It’s hard to believe it was only nine years ago, on a Good Friday, when a sea of red and black made their way up to Newcastle for a celebration like no other.
Around 10,000 Wanderers faithful hopped in their cars and flooded the F3 or crammed into the old Tangara trains, eagerly anticipating clinching the club’s first piece of silverware in their foundation season.
The A-League Men had never seen anything like it.
“That was the best game ever and best march too, it was such a fun day,” fondly recalls Rula Al-Shibly.
Shazza Daley agreed: “Best night. Will never forget it.”
“VISCONTE! What a cracker,” added Greg Kuzma.
Newcastle is a good 2.5-3.5 hour drive or a four-hour train ride for most people in western Sydney. But a long Easter weekend and the lure of a trophy meant it was a relatively easy trip.
The pre-match BBQ, hosted by the local Wanderers club, went down a treat. The cafes and bars in town – that were open – made a fortune. The local beaches turned red and black for the day.
“Best pre-match as well on the adjacent ground, BBQ, warm up, game, brilliant day out,” remembers Gary Strong.
I vaguely remember chatting to a local elderly gentleman when parking my car: “it’s like the Beatles are in town,” he said with a bit of a confused smile.
I explained to him what was happening and encouraged him to find a ticket if he could, and made it clear he wouldn’t regret it.
Getting there nice and early didn’t help. There were people everywhere, queuing up long before the gates opened. There were plenty of smiles, excitement and more than a twinkle in the eye.
The Red and Blac Bloc march to the stadium could be heard all around the Hunter region. It was almost like a homecoming for local heroes, although it was actually a new mob that were riding into town and taking over for the day.
When they finally let us inside, it was like a procession, almost ceremonial, as we filtered to our seats in anticipation.
From the opening whistle, the red and black sang and danced in the terraces. The place was rocking and it was there for young and old, rich or poor. Ethnicity, religion, and social status didn’t matter.
If you were a Wanderer, those were more than sufficient credentials.
“The chanting underneath the grandstand,” recalls Conrad Howard, who was among the Wanderers faithful.
“What a night that was and so many good ones after that,” says a nostalgic Mari Lbr.
(Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The electricity that went through Hunter Stadium as it was called then that night energised Australian football. Even the Jets fans got caught up in the infectious mood, and even though their team needed to win to keep alive their own finals hopes, you could tell they knew they were witnessing something special.
The team did their part. A double from Mark Bridge and a Rocky Visconte stunner clinched the premier’s plate for the Wanderers in fine style.
An early Bridge goal set the tone for the game for the players and the fans. It made sure the mood was celebratory throughout.
Labinot Haliti’s superb cross saw Bridge tap in on six minutes. He doubled the lead on 33 minutes when a clever Dino Kressinger header saw him though one-on-one with the Jets’ keeper Mark Birighitti.
At halftime, the beers and coffee were flowing, and the champagne was on ice.
The second half was dour as the Jets tried to fight their way back into the game. But Visconte sealed the premier’s plate and sent the Wanderers fans into a state of nirvana with a superb 20-yard left-foot drive 12 minutes from time.
The final quarter of an hour was one of the best football parties you will ever see. Australian domestic football had finally arrived.
The sound of Wanderers fans singing ‘champions’ reverberated around Hunter Stadium, and indeed around the country, as those that doubted the ability of the A-League Men to transcend the game in Australia finally started to believe.
Fast forward nine years, and it’s fair to say the game is in a state of flux down under. But there is hope. The newly formed APL have promised to find a way to bring back that tribalism.
The Wanderers’ management need to re-engage those hardcore passionate fans who simply want their club to represent them again.
The Wanderers faithful are the key to rejuvenating Australian football. We did it nine years ago, and we can do it again.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
You, me and thousands more Josh. Right now there are better things to be involved with. The club has to deserve its fans - everything suggests that currently they are taken for granted.
Josh
Guest
WSW had the potential to be bigger than MV. The CEO oversaw the destruction of that and didn't think there was anything wrong - right up until fans were holding up banners demanding his removal. To show how arrogant he is, he should have left yesterday - but is sticking around until the end of the season. People like myself who are foundation members have refused to renew their memberships until he's gone and real change has taken place.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
JT was fantastic but we need fresh blood and new ideas. He did a lot for our club.
Dennis
Guest
Well as he frequently said the buck stops with him. Will the culture change? I would say yes. Rudan exposed JT in that he could not say it was the coach/manager problem. So he probably put his own job in the crosshairs. The interesting legacy is how much of this is down to the owners. Time will tell. If nothing changes then expect further unrest to remove Lederer. Losing your job is always hard but when all said and done, he worked hard and disengaged the fans. So whilst we can feel for him, he simply was unable to do the job. Not sure who picked him for this role but they owe an explanation to the membership.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I just read that one of The Wanderer's managers? John T (not sure how to write his last name) has stepped down. I've read comments from members criticising him and the culture that has developed under him, but not all criticism is necessarily accurate. Do you believe this change may help?
Grem
Roar Rookie
As a Sydney FC supporter I loved almost everything The Wanderers brought to our game. I loved their journey to win the ACL and seeing their fans greet them when they flew home. The derbies were amazing. They were a game you just could not miss. I believe they were the best games to watch of any sport in Australia. What has happened? I don’t understand the drop in passion and support. The Wanderers were changing our game. They were attracting the casual supporters and followers of other codes. We need them back, along with the missing supporters of Sydney and other clubs as well. How do we attract them again? I live in hope that I’ll again be attending 40000 derbies at Sydney’s new home ground and full houses at Combank.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
I was at the 2014 grand final and it was amazing
Remote
Guest
Let’s hope your right Janakan, professional football is passionate supporters, passionate supporters are professional football. Destroy that, well we see Wanderers as a classic example of that today. The involvement of WSW fans at the Grand Final at Suncorp in 2014 was another example of fan passion creating a great atmosphere. This season is an aberration, however it need not be a doom and gloom scenario. Much depends on the APL and how much they have learnt this season when running the show. The most obvious item to address IMO, is how much football fans in Australia have disengaged with the A-League.