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Western Sydney Wanderers – a model example for expansion

Even Tony P doesn't know where the Wanderers' mojo is gone. (photo: Peter McAlpine)
Roar Guru
17th November, 2016
8

Football in Australia is blossoming and the eagerness of fans and investors is promising for the future of the A-League.

Passion and corporate support work hand-in-hand when it comes to the success of professional sport. It is vital that the people who provide the passion, the fans, and the people who provide the corporate support, are all on the same page.

My team, the Western Sydney Wanderers, are the perfect example of how to go about building a successful A-League club.

Since their formation in 2012, the Wanderers have almost 19,000 members and numerous sponsors. They have appeared in three grand finals and were the first Aussie club to taste Asian Champions league glory, later making an appearance in the Club World Cup.

The Wanderers had a major head start from the simple fact there was already an established football market desperate for a club to call their own. However, this alone isn’t the reason for its success.

Those who started the Wanderers showed everyone how to engage with fans and make them feel like the most important part of the club right from the beginning.

Before the club even had a name they ventured around the western suburbs of Sydney, from Campbelltown to Penrith and everywhere in between, having community forums so people could have their say on everything about the club.

Fans were asked to come up with suggestions and the most popular ideas were subject to a vote via a fan survey. From this the “Western Sydney Wanderers” were born and now the colours red and black are a major part of the Australian football landscape. What a fantastic way to ensure the fans lay the building blocks.

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The club has maintained its connection with the already passionate western Sydney community, running school clinics, raising money for charities and promoting community programs. It has lived up to its name, playing home games in Campbelltown, Penrith, and now Homebush, along with its spiritual home of Parramatta.

The W-League team has played home games at Campbelltown in their first season and now play out of Marconi Stadium with some games at Blacktown. The youth league team has played home games in Campbelltown, Penrith, Blacktown and St Marys. Pre-season games are played in Bankstown, Mt Druitt, Leumeah etc.

See why they’re called the Wanderers?

A major sponsor of the club is Western Sydney University, one of the more recognisable institutions from the golden west.

Coach Tony Popovic is a born and bred westie from Fairfield who started his career with Edensor Park based club Sydney United.

Wanderers coach Tony Popovic reacts after the Wanderers beat the Central Coast Mariners to go through to their second grand final in two years. (photo: Peter McAlpine)

Numerous players for the club have grown up in the west, such as inaugural signing Aaron Mooy, who grew up in Carlingford, and the man who scored the most famous goal in the Wanderers short history, Auburn born Tomi Juric.

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The diverse backgrounds of the players perfectly represents the multicultural community that is western Sydney. Go to a Wanderers game and you are likely to see people of many backgrounds.

This is a club for all Westies to be proud of together.

Additionally, established brand names such as NRMA, Visy, Mitsubishi and as of today, AETOS, have all climbed on board.

All of this has made the club a major success on and off-the-field. It is a model example for all A-League clubs to follow, with fans being the heartbeat of the club and the commercial entities providing the lifeblood.

This is relevant to those bidding to join the A-League. All of the potential bidders must engage with the fans right from the start.

Passion for football and tribalism brings in fans who create a market, which in turn, attracts investors and sponsors. A healthy supporter base will carry the club, while a healthy balance sheet will ensure its survival. Passion alone won’t pay the bills, but you won’t get the money without the passion.

The Tasmania bid looks very appealing, with the Tasmanian government throwing its support behind the club, along with proven A-League businessmen, such as former Melbourne Victory shareholders Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky. 14,000 registered footballers in the state is also a strong foundation to build from.

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South Melbourne’s successful history, along with the fact the club plans to play home games at Lakeside Oval in South Melbourne, means the club has already embedded itself in the community.

Brisbane Strikers and West Adelaide have a long and successful association with Australian football. The Sutherland Shire has nearly 20,000 registered footballers and probably the biggest junior association in the country. In addition to the St George area and the South Coast, we are talking strong numbers for Southern Sydney.

Geelong is a region populated by 235,000 people where football participation has boomed over the past two years growing by nearly 30 per cent. North Queensland has a brand new $250 million rectangular stadium on its way in Townsville which is begging to be put to use when the NRL is in its offseason.

All of these bids have great promise but they must look at the Western Sydney Wanderers model to make sure all the pillars of success are there.

The fans will be there if you include them, the corporate backers will follow.

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