NEW owners, new coach, new players, new strip . . . new hope.
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That was the vibe surrounding the Jets as they embarked on another major rebuild - only this time Football Federation Australia were pulling the strings..
The tumultuous reign of former billionaire Nathan Tinkler came crashing down after a shambolic 2014-15 A-League campaign.
Three wins in 27 games, the lowest points haul in the club's history, a mid-season revolt which led to an unprecedented axing of five senior players and three support staff, overdue wages, unpaid superannuation and $20 million in liabilities. A complete horror show.
This was a new beginning.
Relative unknown Scott Miller was entrusted with the controls.
Miller had never been a head coach of a senior side when, at age 34, he became the youngest tactician in the history of the A-League on the recommendation of Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou.
Miller, who had a sports science degree, had spent the best part of a decade at English club Fulham in a variety of roles and impressed Postecoglou during a stint with the Socceroos in 2013.
"When the role came up, I weighed up whether I wanted to stay in a comfort zone or challenge and inspire myself," Miller said.
Countering Miller's inexperience was his lieutenant, Jean-Paul De Marigny, who had been Kevin Muscat's right-hand man for Melbourne Victory's premiership double the previous season.
"You don't know me personally yet, but my personality is a winner," Miller said at his first press conference. "Complete winner. That's why we're here."
Off the pitch, the Jets were busy reconnecting with the football and business community.
They began the season with almost 7500 members, a miracle given the previous season's debacle, and carried a bona fide major sponsors on their playing shirts for just the second time in the club's history.
Northern NSW CEO David Eland shifted across to the Jets office, as the FFA continued to search for a buyer for the club.
"My priority is making sure the club is as prepared as it can be, both on and off the field," Eland said.
"The absolute priority is making sure that the connection between the club and the community is as strong as it can be. Northern NSW Football needs to be the conduit for that."
The governing body had let previous coach Phil Stubbins go in May.
Before exiting, the much-maligned mentor had delivered Nigel Boogaard to the Jets on a three-year deal.
"It's exciting to be playing for this community," said Boogaard, a Newcastle boy who had spent a decade away at the Central Coast and Adelaide.
"I grew up here and all my junior football was here. I always wanted to come back but didn't know if I would get the opportunity.
"I know what this community has to offer and what they want out of a football team.
"I'm looking forward to it and am pretty excited to be wearing the red and blue."
Boogaard was joined by Mark Birighitti, Labinot Haliti and Mateo Poljak.
Korean Lee Ki-je and Serbian Enver Alivodic returned and David Carney's exile was ended.
Serbian striker Milos Trifunovic and Brazilian midfielder Leonardo were the other major arrivals.
Leonardo had played alongside superstars Luis Suarez and Jaap Stam at Ajax and was recommended to Miller by former Fulham manager Martin Jol.
"You don't play at Ajax unless you have absolute quality," Miller said. "He is technically talented, quick and mobile with the ability to create chances in the final third. He can play across the front three, especially as a second striker."
Unfortunately, in all too familiar script, the 32-year-old was restricted by a ongoing knee issue and only showed glimpses of his class.
It was that kind of season for the Jets.
There were highs and lows in a fluctuating campaign.
Carney left for Sydney in January and delivered a back-hand on the way out: "It reminded me of being back playing with the Socceroos, to be fair,'' Carney said after his first training session back at the Sky Blues. ''I feel like, compared to Newcastle, it's just two very different sides."
Trifunovic, who was the Jets' leading goal-scorer with nine, departed with a month remaining to return to Kazakhstan.
In the end, the Jets won five more games than they did the previous season, scored five more goals and conceded 14 fewer as they climbed to eighth place.
Even after a 10-game winless run mid-season - including a 566-minute goal drought - they bounced back to win five and draw two of their next 13 outings.
The FFA was working as hard as the players on the field to find a suitable buyer for the Jets.
FFA boss, said repeatedly "'we're not in the business of owning A-League clubs in the long-term".
But it took more than 12 months and several suitors for the FFA to find the right owner.
Stephen Thompson, the multi-millionaire owner of Scottish Premier League club Dundee United, was poised to assume control in November before the deal collapsed.
FFA hired investment bank UBS to procure a sale and in March they announced they had six interested parties.
"The FFA takes the view that it's about finding the right buyer for the Newcastle Jets licence," Gallop said.
"While we're not in the business of owning A-League clubs in the long-term, it is in everyone's interests we hold the licence until those pre-conditions are in place."
The governing body also revealed they had forked out $2.4 million in operational costs for the Jets.
Finally on June 15, Gallop confirmed that Martin Lee's Ledman Group had purchased the Jets for a reported $5.5 million.
"This will be seen as more than just a change of ownership for the Jets," he said.
"It's a watershed moment for Australian football.
"It's a marker of Australia's growing engagement with Asia and points towards our future integration with the fastest- growing football region in the world. We now have a direct investment from China into the A-League."
Lee, who's company was valued at $1.4 billion on the Chinese stock exchange, promised stability and predicted the club would be a break-even business in two years
"With Ledman's strong financial base we can invest money not only in good players but also business management," Lee said.
"Once Ledman comes into the Jets - we are a famous company in China - the club will have more focus on it. That will bring business opportunities.
"I have confidence that in two years the Jets will be break even."
Former Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, who helped broker the deal, was appointed chief executive.
"Newcastle Jets have a long history as a football club and I have confidence in it and hope it has a very good future," he said. "The Newcastle Jets will always belong to the local community and the community's fans."
