During the days of the NSL, Steven Issa sat on what he and his mates dubbed ‘Granville Hill’ at Melita Stadium, watching his beloved Parramatta Eagles.
This season, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Parramatta has become a passionate Western Sydney Wanderers fan.
He’s an important friend for the fledgling A-League club to have.
The Sydney derby is still several weeks away, but tickets have already been snapped up by eager fans. In fact, it sold out less than an hour after going on sale to the public.
After the success of the Melbourne derby, we all hoped the Sydney derby would arouse similar passions and bumper crowds. Now – with one win apiece – the city is already buzzing with anticipation for the deciding derby of the season.
So much so that this week Parramatta Council passed a motion to have the streets around Parramatta Stadium closed in order to create a ‘live site’ outside the ground.
Considering the millions of dollars and goodwill the Wanderers have brought into the local area, the Deputy Lord Mayor’s idea was enthusiastically backed by the chamber. It’s an unprecedented move for an A-League club, and even more amazing considering it’s during the regular season.
There has been plenty of praise already for the Wanderers in engaging their local community. From the very beginning, the FFA were at pains to include the locals in all decisions. It’s how the Wanderers got their name, their colours, and their home ground.
In such a large catchment area, choosing a stadium was always going to be a difficult balancing act. Penrith, Campbeltown, Parramatta and ANZ Stadium were all viable options.
In choosing Parramatta, you feel as if they’ve backed the right horse.
Even without covering the Ray Price statue, Parramatta Stadium has quickly become a Wanderers fortress. It has the right dimensions to create a proper football atmosphere, and is easy to access for fans. The Red and Black Bloc’s march to the ground has quickly become stuff of legend.
Now, the plan is to turn the entire city into ‘Wanderland.’
The Roar spoke to councillor-cum-Wanderers fanatic Steven Issa about the decision to close streets in order to erect big screen televisions outside the ground.
“Its about engaging the community in football, the RBB in particular. It’s part of our duty to the residents and the city.”
Some may argue that instead of creating a live site, the Wanderers should have just moved the game down the road to ANZ Stadium. In years past, that may have happened.
Squeezing in a few extra fans into a bigger stadium may be financially better for the club, but it disrupts the culture that is quickly germinating at Parramatta Stadium.
Unless it’s a full house, ANZ is a soulless monstrosity of a stadium. But most importantly, it’s not Wanderland.
As Cr Issa explained, “there’s a certain brand and authenticity that goes with the Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium.”
Furthermore, having less seats available creates the impression that tickets to the football are a valuable commodity. If fans start to think that space is at a premium, it increases the profile of the Wanderers brand, which can only be good for membership sales next season.
Steven Issa also wants local businesses to get involved. The council’s economic development team recently ran a survey among local businesses to gauge their perception of the Wanderers. Over 90% gave positive feedback.
Some even want Wanderers paraphernalia to put in their shop windows.
Inspired by the live sites at Darling Harbour for the 2010 World Cup, Issa is looking to recreate a similar atmosphere in the western suburbs. With the game not on free-to-air television, it’s not an unreasonable expectation for fans to come along and watch the match on the big screens.
The club and the council certainly have plenty of time to advertise and promote the event.
Indeed, the initiative is being funded both by the club and the council. Politically, the Wanderers have quickly become a safe bet. There’s even a ‘Parliamentary Friends of the Wanderers’ with over 30 members. One of them is the sitting member for Granville and Steven’s dad, Tony.
The first two Sydney derbies have had the air of two boxers just feeling each other out. They’ve had a kind of experimental atmosphere. Both sets of fans, however, will be baying for blood in the last derby of the season, to land a knockout blow.
If the atmosphere of the first two games was intense, expect next month’s fixture to be electric, both inside and outside the ground.
Win, lose, or draw, Steven Issa will be there in the Red and Black Bloc, singing for the Wanderers. He was at Campbelltown for the club’s home win against Newcastle, and he was there when the Wanderers beat Sydney FC away from home last December.
