United kick off the New Year at Brunton Park with an Emirates FA Cup third round fixture against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon.

Looking ahead to the weekend, manager Keith Curle said: "We've seen against Oldham and Gillingham already in this competition that we have nothing to fear from teams from higher divisions.

"As for every game, if we do our jobs properly we know we're a match for anyone. We played some good football against Gillingham, and we followed that up with a strong home performance against Accrington, and that's the kind of display we want to put on for our home fans again this weekend.

"The last two games have been disappointing, but within them we've had chances to have more of a say and to have come away with something on both occasions.

"Sheffield Wednesday are a good side and they will come here looking to cause us problems. The players will want to impress Lee Bullen and he will be looking for them to build some momentum going into the second half of the season.

"That's exactly the same for us. We want to make sure we're doing the simple things properly for the full 90 minutes and, if we do, we have every chance of being in the hat for the next round come full time on Saturday afternoon."

Remember, you can purchase your tickets by telephone on 0844 371 1921* or buy online and print at home, or order for collection, by clicking HERE.  

*Calls to this number are charged at 7p per minute from landlines. Charges from mobiles may vary. A booking fee of £1 applies to all online transactions.

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Welcome to our Associate and Match Ball Sponsors

Our Associate Match Sponsor for this weekend is Carlisle Glass.

We have three Match Ball Sponsors on Saturday - D Marks Carpets, Baxter Pearse Financial Consultants and Bocata. 

All of our sponsors and their guests will be joining us in our hopsitality areas and we hope they have a fantastic and memorable day with us.

Our half-time entertainment will be another of our popular crossbar challenges - keep an eye out on social media, because it could be you ... and you'll be doing battle against some of the visiting fans from Sheffield Wednesday.

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Get to meet the players

Some of the first team squad will be out and about around the ground on match day.

Make sure you get your selfies and autographs:

12.45pm to 1pm - players arrive at main reception

2pm - Blues Store

2.30pm - Family Zone

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Lakeland Steaks Catering Unit to be positioned adjacent to EWM Stand

The Waterworks End of the stadium is open to away fans this weekend, so the Paddock North catering outlet will be unavailable for home fans.

The 'Lakeland Steaks' catering unit will move from it's usual position at the Cumberland Stand [A Stand] entrance, and will be open pre-match and at half time outside the EWM Stand next to Foxy's Restaurant (at the Paddock North turnstiles).

Fans in Paddock North and across the West Stand will be able to have access to this catering facility at half time, but must have their match tickets in their possession to gain entry back into the ground.

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Join us for our Happy Hour and Big Match build-up

Our hospitality areas will all be in full-flow again this weekend and we're looking forward to seeing you all there as we take on a Championship outfit in this season's Emirates FA Cup competition!  

Our TV screens will be showing all of the sports coverage ahead of kick off, to help you to get in the mood for the big game. And live football will also be on our screens after full time, for those of you who want to stay with us when our game has concluded.

Our catering partners, abm Catering, are delighted to confirm another Happy Hour in the Sporting Inn and Sunset Suite between 12pm and 1.30pm on Saturday afternoon.

The Happy Hour includes a ‘50p per pint off’ offer on Fosters, John Smiths and Strongbow [£3 per pint during the Happy Hour] – please note, Guinness and Morretti will be sold at full price.

Remember, you can upgrade your match ticket to book a place in Foxy’s Restaurant - £25pp for a two-course meal or £30pp for a three-course meal.

We also have an extensive range of sponsorship opportunities available, from Match Day sponsorship to player and ball sponsorship packages. For more information please contact the Commercial Department on 01228 554 155 or email commercial@carlisleunited.co.uk

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New stock arriving in our Blues Store all the time!

As we go full steam ahead into the New Year it's an excellent chance for you to pick up your Blues winter clothing and accessories some cold spells predicted in the coming weeks. 

From fashion ranges to small souvenirs and stocking fillers, we have everything your devoted Blues fan could want.

The popular home and away kits continue to sell well - some of our first team players will be popping into the Blues Store at around 2pm – be there for a selfie with your new shirt if you can make it!

Keep checking in-store and online - we have new fashion and souvenir ranges arriving all the time.

Telephone sales: 01228 554 138 (during store working hours only).

To shop at our online Blues Store, click HERE.

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The Mascots

Our mascots for this game are Oliver Medling and Jay Stephenson. 

Oliver is a Reggie Lambe fan, and Jay likes Nicky Adams ... and both lads are predicting a 2-1 home victory on the day.

Have a great afternoon with us!

To find out more about our Junior Blues membership and how to become a mascot, click HERE.

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The Man in the Middle 

Our match referee this weekend is David Webb.

Mr Webb has taken charge of 25 games so far this season and has shown 58 yellow cards and two reds.

He was last at Brunton Park in October for our 1-1 draw with Notts County. Hallam Hope scored our first half goal, but Ryan Yates pegged us back for the draw with a strike just before the hour. Tom Miller was the only name taken on the day.

He was also the man in the middle for our defeat at Accrington in September, but no Carlisle names were taken that day.

