Perth Glory FC

Perth Glory FC

Logo
Full name	Perth Glory Football Club
Nickname(s)	Glory
Founded	1996
Ground	Members Equity Stadium
Capacity	17,288
Manager	David Mitchell
League	A-League
2007-08	7th (league)
Home colours Away colours

Perth Glory FC is an association football (soccer) club from Perth, Western Australia, playing in the A-League. Perth Glory was one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League. The other clubs included Adelaide United FC and Newcastle United FC, although all of these clubs were majorly overhauled to enter the A-League.

History

Background, 1977-95

Perth first showed interest in joining the National Soccer League in its inaugural year in 1977. However, a series of logistical problems and financial concerns meant that the league were not keen to include a Western Australian side. While the Western Australian state representative side continued to perform well in National and International cup competitions, the state continued to be unrepresented at a senior club level until 1994.

In 1994, a group of businessmen led by Joe Claudio formed the Perth Kangaroos IFC. The club competed in the 1994 Singapore Premier League along with the Darwin Cubs. At the time, there were visions of establishing an Asia-Pacific Super League which could become a sporting and financial empire in the East. It turned out to be something of a farce. The Kangaroos finished the league season undefeated and easily won the Singapore league title. However with dwindling support and resources, the experiment proved to be a financial disaster and Perth Kangaroos IFC soon folded.

Early seasons, 1995-98

In 1995, another consortium led by Nick Tana bid for entry into the National Soccer League. Perth Glory were subsequently licensed for entry into the 1996/7 NSL season. From a relatively unheralded start, the club would develop beyond all expectations and establish the game in a state where Australian rules football dominated and Rugby league was about to fail.

Former Adelaide City player and Perth Kangaroos coach Gary Marocchi was appointed coach for the first two seasons and won many fans with his bold attacking style. Initially believed to be nothing more than a token participant, Perth surprised many by only just missing the cut for the finals; finishing 7th and 8th in 1996-97 and 1997-98 respectively. The exciting style of "you score three, we score four" drew fans - including many British expatriates. The atmosphere was such that people attended games for the amusing chants coming from the shed end of the ground as much as the actual game.

Players like NSL title winning sweeper Vinko Buljubasic, Perth born striker Bobby Despotovski and young local star Vas Kalogeracos were brought into the team and achieved cult status. New Zealand International Gavin Wilkinson was also signed while local midfielder Gareth Naven was appointed captain.

In their first match in the NSL Perth Glory lost to UTS Olympic 4-1 with veteran Scot Alan McKenzie scoring the first goal for Glory. Huge crowds and good results soon followed with an exciting win over the defending champions the Melbourne Knights thrilling a huge crowd.

Glory only needed a point in their final match of the season but were defeated by the Knights and fell just short of making the finals. Glory midfielder Paul Strudwick was sent off during the match in controversial circumstances while trouble in the crowd also marred the match.

In the 1997/98 season, despite again finishing close to the top 6 and signing more high profiles players like Ernie Tapai and Danny Hay it was a disappointing season for the Glory. Nigerian signings Samson Siasia and Peter Anosike were a massive disappointment as Glory lost the plot midway through the season. In the final home match of the season, the shed chanted the forever remembered "Marocchi! Marocchi! Your future's looking rocky!"

The Bernd Stange era, 1999-2001

Fan support was consolidated in the era of Bernd Stange. The former East German National coach became a media star after replacing Gary Marocchi who was sacked and finally took the team into the competition playoffs. The success of the team created record attendances along with record exposure in the local media. During Stange's reign, Glory competed in its first ever NSL Grand Final in 1999/2000 after having already won the League championship.

In his first season, Stange had taken Glory to their first ever finals series the previous season and had fallen in the preliminary final against Sydney United. With new signings John Markovski and Con Boutsianis fitting straight into the side, local player Jamie Harnwell started to develop into a key defender and made the step to replace the injured Vinko Buljubasic. Unfortunately a horror form slump at the height of summer denied the Glory a top two place but massive crowds still attended their two home finals at the WACA Ground against Adelaide City and Marconi Stallions.

