When the Western Sydney Wanderers’ CEO John Tsatsimas announced he will leave the role at the end of the current season, after ten years at the club, it triggered a roller coaster of emotion from fans and the footballing community.
Many were happy to see him go, blaming him for the four seasons of missed finals, while those who actually knew the man were devastated to see such a generous, caring and passionate person depart.
“I wish you nothing but the best! I was privileged enough to work with you for eight short years, years I’ll never forget,” said former Wanderers’ community engagement manager Anthony Siciliano.
“The way you encouraged us all to be better people and be proud of the region we came from will be something I’ll forever cherish.
“[There are] so many great memories, stories and accomplishments that you should be proud of! Again Thank you!”
Arthur Diles is an assistant at the Newcastle Jets, who worked previously at the Wanderers as a NYL head coach and first-team assistant. He was also glowing in his praise.
“[It is] incredible what you have been able to achieve at WSW in such a short space of time,” he said.
“[He is a] true gentleman and football needs more people like you.
“[It] was an absolute pleasure to work under your leadership during my time at the club and I got to see from close the passion, commitment and dedication you put into your work.
“You created a culture which helped all staff blossom and be the best they could be. Enjoy a long overdue rest and enjoy time with your family who have been on this rollercoaster with you.”
Staff at Wanderers headquarters are said to be devastated at the news he left.
Gabriella Cipri, who works in the club’s membership department, admitted she was shattered to see Tsatsimas step down.
“Devastated. [He is] one of the most genuine and nicest people you will ever come across,” she said.
“Someone who has so much passion and cares a lot about this club is going to be missed by everyone at the office.”
Those outside Wanderland also paid tribute, with football agent Lou Sticca praising Tsatsimas’ efforts.
“Congratulations John Tsatsimas on a great career at WSW,” he said.
“For a start-up club to go on and reach the pinnacle of Asian football and then into a new state of the art stadium all under your stewardship is no mean feat. [I] wish you all the best on your next career move.”
There have been many more tributes from former and current club staff, as well as fans who knew him.
Tsatsimas’ care went beyond football, often reaching out to colleagues and employees who were going through tough times personally. He was the first one to reach out and check in.
The time was probably right for change. Every club needs fresh blood and new ideas. Tsatsimas would have known this, despite everyone’s views, he loved the club and always wanted what was best for it.
Running a football club and keeping everyone happy isn’t easy.
Tsatsimas got things rolling at his kitchen table in 2012, using a hotmail account and his mobile. In some ways it was a fitting way for a club from a working-class background to begin.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
His first two years at Wanderland were as general manager/chief operations officer, before he took up the role as CEO in June 2014.
Those first two were vital in building the club to the powerhouse it is today. Despite four seasons of missed finals, the Wanderers still have over 10,000 members for 2021-22. That is the envy of many clubs.
Tsatsimas, along with foundation CEO Lyall Gorman, built the club using the blood, sweat and tears of the local community.
He attended several can forums in Parramatta, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Bankstown and Blacktown to listen to the people.
The club’s colours, name, and home ground were all built from listening to the fans. The player signings and initial coaching appointment were also influenced by the community.
Tony Popovic was the man fans wanted and he was what we got. Three grand finals and an Asian Champions League were delivered.
When Popovic suddenly left in 2017, it was the beginning of the end.
Tsatsimas’ passion and dedication to the club’s cause epitomised why the Wanderers were a success and will be in the years to come. He always wanted a western Sydney flavour to the club.
The facilities built at Rooty Hill were more than bricks and mortar. Along with owner Paul Lederer, Tsatsimas wanted to ensure the club gave western Sydney kids every chance to make it in professional football, without any barriers.
The club’s youth program is free, meaning local kids who play in the club’s NPL junior teams can afford to play. This means the club gets the best. The fruits of this will be seen in the years to come.
Current senior players like Keanu Baccus, Tate Russell, Thomas Aquilina and Daniel Wilmering are products of the club’s NPL youth structure. Baccus won the club best and fairest in 2019-20.
