Mariners to lineup in season opener

[alicia]

Monday, 23 April, 2007 - 10:00AM

Bluetongue Central Coast StadiumThe Central Coast Mariners has been granted the honour of opening the 2007/08 Hyundai A-League season away to Sydney FC, in the first of many salivating fixtures that await the yellow and navy throughout their third campaign.

The Mariners will kick off the new season with a replay of the inaugural Hyundai A-League Grand Final against their southern rivals on Friday, 24 August, before returning home to host newcomers the Wellington Phoenix in the first regular season match at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium on Friday, 31 August.

Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium will host ten Hyundai A-League matches throughout the season, with highlights including three derby encounters against east coast rivals Sydney FC and the Newcastle Jets, as well as the annual New Years Eve fixture, which is to be played against reigning Champions Melbourne Victory.

"Today’s announcement of the draw for the 2007/08 Hyundai A-League season has only served to enhance our excitement and anticipation ahead of what we know will be another enthralling chapter in the history of the Mariners and the Hyundai A-League," said Mariners Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman.

"We’re very much counting the days until we run onto the Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium turf again and it goes without saying that we’re eagerly awaiting the visit of the Wellington Phoenix on Friday, 31 August."

The first derby encounter of the new season at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium will take place on Sunday, 7 October, when the Mariners host the Newcastle Jets for the first time in over a year.

Following the visit of the Jets, the Mariners will be looking to post their maiden Hyundai A-League victory against the Queensland Roar – who are the only side the Central Coast have yet to beat at their idyllic bayside home in two seasons.

The Champions, Melbourne Victory, will make two visits to Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, with a match up on Sunday, 4 November preceding their second consecutive New Years Eve sojourn.

Each match day is well represented throughout the season to suit each Central Coast demographic, with the Mariners playing four of their ten home matches on Saturday evenings, as well as four on Sunday afternoons in addition to one Friday night game and one on Monday (New Years Eve).

"We’re quite pleased with the way the draw has panned out and we’re confident that we have been provided with the best possible opportunity to achieve all that we can from a football perspective and also a commercial perspective," said Gorman.

"Although we’re still some months out from kick off, we’re working very hard to ensure that we hit the ground running in season three."

Details regarding membership and ticketing for the Central Coast Mariners’ 2007/08 Hyundai A-League campaign are currently being finalised, with all information set to be released in the near future on www.ccmariners.com.au.

Related Items
Hyundai A-League Fixtures 2007/08 (Document)
[ftp]http://www.ccmariners.com.au/_content/document/00000325-source.pdf[/ftp]

[DJ]

Sydney away on a Friday night Round 1 sucks for both us and Sydney.

Sydney usually have poorer crowds on a Friday and we have to rush down to a busy Sydney after work. Why couldn't they make it the Saturday or Sunday (Stadium is probably already booked)

[alicia]

djgrounsell said:

Sydney away on a Friday night Round 1 sucks for both us and Sydney.

Sydney usually have poorer crowds on a Friday and we have to rush down to a busy Sydney after work. Why couldn't they make it the Saturday or Sunday (Stadium is probably already booked)

That's exactly what I was thinking DJ.

Did you also notice there is no 7 home games in a row etc like there were in V1 & V2. Most games we play at home in a row is two.

[mariners4ever]

now i cant wait till the season starts after seeing that draw

[bakery5]

mariners express!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bobandbill]

That's good - no long streches of away or home games - for us at least.
Most of our games are on Sunday, some on saturday, 3 times on Friday I think (twice away), once away on Thursday and one on Monday - but that's the New Year's eve match.
Also notice that there is no set pattern in who we play - for example we play Pheonix round 2, round 9 and round 21...
And with sydney it is round 1, round 10 and round 15

[jazasydneyfc]

Canberra last year was very very messy. I warn you now.

[bobandbill]

Our grop matches for the pre-season cup include Wellington at bluetoungue, qld at orange, and Sydney at canberra. No mention of the 'bounus round' though Maybe it's taken out, or not decided yet

[Rubbernose]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of Sunday home games, they don't blend well with my keen desire to mix football with beer, and more beer after the football, and work on Monday.

From memory they generally don't do our crowd stats any favours either.

So I find the first 4 Sunday arvo home games in a row (apart from the opener on Friday) until midway through the season in November to be a bit sucky.

They could have mixed that up a bit surely. But meh, whatever, the last half of the season will be tops, just bring it on already.

[bobandbill]

Last two matches are at home on saturday against Jets and Phoenix. Sounds good!

[marinermick]

draw is out

we play sydney away again in the first round of the HAL on friday night

will post the whole thing if i have time but someone can beat me to it

[mariners4ever]

i might miss the 2nd last game against the jets due to holidays bloody hell

[brett]

jazasydneyfc said:

Canberra last year was very very messy. I warn you now.

Who did you play there last year? Was it Knights?

It can only be messier with this motley crew in tow. Looking forward to it.

[DJ]

marinermick said:

we play sydney away again in the first round of the HAL on friday night

great way for Sasho to start his Mariners HAL career ;D

how much stick is he gonna get lol

[jazasydneyfc]

wyomingtiger said:

jazasydneyfc said:

Canberra last year was very very messy. I warn you now.

Who did you play there last year? Was it Knights?

The Jets. They were a rabble at the time - we walked a 2-1 victory and got horribly drunk en route and at the game. My memory of it is chain-smoking up stairs at The Cross (nightclub in King's Cross) at 6am the next morning having then been going ~20hrs straight. Mental.

Will be decent vibe at the stadium with your lot down the other end as well. I look forward to it.

[marinermick]

unfortunately that weekend i will be in port douglas for a wedding

[serious14]

Put me down right now for the away trip to Melbourne on the 16th September. Had an absolute riot (HA!!!!) of a time last year and am ridiculously keen to go it again.

Might throw in a quick hop up to Brisvegas for the 9th December game....... maybe.

Make it August already.

[brett]

serious14 said:

Put me down right now for the away trip to Melbourne on the 16th September. Had an absolute riot (HA!!!!) of a time last year and am ridiculously keen to go it again.

Might throw in a quick hop up to Brisvegas for the 9th December game....... maybe.

Make it August already.

Well while we're throwing things about, I'd like to hear what away trips everyone would like to go on.

We must nominate a mass trip this season...the earlier it starts getting promoted the better...so what match do people like the look of and why?

[kevrenor]

wyomingtiger said:

Well while we're throwing things about, I'd like to hear what away trips everyone would like to go on.

We must nominate a mass trip this season...the earlier it starts getting promoted the better...so what match do people like the look of and why?

PresSeason obviously, and Bankrupt FC and that hell hole up north.

I'd love to say Perth ... but!

Perhaps Melbourne again on Sunday 16th - drive down and take Monday off, or fly. (With my son within 140km of Melbourne this is a hoped for must for me anyway).

Damn, I've just noticed that R21 is at home ... good of course but ... I was hoping for a January game in Wellington so I could take a week's holiday with my teacher wife. Oh well 2009.

[marinerbhoy]

dammit i am going to be in asia when we play in canberra. i really wanted us to play there, and now i cant go!