The Glory hyperbole stepped up another notch the season after with more publicity, hype and recruits like young star Ivan Ergic, Jason Petkovic and Olyroo Kasey Wehrman. The 1999/2000 grand final is remembered as one of the most thrilling matches in NSL history. Earlier in the Championship Playoff series, Perth had narrowly beaten the Wollongong Wolves in a two-legged Major Semi Final - needing a dramatic 80th minute penalty and goal in extra time to advance (Ergic drew the penalty and scored the golden goal). In the grand final, Perth again faced the Wolves and led 3-0 at half time against a miserable Wolves outfit; thinking the game was won, Stange substituted key Glory players Scott Miller, Bobby Despotovski and Ivan Ergic. Yet, the Wolves rallied superbly and Perth experienced a series of defensive blunders to be pegged back to 3-3 at full time. Perth subsequently lost on penalties, but this defining moment galvanised the team and would be a motivating force for years to come. James Afkos, a young defender and son of Glory co-owner Paul Afkos saw his penalty saved which gave the win to the Wolves. The Wolves side also featured players such as Scott Chipperfield, Sasho Petrovski as well as Matt Horsley and Stuart Young who would go on to play with the Glory in later years. The loss was a crushing blow to Glory but the team had done well despite the problems Stange had had with stars such as Vas Kalogeracos and Con Boutsianis who had both left the club. Stange had also been told midway through the season that his contract would not be renewed but a well organised supporter protest and media pressure forced Tana to change his mind and publicly announce the U-Turn before a home match against the Canberra Cosmos.

In spite of the loss, the public were very fond of Stange but his time had come by the end of the 2000/01 season. Glory was too inconsistent during the season with more player disharmony involving Stange's tactics and fell just short of a top two spot. Much of the blame in not finishing the top two also laid with Soccer Australia and their inability to handle having Carlton and the Eastern Pride both drop out of the league half way through the season. Glory had at times played fantastic attacking football and stuck the boot into a few sides but their inability to do it week in week out had been their undoing.

In the finals series the Glory once again came up against the Melbourne Knights and drew 0-0 in Melbourne despite having Jamie Harnwell sent off. Following the match Melbourne Knights fans attacked the team and their bus as they tried to leave Sunshine Stadium. It is believed that the fans were angered by a Serbian salute made by Bobby Despotovski in response to provocation from the Melbourne Knights fans who have a traditionally large Croatian support.

In the return leg Glory were eliminated following a 2-2 draw. The Knights had gone into an early lead with goals in slippery conditions before two late goals to the Glory but it wasn't enough with the Knights winning through the away goal rule. Despite signing high profile recruits such as Damian Mori (who had formed a prolific partnership with Bobby Despotovski up front) and Brad Maloney while also holding onto young star Ljubo Milicevic the Glory had underachieved and Stange was sacked by Nick Tana.

Mich d'Avray as coach, 2001-04

Despite the flair of Stange's reign, it would take the more tactical approach of Mich d'Avray to finally win the NSL Championship. While less flamboyant than his predecessor, d'Avray successfully transformed the team with a different strategy to the previous coaches. The attacking 5-3-2, which saw almost as many goals conceded as scored, was replaced with a 4-4-2. Some may argue that the team began to play a less attractive form of the game, but nobody could argue with the results. In 2001/2, the team nearly went the entire season undefeated with a side that only had former Adelaide City midfielder Brad Hassell as a major addition. After scraping through in the second leg of the major semi final against Newcastle, Glory faced Sydney Olympic in the grand final at a sold out Subiaco Oval. While the 2000 Final was one of the great games of domestic Australian football, the 2002 final was a tight and tense affair with Glory hardly getting a shot on target due to the fact that they lacked any bite in the midfield and had their two strikers marked out of the game. Ante Milicic was on target for Olympic though and his goal early in the second half was enough for Olympic to win 1-0 and break the hearts of Glory fans once again. It was also to be former Socceroo Alistair Edwards final match before retirement.

Many Glory fans consider this match as the final straw for the fans who had flocked in their thousands in the past, and only the hardcore fans still remained at games in the NSL and first two years of the A-League.

Maloney left the club at the end of the 2002 season but his replacement proved to be a key in Glory finally getting that elusive title. German midfielder Andre Gumprecht was brought in to the club thanks to Stange and made an instant impact. With the NSL disintergrating around them, Glory and Olympic were the only two semi decent teams still left in the league to galvanise their midfield and fought it out for top spot all season. Glory picked up Socceroo Simon Colosimo halfway through the season and eventually won the right to host the 2003 Grand Final after coming out on top of a new, confusing and convoluted league table finals format that had dragged a poor season out. In the Grand Final Glory took the game to Olympic and following a headed goal from in the first half from Harnwell it was all over late in the match when Mori saw his shot dribble over the line in dramatic fashion. 2-0 was the end result and d'Avray had delivered the Grand Final victory Glory had yearned for.

