skilbeck
State League player
aloisi johnny aloisi aloisi he's a mariner
Posts: 321
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Post by skilbeck on Oct 27, 2007 3:39:12 GMT 10
Heres a good article about Lawrie and it definitely goes to show how fortunate the club is to have Lawrie. It also portrays him as a selfless leader who gives everything to the club without wanting praise or profile unlike many other manages in the a league. At least for once someone in the media is giving us a good wrap. www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22654659-5006068,00.html edit: i still don't know how to post links so they don't ignore everything past the first comma |
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Post by nutmeg on Oct 27, 2007 6:32:38 GMT 10
Central Coast coach the pride of the A-LeagueArticle
By Tom Smithies
October 27, 2007 12:00am
IF YOU inadvertently called the A-League's leading club the Central Coast McKinnas, the name would not be inappropriate.
Lawrie McKinna embodies the club's very soul and has done so as coach since the early days of the franchise bid that created the Mariners.
Compare that with Sydney FC, where three days ago the club's fourth coach in three years began work - Sydney lie sixth and the Mariners top, and that's no coincidence.
But McKinna has done far more than give the Mariners stability through his tenure - he IS the club seven days a week, from training to community work, wooing sponsors while making sure his team eats properly.
It's entirely typical of McKinna that when a journalist new to the area went to examine the Mariners' facilities, by the end of the day he was having dinner with the coach and was then shown around the club's offices.
He lives and breathes his team, but more - much more - he also equips them tactically.
Coach of the Year in year one, his teams try to play pass-and-move football that's good to watch - and his players will do anything for him.
Ask John Hutchinson, a midfielder who has played under McKinna for years going back to the days of Northern Spirit.
It was Hutchinson who coined the nickname "Dad" for a coach who still has 12 of the squad he began season one with on the books.
It's the A-League's own "no-dickheads" policy, and the example is set from the top.
"He sums up what we're all about - he's the one who gets our lunch for us," says Hutchinson.
"He's down at the shops in the morning buying our chicken and bread and tomatoes, he helps put the gear away. It's stuff you wouldn't see a normal gaffer do.
"When we went to New Zealand, our goalkeeping coach John Crawley forgot his passport, the gaffer decided to drive it down himself to Sydney.
"We always play good football, people say we've probably had the best passing game in three seasons and that's down to him. The boys look forward to playing for him and every player he brings in does well.
"It's because he sticks by the players. Take Nigel Boogaard for instance - a normal gaffer might have got rid of him after the second year because he hadn't played a game for us.
"It's different with Lawrie, he gave him another chance."
Boogaard is possibly the best example of how McKinna is repaid for his loyalty. The defender, still only 22, missed all bar a single minute of the first two seasons through illness and injury.
Giving Boogaard a chance to prove himself has been rewarded by defensive displays that have won the centreback an Olyroo spot and praise from all quarters.
"He showed faith after that first year when I was on a one-year contract and after being sick all season he gave me another year," says Boogaard, who was then laid low for the whole second season through osteitis pubis.
These days, of course, McKinna is even Australian after finally taking out citizenship after 21 years in the country - and it's gone to his head.
"Yeah, he's changed," says Hutchinson. "Every time you speak to him on the phone since he got the citizenship, he goes, g'day mate!"
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Post by blackadder on Oct 27, 2007 8:39:26 GMT 10
Great article, and goes to show you what a blue collar work ethic at a club can do  |
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Post by Jeff (LouMacari) on Oct 27, 2007 8:44:14 GMT 10
Great article, but as if WE didn't already know what a gem Lawrie is!
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Post by Pete on Oct 27, 2007 9:25:13 GMT 10
Great article about Lawrie. Hutch obviously wants his contract renewed next season! (although to be fair, Lawrie did a lot for Hutch personally when the NSL was at it's worst, I hear)
Those comments about Boogaard are very very accurate.
Quite a few of us on the forum were very frustrated when Boogaard went from illness to injury and kept a spot out of the smallish 20 man roster over the best part of 2 seasons.
I,as one who was impatient about Boogaard, am now suitably humbled but very glad that Lawrie stuck by Nigel, as the loyalty has been repaid 10 fold this season.
