While the Wanderers are running out at ANZ Stadium, the state government will be getting ready to roll out the welcome mat for the Parramatta Eels.
The demolition of Parramatta Stadium – and more specifically the fact that those who make these decisions don’t seem too concerned with how they affect those who actually use the facilities – is a textbook example of what happens when you don’t control your own destiny.
It’s safe to say that however dated Parramatta Stadium was, its demolition and three-year rebuild put the biggest handbrake on the Wanderers imaginable.
The final A-League game at the old venue was that famous 5-4 semi-final win over Brisbane Roar in front of a sell-out crowd of more than 20,000 fans back in April 2016. The Wanderers haven’t come near such dizzying heights ever since.
It’s hard to say the club has done much wrong in the meantime. They could probably do with a few more homegrown players, but then that’s true of every A-League side.
(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
They boast a big-name European coach and have had no problem attracting quality foreign players, they’re pumping millions of dollars into their academy and the club more or less keeps the lines of communications with fans open.
But it’s the willingness to do the latter that has potentially cost them dearly over the past three seasons, and may well have left rival A-League clubs second-guessing.
Why? Because it was Wanderers members themselves who voted to move to the former Olympic precinct in Homebush.
The first game at ANZ Stadium back in October 2016 against Sydney FC attracted a crowd of just under 62,000 fans, but it was all downhill from there.
The first few games at neighbouring Spotless Stadium all drew five-figure attendances but by the time the Wanderers played the Central Coast Mariners in Round 19 of that season, crowds had dropped to less than 10,000 fans per game.
And while attendances ebbed and flowed over the next couple of seasons, it was clear to everyone that both ANZ Stadium and Spotless Stadium were an ill fit.
How different might things have been had the Wanderers chosen to base themselves out of Penrith Stadium instead?
Or, dare we say it, out of Campbelltown? Would a Macarthur-South West Sydney side be preparing to enter the league next year if the Wanderers had moved there temporarily instead?
These are all just hypotheticals, of course, and at the end of the day the club had to make a decision one way or another on where to host their fixtures.
But having sought the input of members, some of their fans were quick to turn around and label every aspect of the matchday experience at Homebush as unacceptable.
And having decided the action was too far from the pitch and the security presence heavy-handed – in both cases largely true – many Wanderers fans simply stopped showing up.
That might not have attracted so much scrutiny if it wasn’t for the fact that many were the same fans who happily called themselves ‘the A-League’s best’ when Parramatta Stadium was packed.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
And when the Wanderers take on Leeds United in what should be a sold-out friendly at Bankwest Stadium in July, several thousand of these fans will suddenly reappear.
They should probably think twice about labelling other fans ‘Eurosnobs’ or ‘plastics’ when they do so.
And when it comes to questionable decision-making, it’s hard not to wonder whether the Wanderers couldn’t have salvaged something from this season by making a more concerted effort to play Saturday night’s derby at Bankwest Stadium rather than in Homebush.
Instead, it’s the Parramatta Eels who enjoy the honour of opening the new venue.
Meanwhile, the Wanderers count the cost of a tough few years away from home and perhaps even ponder the question of whether they can still count on their fans at all.
blood
Guest
waratahs host the sharks at bankwest that night
Punter
Roar Rookie
BTW, no wonder you like Mister Football facts not your strongest point. 12K average????? SFC 2012/13 18.6K SFC 2013/14 18.7K SFC 2014/15 18K SFC 2015/16 16K SFC 2016/17 18K SFC 2017/18 15K
Punter
Roar Rookie
RF, pretty happy for you to measure crowds as your idea of a big club. I think SFC is a big club, especially I look at the on field results. Last 3 seasons Premiership 1st, 1st & 2nd with 2 games to go, that's pretty impreesive Finals football won GF, semis & again in finals this year TBD. Knockout FFA cup, grand finalist last 3 years winning once losing twice. Yeah not bad for a small club.
Punter
Roar Rookie
I have never defended attendances over SFC, especially the last 2 years when we were successful, our crowds was pathetic, no marketing, no nothing. I only defended comments from people like you who found SFC boring. I was there on Sat night, it was an enjoyable match, especially last 25 mins end to end, the product is not as bad as you make out. But apart from attendances, yes extremely pathetic are the SFC crowds & the Sydney people, you won't get me defending them on that count.