In the final NSL season in 2002-04, Glory only had Parramatta Power as a huge threat with the Western Sydney club buying up big for the season. Players like Fernando Rech, Michael Beauchamp and Ante Milicic were brought in along with Glory midfielders Gumprecht and Colosimo in what seemed to be a huge blow to the champions. In response to the plundering of their engine room d'Avray signed up Sydney Olympic title winners Tom Pondeljak, Wayne Srhoj and Jade North while also getting former Socceroo defender and West Australian native Shaun Murphy back from the United Kingdom.

In a season where Glory again went head to head with a team from Sydney, Parramatta beat the Glory at home 4-2 and then away 2-0 to host the final ever NSL Grand Final. Glory thrashed Adelaide United in the preliminary final and faced Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium to try and go for back to back victories. In pouring rain, Parramatta were brought down to the level of their opponents and scrapped for every ball in a match devoid of many chances. Mori wasted two sitters before young striker Nick Mrdja nailed a shot past Clint Bolton to claim the golden goal and win the match for Glory and their second NSL title.

In the 2005-06 season d'Avray was the Glory's Director of Football but after the club decided to hire the coaching services of Ron Smith and David Mitchell his services where no longer wanted within the club for the 2006-07 season.

End of the National Soccer League, 2003-04

It was around 2001 that the league showed signs of significant deterioration. A combination of central mismanagement, conflicts of interest and poor sponsorship would eventually lead to a government enquiry and the removal of the leadership of Soccer Australia. Eventually, the relaunched and renamed Football Federation Australia announced the creation of the A-League for 2005/6. The financial backing and business nous of chairman Nick Tana had ensured the viability and success of the club during the earlier dire times - and ensured it a place in the future of the game in Australia.

First season in the A-League, 2005-06

In 2005, it was announced that former Liverpool and England star Steve McMahon would be appointed as coach. The new season saw a complete overhaul of the playing squad, with Simon Colosimo and former Sunderland and Leeds striker Brian Deane as key signings. Other notable signings included future young stars Nick Ward and Billy Celeski.

Early results in friendlies against local opposition were not great, but Perth became the first team to defeat Sydney FC, winning 1-0 in the semi-final of the 2005-06 Pre-season Cup before losing in the final 0-1 to the Central Coast Mariners. Perth's woeful recruiting strategy was soon evident with the early departure of star import Brian Deane after seven games. Another McMahon recruit, Northern Ireland junior international Neil Teggart, quit the club prior to the start of the regular season. Deane was replaced by Damian Mori, a former Perth Glory striker. Originally on a three-game temporary contract, after some impressive performances Mori stayed for the rest of the season and finished with seven goals.

However, the club continued to be dogged by problems which would only be later revealed to the public. Steve McMahon was subject to constant media criticism over his coaching style and was accused of nepotism by signing his son, Steve McMahon Jr, who was of questionable talent. Rumours also surfaced that players were planning to stage a revolt against the coach. On December 7, the club reported that the parties had "amicably" chosen to go separate ways. On December 9, 2005, the club announced that assistant coach Alan Vest would move into the head coach role for the remainder of the season, with striker Damian Mori taking on a dual role as player-coach after being named as his assistant.

The coach's departure was merely a symptom of deeper troubles. Poor performances saw Perth miss out on qualification for the finals for the first time since 1998. Dwindling support from chairman Nick Tana, as he looked to sell his 75% stake in the club, seemed to underpin a general decline in club fortunes. After the Round 20 match against Sydney FC, Alan Vest hinted that the current player group were incapable of achieving anything better and stated that "cliques" had been formed undermining club harmony. To cap off a bad season, Western QBE announced they were withdrawing as major sponsor after being associated with the club for 8 years.

Under FFA control, 2006-07

Main article: Perth Glory FC Season 2006-07

In March 2006, Football Federation Australia relieved owner Nick Tana of ownership and management of Perth Glory.

