Central Coast Mariners happy to give Usain Bolt plenty of time to be a success in A-League
TWELVE hours after confirmation Usain Bolt will embark on an indefinite training stint with the Mariners, chief executive Shaun Mielekamp was at pains to point out the exercise was not a gimmick.
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NOT only will Usain Bolt not wear the number 9.58 with Central Coast Mariners, the Jamaican sprint king won’t be given a number at all.
Nor will the club look to cash in on Bolt merchandise until he proves himself enough to earn an A-League contract.
HE’S COMING: Usain Bolt to Mariners
Twelve hours after confirmation Bolt will embark on an indefinite training stint with the Mariners, chief executive Shaun Mielekamp was at pains to point out this exercise was not a gimmick.
So when the globe’s biggest sport star moves to the sleepy NSW town of Gosford on August 18 he won’t be handed a jersey bearing the number 9.58 - a reference to his 100m world-record time - in a similar vein to the recent Soccer Aid for UNICEF match at Old Trafford.
“I’d like to put that to bed, that’s not something that’s on the radar,” Mielekamp said.
“We’ve spoken to him about it. It’s not about having a gimmick or a charity-type campaign.
“It’s important to note Usain isn’t a contracted player so it’s not like we’ll be launching him out with a number or anything just yet.”
Mielekamp also ruled out Bolt merchandise for now because “we wouldn’t do that for any other uncontracted player”.
“Time will tell as things grow and if he ends up getting a full playing contract but we’re not going to have a Bolt T-shirt out there tomorrow, no,” he said.
It’s all in the name of proving this is not some farce, a baseless publicity stunt, but a desire to help the 100m and 200m world record-holder achieve his dream of playing football professionally.
And it appears the Mariners are willing to give him all season to get his skills up to scratch.
“This may take three weeks, this may take three months, this may take six months,” Mielekamp said.
“This make take longer, who knows.
“He has to impress the coach, he has to get to a level where the coach is confident he’ll play regular football.
“Once that decision is reached he’ll be offered a playing contract.
“This is about training and developing Usain. So we’re in all this together.
“It’s not going to be one person making the decision yes or no - it’s a collaborative effort and if he’s at the level then fantastic.”
Mielekamp said part of the decision to forego the initially negotiated six-week trial and replace it with an indefinite training period was to show critics the club was serious about the process.
He also said there should be no shame in using the “Bolt effect” to help the cash-strapped club grow.
“I’ll also say to them, ‘you know we are a small club, you know we need to grow, and if this is one of the opportunities for the Central Coast Mariners to significantly grow for the long term then that’s an opportunity nobody can deny us,” he said.
“We’ve just spoke about the potential of uplift in the stadiums, we’ve been inundated with sponsor calls this morning which has been exciting.
“And for us that long-term effect is something we’ve got to be mindful of.”