RF
Roar Rookie
It is interesting how the Swans do so well, but grass roots participation is so far behind. AFL in Sydney is the mirror reverse of football in the participation/attendance nexus.
RF
Roar Rookie
Good grief. I would have thought attendance was a fairly obvious measure. MV are the benchmark and no other club is close, so I make no apologies for setting that as the “big club” attendance mark. Sure, if you want to set 12k, or whatever it is SFC are averaging this season, go for it – but it will look pretty silly.
RF
Roar Rookie
Honestly, Punter, what other measure is there then attendance? Sometimes your defensiveness over SFC, while well intentioned, is just plain silly. As in this case.
josh
Guest
Because you can't go anywhere in Western Sydney without seeing someone wearing WSW merchandise. As opposed to GWS merchandise where no one wears it, massive fail.
josh
Guest
I've lived in every state bar QLD in the last 12 years. Currently living in Sydney. I know how irrelevant AFL is in Sydney, apart from a rusted on geriatric army that watch the swans there's no one else.
josh
Guest
That's it, that's all of them - there's no one sitting at home on TV watching.
josh
Guest
Exactly, Sydney FC have been very creative this season with membership numbers. WSW have a full season membership base of close to 15k. WSW had a bigger crowd average than SFC not that long ago, SFC just added finals figures to their tally to get them over the line. Not surprising when they've used the same creative accounting to rort the salary cap.
bob
Guest
This garbage is as bad as a Jesse Fink article. What a waste of bandwidth.
chris
Guest
alexp from not in Sydney has spoken.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Your the one who included the AFL pokie palace revenue in pretending they are a big sport, rugby league has almost a billion in pokie palace revenues and Panthers has the most revenue so by your own criteria they are the biggest brand
Buddy
Roar Rookie
And the answer is............................ well, under 22000 , they would have fitted into the old Parramatta stadium reasonably comfortably, so what reasons are going to be offered this time? Last game was the fault of the weather, the storms, the rail line being disrupted. Maybe something happened again today around the Olympic Park area that missed everywhere else. Now we have to wait until next season to find the truth. The school (including the club owners) that believes everything will be fantastic when the club returns to Parramatta vs the school that believes the issues with the club and supporters have very little to do with where they play etc.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Would one not expect solid TV ratings to translate into sponsorship revenue? And Penrith's football related revenue is pretty low. The company which owns the football club does very well though from its various business pursuits.
AR
Guest
The Sea Eagles have a bigger brand in Manly than the Swans? Woah. Shocker. Brands tend to be gauged nationally/internationally. And there’s a reason the Swans jumper is the most expensive one in Australia for corporate sponsorship.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Bondi used to be a working class area, then was an area for unemployed Kiwis coming over to Australia when they could go directly on the dole. Housing prices went up though rents were a lot cheaper but then the rents went up heaps as well. Easts dont have that many fans and most would no longer be living in the eastern suburbs. Strangely I see Easts jumpers a lot on the Central Coast. Eastern suburbs is no longer affordable for renters from interstate so most of the Swans fans would be elsewhere now . They got big crowds at Olympic park, I can remember after a Swans final being at Parramatta station and they had a train full of swans fans with plenty getting off Paramatta but even more going further out west. Sydney FC on other hand unlike the Swans few get the train, and fewer come west of Strathfield. Melbourne AFl teams are bigger brands in Sydney than GWS , most Swans supporters have two sets of gear, one for their original AFL team, which they wear when they play the Swans and then they wear the Swans gear the rest of the time.
Nemesis
Guest
How naive are you? GWS doesn't have a big sponsorship portfolio. The franchise is owned by the AFL & the AFL just transfers AFL sponsorship money to GWS. Same as the Giants Stadium deal. If anyone thinks GWS band of thermos carrying fans who get free tickets from Maccas are behind the naming rights they're delusional. The AFL is paying the money for the naming rights to the stadium.
RandyM
Guest
tv ratings? why does brand valuer brand finance think the Panthers are the most valuable brand in Australian sport? I would argue the Roosters are a more recognized brand than the Panthers and certainly far more recognised than the Giants https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/west/penrith-panthers-named-the-most-valuable-sporting-brand-in-australia/news-story/6ae6fc29265c8d3df1a8cba0e686aae3