NEWCASTLE Jets have a good man in charge of rebuilding the club and returning it back to its glory days of regularly competing in the Hyundai A-League finals.
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But chief executive Lawrie McKinna knows it will take some time and patience and he is also aware the Hunter community are crying out for a successful sporting team.
McKinna and the Jets were in Port Macquarie last Tuesday as they continued preparations for season 13 of the A-League.
They held a sports breakfast which was well-supported, played games against local school kids and then wrapped up the visit with an overall 7-0 win over two Football Mid North Coast rep sides.
There were no black cats in sight and it could be ironic that this year (season 13) is the year the Jets return to the finals.
McKinna said the club had grand visions of giving the Novocastrian faithful something to smile about after seven years in the finals wilderness.
They want to start to create a Northern NSW fanbase in the process.
“We’re not trying to be Manchester United,” McKinna said.
“We have a plan where we want to be the best sporting team in Australia on and off the park – that’s our goal.
A few ingredients are required for a successful club – just look at the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League, the Melbourne Victory in the A-League or Manchester United.
The Jets have a handy acquisition this year in head coach Ernie Merrick who spent six seasons in charge of the Victory.
But McKinna knows the main ingredient linked to success comes in the form of stability at the top.
We’re not trying to be Manchester United.
- Jets chief executive Lawrie McKinna
The Jets appear to have that in Chinese owner Martin Lee.
“We need to be competitive on the field and we’re building a really competitive squad,” McKinna said.
Once the off-field boxes were ticked, McKinna said attention needed to switch to on-field goals.
“What tends to happen is that the more successful the club gets, the less community stuff it does,” he said.
“But it can’t be like that. We have to be engaging while we’re winning and when we’re losing.”
The former Mariners coach said they were aware of the numerous amounts of fans who lived in Northern NSW.
We have to be engaging while we’re winning and when we’re losing we still have to be engaging.
- Lawrie McKinna
He said they were just as important.
“We see ourselves as being part of Newcastle and Northern NSW so when people see the players walking down the street we want them to see them and stop and have a chat,” McKinna said.
“We don’t want them to stay away and say “look at that superstar”. He’s not a superstar, he’s a player who is employed by the Jets to play football and help promote the club.”