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Post by EGGBA on Oct 27, 2007 10:55:30 GMT 10
Can we bet on coach of the year whats the odds Lawrie for sure:
Lawrie Mckinna's Yellow Army
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Post by midfielder on Oct 27, 2007 11:22:41 GMT 10
Heres a good article about Lawrie and it definitely goes to show how fortunate the club is to have Lawrie. It also portrays him as a selfless leader who gives everything to the club without wanting praise or profile unlike many other manages in the a league. At least for once someone in the media is giving us a good wrap. www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22654659-5006068,00.html edit: i still don't know how to post links so they don't ignore everything past the first comma Also give credit those that choose Lawie, and let him form a team essentially centered on what was left of the Northern Spirit. Time has shown he then brought quality players like Tommy P, Grumps, Nil to the coast etc. Also the management allowed Lawie to set up the coaching structure in a very professioal manner, with Alex Tobin etc. There were many other names were mentioned including Branko & Nick Theo, all better accordingly to media especially SBS, Lawie being a Scot could only play a long ball English style. However out Sydney United way the Croatians knew how good he was and gave credit to Lawie ( as assistant coach) not David Mitchell for getting united into grand final against Brisbane Strikers. So hats off to management who had the guts to appoint Lawie in the first place, and I assume had the foresight to talk to football people with mud on their boots about who was a good coach. |
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skilbeck
State League player
aloisi johnny aloisi aloisi he's a mariner
Posts: 321
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Post by skilbeck on Oct 27, 2007 11:46:52 GMT 10
Great article, but as if WE didn't already know what a gem Lawrie is! I know i was preaching to the choir by posting this article but its good to see some positive media coverage for the mariners from outside the central coast |
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Post by dibo (pron. "DIB-OH") on Oct 27, 2007 12:21:24 GMT 10
However out Sydney United way the Croatians knew how good he was and gave credit to Lawie ( as assistant coach) not David Mitchell for getting united into grand final against Brisbane Strikers. as mick said in another thread: you are one year out lawrie mckinna was assistant coach to david mitchell at sydney united the season after they won the minor premiership and won the grand final i was working at sydney united in the winning 96/97 season and branko was the head coach with no direct number two according to his wiki entry he was at olympic that year and moved to croatia the year after. |
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kevrenor
Moderator 
Keeping the 'surrounding regions' yellow since 2004 ... Be Mariners, be Yellow, be a Marinator!
Posts: 2,130
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Post by kevrenor on Oct 27, 2007 16:37:50 GMT 10
However out Sydney United way the Croatians knew how good he was and gave credit to Lawie ( as assistant coach) not David Mitchell for getting united into grand final against Brisbane Strikers. <snipped my me for brevity> So hats off to management who had the guts to appoint Lawie in the first place, and I assume had the foresight to talk to football people with mud on their boots about who was a good coach. When Northern Spirit was formed in 1997/8 Graham Arnold was brought home as player coach. He chose as his assistant Ian Gray (a disaster I won't go into here) but somewhere there are still web pages where I stated he should have chosen as assistant someone that knew how to coach - one Lawrie McKinna. Obviously those who planned the Coast bid knew even better that me. A very big thanks to them! |
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Post by midfielder on Oct 27, 2007 19:08:28 GMT 10
However out Sydney United way the Croatians knew how good he was and gave credit to Lawie ( as assistant coach) not David Mitchell for getting united into grand final against Brisbane Strikers. <snipped my me for brevity> So hats off to management who had the guts to appoint Lawie in the first place, and I assume had the foresight to talk to football people with mud on their boots about who was a good coach. When Northern Spirit was formed in 1997/8 Graham Arnold was brought home as player coach. He chose as his assistant Ian Gray (a disaster I won't go into here) but somewhere there are still web pages where I stated he should have chosen as assistant someone that knew how to coach - one Lawrie McKinna. Obviously those who planned the Coast bid knew even better that me. A very big thanks to them! I have told this story in a previous threat but its worth repeating in more detail in this thread. Back in 90's I forget the year blame the whiskey or the women. But at the time I was doing some part time teaching at Liverpool TAFE in tax. I had just held a mid term exam and after the exam I when out on to a large veranda to take in the late evening. I noticed a bunch of very scruffy blokes talking to a group of my students. I was not sure what was going on but this bunch of scruffy blokes were not students so I went over and asked what they were doing. They were planning a surprise party for a relative but the students who were Croatians said this teacher likes football. Thats when they said to me we have this excellent coach his name is Lawie and over the next I guess few months a sort of loose football group formed to discuss Champions league, World Cup, etc. But every time we meet in a coffee shop in Liverpool they talked about Lawie's skill and they used to say to me this guy will go far. This group had an enormous knowledge of football and as a Northern Spirit supporter was glad when he went there. My point I guess is the Croatians in the tennis coffee shop had mud on their boots from years of experience and they rated Lawie as one of the best coaches they had ever seen. As a group without doubt the most knowledgeable group on football I have ever meet. Just sharing an experience and the background to my comments |
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Post by greenpoleffc on Oct 27, 2007 21:13:02 GMT 10
When the great man turns up in the pissing rain/freezing fog/frost (or all 3) at Pluim to watch the Lightning, he just quietly stands there, no tickets on himself.