The live site may only be one small initiative, but it’s an important one for the league. The fact that local politicians are active supporters of the Wanderers and are willing to throw their political weight behind the club illustrates some intriguing possibilities for the future.
It creates a healthy synergy between the club, the community and the city representatives.
We all want A-League clubs to appeal to their constituents for attention. But when the local area and the local council want to be part of the Wanderers, you know something is going right.
Building a club becomes a two-way process, allowing it to become part of the fabric of the community and an intrinsic part of the city landscape.
It won’t happen overnight, but through small steps and direct action, it may happen sooner than we think.
Robbo
Guest
We have an old fellow here at work from England. He has always followed football. He tells us of English cities that have 2 clubs and 2 small stadiums. The derby - he tells us - is never played at either of the home grounds, It is always played at the 'neutral' large stadium that the city only has one of. All of the Sydney derbies, whether the Wanderers or Sydney FC home game, should be played at ANZ. This should be done by the FFA.
GJM
Guest
I will get along to the live site even though I couldn't get tickets to the derby. If they moved it to ANZ I wouldn't bother at all. Promised myself never to go to any more matches at ANZ after forking out so much $$$ on tickets in the past and always walking away disappointed in the atmosphere and ground. I can only suspect that langou hasn't been to ANZ stadium - you wont meet man Sydney folk who say they enjoy sporting events held there.
Sampstar
Guest
Um hello, Campbelltown supporter here. I absolutely love WSW and have no gripes in travelling (by train for free) to Parramatta to watch them play every week. The one game in Campbelltown was awesome and more than I could ask for.
nordster
Guest
Sampstar, he sounds more like an accountant than an economist ...numbers are accountancy, 'Human Action' is economics...little plug for my friend Mises...what you're saying is more like economics than Simmo.
Sampstar
Guest
I'm with you all the way Kasey. The proposed atmosphere around the big screens in Parra, C Town and Penrith will be electric and better for both the band wagoners outside and the diehard members inside. A big massive NO to ANZ and Allianz. Being an NRL man as well I've watched ANZ kill West Tigers image as a local club.
Sampstar
Guest
Sorry Simmo, whether you're an economist or not, you obviously don't understand the fans of WSW. The reason why the Wanderers even have this high level of demand is because the've listened to their fans from day one. Now you're recommending that they disregard the fans in the effort of making more money. What this will do (as every WSW fan is suggesting) is it will will actually reduce the amount of fans attending who refuse to watch a club who's chosen money ahead of its community and what you're left with is a half full ANZ Stadium and a lower valued, less respected WSW. I would honestly watch a game on the big screen outside Parra Stadium then watch it at ANZ or Allianz. In my opinion the WSW board have proven that they know what they're doing, both morally and commercially and I say let them continue to do their job. I trust them with MY club.
nearpost
Guest
Chill out - lets just let the game sell out for a few years and see how many people really want to stick with the club through thick and thin. Should be a nice increase in memberships next year if it's the only way to guarantee a Derby seat. Finally someone has the market right - in five years if they need to go elsewhere or build a football stadium why not build a stadium instead....or increase Parramatta. No rush - 20,000 every week at Wanderland is going to be so much better than 40,000 (would they get that) located miles from the pitch. Go to Wanderland - understand the atmosphere and how it is created before you talk of moving. Be very interesting to see how many wander along to the TV screens....surely an indication of the level of interest.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Yeah, as an SFC member who missed out on a ticket I'm in the same boat but I have to agree that the derby shouldn't go to ANZ, at least for a while. When we can get 60000+ to a derby game, perhaps one derby per season could be played at Homebush.
