The Central Coast Mariners are pleased to announce Richard Peil has joined the Board of the Central Coast Mariners and Central Coast Mariners Academy as a Director. Richard Peil joins the club as a board member and is set to be appointed as Chair, pending approval by Football Australia (FA) and the Australian Professional Leagues (APL). Richard will play a major role in the funding and strategic direction of the club.
Mike Charlesworth will resign as Director on the board once the approval processes have been completed.
Richard said:
“This is an exciting opportunity at a very exciting time for the A-Leagues, and I am here to help the club be the very best that it can be and ensure that this Academy continues to be the most productive Academy in Australia.
“This is a very unique and special football market with huge potential, especially when you consider that on the Central Coast, football is the number one sport, from grassroots all the way through to the professional level.
“When I first came to the Coast, I was really enthused by the opportunity that exists for football and I also saw how much hard work and history had been established in this globally recognised club. I have already been working closely with Monty [Nick Montgomery], Shaun [Mielekamp] and all the staff at the club and there is an exciting future ahead of us,” Richard added.
“I really want everyone to know that I am putting my own personal investment into the club purely to help the club grow. I really hope that this encourages the whole Central Coast community to get right behind their team again.” said Richard
Mike Charlesworth spoke about what the change means for the Club and the reasons why now is the right time for him to hand over to Richard:
“It has taken a long time to find the right investor for the Central Coast Mariners and I’m convinced Rich is the perfect fit. Rich has an excellent track record in the sports industry through his company, Anytime Fitness, and that experience will only help our club grow. Richard’s energy is infectious and it’s great that football runs through his veins. The focus of the club for many years was unashamedly survival, but with a great team of people both on and off the pitch, I’m sure Richard can build on the growth we’ve seen these last couple of years.”
The Mariners Centre of Excellence property in Tuggerah continues to be fully owned and operated by Mike Charlesworth.
Richard has already commenced his role as Director and will assume the role of Chairman once the appropriate approval has been gained.
