The Western Sydney Wanderers have won two matches on the trot to begin the 2022-23 season, the team looks in good shape, the effort levels appear high and the full potential of the squad under Marko Rudan excitedly unknown at this early stage.
Yet when the team runs onto the playing surface at CommBank Stadium this afternoon to do battle with the seriously in strife Brisbane Roar, the answer to a two-fold question many fans of the league have pondered for some time may well be finally answered.
That double-barrelled question being: just how many people actual support Western Sydney, and to where have all the folk who once sang, stomped and intimidated disappeared?
It has been a long time between drinks for the Wanderers, with zero representation in the finals across the last five seasons and a winning percentage of just under 30 per cent over the same period.
For an organisation that began, arguably, with the most significant achievement ever by any Australian club in its winning of the 2013-14 Asian Champions League, in addition to three grand final appearances in the domestic competition, what has followed could be described as nothing less than embarrassing for a club that the average punter feared was about to become the most powerful in the land.
Tomislav Uskok of Macarthur celebrates scoring a goal against Western Sydney Wanderers (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Crowds were massive in the golden years, with the old Pirtek Stadium heaving with passion and the scrap for memberships indicative of the desperation of fans to secure a seat to what was then, one of the hottest tickets in town.
Across the Wanderers’ opening five seasons, a rough average of around 14,000 people attended home-and-away fixtures in Parramatta. Then, the wheels were to fall off.
After Tony Popovic quit his role as coach just a week prior to the 2017-18 domestic season, the performances of the team seemed likely and proved to be, in decline. That season was the beginning of the end of a honeymoon period that only true and hardened supporters would ride out across the long term.
Sadly, a significant portion of the folk who were along for the initial ride have proven to be nothing but fly-by-nights and after subsequent years of tension brought on by a series of incidents that the game could do without, been nowhere to be seen over the last six seasons, as the Wanderers have battled to maintain respectability and dignity, despite a continuing losing record.
From the outside, there always appeared to be an element of the Wanderers’ supporter base that was destined to implode.
When weapons such as hammers were confiscated at games, tifos featuring opposition coaches engaging in oral sex were unfurled at matches and a consistent aggressive tone pervading whenever the now-deceased RBB was in the house, logic suggested that the entire exercise was more fashionable and self-centred, rather than sustainable.
That was my thought from the very early days of the Western Sydney Wanderers and the fans in red and black that drew most attention struck me as being far more interested in hoisting middle fingers towards cameras and making the entire contest about themselves, rather than supporting a football team through thick or thin.
That view has, sadly, proven to be somewhat accurate, with pre-pandemic home crowd numbers slumping to just above 9000.
The RBB in better times (Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After an off-season recruitment drive that saw Australian players Lawrence Thomas, Calem Nieuwenhof, Gabriel Cleur, Oliver Bozanic, Kusini Yengi and Sydney FC legend Milos Ninkovic join the Rudan stable, along with internationals Sulejman Krpic, Marcelo and Romain Amalfitano, I wrote openly about how Western Sydney had finally assembled a team to reckon with.
“The squad now looks to have the toughness, resilience and Rudan-like uncompromising attitude to at least compete seriously for a finals spot in 2022/23. For once, this looks like a Wanderers’ team that will stay the course and be there for the long haul, unlike the flaky fans who have ditched the club over the last six years.”
In the opening round against Perth on what was a lovely and dry afternoon for football, the Wanderers drew 8984 fans, despite the new blood, brilliant weather and one of the best A-League stadiums in the land.
Subsequently, Rudan’s men travelled south to AAMI Park and did the business against the Victory, supporting what I and others had seen in the new look squad.
Round 3 sees the red and black back at home against the horribly out of form Brisbane Roar and a chance for the fans to flock to CommBank in numbers in the Saturday twilight.
If they do and 13,000-plus results, all will be forgiven and credit will be given where credit is due. However, if the missing fans don’t show, it will prove once and for all that the beating heart of the Western Sydney Wanderers lies far from the controversial, gate-crashing, band-wagon jumpers that defined the club’s supporter base in its early years.
Post_hoc
Guest
Same, in fact I have a masters degree, and I support the Wanderers, have so since day 1. I guess what they say is right, all generalisations are wrong, including this one.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Oh - that sounds about right. I thought I read somewhere the ‘official’ crowd was 21k…must have imagined it!
Buddy
Roar Rookie
I was reasonably impressed with the design of Allianz the other week against MV especially considering the weather. There are very few stadiums that offer full protection form the weather for all seats though. At least there is accessible seating (at reasonable prices on all four sides of the ground and the view seemed good from most points that I went to. The PA system left a bit to be desired. Maybe the stadium needs to be full for the noise to be softened!
Garry
Roar Rookie
Allianz has similar design issues, too much good space given to Corporates & Stadium members.
