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The Western Sydney Wanderers drop in to give the Doonside Hawks a hand

It is not every day the country’s best football stars drop in to referee a local club game.

Wanderers Scott Jamieson and Jackson Bandiera hang out with the Doonside Hawks for a Community Day at Glendenning Reserve.
Wanderers Scott Jamieson and Jackson Bandiera hang out with the Doonside Hawks for a Community Day at Glendenning Reserve.

It is not every day the country’s best football stars drop in to referee a local club game, but the Western Sydney Wanderers did just that last weekend.

Scott Jamieson and Jackson Bandiera took time out of their busy schedules to spend the day at Glendenning Reserve with the Doonside Hawks.

Both Jamieson and Bandiera devoted the morning to posing for photos and ­signing autographs for hundreds of young fans. However, their biggest task was calling the shots for both the under-5 and under-6 games.

Doonside Hawks spokeswomen Enza Kursun said the visit meant the world to their club.

Scott Jamieson with the Doonside Hawks under 5's.
Scott Jamieson with the Doonside Hawks under 5's.

“The guys were fantastic — so polite so lovely,” Mrs Kursun said.

“The players were there for a few hours and signed autographs and took photos; nothing was too much for them.

“They were happy to help with ­anything.”

Mrs Kursun said the club asked both players to referee one of their junior games each.

“The little ones loved it, they were in awe and just listened to everything they had to say,” Mrs Kursun said.

“The older kids were more excited though. They were running up to them at halftime and after the game for photos.

“They just loved it.”

Wanderers Scott Jamieson & Jackson Bandiera referee the clubs junior games.
Wanderers Scott Jamieson & Jackson Bandiera referee the clubs junior games.

The Doonside Hawks are one of the biggest football clubs in Western Sydney.

And with many of the players and families also Wanderers supporters and members, Mrs Kursun said the day was a huge hit.

“We had more than 200 people turn up on the day,” she said.

“We are a very big club but also very big Wanderers fans — a lot of our people are members and they love to go to the games.”

The Wanderers spent all Saturday posing for photos and autographs with the club.
The Wanderers spent all Saturday posing for photos and autographs with the club.

The Hawks weren’t the only club to benefit from the inaugural Western Sydney Wanderers Community Day.

No district missed out — from Camden to the Blue Mountains — as the Red and Blacks visited thousands of young up-and-coming football fanatics.

For more information on future ­Wanderers fan days, visit ­wswanderersfc.com.au.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/the-standard/the-western-sydney-wanderers-drop-in-to-give-the-doonside-hawks-a-hand/news-story/b2e278991a1f990015c2c1624317f543