In July 2006, Australian international Stan Lazaridis signed a 2 year deal. This was quickly followed by the appointment of Ron Smith as head coach and Michelle Phillips as CEO on July 26. Unfortunately, star youth player Nick Ward did not honour his two year contract and defied the advice of the FFA and left for Queens Park Rangers in England.In a major bonus for the Glory, long time partner and sponsor Western QBE Insurance gave a show of faith and signed on as the clubs major sponsor in round 18, until the end of the 2007-2008 season. Western QBE had previously been sponsor of the club since 1998, but decided against resigning a deal at the start of the 2006-2007 season, leaving the Glory in a very tough situation- without any sponsor or owners. But in December 2006, signs were shown that owners had been found by the FFA, and so Western QBE were reinstated.

Back in private ownership, 2007/08-

Main article: Perth Glory season 2007-08

The FFA (holders of the Perth Glory licence) announced on February 23, 2007 that the Glory was to be handed over to a triumvirate of owners - Tony Sage, Brett McKeon and John Spence. This announcement ended almost a year of uncertainty. The new Glory owners are ambitious in their plans, and are bringing new hope to a club that was somewhat poor, both off the field and on, in 2006-07.

On the 2nd of March, it was announced that former Perth Glory players Anthony Danze and Billy Celeski had rejoined the club, along with new signings Dino Djulbic and AIS graduate Jimmy Downey. It was also announced that Naum Sekulovski had agreed to a new one year deal with the Glory.

On the 21st of March, Perth Glory announced the signing of former Perth SC and Young Socceroos Goalkeeper Tando Velaphi. This was followed on the 27th of March with the signing of Nikita Rukavytsya, also from Perth SC. Nikolai Topor-Stanley joined the club after Sydney FC's Asian Champions League campaign finished.

On the 19th of May, Perth Glory announced that Milton Keynes Dons winger Nick Rizzo had signed a two-year deal with the club. On the 24th of May, the signing of little-known Croatian striker Mate Dragičević was announced. Dutch veteran Michael Mols was expected to sign as a Glory player for the 2007-08 season but rejected the offer to sign for Feyenoord. Hayden Foxe and Mitchell Prentice were later added to the squad, and the signing of striker James Robinson was also completed.

Probably the biggest coup for the Glory for the 2007-08 season was the signing of a one-year sponsorship deal with Singapore listed steel manufacturer Delong Holdings, worth $AUD750,000, one of the biggest in the A-League, who will feature on the back of the Glory jersey. On the front of the Glory jersey, long-serving major sponsor Western QBE will feature prominently, another deal worth over $AUD500,000 for one year, with an option of two years after that.

In the 2007 A-League Pre-season Cup, the Glory surprised many by making the Final against Adelaide despite not playing a single game in WA. In the first round in Port Maquarie, Glory beat Newcastle United Jets FC 1-0 to lead group B from the outset. In the second round, in Adelaide, Glory took the lead through young sensation Nikita Rukavytsya, but were held to a draw by United after a 35-meter wonder strike from Reds defender Cassio. Going into the final group game, against Premiers and champions Melbourne Victory FC, Perth needed a positive result to progress to the Final. In Darwin, in what the FFA designated as a home game, Melbourne scored first through Costa Rican sensation Carlos Hernández, a 35-meter cracker. But the Glory equalized and then took the lead through goals from Harnwell and Nikita Rukavytsya. Unfortunately in the other game, United thrashed unfortunate Newcastle, who had to settle for third place in the group, by 4 goals to 1, meaning Glory would have to face Central Coast, winners of the other group and in ominous form on the back of two wins and a draw. Glory, however, played amazingly well and were victors 3-2 in Gosford. Unfortunately, again United beat their opponents Queensland by 3 goals to two in an absolute cracker of a game, meaning United would host the Grand Final. This was Perth's second chance at the Pre-Season silverware in the A-League.

Prior to the match, Socceroo Simon Colosimo was handed the captaincy and the job of steering Perth back to former Glory.

Perth eventually lost after leading for a large part of the match, again to a Cassio wonder strike, the final score being 2-1 to United. Many people put this down to the travel that the squad endured throughout the campaign for the laps in the last 20 minutes.

The season started poorly though for the Glory, winless after 12 rounds and attracting only four-figure attendances. As a result, Ron Smith came under increasing pressure from fans and the media to deliver results. The team struggled to score goals, with Mate Dragicevic in particular becoming a figure of derision. Glory legend Bobby Despotovski publicly called for Smith to be replaced, and on the 4 November Smith was sacked as manager. David Mitchell was handed the caretakers role for the rest of the season.

