“Is everything alright?”
Monique – Management

Monique Marks is the stadium’s Managing Director. Her responsibilities extend across every aspect of the matchday experience.

“Setting security rosters, catering orders, bar orders, there’s just a whole lot of things behind the scenes, making sure everything’s co-ordinated,” she says.

“I’m also the licensee and make sure everything’s running okay. I’m very hands-on, I’m always amongst the crowd.”

Throughout the week Monique and her team of staff spend many hours preparing for the weekend. It’s no surprise then what Monique names as her favourite part of the job. “When the gates are shut and everyone’s gone!” she jokes. Working within a football stadium, she admits she actually can’t resist the infectiousness of the fans. “I love the crowd, I love the atmosphere and I love it when we win.”

Having moved north from Sydney, Monique was involved with Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium long before the arrival of the Mariners. The worst part of her job? “People with no common sense. It gets a bit frustrating, but it comes with the job.”

There is one particular crisis that sticks out for Monique though. “The worst thing was getting hit by lightning at a rugby league trial back in 2001 and it took out one of my light towers. We eventually got it back up but it took about half an hour, because once they go out it takes half an hour to get them back up.”



“Can I get you a pizza?”
Ainsley – Catering

An afternoon at the football wouldn’t be an afternoon at the football without a trip to the food stalls. They’re easy to spot, because they usually have the longest queues, filled with teens nibbling their arms in hunger and parents attempting to manage a van-full of kids!

Much like the merchandise stands, most of the Central Coast’s food stalls are manned by young casual staff, such as local Ainsley. “We look after all the chips and hot food for the general public who come to the game,” she says. “We sell people pies, drinks... all that kind of stuff.”

Ainsley has worked at the stadium serving food to famished Mariners fans for about two years. That’s a lot of pies... or is it?



Instead of the traditional meat pie and sauce, the most popular offering is the pizza. “Pizzas go off!” Ainsley reveals. But two years serving them up doesn’t put her off though. “I would buy the pizzas, they’re made fresh here on site.”

Growing up on the Central Coast, Ainsley studies business marketing and attends uni up the road in Newcastle during the week. Her whole family comes to Mariners matches. She would too – with her friends that is – but says that her work duties take priority.

And those duties aren’t without their difficulties. “We ran out of pizzas!” she recalls. “That’s probably the biggest thing – running out of food, and not being able to supply all the fans with what they want, especially before the game and at half-time in the mad rush to get all their food.”




“When do you need to file your story?”
Ben – Media Services

To accommodate the growing interest in the Hyundai A-League around the country the Mariners, like every club, employ a media manager. The Mariners’ media man is Ben Coonan, who on matchdays ensures radio, newspapers, websites and TV crews are all provided with the space to watch the match and carry out their work.

“You’ve just got to be on hand,” Ben says. “Make sure everyone’s looked after and provide the odd stat to make the headline story.”

It’s a dream job for Ben, a long-time sports fan. “Being in the professional sporting atmosphere is fun,” he says. “As a kid growing up I was always awestruck by professional sports. When I came into this job, one of the guys from the FFA told me, ‘don’t worry Ben, you’ll lose that thrill of being around professional sportsmen because they’re not all the cookies and cream you think they are.’”

Though he’s been working for the Mariners for two years, the buzz about working in football hasn’t faded. “To be around the premier sportsmen in Australia is definitely one of my favourite parts.”

There have been times Ben would like to forget. “We played the Jets in round five. The only thing I had to organise pre-match was a photographer to take a photo of the two teams at the start of the game. When it came to the time, it just dawned on all the staff that there was no photographer. It was definitely embarrassing. And then seeing Andrew Clark break away from the pack and take a photo of the guys himself!”