Mason had offered the 40-year-old 24 hours to check with the club administrators and players to see if they wished to embark on that journey.
Barclay said: "With every minute that went by it became an easier and easier decision so it was a no brainer, really."
The villagers won the Fed League crown in August last year, with two rounds to go. The following month they played Capital Football contenders Waterside Karori, losing 2-1 to them at Guthrie Park, Havelock North, before pipping them 1-0 in the capital city but missing out on the home-and-away aggregate goal rules.
Barclay said they had talked a lot about the mental change required to make that transition from Fed to Central League so to miss by the slightest of margins in the dying minutes was gut wrenching.
"We had missed out on scoring away again by the width of a crossbar that day so that's how close it was. Anyone in this sporting environment would sympathise with those sorts of margins."
Consequently Barclay said it was immensely satisfying to give the young talent in the Bay a chance to make a name for themselves.
The last time two Bay teams were in the Central League was when Maycenvale United beat Team Taranaki in 2011 to compete the following year with the Rovers before bowing out.
The Wanderers have had a rich history in footing it at the Central League, dating back to the 1970s when it had three tiers. The Blue and Golds worked their way up from third division to second before gaining promotion to the premier Central League in 1987. They gained promotion again in 2004 and this winter it'll be their third representation.
The other Bay team to compete in the Central League was Taradale FC.
Fans in the province often say when there is more than one team in the league it's often an indicator that the province is teeming with talent.
"Some will argue that we don't have the depth in the region and that's just the strong point to that argument. I'm just hoping that argument isn't accurate and that we manage to survive and be an entity in the region for a long time to come," said Barclay.
He said the club was under no illusions that it was going to be a massive undertaking.
While travelling was a factor, he said the Wanderers had been doing that for five years in the Fed League.
"It is further to travel to Taranaki than it is to Wellington."
Barclay said it was simply a matter of committing and lifting everything incrementally if the club wanted to foot it at another level.
Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United coach Brett Angell had included Wanderers striker BJ Christensen this summer in his squad to suggest talented players had a pathway to the ISPS Handa Premiership.
Barclay said Central League was littered with premiership players so Angell was looking at "comparing apples with apples" in giving a youngster the opportunity to have a taste of the national summer league.
"Every young or even middle-aged player in Hawke's who wants an opportunity will realise it's not just a Havelock North opportunity but a Hawke's Bay one."
Last Thursday Barclay reckoned the Wanderers had had their best training of the year at Guthrie Park.
"I went there that night and made the announcement but I was a little naughty and held back the information until just before training.
"The roar and cheering was deafening and it completely changed the complexion of the training session," he said.
