to have captained this club alongside the likes of John Hutchinson and Matt Simon as well and we all know how important that is to the long-term success of this club. The role of the Head Coach and Sporting Director working together on the culture is imperative for the long-term success of the club. When previously this has not been the case then the club has failed and that can’t ever happen again.”
Simon is excited to move into his new role and is appreciative of the support given by the Mariners since retiring and moving into off-field positions.
“I’m very excited to be in this new role. It has been a good transition since I retired and to be able to take on the role of Sporting Director for the club that I love is something that I am very happy and proud of,” he said.
“I have always wanted the club to succeed, so it is great to be Sporting Director and help facilitate everything that Monty wants to do. I would like to thank Rich, Shaun and Monty, along with the entire coaching staff, for helping me transition from playing into a different role that is off the field. I am so grateful that they have helped me along the way.”