The club also has a Future Wander Women program for girls aged 14-17. It is free and gives local girls access to high quality coaching and potential scouting from the Wanderers.
The club’s powerchair team have also enjoyed success with Tsatsimas ensuring they were very much ingrained as part of the club. The team was included in club events and are well known among fans.
The club’s community engagement is first class. Tsatsimas was insistent when the new facilities were open it would be for the entire western Sydney community.
The club hosts its schools cup finals there, where kids from primary schools around western Sydney can play on top-class pitches. They have hosted the NSW African Cup, the Afghanistani Football Festival and a number of other community events.
Tsatsimas was always front and centre at club forums or members committee meetings. He never shirked questions and always gave answers.
He was quick to explain the club’s plans and would admit when things didn’t work out.
One thing about Tsatsimas that many would probably disagree with was that he always spoke out on behalf of fans.
When the club’s active fans – the RBB – had challenges with the police, Tsatsimas was there trying to find common ground. He would speak to police authorities and try and help them understand football people and active fan culture.
He worked tirelessly to try and get some flexibility for fans. His efforts did pay off with police trouble being a rare event in recent years with fans.
He was also quick to call out fans for breaking the rules, something that he was 100 per cent right in doing. The Wanderers nor FA had the power to tell fans to break the law of the land.
Tsatsimas tried to help fans understand this. He regularly had meetings with the RBB to find a solution.
Trying to keep the fans and police happy is no easy feat. Tsatsimas was charged with the responsibility of managing both, an unenviable task that he confronted as best he could.
Tsatsimas was always at every Wanderers game, mens or womens. He would feel the hurt of a loss more than anyone. He was always quick to say hello and have a chat and lament at a missed chance. He loved the wins as much as anyone.
Now the time has come for a new person at the helm. Hopefully they can have the connections to western Sydney and the passion that Tsatsimas did. It would be a great start.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
I’m on record somewhere above suggesting that the Sydney Derby will be the worst attendance on record - at least in Parramatta and Lo and behold, the crowd was just over 14000. Doubtless covid will rear its head and flooding, weather, public transport, building and roadworks, and a myriad of other reasons that I personally find are all excuses and not reasons. The fact is there is something badly wrong at WSW and right now there is a general malaise at SFC too. Ticket prices were slashed and the bad weather didn’t arrive until we’ll after the game. How times have changed.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
People want to be loyal that is a good thing. Nothing misguided. We know there is a problem. And guess what we have change
josh
Guest
WSW will never get out of this mess if people keep giving them this misguided unwavering support.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
Couldn’t care less what you do. It’s your money. Didn’t say you had to go. I just said I’ll go no matter what
josh
Guest
So you're saying I should reward this poor performance from the board by giving them more of my money? Not sure if you're aware, money in Western Sydney doesn't come easy for a lot of people so they're careful on how they spend it.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
I believe in peaceful protests. And as long as they turn up and do it peacefully I’m happy with that
Bushi
Guest
Josh, supporters around the world still turn up to support their team every week despite having executive boards that don’t seem to have the clubs best interests at heart. In fact it unites them and they turn up in numbers and they let the board know in no uncertain terms that their actions are unacceptable. They do this by displaying banners and chanting through out the game that their time is up. They protest at the clubs HQ’s and they continue until they are heard and force change. Simply not turning up should never be the first option. True supporters this, they understand that it is THEIR club and the current owners are only the custodians of it. This is how generational support is built. Unfortunately, most supporters at every club in the A league are plastic fair weather fans. I say fans because supporters and fans are TWO different things entirely.
