Dear Lawrie,
It’s been exactly a year since I last wrote to you, and the difference in circumstances between then and now couldn’t be more acute.
Last February, floating on the euphoria of our triumphant finals campaign, I felt myself compelled to write and share my excitement and hopes for the team's future. Yes Lawrie, I know it was a rather ridiculous thing to do, and believe me, I don't make a habit of writing fan letters.
But apart from the fact that it was our best season ever, I had also just experienced a personal tragedy. Watching the Mariners had provided me with a wonderful escape from all my problems, a place where I could experience sheer pleasure and let my feelings have free rein.
I just had to let you know how much the team meant to me - I never expected a response. But somewhere in the madness of those two weeks before the Grand Final, when you were being inundated with emails and media requests, you found time to reply.
It meant so much to me that you bothered to acknowledge my thoughts and feelings. I wonder if Ernie, Dutchy or Kossie would have done the same ?
As the great Brian of Nazareth once noted "we are all individuals", but it is these individuals that collectively create the spirit of each club. Your actions and attitudes, Lawrie, truly give Mariners' fans a sense of being valued.
It's been a really tough few months for you and some critics have been sharpening their knives. The team has no doubt been down and I'm sure the various line up changes have been a challenge.
But throughout it all, you have continued to maintain your dignity and been gracious and honest in defeat. Though it must've hurt like hell, you never blamed the ref, the media or the club for the Mariners' recent losses. You even managed to make a joke on Friday about the players being caught off-guard by the good quality pitch.
And though, like every other Mariners' fan, I have been gutted by the way we ended the season, I was really proud to watch the team fight back in the second half at Suncorp. You could see the glimmer of team pride and true grit that has been submerged in the past few weeks and it gave me something positive to focus on.
Lawrie, it's hard to explain how excited I feel about the upcoming AFC Champions League matches. To watch teams from Korea, Japan and China play in Gosford is really a dream come true for any football fan. This is surely the culmination of all you have worked towards since you started coaching. After spending a year working for CCM without payment before the A-League began, this is exactly what you deserve.
I am looking forward to seeing how you might use the talented youth team players, as well as Huke, Rizzo and Kwassie in the ACL squad. Others may scoff, but past experience encourages me to have faith in your choices.
The charismatic Bill Shankly once said : "Above all, I would like to be remembered as a man who was selfless, who built up a family of people who could hold their heads up high and say - we're Liverpool."
I know you'd be embarrassed by the comparison, Lawrie, but your commitment and integrity have already helped build the same feeling of belonging at CCM.
This is a unique opportunity to rebuild the team and look towards the future with renewed enthusiasm. Time to hold our heads up high and say "We're Mariners".
Regards and Good Luck
Julia