Football United
Guest
If i was a wanderers fan i'd rather neck myself than give up home advantage to play at sydneys ground
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Great news, the derby is getting bigger and better...
tom
Guest
in addition - wanderers might have the desire for more brand exposure - but part of the brand is wanderland, church st on gameday, the park, the river, the whole thing now. what's the point? it's like if coke could shift an extra 20,000 units for one week but only if they sold "new coke".
tom
Guest
I love all the comments from people urging wanderers/ffa to look at the "big picture" and move to ANZ. They have looked at the big picture and this is what they've seen: Unimpressed football tourists leaving the souless ANZ; disgruntled members upset that the goodwill the club has generated through proper community engagement has been broken; loss of fortress wonderland meaning a legup for SFC in the match itself leading to a loss of momentum going into the finals; a possible loss of money after reneging on the deal they made with Parramatta... all this vs even more buzz created at wanderland with a loud and festive derby, happy members, a good win, and all the media hype created by the first live site for a regular season match in any code in this country. Big picture for some appears to simply mean "a ticket for those who missed out". Supply and demand people - supply and demand; and goodwill for your regular customers.
Kellett_1992
Guest
Why would he look to expand into CC or WS, wjen there are already more than enough NRL teams in NSW???
Pete
Guest
I think the attitude towards crowds in Australia is too overblown. As stated some EPL teams have smaller grounds than most A-League teams (only the big teams such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and United have large stadiums similar to what we have in Australia). The average crowd for Chievo (Serie A team) is under 15,000. As stated moving games for one match is unheard of in most countries, and was in Australia in the past. I remember North Sydney Bears playing Manly at the small North Sydney Oval ... the atmosphere was great, people hanging from the trees etc etc. In those days the clubs wouldn't dare thing of moving to a bigger stadium (now the only reason is for money). After all the whole point of playing a home game is to play the game at HOME (not a different venue).
Matt F
Roar Guru
It was obviously a hypothetical scenario. I'm a SFC fan and I can admit that the odds of us making the GF are slim to none. They probably won't move regular finals matches anyway but when it comes to the GF you wouldn't have a choice. The venue is decided by the FFA and history says that it will be moved as 20k (or 21.5k) is too small. Even if it's not against SFC (which it almost certainly won't be sadly) it will still be moved. The date is locked in so that can't be changed either. Given that ANZ is booked for that date the only option is Allianz
TimberTim
Guest
Wanderers home is wanderland and if you missed out too bad. As said here at when the club first started at several forums that were held it was a unaniously NO TO ANZ. If these 20,000 do miss out where are they every week let alone even one game of the year. Same thing happened to Adelaide United when we hosted the 2nd Leg of the Asian Champions League Final where apparantely 30,000 fans missed out of tickets. I have yet to see Adelaide United have a home game of 30,000 (hindmarsh or Adelaide Oval) This is all a miss. Well done to WSW as a whole for sticking with Wanderland. Long may it continue. If the club were selling out every home game or getting close to it over a period of time (5-10 years) then rather then looking for the short term money grab there is also the further argument to have another A-League side out in Sydney's West but that is a discussion for another day.
Jukes
Guest
Sydney wont make the finals, they have a tough run into the last few weeks of the league. If by some miracle they did and WSW met them. There is no way in hell we would agree to play them at Allianz. Especially if its our home final. The only solution in this instance would be to play it at ANZ Stadium on ANZAC day. This would be a one off scenario. But guess what............it wont happen. They will come 7th or 8th.
Midfielder
Guest
Actually with the Flying Circus FC and Centrelink FC I have more matches to watch the mighty Mariners now... as for a live site ... love it hope they get a big crowd...
Midfielder
Guest
Off topic a little .... the new CEO of the RL was talking about expansion again and it looks like it's not going to be on the CC or in WS...
Jupiter53
Guest
I know it's a late comment but I still want to add my support for not moving the game; and I speak as a SFC member who was too slow to get a ticket. I've been to ANZ stadium for the SFC game vs Glory earlier this season, and for lots of Socceroo games. The brutal truth is, it sucks as a place to watch football, as do all ovals and semi ovals. I was at the 2005 qualifier against Uruguay and of course the atmosphere was amazing; however that shows that it takes a full crowd going nuts to overcome the soullessness of ANZ. Until a derby can attract those numbers it would be sabotage to consider moving there. Of course, I hope that this sort of demand leads to upgrading of Parramatta stadium to a decent size [say 35,00] as a football specific stadium.