The Central Coast Mariners and Capital Football will build on their relationship to bring a second Hyundai A-League match to Canberra in the 2016/17 season with the nation’s capital set to host the Yellow & Navy on Saturday 12 November and Sunday 5 February.
In April, Central Coast Mariners Chief Executive Officer Shaun Mielekamp alongside Capital Football Chairman Mark O’Neill, Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome and ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr were on hand at GIO Stadium to announce the return of the A-league to Canberra.
In addition to the announcement of the Remembrance Round fixture on Saturday 12 November against Wellington Phoenix, the Mariners are excited to announce a second match with the fixture against Adelaide United on February 5 to be played at Canberra’s GIO Stadium.
The Mariners have a longstanding relationship with Canberra that saw the Yellow & Navy host two Hyundai A-League home matches in 2009 where they boast an undefeated record, defeating both Perth Glory and the reigning Hyundai A-League Champions, Adelaide United.
During the 2015/16 pre-season the Central Coast Mariners also spent a week in Canberra where they played against PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues sides Canberra Olympic and Gungahlin United, alongside a range of community activation and skills clinics with grass roots players.
The Mariners will also return to Canberra multiple times during pre-season, trips that will include player and staff visits to the 2016 NSR Kanga Cup; pre-season matches and a raft of community visits to grassroots clubs in Canberra.
Central Coast Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp was excited to announce a second match in Canberra and thanked Capital Football for their co-operation.
“The Central Coast Mariners are proud to be working with Capital Football to bring the reigning Hyundai A-League Champions to Canberra,” Mielekamp said. “I am excited to re-open a strategy that was already in place and see this as the first major step in forging a long term relationship with the nation’s Capital.
“It is great to return to Canberra with two exciting Hyundai A-League matches and we are committed to doing as much as we can in the lead up to help community football grow and our relationship with Capital Football will help us achieve this.
“Our pre-season campaign in Canberra is close to being finalised and along with playing pre-season matches we also look forward to unearthing some new talent.
“Without the co-operation and tireless work of Mark O’Neill and Phil Brown from Capital Football along with the support of ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr and ACT Venues this would not be possible and I cannot thank them enough,” Mielekamp said.
Capital Football Chairman, Mark O’Neill welcomed the strengthening of the relationship with A-League clubs and the commitment of the Mariners to supporting the development of football in Canberra. “The Mariners initiative in creating opportunities for players and coaches to obtain experience in a national league environment is a strong endorsement for football in the Capital region. We look forward to the support of the Canberra football community for these matches.”
ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr welcomed the additional Hyundai A-League fixture to Canberra.
“The ACT Government is looking forward to hosting the Central Coast Mariners at GIO Stadium on February 5 2017. We encourage all football fans to come along and show their support for the Mariners and the Hyundai A-League,” Barr said.
Match Details
Hyundai A-League Round 6
Saturday 12 November 2016
Match: Central Coast Mariners vs. Wellington Phoenix Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 5:35pm (local time)
Match Details
Hyundai A-League Round 18
Sunday 5 February 2017
Match: Central Coast Mariners vs. Adelaide United Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 5:00pm (local time)