josh
Guest
It's got nothing to do with winning. It's about showing fans intent to change this culture. Intent is the key word here, they've shown nothing so far.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
I don’t care what other fans do. I’ll support them through thick and thin. If we were winning despite the board would you be there? Your comments say to me you’ll only be there if we win. That is your call. Personally I’ll support my teams no matter what
josh
Guest
This isn't one of those 'support your team in the bad times and good' scenarios Janakan. The WSW board are not worthy of support. A team that represents football heartland should not be this far down the ladder ever. WSW should have had 25,000 members, average crowds of 20k and at least 2 grand final wins by now, no excuses. If that makes me an unrealistic fan then so be it.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
If fans don’t turn up due to backroom staff that is up to them. I’m gonna be there through thick and thin supporting the club
josh
Guest
As a foundation member who has refused to renew, or refuse to attend a game since round 1 last season - the damage Tsatsimas has done will take years to fix.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
When reading an article like this it becomes even more difficult to understand the present state or plight of the club. Just as importantly then is where the responsibility lies. According to the accolades, JT was marvellous and has done wonders for the place. The questions that need to be asked relate to recruitment decisions and fan engagement. Since the new owners took over the club has lacked any kind of stability especially on the coaching front. It appeared that there was a clash between TP and the new owners/board – whatever the set up was. He left in a hurry and from that time on, the club has been in a downward spiral. Whoever has been responsible for coach recruitment should have been removed after the disastrous appointment of Mr Gombau. Whilst there may have been nothing wrong with his coaching ability, he was totally the wrong person for the club and it only took watching one game to see that. Combine the woeful recruitment efforts for coaching positions with player churn and acquisition, add in the decline of membership and the alienation of fans and you have a basket case of a club. There may still be over 10.000 members although the club hasn’t been making figures known in recent times. However, the number was closer to 20.000 just a few seasons ago and was rising. Covid has conveniently masked so many issues at the club. The truth is that attendances continue to decline well beyond an acceptable level and membership will fall further when it comes time to renew at the end of the year. When you look at the set up, it is hard to believe that anyone really cares about the place anymore. Matches could be played at the training ground and there would be a better atmosphere than at the plastic stadium that the hierarchy seem so much in love with. How much thought has gone into the appointment of Mr Rudan is anyone’s guess. Whether he says or goes at the seasons end seems almost irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Right now the club needs to turn back the clock and look at what was nailed together in 2012, find a mojo, a playing style, a love for the fans who may once again love the club and essentially re-build from the ground upwards. It will be vaguely interesting to see what kind of attendance there is at the upcoming derby in view of the removal of just about all restrictions relating to covid. My guess is that it will break some kind of record for the lack of interest by both sets of fans. Will the club really care is a question that shouldn’t even be on the agenda yet seems totally pertinent right now.
Dennis
Guest
Wooden spoon this year for sure. Why JT is waiting until end of season is beyond me. Nice guy but did not have the skillset to be a CEO. The squad is totally out of balance. No creative midfield and lacking defenders who can play out from the back. Gut feeling is that this won’t be fixed until next season so expect 22/23 to be a mess too. CR JT and GC (who remains) have a lot to answer for. Time will tell if PL is part of this cancerous influence. I hope he is not because deep pockets are not that common on the ground. I will acknowledge the work done by the RBB to bring this to live TV with their banners making the case for management to be cleared out.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Look Snake inherited a squad/team that mentality is damaged goods.
Waz
Roar Rookie
JT’s legacy? Looking at some of the main facets of the club: Training Facilities - :thumbup: Top class. Stadium - Meh :thumbdown: it’s a financial millstone around the neck of the club. Probably had no choice but a case of “careful what you wish for”. Culture - :thumbdown: Who WSW are used to be admired. They’re now a basket case club - one of several in the competition to be fair but it’s a deep hole JT’s dug on this one. Squad - Awful. Many people were fooled by this squad on paper - but you don’t assemble a squad of misfits, trouble makers, disloyal players, and expect anything other than what they’ve got. WSW recruitment processes are non existent and so t be easy to fix. Coach - will finish on this as Poppa was the second best thing this club ever had (after the RBB), but the clubs inability to select the right person for this role is why JT simply had to go. I mean, imagine if Wanderers had had the foresight to sign Ufuk Talay two years ago? But that would/could never happen under JT in the same way assembling a coherent squad couldn’t happen. And the first thing his successor should do is fire Rudan, enough damage has been done without prolonging the toxic culture.