The Jets are potentially folding and it's a problem but also potentially a solution.
We've all done it, gone through the motions at work. Is it enough? Sometimes, but if we do it too often, and our performances suffer, and we are hardly likely to be in a better place for it. The A-leagues Newcastle Jets have been in this mode for as long as anybody can remember, minor blips of good performances and crowds are overwhelmed by mediocrity and disinterest. Before the reason for this is discussed. The apparent solution is financial security in the short and long term, which would ultimately be enough to keep what is happening going. Instead, there is an identity crisis, which stops the club from connecting with the area or continuing to build the foundations there. For those seasoned Australian football article readers, fear less, this is not going to be about how the club needs an ethnic base or culture like the NSL clubs of old; firstly, that's never really been a Newcastle thing for its representative club, and secondly, save that, for the local clubs.
Bring back the Breakers at the dog track!
Let's do a little association exercise. What do you think about when you think about Newcastle or Novacastrians: Beaches, industry, working class, steelworks, surfing, mining, rugby league, tight-knit community, honest hard working. Some of these depend on how people view the place, and some are dated, but what does not come up in the first five to ten words unless you are part of the RAAF, Jets or the Air Force. Don't get me wrong, there is a proud history in the area, but that is also on the outskirts of the area and hardly representative of the area ( when would someone say Newcastle is an Air Force town? Never). Now, some would ask why that would matter, but the club needs to feel a part of everyone in the community, and you have started with a very narrow representation ( especially when you consider no other A-league club bothered). Look at their co-tenants, the Knights. Is that representative of the town at all? No, but it also means nothing, so what the club has done and how it has connected are what stands out. The Jets are trying to represent Newcastle, the Hunter, and the north coast, and they represent a very small part of that.
My solution would be to ditch the clunky name of old ( either Newcastle United or the Newcastle Jets; the Newcastle United Jets is a mouthful) and go by something like Newcastle City. I would also change the logo to have an image of the breakwall and ocean, with a coal loader in the distance and a jet in the sky, which would better encapsulate the area while also representing things the greater area can relate to.
Maybe chuck in a few protestors.
Another identity problem is the colours. I always pushed for gold, as having the Knights' colours is not correct, as they do not partner with or fund the club. But it is a tricky colour to represent for the fans and challenging to do much with design-wise, unlike the Mariners Yellow. Cinnamon and burgundy are similarly difficult for fans and limiting, so instead, a bit of the best of all worlds, by doing what no one else is currently doing by having a predominantly white kit with a blue and red sash across the chest. This way, the club can use colours the area identifies with the most while having its own bold design which can be tinkered with for new kits ( Straight lines, designs on the sleeves/sides, different shorts and socks combos, something the Knights are limited in, how many times can you throwback to premiership win kits). The aways can then be blue or red with the sash, alternate black, or a nicer shade of gold. Finally, the club would have a design to get behind, and the kits would warrant buying new ones each year (something that could only help the club).
A constant failure for the club is how its active support has been managed, with it failing to retain people once they reach adulthood and have much cohesion beyond singing the songs when they used to pack the place nearly twenty years ago. This is where diversifying the support rather than making them a collective would benefit greatly. The current Ultra-lite group can remain but use the many empty seats to your advantage. Encourage an old squadron-type bay with a booze bus after the game, and have a bus or train group with supporters from the hunter who can remain as a group or join others at the stadium. Have a Steel City group with drums and percussion. Encourage a cheap match experience for university kids. Don't worry about power struggles. There need not be one group (it's not like they are a firm anyway). Have junior supporter groups that get free accessories at different games, like flags, clappers and horns. I understand the sentiment for Never Tear Us Apart (apart from the multiple times they've been torn apart on and off the field). But select something with a genuine passion that genuinely connects to what Newcastle and a positive club look like.
Something the women's side has to be credited with is their close connections between the players and their fans, local clubs and particularly the LGBTQ+ community. Fair enough, there are many crossovers, and the smaller coverage of the league means these things stay visible in translation, like the men's league. however, these things are displayed in the crowd, and that is something the men's game can work on with a recognisable identity in place. McDonald Jones Stadium has to be where they play as parking and transport logistics for the crowd the men bring are not realistic for the number two sports ground, although a weekly open session there could offer something.
I know what the Jets do in schools and the community, and no doubt the players are more available than most. But watching a recent YouTube documentary on the Hartford Whalers, a defunct NHL team who were financially hamstrung and success-starved with several good teams within driving distance. They found a niche in being the community team, with them being part of everyday stuff and being approachable. This boosted attendance for a good period until the finances became untenable (sound familiar). The club good has a morning walk on the day of a game where the supporters could join ( I see the opposition in the foreshore every game day). The team could have open sessions at No.2, finishing with a BBQ ( borrowing from old AFL ideas but a simple, cost-effective promotion). Lean into players' strengths and have programs where players help with fitness or nutrition. Have nights where players come in and eat somewhere. Have players get a local team for the year where they turn up to some training and the occasional game ( borrowing from the league). Have a tent with a skills comp or basic show bag at the show. These are simple, small things that cost little and would make a difference, particularly in a place like Newcastle.
On-field is a much harder thing to stamp an identity on. In the early days of the A-League, mother Theresa Foster was drooling over the Barcelona-style pass first and attacking mentality of the Jets. But the club's ability to recruit and retain players to do this leads to the ebbs and flows we see. So instead, the constant should always be the club keeping the highest fitness and accountability standards with a next-man-up mentality that should carry no matter the players or the boss. Instead of looking elsewhere, the club should look locally for a head coach but fill the assistant role with a veteran from elsewhere who knows how a good club runs with future proteges in the staff. There can't be immediate success expected, but having someone who genuinely understands the area and what the club means while knowing the players in the area would be a massive boost. These people failing or succeeding are better than someone getting poached or struggling after being signed from a sound system elsewhere. Have it so that the staff could quickly be filled by a Hoffman or a local who has done well in the local comp.
As for the types of players in the team, ideally, a Bilbao-esque Hunter-Mid-North Coast with only eleven players would be loved by the fans. As would a competent team filled with Australian players with marquee spots filled with a flair Brazilian or a technical Spaniard. A Central Coast system that salvages offcuts from elsewhere and develops them, sprinkling local talent and bringing in players from obscure nations that can do the job would be accepted. All are welcome, but ultimately, a team with plan players who can fill roles tied up to the club so they can ultimately start to mould a culture with some young locals getting the chance to represent the side and the occasional foreigner with the right attitude who is head and shoulders above all others (not battling for a first-team spot) must be the bare minimum, with their professionalism being an example to the others and the occasional player of value to eventually fill the coffers and fund recruitment.
As for promoting the games, one thing that has been underutilised by the club is the us against them mentality. The only big promotion tends to be against the Mariners, and while the biggest rival, the club is far too similar (close but not close) to create the right amount of animosity. The real clubs that bring this out are Sydney and the Two Melbourne clubs. Something along the lines of Fibros vs Silvertails in League wouldn't go astray. Although the difference in supporters and players could be more significant, and there are plenty of rich people here and vice versa, playing on it to draw passion and attendance from the support should be happening. If it doesn't work out the first time, there is usually another home meeting that could be promoted, and you can then use media statements or actions from the game.
Ultimately, most of these engagement problems are league-wide, as passionate interest seems to go from die-hards only, to flares and field invasions and no in-between. While some clubs are known for winning, their identity does not go beyond where they play. Ultimately, getting fans involved and being genuinely a community club (not just saying so on the socials) will make a difference. New owners may salvage the Jets, but a new identity will save them.
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