The bold new era of Perth Glory began the same day, when it was announced the Glory were forming a strategic alliance with English Premier League club Manchester City. Results and crowds immediately picked up. A 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle in Mitchell's debut match bode well for times ahead, with Glory's first win at home in a year against Melbourne and Glory's first-ever win over Sydney. Mitchell won four and drew two of the remaining 10 games of the 2007-8 season.

The club's playing staff drew controversy as the season ended, with news that Simon Colosimo had agreed to join Sydney FC at the end of the season. The story was published in the Sunday Times newspaper and resulted in Colosimo being jeered by the Glory Shed Supporters Club (GSSC) sections of the Shed crowd during the round 18 loss to Queensland Roar. Colosimo later strongly denied any deal was done, but admitted that the crowd response made him less likely to stay at Perth. [1] The GSSC denied any animosity existed between it and Colosimo, and ridiculed suggestions a rift was started when Colosimo couldn't attend a GSSC barbecue. Colosimo was dropped for the final two games of the year for "tactical reasons". He completed his move to Sydney FC at the end of the season.

2008/09

Main article: Perth Glory season 2008-09

Pre-season preparations began much earlier than usual, with Perth Glory going on a three game tour of China in March, consisting of matches against Changchun Yatai, Changsha Ginde and Guangzhou. The tour was used as an opportunity for the club to assess potential signings, including state league players Josip Magdic (Floreat Athena), Mark Lee (ECU Joondalup), Callum Roberts (Fremantle) and Marc Anthony (Stirling Lions). Eugene Dadi, whose mooted move to the Glory last season was stalled due to Hapoel Acre's refusal to release him, also made the trip. The Glory lost all three matches; the first match went to Changchun 3-0, the second match to Changsha 2-0 and Guangzhou won the final game 3-1. Callum Roberts scored the Glory's only goal on the tour.

Perth Glory have made four new signings in the off-season. Eugene Dadi was granted release from his former club to sign for Perth Glory.[2] Adriano Pellegrino and Adrian Trinidad joined the club in early May.[3][4] Jimmy Downey also had his contract extended by a further year. Josip Madgic and Naum Sekulovski have also re-joined the Glory for season 2008/09. Stan Lazaridis is the most notable depature, having been told by the club he is no longer required after two seasons hampered by injury, suspension and poor form. In July 2008, Glory announced the signing of Brazilian international midfielder Alexandre da Silva Mariano, better known as 'Amaral.' The defensive midfielder has played with some of the great clubs around the globe including Brazilian giants Palmeiras and Corinthians, perennial Portuguese championship contenders Benfica and successful Italian Serie A outfits Parma and Fiorentina. He has also represented Brazil 31 times during a long and successful career before joining Perth on their pre-season tour of Indonesia. Glory had been keeping a close eye on youngsters Scott Bulloch (Sorrento), Anthony Skorich (Western Knights) and Andrija Jukic (Perth SC) who were all up and coming players in the WA State league. Bulloch signed with the Glory's senior team in August, while Skorich and Jukic joined Glory's Youth Team. In September, Wayne Srhoj returned to Australia after 5 seasons in Romania, to sign with the Glory for the rest of the season.

Current Squad

Perth glory announced that they are now Perth Failure Players in bold have senior international caps.

