Across his career of exactly 400 games as a midfielder in the rough and tumble of English football, Nick Montgomery was never once shown a red card.
His proud career with Sheffield United (and short stint at Millwall) traversed the top three tiers of the EFL structure, including 26 in the Premier League. His good record was testament to his temperament and control… but counted for nothing when he found himself a world away on the Central Coast, playing his trade for the Mariners in the A-League.
It’s been ten years since he went in late on Melbourne Victory’s Mark Milligan in the 2013 semi-final, shown a second yellow card two minutes a Grand Final appearance in his first year at the Club. The following week, he watched from the stands as his teammates finished the job.
‘It’s been ten years since I got my first red card. Ten years since I missed the Grand Final having played every game [aside from two], it was bittersweet. But ten years on, we’re back’, Montgomery told Box2Box.
‘Monty’ has stood on the touchline of the resurgent Mariners for the past two seasons, having reshaped the club’s academy following his playing retirement in 2016. The past decade has seen the club plumb deeper depths than any professional outfit in Australia, arguably across any code.
Relocation to North Sydney, a sale to Manchester United, the handing back of their licence; for long stretches it seemed the only future not considered feasible for the Mariners was success. Outside the club, the thought of a packed out Gosford at finals time only existed in reminiscence, rather than aspiration.
‘When I first got here we won the Championship but then went bankrupt. Graham Arnold moved on, coaches came and went but their budget was slashed to the minimum. Managers and players struggled to get results for a number of years.
‘In the decade since I’ve learned a lot about myself, and knew when I got the opportunity I wanted to take the Club and prove everybody wrong, prove you can compete with the smallest budget in the League. You just need the right people, players and staff, in the building.
‘There’s been a lot of stories, some of them true and some probably ridiculous. But to be the coach that has the team into their next Grand Final is a really proud moment, and one I’m really looking forward to.’
Success after a miserable stretch brings time to reflect, and Montgomery is full of praise for Shaun Mielekamp. The CEO kept the club afloat through those barren years since his appointment in 2015, which saw four wooden spoons under as many managers in the five years post-Arnold.
The past twelve months has also seen the long-touted move away from Mike Charlesworth’s ownership. Charlesworth oversaw the 2013 Championship and his funds kept the club running, but by the same token he never proved overly keen to quash rumours of an uncertain future. He’s since been replaced by new owner & Chair Richard Piel, who in contrast has made it clear that representing the area is the club’s raison d’etre.
‘Shaun is a great guy, has been at the club a long time and copped a lot of stick in the tough times. When the team’s not winning it really is hard to get sponsors in and numbers in the stands, but if anyone’s followed the Club they’ll know he always tries to keep positive.’
‘Richard came in towards the end of last season. He’s been energetic, he’s on the ground, if I need anything I can ring him and ask. He’s enjoying being Chairman but is also finding out it can be stressful and there’s a lot of work that goes into it.
‘He’s very keen on building the fanbase, getting more fans in as the season’s gone, and 20,000 on the weekend shows how far we’ve come. The past is the past for a reason, we’re looking forward now and we’re looking forward to the grand final.’
Saturday night’s 2-0 win over Adelaide United was the first time the Mariners have sold out their stadium in Gosford, clocking in at 20,059. It’s no surprise the club kept chugging along against the odds while Montgomery was in the background with the academy, and even less so that they’ve surged back to a Grand Final with him in the top job.