A-League signs major Sydney deal ahead of Grand Final between Central Coast and Melbourne

Central Coast Mariners fanatics are gearing up for their team’s first men’s A-League Grand Final appearance in a decade on Saturday, as good news breaks for all Sydney soccer fans.

Samuel Silvera, of the Mariners, celebrates scoring a goal against the Western Sydney Wanderers in round five. Picture: Getty Images

Fanatical Central Coast Mariners fans are gearing up for a massive day on Saturday, ready to converge on Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium to watch their beloved team take on Melbourne City FC in the A-League Grand Final.

It comes as Destination NSW has confirmed Sydney will host the grand final series for the next three years.

Live attendance at A-League games this season has increased by more than 35 per cent and memberships are up 24 per cent.

Jobs and Tourism Minister John Graham said the partnership aimed to create a new grand final week festival of football that would showcase Sydney as an exciting experience for football fans.

“With the inclusion of a Fan Festival in the lead-up to Saturday’s big game we are creating a brand-new tradition for football fans in this country, cementing the Men’s A-League Grand Final as a marquee destination event on our national sporting calendar and showcasing the best of Sydney,” Mr Graham said.

A very excited Flick family can’t wait to see their team in the Grand Final: (l to r) Grace, 10, Andrew, Rowdy the dog, Janene and Samuel Flick, 13. Picture: Adam Yip

“This is a fantastic opportunity for football fans across the nation to enjoy an extended stay in the Harbour City, taking in our iconic natural beauty and vast cultural experiences.”

He also highlighted the economic benefits of the three-year deal.

This is the first time the Mariners have been in the Grand Final since they won it, in 2013. Picture: Getty Images

“Tens of thousands of football fans will flock to Sydney for the Men’s and Women’s A-League Grand Finals, injecting an estimated $26 million of visitor expenditure into NSW, supporting retail, tourism and hospitality businesses and thousands of jobs throughout our visitor economy,” he said.

Mariners super-fan Andrew Flick said he was thrilled to be able to experience all the grand final action and get behind the Central Coast club which is regarded as the smallest in the league.

“There’s nothing like your team making it to the grand final and I know all the Central Coast Mariners fans, including my family, are so pumped to hit the road and get among the finals festivities in Sydney,” Mr Flick said.

This will be the Mariners first championship opportunity since they won the Grand Final more than a decade ago in 2013 — their only championship compared to Melbourne’s six.

The club welcomed eight-time Olympic gold-medallist Usain Bolt to their squad in 2017, where he played in two pre-season games before rejecting a contract offer from the Central Coast in 2018.

CommBank stadium is expected to welcome a sellout crowd of around 30,000 guests with play kicking off at 7pm.