Garry
Roar Rookie
16,623..and I didnt get rained on so no visit to level 4! Thinking ill keep my seat for now.
josh
Guest
because we're smart enough to know this first fact.
josh
Guest
I still have the email from JT asking for fans to buy into a new 'club led' active supporter group he wanted to replace the RBB with. No other club has ever seen this before. He literally tried to replace the RBB and the revolt from normal fans was more severe than he ever could have imagined.
josh
Guest
Rubbish, there's 5 million people in Sydney and Sydney struggle to find 10,000 to buy a membership. Notice no WSW fan threw the same barbs at the Macarthur fanbase when they first started? It's because
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Yes, the re-allocation of seats at the new stadium was pretty awful and as a result, people moved or didn’t bother. Policing was horrendous around the ground as a whole. The whole design of the western side seems to work against the idea of club/community and reeks of elitism. Most importantly, it does nothing for the atmosphere at the stadium. Combine that and more with the chaos of Parramatta, the building of light rail and overall disruption and you have a fair recipe to encourage people not to attend. This is without player churn, poor managerial appointments and quality of play. Most I talk to just got fed up and frustrated and have found other things to do. They don’t go to MacArthur or Sydney FC. They have been lost to the game at the top level.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
B.T. - Anecdotally, I’ve talked to a lot of people - maybe 80-100 who were members, season ticket holders etc who thought the banner was “on the money”. Whilst some agreed that it was going too far, they still saw the very adult (childish) twisted humour!
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Ironically, the club is often referred to as “The Squanderers” for a variety of reasons.
Brett
Guest
you know what...no why should i fork out my hard earned money on over-priced memberships...i was a foundation member up until last year yes bad results always put a foul taste in anyone's mouth...but as an outsider, you have no idea let's talk about the move to CommBank Stadium, a move that was mooted as a necessity...being a foundation member i hoped for a little more respect when it came to seat allocation...instead i was plonked in the top right hand corner of the eastern grandstand closer to those people like 'Bruce', having their one and only two-word chant repeated upon nauseam...how's it go SYDNEY...FC. i was at the airport that night...one of the proudest moments i can recall WSW games are still over-policed...but most other teams wouldn't know that...i still have vivid memories of a Melbourne City fan being allowed to walk straight up to the RBB and...well he got what he deserved Stuart...Arnold will be back after the world cup...till then enjoy the season
Buddy
Roar Rookie
It is late Sunday night/early Monday as I make a brief contribution to this ongoing debate. i went along yesterday with my wife, who fell asleep no less than three times before 70 minutes had passed by. Support is a two way relationship and the club has done little to maintain goodwill and the numbers seen in the early years. Right now I don’t believe the appointment of mr Rudan and the current playing style will attract anyone extra through the gates. In fact I’d have thought it might do the opposite. It was 90 minutes of sheer boring football by the home team and it was hard to believe that Brisbane were the struggling team. They at least had some close calls, 2 disallowed goals and looked dangerous at times. I know many people argue that winning will bring back fans. However, a lot of the missing ones are older, more mature and wish to be entertained. I got home in time for the derby last night and there was more excitement in 5 minutes than in the whole 90 in yesterday’s “bore draw”.
jbinnie
Guest
Lionheart - your game observation was spot on. Chapman, Aldred and Neville as a back 3 just got better and better as the game progressed despite that horrendous error in the first 5 minutes. Now it is up to Moon to don his thinking cap and get the midfield functioning in a manner that would let Austin, Hore and Knowles, do the job they are supposed to do, score goals. There can be nothing more exasperating when one sees an out and out striker wandering back into midfield in order to get a touch at the ball especially when there are four of his team-mates supposed to be supplying that necessary service. To date we have seen various combinations being used in this role,none with success, and yet there surely is a lesson to be learned when one considers Jack Hingert has been the outstanding trier and yet,as a veteran full back of some experience I would think Jack knows his legs are passed that role. When one looks at the squad there are a few faces who would be worth trying in wing-back roles, Courtney-Perkins wasn't a failure in the role againt WSW. O Shea needs help in midfield he is an out and out playmaker and needs a hard- working ball winner beside him. Trewin could be the answer screening in front of 3 players he knows well. All in all there were a few steps in the right direction in this game ,one has to hope the improvement continues. Cheers jb.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Pretty healthy crowd for SFC today! Although I thought it looked closer to 15k - which would still be a decent figure against Adelaide. Bodes well for the home game against the Wanderers in a few weeks. Should go close to a sell-out.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
I would offer that if the Wanderers are in the mix for the finals, and I don't mean just scraping into sixth place, I mean as a strong contender, which I believe is completely plausible considering the team they've build, then you will see the crowds build as the season goes on. Wanderers, as you've stated have missed the finals for the last five years running, so to a degree they have to prove themselves to their fan base. That fan base wants consistency, that fan base wants a perennial contender, not just a decent season here and there. I will be honest in saying that I was totally impressed with the atmosphere and the crowd size at the Melbourne derby last night. I was actually at the game with my wife and before the game, there were people in the entry queue in front of us discussing football, and what made me stupidly happy was when a City support said to his mate, "Football's back lads, this is going to be awesome". City are perennials, and so too are Victory. Wanderers need to strive to be one of those perennials, as does every other club. I would also suggest that this is season 17 for the A-League, so be patient and it will come because we're building it and you know the old saying "Build it............" Last night we saw cracking football, last week we saw cracking football and next week we'll see the same. Get down to your local game and sit back and put it all in perspective. Look what we hav
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
WSW are the ones to watch this season as a darkhorse to play off in the final. Marko rudan is a very smart coach and no one should ever write him off.I know some people might say, oh its only 3 rounds in?. WSW will finish 4th position.
Mitcher
Guest
Oh good grief. Pull yourself together.
chris
Guest
No Sam just fell for "Robertos" comment. Mr AFL still at it.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
I'm hoping I'm wrong for the sake of the league