No doubt, parents Christine and John Paston, of Napier, and friends will be among the yellow fever crowd cheering on the Ernie Merrick-coached Phoenix.
Paston, who retired internationally early this month, says had he played at McLean Park it would have been no different to Ben Sigmund relishing playing in his home-town of Christchurch for Phoenix.
"Unfortunately it was not to be for me."
He hastens to add he has played at the Napier international venue for former club Bluewater Napier City Rovers during his National League debut in 1993, albeit on the bench with Don Finlayson their first-choice gloveman.
"They used to host Chatham Cup finals there and I played in a national league on one year, too," says Paston.
October's clash will be the first soccer game at McLean Park since 1999 when the venue hosted some of the 1999 U17 World Cup fixtures. Crowds of up to 10,000 attended those games.
McLean Park hosted the 1993, 94 and 95 Chatham Cup finals. A crowd of 6500 cheered Napier City Rovers on to a 6-0 thrashing of Christchurch Rangers in the 1993 encounter.
Waitakere United won the 1994 and 1995 finals against Olympic and North Shore, respectively, and both finals attracted close to 5000 fans at a revamped arena that can now house a crowd of 18,000.
In the mid-1980s McLean Park hosted an exhibition game between two English sides, one of which was Newcastle United (the UK version). It attracted a crowd of 6950.
Paston has never been comfortable as a player on the sidelines but he will be fine as a spectator cometh the hour plus 30 minutes on October 27.
"I've never enjoyed it. I spent a lot of time sitting on the bench so it's not the best when you're not in control."
He says a Phoenix game for Napier was long overdue in a string of venues to promote the beautiful game in the country.
"We have a big following for football in Hawke's Bay so it's only fitting that a game is held there," he says, adding the timing around a long weekend is superb considering the province offers a lot to holiday makers.
"Thanks to the Hawke's Bay people I learned heaps about the game while growing up there. It was a special time for me as a footballer," says the ex-Napier City Rovers player, mindful he will always look back fondly at his time here when reminiscing.
"I enjoy going back to Park Island to watch some games and getting back into the scene."
Team Hawke's Bay Trust, the promoters of Come on the Bay, and Hawke's Bay businesses put a deal together in June with the Phoenix franchise.
It is the brainchild of Tim Claudatos, a Napier businessman and coach of Honda Ericksen Port Hill United team in the ComputerCare Pacific Premiership competition in the Bay, who over the years has organised coach trips to the capital city for Bay fans to watch Phoenix games.
It saddens and perplexes Paston to see how the region missed out on securing the Fifa U19 World Cup soccer hosting rights in 2015.
No doubt, he feels Wellington will always be the home of Phoenix but playing games at major venues in Christchurch, Auckland and Dunedin is a great way to spread the gospel.
"There's a balance to be struck so you can't take too many games outside."
Blending into a "normal" working environment hasn't been too challenging for Paston who emphasises he was never a stranger to paid employment.
"I worked in London for a year in an administrative IT job and I did other jobs over the years, especially as a student in Hawke's Bay orchards."
While he had a good rapport with his sons growing up, during the daytime, before training as a footballer, he relishes not having to leave his young family behind for several weeks when the Nix played across the Tasman or when the All Whites toured abroad.
Retirement also doesn't mean he's sedentary. "I've been mountain biking, snowboarding and I go to the gym regularly."
Paston has been in touch with a few Phoenix squad members who "seem to be enjoying life" under the new regime of Scotsman Merrick who has A-League titles under his belt.
"They have a different coach who has brought different views and ideas so that can freshen things up," he says, adding the injection of new players also spices up training which have a tendency of becoming stale at times.
Paston helps a little with coaching youngsters on the odd occasion when approached but is mindful with his children growing up he may roll up his sleeves some day.
"But, generally, I'm just moving on with life."