I hope they never try to make him pay.
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Post by Andy on Oct 28, 2007 0:19:23 GMT 10
Coach of the Year in year one, his teams try to play pass-and-move football that's good to watch - and his players will do anything for him. Has anyone in the media ever praised his style of football? |
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Post by Foriegnmariner on Oct 28, 2007 1:39:56 GMT 10
No. everyone confuses two touch on the deck football with long ball hoof it stenhousemuir style.
I still can't get over the fact that this article was in the telegraph.
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Post by greenpoleffc on Oct 28, 2007 6:08:28 GMT 10
If he was at any of the other Australian clubs, he would be touted as the next Socceroo coach.
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Post by yellowcake on Oct 28, 2007 10:30:11 GMT 10
Slightly OT From todays Sun Herald (about why all of SFC coaches have been sub-standard - by CRAIG FOSTER af all people): Coaching woes run deep
...Pierre Littbarski had limited tactical ability, produced average football at a hugely inflated price, was beaten comfortably by John Kosmina's Adelaide to the minor premiership, scraped into the finals late season, got outplayed for much of them, and can thank Dwight Yorke and Steve Corica for overcoming the Mariners, who were the better team on the day... And this. Quoting Peter Turnbull about differences between the clubs (Matthew Hall): Stars on notice while Sydney draws up hit list
...Meanwhile, former Sydney board member Peter Turnbull told The Sun-Herald he was "happy to be involved in a football club" since selling his shares in Sydney FC this year and investing in the Central Coast.
"What I've noticed since going to the Mariners is that every meeting is about football, the propagation of the sport, and the future," he said. "Those discussions never took place when I was in the Sydney boardroom."
Turnbull said the Mariners had invested in the local community and were truly representative of the region.
"It's like a real football club at Central Coast," Turnbull said. "The fact that the coach has a five-year contract also adds stability."
The Mariners' reach has gone deep into Sydney, with the club establishing relationships with junior associations from Manly to Parramatta and Granville, showing initiative Turnbull said was lacking at Sydney.
"Community programs are not hard to do," he said. "As long as you have leadership that says, 'This is what we are going to do' then everyone will fall into line and do it.
"One of the weaknesses at Sydney is that when you change coaches all the time and your emphasis is on crisis management, you can't organise players and coaches for school trips, or organise club visits. You don't know who is going to turn up." |
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Post by omni on Oct 28, 2007 11:41:48 GMT 10
Cake: My favourite quote from that Foster article, while unrelated was, "But I have to say I would have sacked Culina as well" - so there you go a World Gamer saying they would have sacked Culina!
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Post by poetryintheblood on Oct 29, 2007 21:35:37 GMT 10
Lawrie has proven to be the most beautiful gentleman of the sport, when you compare him to others, he highly stands out, he shows his love for the team, and the fans, and doesn't hold himself above others, showing great quality in a not only a coach but a true friend to all...Love ya Lawrie.
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