Our betting partner Sky Bet has some fantastic odds available on all match markets – click HERE for more details.

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The Match Programme

Issue 17 of this season’s 'The Blues' Match Day programme is on sale from our usual programme selling points and outlets around the ground.

It’s back to our standard 64-page layout, following the festive period bumper edition, and it's an Emirates FA Cup special with the match report from our meeting with Sheffield Wednesday in this same competition back in 1997 taking centre stage.

It’s packed with fun, facts and features to keep you entertained during the half time break.

Priced at just £3 it’s becoming a must-have match day essential.

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Match Day Ticket Sales

Match Day Ticket Sales are as follows:

Main Stand [B, C, Pirelli Family Stand and EWM] – from the ticket office situated on the west side of the stadium.

Paddock – from the Paddock ticket office situated at the southern end of the Paddock.

Pioneer Foods Stand and Warwick Road End – from the Pioneer Foods Stand ticket office situated on the ground floor on the east side of the stadium.

Away fans – from the away ticket office situated at the northern end of the Pioneer Foods Stand.

Remember – during the working week our Pioneer Foods Stand ticket office, situated on the first floor of the Pioneer Foods stand, is open for ticket sales for ALL areas of the ground.

The ticket office on the west side of the stadium is open on MATCH DAYS ONLY.

The ticket office is open from 10am to 5pm on weekdays (and until kick off for midweek games) and from 10am to 5.15pm on weekend match days.

It is worth noting that entry can be gained on match days by showing your ticket confirmation email on your smart phone or equivalent device. Simply present the relevant section of your eTicket for scanning at point of entry.

For full ticket office opening times and ticket prices, click HERE.

Remember, you can purchase your tickets by telephone on 0844 371 1921* or buy online and print at home, or order for collection, by clicking HERE.

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Be in it to win it with our Golden Gamble

Keep your eye out for our Golden Gamble sellers around the ground ahead of kick off.

Your tickets can be purchased for just £1 (or at 3 for £2) and give you the chance to win either £100, or the share of a cash pot, in our half time draws. 

And, while we’re on the subject, why not sign up to our exciting Blues Lotto? For just £1 you can purchase 10 lucky numbers for our weekly draw giving you the chance to win cash prizes from our fund of nearly £60,000.

There is now the opportunity to pay an additional £1 per week to upgrade to Premier Membership where there is another £17,000 cash, 3 new cars and many other prizes waiting to be won. 

For more details visit www.blueslotto.co.uk or email lottery@carlisleunited.co.uk. 

Alternatively call 01228 526 237 and ask for Ewan Wood. 

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The Blues Store in the East Stand

We are delighted to confirm that our Blues Store will be operating from the Club Bar adjacent to the Family Zone in the Pioneer Foods Stand once again this weekend.

A full range of stock will be available with the emphasis on smaller items, suitable for the younger visitors to our extremely popular Family Zone games and play area.

Keep your eye out for our mini-tuck shop selling a range of confectionary and drinks.

Replica kit sales continue to go well in our main Blues Store on Warwick Road and it would be great to see you in your favourite colour [blue or carbon] as you cheer on the lads from the stands and the terraces.

Blues Store opening times:

Monday - 10am to 5pm
Tuesday - 10am to 5pm (open until 7.45pm on a match day)
Wednesday - CLOSED 
Thursday - 10am to 5pm
Friday - 10am to 5pm
Saturday - 10am to 3pm (open until 5.30pm on match day) 
Sunday - CLOSED

Telephone sales: 01228 554 138 (during store working hours only).

Click HERE to shop at our online Blues Store.

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Challenge 25

We are operating the ‘Challenge 25’ policy at Brunton Park this season.

Please do not be offended if you are asked for ID when purchasing alcohol and if you appear to be under the age of 25 to our bar staff.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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The Supporters’ Car Park

Our supporters’ car park is open with parking available at the stadium at just £3.

Please be aware that the ground can be uneven in places, so take care when navigating and walking around the area.

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Local Match Day Travel with Stagecoach

Carlisle Footyrider – get to the match for half the cost!

Stagecoach Cumbria and Carlisle United are working together to make it easier for you to get to Brunton Park on match days.

The Carlisle Footyrider ticket will get you to every first-team home game for half the price of a normal dayrider ticket.

Stagecoach service 76 and 685 takes you straight to Brunton Park. Simply catch service 76 from The Crescent (Stand U) near the train station or service 685 from Carlisle Bus Station.

What you'll need

To get a Carlisle Footyrider ticket you’ll need to show our driver one of the following:

+ A valid Carlisle United season ticket

+ A ticket for that day's match

Where you can travel?

You can get to Brunton Park from anywhere across Cumbria and North Lancashire.

Depending on where you’re travelling from, you can purchase a Footyrider ticket from within the:

+ Carlisle dayrider zone
+ Carlisle dayrider plus zone
+ Explorer zone

How much does it cost?

+ Carlisle dayrider - £1.50
+ Carlisle dayrider plus - £3.35
+ Explorer - £5.40

Click HERE to visit the Stagecoach website for full travel details.