Name and position	No	Joined in	Former team	Birth date	Citizenship
Goalkeepers
Jason Petkovic	1	2005	Konyaspor	(1972-12-07) December 7, 1972
Frank Juric	20	2008	Hannover 96	(1973-10-28) October 28, 1973
Tando Velaphi	30	2007	Perth SC	(1987-04-17) April 17, 1987
Defenders
Nikolai Topor-Stanley	2	2007	Sydney FC	(1985-03-11) March 11, 1985
David Tarka	3	2005	Nottingham Forest	(1983-02-11) February 11, 1983
Jamie Coyne	4	2005	ADO Den Haag	(1981-01-02) January 2, 1981
Jamie Harnwell	5	2005	Sorrento FC	(1977-07-21) July 21, 1977
Dino Djulbic	6	2007	South Melbourne	(1983-02-16) February 16, 1983
Hayden Doyle (Youth)	15	2008	Niki Volou FC	(1989-02-25) February 25, 1989
Hayden Foxe	18	2007	Leeds United	(1977-06-23) June 23, 1977
Jeff Bright (Injury Replacement)	26	2008	Mandurah City	(1985-07-05) July 5, 1985
Midfielders
Nick Rizzo	7	2007	Milton Keynes Dons	(1979-06-09) June 9, 1979
Adrian Trinidad	9	2008	KL PLUS FC	(1982-10-18) October 18, 1982
Amaral	10	2008	Grêmio Recreativo Barueri	(1973-02-28) February 28, 1973
Scott Bulloch	11	2008	Sorrento FC	(1984-08-13) August 13, 1984
Josip Magdic	12	2008	Floreat Athena	(1985-12-19) December 19, 1985
Adriano Pellegrino	16	2008	North Eastern Metro Stars	(1984-06-09) June 9, 1984
Jimmy Downey (Youth)	17	2007	AIS	(1987-10-10) October 10, 1987
Naum Sekulovski	19	2005	Preston Lions	(1982-05-14) May 14, 1982
Mark Lee	21	2006	ECU Joondalup	(1979-05-31) May 31, 1979
Wayne Srhoj	22	2008	FC Timişoara	(1982-03-23) March 23, 1982
Stuart McLaren (Injury Replacement)	27	2008	Queensland Roar	(1975-08-28) August 28, 1975
Strikers
James Robinson	8	2007	Marconi Stallions	(1982-09-18) September 18, 1982
Nikita Rukavytsya	13	2007	Perth SC	(1987-06-22) June 22, 1987
Eugene Dadi	14	2008	Hapoel Acre	(1973-08-20) August 20, 1973

Squad Changes for 2008-09 season

In: Player From League Date Eugene Dadi Hapoel Acre F.C. Liga Leumit March 2008 Josip Magdic Floreat Athena Football West State League April 2008 Adriano Pellegrino North Eastern MetroStars South Australian Super League May 2008 Adrian Trinidad KL PLUS FC Malaysian Premier League May 2008 Frank Jurić Hannover 96 Fußball-Bundesliga May 2008 Mark Lee ECU Joondalup Football West State League June 2008 Hayden Doyle Niki Volou FC Gamma Ethniki June 2008 Amaral Grêmio Recreativo Barueri Campeonato Brasileiro Série B July 2008 Scott Bulloch Sorrento FC Football West State League August 2008 Wayne Srhoj FC Timişoara Liga I September 2008 Out: Player To League Date Leo Bertos Wellington Pheonix Hyundai A-League January 2008 Simon Colosimo Sydney FC Hyundai A-League January 2008 Billy Celeski Melbourne Victory Hyundai A-League February 2008 Jerry Karpeh Whittlesea Zebras Victorian Premier League March 2008 Jordan Simpson FF Jaro Veikkausliiga April 2008 David Micevski Western Knights Football West State League April 2008 Tyler Simpson Blacktown City Demons New South Wales Premier League April 2008 Stan Lazaridis Retired April 2008 Mitchell Prentice Sydney FC Hyundai A-League May 2008

Youth Squad

Perth Glory's Youth Squad will be playing in the new 7 team A-League National Youth League. Current members of the squad are:

• Reece Vittiglia from National Training Centre
• Liam Harvey from National Training Centre
• Adam Luca from National Training Centre
• Brent Griffiths from ECU Joondalup - Defender
• Howard Fondyke from A.I.S.
• Anthony Skorich from Western Knights - Striker
• James Sammut from Inglewood United - Striker
• Ryan Pearson from Armadale SC
• Andrija Jukic from Perth SC - Midfield
• Ludovic Boi from Stirling Lions - Midfield
• Dean Evans from Stirling Lions - Defender
• Scott Neville from Sorrento FC

• Coach: Gareth Naven
• Assistant Coach: Scott Miller

The Fans

Gloryboys.net

Gloryboys.net, established in 2002, was an independent news site known for attracting the most passionate of Glory fans and the odd Glory administrator as well before being predominately a forum. The site is a manifestation of the views and opinions of Glory fans at any given time. In the past it has had ongoing feuds with fans of former NSL rivals Melbourne Knights and Sydney United, clubs with significant support from the Croatian community in Australia. The site was also critical of SBS presenter Francis Awaritefe's apparent antipathy toward the Glory and has been subjected to, and survived, numerous legal threats from various local media identities. The most recent being in January 2008 when community radio match caller David Smith, from the now defunct weekend broadcaster SportFM, threatened to shut down the site unless material he deemed to be defamatory was removed. In 2006 Gloryboys.net had the distinction of being appointed an accredited media organisation by FIFA for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

