50 days to go, five home games you can’t miss this season!
Today marks 50 days ‘til the Central Coast Mariners kick off their eleventh Hyundai A-League campaign on October 10.
With that in mind, we’ve run our eyes over the Hyundai A-League fixtures for 2015/16 Season and earmarked five games at Central Coast Stadium that you cannot miss!
Round 1 – Perth Glory – Saturday 10 October 2015, 5:15pm
Start your countdowns! In 50 days time we’ll be be immersed by the action of the Hyundai A-League against Perth Glory at our idyllic bayside arena.
Strong crowds are expected across the Hyundai A-League for opening day and both the Mariners and Glory will be looking to kick off their season with a BANG!
However, the stats fall heavily in favour of the Yellow and Navy with the Western Australian outfit having only won once at Central Coast Stadium from 14 encounters.
For a bit of pub trivia: it will be almost 10 years to the day since our first ever home win at Central Coast Stadium in 2005 – a 4-0 win over Perth Glory!
Round 4 – Sydney FC – Saturday 31 October 2015, 5:15pm
This is always a massive encounter at Central Coast Stadium and this Round 4 fixture will take on added heat, with Sydney FC featuring a raft of former Central Coast Mariners personalities
Former Mariners boss Graham Arnold has shaped his side with a strong Coastie influence, recruiting Zac Anderson, Matt Simon as well as Goalkeeping Coach John Crawley in the Hyundai A-League off-season.
Last season’s clash in January delivered a great atmosphere at Central Coast Stadium, with just over 12,000 attending the match.
A Halloween fixture this time round, this match is sure to be quite the treat for Mariners members and fans.
Round 13 – Wellington Phoenix – Thursday 31 December 2015, 7:00pm
New Year’s Eve football is back where it belongs! This NYE we take on the Wellington Phoenix right by the palm trees in what is sure to be a raucous Central Coast Stadium.
The Central Coast Mariners have not lost in the traditional NYE fixture since 2010 and will be looking to get one up on Ernie Merrick’s Phoenix who recently knocked the Mariners out of the Westfield FFA Cup.
The Hyundai A-League NYE fixture will go hand in hand with the usual display of fireworks rolled out by Gosford City Council on the waterfront.
Round 16 – Western Sydney Wanderers – Saturday 23 January 2016, 7:30pm
With school holidays in full swing and Australia Day approaching, you can expect this mid-season grudge match with the Western Sydney Wanderers to attract a lot of noise over the long weekend.
Over the last three campaigns, this fixture has developed a massive rivalry, particularly after our historic Championship win in 2013.
Our last clash with the Wanderers at home was on April 2015 where the Mariners bid farewell to club legend John Hutchinson with a 1-0 win.
This will be our second home match against the Wanderers throughout this Hyundai A-League season with the first taking place on November 29 amongst SIX home derbies this campaign.
Round 27 – Newcastle Jets – Saturday 9 April 2016, 5:15pm
The Hyundai A-League has a tendency to go right down to the wire and this #F3Derby against the Newcastle Jets has all the hallmarks to decide the final standings between both the Jets and the Mariners.
For a number of seasons the Mariners have had the edge over the Jets, not losing an F3 Derby since October 2012 and winning three of the last five. Furthermore, the last time Newcastle claimed three points at Gosford was January 2008.
The match will be the second #F3Derby at Central Coast Stadium this season, with the Jets also visiting on February 28.
That’s only a taste of the action you can expect at Central Coast Stadium in the Hyundai A-League 2015/16 Season as the Mariners are gearing up for 13 tantalising home fixtures.
Have we missed a game you’re excited for? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook and Twitter pages!
