Perth Glory owner Tony Sage is adamant the A-League club doesn’t have a culture of systemic rorting, saying he’s as gutted as anyone that the team has been kicked out of the finals.
Perth will be relegated to seventh at the end of the season and fined $269,000 after finally admitting their guilt over salary cap breaches.
Chief executive Jason Brewer resigned on Thursday, with some fans calling for Sage to follow suit.
Sage penned an open letter to the club’s fans on Friday apologising for the whole affair.
“The events during this time have left us all feeling shocked, sad, angry and very disappointed,” Sage wrote of the team being found guilty of exceeding the salary cap by $400,000.
“Unfortunately, I can’t undo what has been done. However, the club has already taken steps to ensure this never happens again.
“I must stress that while the club has accepted the FFA’s sanctions and fines, the club does not have a culture of systemic rorting.
“We reiterate that all payments were made from the club’s bank account.”
Coach Kenny Lowe says the club needs an urgent overhaul of their protocols if they are to avoid a repeat of the fiasco.
The Glory have failed dismally in finding the right off-field formula for success in recent years.
Former Socceroo Alistair Edwards was given free rein of the club’s football department during his time as coach, but the move backfired disastrously.
Edwards, who signed his two sons and was perceived to favour them, ended up getting turfed out in a player-led revolt.
To avoid a repeat of that, Lowe was given little power when he was appointed as the club’s full-time coach a year ago.
That also ended badly, with the club’s hierarchy hashing out a series of dubious player deals unbeknown to Lowe.
“Maybe a hybrid version of both regimes (would be the right way to go),” Lowe said on Friday.
“There might be some things put in place that allows us to have more control at this end over things that happen.”
Given the serious nature of Perth’s salary cap breaches, it’s understood players may have the right to break their contracts early and leave the club at the end of the season.
Lowe said he had been given no indication a mass exodus was on the cards.
But if any players want to leave, Lowe won’t stand in their way.
“I’ve just said to the guys that if you’re not happy, you’ve got to look after yourself,” Lowe said.
“It’s a funny game. The only person who looks after you in this game is you.
“It’s ruthless, it’s horrible. But also it gives you something else that’s magnificent and joyful.
“Sometimes it’s a great place to be, and sometimes it’s the worst place in the world to be. That’s football.
“The players have been superb. They listened, they’ve worked hard. They might be feeling hurt inside. But hey, we can all be a chameleon.”
footy
Guest
One knows where his bread is buttered! Anyway, theres alot to be said about culture, one thing is for certain, they were a great boy-band in the late 80's.
Madge
Guest
What is funny is that the perth Glory owner is held responsible by FFA’s Gallop for the clubs salary cap breaches but when he docked the NRL Storm for the same offence he blamed the CEO and not Gallops former employers and Storm owners News Ltd. Hypocrisy…he also has ruined Sages chance of funding a West Coast RL team so he killed 2 birds with one stone..
Slim
Guest
Or he might be 'plain dirty' Bondman!
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Yes the salary cap is redundant. Yes I am a fan of expansion. I don't agree with Footy on the point of an Asean Super League. I am totally against that idea.
Slim
Guest
Did you say friend, that the salary cap is redundant? Are you a fan of expansion? I think you reluctantly agree with Footy.
Bondy
Guest
He's personally dirty on Gallop going to a global game with minimal problems within the sport in Australia cant you tell by the post ...
Roarfan
Guest
I am mystified again. What has David Gallop done wrong in this instance but enforce the law? Tony Sage noted in his open letter stated that in the years 2012-13 and 2013 - 2014 the club did not include certain 'benefits' in its reporting of player's remuneration and that it did not breach the salary cap at the time. Interestingly enough though he makes no mention of the $ 4000,000.oo for the current season. Doesn't that look like an admission of guilt to you? So do you support that practice? Should Perth be allowed an advantage over other teams? I'd love to see your response to this.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Lol.............you want an Asian Super League. We have no clubs who deserve to be in it. And you want to wreck the Asian Champions League while you are it. Face palm of the highest order. We haven't even unlocked the potential in the A-league yet, so we still have no idea how good it can be. It just amazes me how many people just cant see our advantages. We have the nations most popular sport in terms of participation, the national team is the most popular in the country. Now before someone says cricket, which is popular, consider that when Australia is at a World Cup that there are millions of Aussies up in the middle of the night at 2-4 am watching matches. It has huge support. When overseas teams come to Australia that have no connection to the majority of fans like Juventus, Liverpool, Man united, Real Madrid, Roma, etc etc they flock to matches in droves. These are exhibition matches mind you. Why is that? All that needs to happen in Australia is to improve the quality of the league to the best it can possibly be. That means opening up the market and deregulating the whole system. Its unfortunate for Tony Sage that he is in this situation as are most A-league owners. Even though I agree the salary cap is redundant and should be totally scrapped unfortunately its not and Sage rightly or wrongly broke the rules while they are currently in place. It would be interesting to see how owners react if we deregulate the system. It will be a game changer. It includes scrapping the Cap, Introducing transfer fees between all Australian clubs including NPL, getting rid of the salary floor, introducing workable minimum salaries, forcing clubs to introduce youth leagues and academies, introducing a properly funded A2 league, scrapping the ridiculous NCIP which has been proven to be totally unworkable and hypocritical and then finally opening up promotion and relegation throughout the football pyramid. If anyone has any concerns with the above I can easily debate every single situation that would allay your fears. We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
footy
Guest
I would like to apologise to enerpreneur Tony Sage for our small time three square mash potato David Gallop. We will not grow as a league with David. NRL never expanded while he was there. He is all about consolidation and small time business models. The equivalent of parking the bus, in soccer terms. David sounds convincing as well as to why to stop dreaming and stay small and prop up teams. If there are only 6 ALeague teams only able to turn over a profit,, that glaringly means we have outgrown our skin, and we are Now an Australasian team. Should be part of an expanded Asian super league- another term David dislikes. The A League model should be our division two, with promotion and relegation even.
bobbym
Guest
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2015/04/18/tana-prepared-bankroll-perth-glory-again-should-sage-quit
bobbym
Guest
Word is Andy and 4 other players will be leaving.
Bondy
Guest
bobbym Your a maggot .
bobbym
Guest
NO culture full stop. I doubt the club will ever recover.
Roarfan
Guest
BtoThePower3 - Your comments totally mistify me. We are talking about the rorting of the salary cap, not the suitability of advertisers or sponsors.
BtoThePower3
Guest
Why FFA has any connection with any betting company? Has any betting company extorted or blackmailed FFA? Or, has any FFA's senior member or employee got a share, partnership or a connection in any betting company? Or, has any Perth Glory's senior member or employee got a share, partnership or a connection in any betting company? Gambling is always bad. So, next time FFA is issuing a franchising license to any club, FFA has to check the owner's background also.