GloryTalk

GloryTalk is a bi-weekly podcasts formed in 2007 by Murdoch University students Kristian Dwyer and Peter Rogers. Upon release of their second ever podcast figures of close to 100 downloaded, including those from Sydney and Melbourne. The podcast itself covers Perth Glory and interviews with players have become a commonplace feature in the 2008/2009 series of the show, with players such as Nick Rizzo and Naum Sekulovski being interviewed on the show. In June 2008, it was also announced that the show will be covering the Australian Youth League, in particular Perth Glory Youth Team home matches.

The Glory Shed

The Glory Shed is a covered standing area at the Northern (Pier Street) end of Members Equity Stadium. The Glory Shed Supporters Club is an organised Glory supporters group. Members of the GSSC inhabit 'The Glory Shed'. The GSSC arranges travel to at least one away game a season known as the 'Tour of Duty.' The Tour of Duty has been conducted since 2000 and has already achieved legendary status. Travelling fans are generally around 100 in number out of a GSSC membership of about 300. They have travelled to a number of venues since their first trip in NSL season 2000/01, including Gosford (Central Coast), Edensor Park (Sydney United), Telstra Dome (Melbourne Victory), Hindmarsh Stadium (Adelaide United), Suncorp Stadium (Queensland Roar, Brisbane Lions) and Energy Australia Stadium (Newcastle Jets). One trip that will always hold a special memory in the heart of those that did the last NSL Tour of Duty was to Parramatta Stadium, where Perth Glory won the last NSL championship against upstart newcomers Parramatta Power in the 99th minute in a downpour throughout the game.

Sponsors

Since 1998, Insurance giant Western QBE had been Glory's Title (front-of-shirt) sponsor. However, when ownership of the Glory was handed to FFA, Western QBE decided not to sponsor the club for the 2006-07 season. This left the Glory in a tough position- a lack of sponsorship and owners meant a lack of money, which meant a lack of quality players, which meant poor results and poor football, which meant poor crowd attendances, which meant even less money from ticket sales. This is the model that had effected so many NSL clubs and led to their demise, and has recently led to the demise of former A-League club the New Zealand Knights. Therefore, the Glory knew they needed to find a sponsor-fast, and transitional owners FFA knew they needed to find good owners fast as well. Luckily, 18 rounds into the 2006-07 season, Western QBE returned as Title sponsor, signing for the remaining 3 rounds and until the end of the 2007-08 A-League season. This brought much-needed stability to the club; the funds helping to secure supporters faith, which set off another chain-reaction. Fans meant more money, which meant more advertisement, which meant survival, which meant potential owners felt more secure about bidding for the clubs license. This all led to a much larger and more highly respected squad for the 2007-08 season, all because Western QBE had decided to re-sign as Title sponsor, so in a realistic sense, Western QBE saved one of the most famous clubs in Australia from collapse.

Owners were found in February, 2007 for the club in Tony Sage, John Spence and Brett McKeon. These owners, millionaires in their own right, are injecting much needed funds in the into on-field performance, administration, appeal to fans and youth development camps.

A massive boost in March, 2007 was the signing of a one-year deal with Asian steel manufacturer Delong Holdings ltd. This deal is one of the largest in the A-League, worth $750,000 with an option of another two-year contract after seasons end worth another $1,000,000. The name and symbol of Delong will feature prominently on the back of Glory's shirts for the 2007-08 season, with Western QBE already instilled on the front working in tandem with Delong as Glory's Title sponsor.

Years	Kit Manufacturer	Major Sponsor	Supporting Sponsor
1996-99	Umbro	Western QBE	Chicken Treat/Quit WA
1999-2003	Kappa	Western QBE	Chicken Treat/Quit WA
2003-04	Sekem	Western QBE	Chicken Treat/Quit WA
2005-06	Reebok	Western QBE	Chicken Treat/Quit WA
2006-07	Reebok	Western QBE	Foxtel Digital
2007-08	Reebok	Western QBE	Delong Holdings/6PR 882
2008-09	Reebok	QBE Insurance	Kurv. Magazine/6PR 882

Colours & Badge

File:009257.png

Glory's A-League logo (2005-)

Perth Glory's home strip is all-purple with orange trim on the sleeves and sides. As with all A-League clubs (excluding Melbourne Victory), the away strip is all-white with the club colours featuring on the sleeves - purple with orange trim.

