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A-League administrators have been the subject of some deserved criticism over the years, but as we approach the most anticipated final in the competition’s history, credit needs to be given where it is due.
Considering the on-field success of both clubs this season, the A-League Grand Final will be a showcase of the two best sides in the competition, the Western Sydney Wanderers and the Central Coast Mariners.
Between them, the Wanderers and the Mariners have by far the best goal difference in the league, building their success on a solid defense and high levels of tactical organisation.
But as we approach the final match of the 2012-13 season, it’s a good time to reflect on the behind the scenes work of inaugural Mariners CEO and current Wanderers CEO Lyall Gorman, who has done more than anybody to build the culture of both clubs.
This season, the Western Sydney Wanderers have captured the imagination of Australia’s most important sporting market with their careful approach to fan engagement and community integration. What began as an idea in the middle of last year quickly became a reality through a series of fans forums and canny off-field work by Wanderers management.
Rather than relying on the ‘build it and they’ll come’ mentality that has characterised most other A-League clubs, the Wanderers management have attempted to create a club identity based on the desires of the people of Western Sydney.
While there might be a pinch of hubris that accompanies this strategy – not to mention the enormous challenges ahead to ensure that engagement continues – few could argue with the approach.
Interestingly, the Wanderers have taken much of their inspiration from the community model at the Central Coast Mariners, borne out of the vision of Gorman.
Back in 2004, when Gorman became the Central Coast Mariners’ inaugural CEO, he set about on the task of engaging the community on the coast to back the fledgling A-League club, which had one of the smallest catchment areas in the league to draw upon.
Gorman’s decisions at the Mariners were based on sustainability and creating a healthy club culture, not simply appealing to the big end of town. Players and sponsors were selected based on their suitability to the area, and to this day, the Mariners still spend only a fraction on wages compared to the rest of the competition, prioritising local talent over imports.
It’s an approach that has been criticised by many over the past eight seasons, but the Mariners have successfully become a focal point of the Central Coast. While attendances may not break any records, the Mariners academy provides a direct and integrated pathway for juniors in the region, and the club has a close and fruitful relationship with local politics and business.
Back in 2006, Gorman spoke of the Mariners becoming the “silent achievers” of the A-League. “We are putting brick after brick after brick into the foundations” he explained, “That way we’ll eventually build a very strong wall.”
There have been signs of more than a few cracks in that wall this season with ownership dramas and late player payments, but the Mariners have survived, and remain an example to the rest of the competition.
In this regard, it is little surprise that Lyall Gorman has taken a similar approach at his new job in Western Sydney, signing a local coach, local players and building relationships with important stakeholders in the region.
A product of the western suburbs, Gorman has grandiose plans for his new club. He’ll talk to anybody who cares to listen about his vision for the Western Sydney Wanderers to become the biggest club in any code of football, to rival the Brisbane Broncos or Collingwood.
He’ll want to be careful not to get ahead of himself, but Gorman has made no secret of his desire for the Wanderers to become a powerhouse of Australian sport.
And for anybody who caught the pre-game crowd march to Parramatta Stadium on Friday night, it is clear that the Wanderers fans have already become a show in their own right with their tremendous vocal and visual displays.
But while a few are nervous of the sight of the throbbing mass of fans, the Red and Black Bloc have attracted a cross-section of the community, with women and children all invited to march. Wanderers colours have been draped over Church Street and the Council chambers, and close observers will have noticed Parramatta’s Deputy Mayor, Steven Issa, acting as a marshal for the RBB march.
With this kind of community goodwill and involvement, any potential investors will want to keep Gorman and the existing management close by to ensure that the Wanderers aren’t simply a flash in the pan. Like the Mariners on the Central Coast, brick by brick, the A-League’s newest club are building solid foundations.
No matter who wins this weekend, Lyall Gorman will rest easy with the knowledge that both clubs he’s been involved with have set the standard for how a club should engage with the community.
Editor’s note: Lyall Gorman is no relation to the author
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