Coaching and Development Manager of Football NSW Western Branch, Andrew Fearnley, said getting the game to the area is “a pretty big event for our sport”.

“We always try to get the Central Coast to come out and play games in the area to give people access to A-League without having to travel,” he said.

“We’ve got some squads training before the game that have got state titles next week, who’ll hang around to watch the game.

“We’ve had a good response from players coming to watch the game ‘in their own backyard’, so to speak.

“We’d encourage anyone who has an interest in football or the A-League, whether they’ve seen it before or not, to have a look and see what it’s all about.”

The Central Coast Mariners will look to make the most of their three-day trip to Mudgee this weekend, with a number of community appearances both before and after trial match on Saturday afternoon. 

On Saturday, two Mariners players will make a visit to Newcastle Permanent’s Mudgee Branch on Church Street to meet and greet customers and fans in store, and be available for autographs and photos between 9:30am and 10:30am.

Mr Fearnley added that recruiting new players to the sport is one of the aims of bringing a high profile match to the area.

“If we can encourage people or their kids to then play the game [after going and seeing the match] then that’s certainly a positive for us,” he said.

Former Central Coast Mariners striker, Adam Kwasnik, did a school visit at Mudgee Public School yesterday and will do the same at Cudgegong Valley Public School this morning.

The day after the match the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets squads will run a clinic for interested players from Under 6s to Under 12s at 10am on Sunday, September 21, at Glen Willow Regional Sporting Complex, which will be followed by a signing session.

While the youngsters’ training session is being run Mariners’ Head Coach Phil Moss, Assistant Coach Wayne O’Sullivan, John Crawley and other coaching staff will run a Coaches Clinic.

3pm

Newcastle Jets training at Glen Willow Sporting Stadium

9.30-10.30am

Two Central Coast Mariners players will make a visit to Newcastle Permanent’s Mudgee Branch in Church Street to meet and greet customers and fans in store, and be available for autographs and photos

4pm

The A-League pre-season match, Central Coast Mariners FC v Newcastle Jets, at Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium, Mudgee, (gates open 2:30pm), tickets available from Mudgee Travel and Cruise, 6372 6077.

10am

Players Coaching Clinic, the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets squads will run a clinic for interested players from Under 6s to Under 12s at Glen Willow Regional Sporting Complex. 

Players should bring a ball.

The players coaching clinic will be followed by a signing session at 

11am

Coaches Clinic, with CCM Head Coach Phil Moss, Assistant Coach Wayne O’Sullivan, John Crawley and other CCM coaching staff also at Glen Willow Regional Sporting Complex.

The session is open to any interested coaches.

Coaches and players should register for the clinics by emailing andrew@footballnsw.com.au