When Perth Glory was formed - in 1996 - the club felt it important to create a logo and name with no ethnic overtones and which symbolised the rebirth of football in Western Australia. It was felt the name Perth Glory had broad appeal and a sense of history. The sunburst in the logo is characteristic of Perth in summer, and everywhere else in the world, while the orange and purple colours were chosen in contrast to the more traditional combinations (generally white, red or blue).

In 2004 when the A-League was launched, the club decided a new logo was needed for the new era of Perth Glory. The new logo retained the small 'Perth' in an arc above the larger 'Glory', with the letter 'O' still represented by a football. The orange and purple colours still stayed as did the sun rays. The previous logo had been used since the clubs inception in 1996 in the old NSL.

During the FFA's administration of the club, they indicated an openness to changes to the Perth Glory name and colours. This was not a popular move amongst Glory supporters. Thankfully for supporters, new triple owners Sage, Spence and McKeon have stated that colours will certainly not be changed under their reign. However, the owners have also stated a change to the current badge may be in order in the near future. There is an urge to have a more common football logo, including an actual badge. Ideas for such include a badge shape such as Melbourne Victory's or Sydney FC's, with the existing orange-and-white football that represents the 'O' in Glory in the center with a white and purple background, the words 'Perth Glory FC' above this and '1996' (the year Glory was established) below in the bottom. This is reasonably popular with most supporters, although some complain that this idea would be too different from the old NSL logo, when times were more applaudable.

Stadium

Main article: Members Equity Stadium

Glory play their home games at Members Equity Stadium, which can hold just over 17,000 spectators. The record attendance for a Glory A-League match is 13,157 to see Glory host glamor club Sydney FC in October, 2005. The largest average season attendance in the A-League for the Glory is 9,374 in the 2005-06 season, while the largest attendance for any football match at the ground was in November 1998 when 18,067 fans turned up to see a top-table clash with arch-rival South Melbourne FC.

Now that Western Australia has another major team in a rectangular-code competition (Western Force in the Super 14 Rugby competition), there is a big push to have a 30,000+ capacity rectangular stadium in Perth. Western Force and Perth Glory have joined forces on several occasions to knock on the door of the Western Australian Government and plead their case for a ground of this size. The Force currently play games out of 40,000-seat the oval-shaped AFL ground Subiaco Oval, which has hosted several Glory games before, generally NSL Finals games, most notably the 1999-2000 season NSL Grand Final when an all-time NSL record crowd of 43,157 fans saw Wollongong Wolves beat Glory on penalties following a 3-3 draw.

Plans for a 30,000+ stadium have been drawn and looked at by the WA Government, and a decision shall be made before the 2007-08 campaign starts as to size, location and expenses. Glory would almost certainly play out of this ground if possible, and if Government statements are to be believed, it could be operational for the start of the 2010-11 campaign kicks off. It has been suggested to just build on to Members Equity, doubling the ground's current capacity as an all-seated undercover 30,000+ atmospheric stadium, although the Government has said it wishes to build a separate ground in another part of Perth.

Rivalries

Perth Glory do not really have any major rivals in the A-League yet, although the league is very young and Glory has not made a finals series, so time is needed to develop these. However, as Adelaide United FC and Glory are the only survivors of the NSL some may consider this a rivalry, though crowds at games between the two do not suggest the fans feel any rivalry at present. If anything there is more rivalry between the various factions of Glory fans (as noted above) than towards opposing sides.

Perth Glory's largest ever regular-season attendance took place against South Melbourne FC in the 1998-99 NSL season, while South Melbourne drew their largest season crowd of the latter years of the NSL against Glory in 2001-02.

Personnel

Club officials

• Chairman: Tony Sage
• Directors: Tony Sage, Brett McKeon, Alistair Edwards and Lui Giuliani
• CEO: Scott Gooch

Coaching and Medical Staff

• Football Operations Manager: Stuart Gilsenan
• Manager: David Mitchell
• Assistant Manager: Kenny Lowe
• Assistant Manager: Robbie Dunne
• Goalkeeping Coach: Willy McNally
• Youth Team Head Coach: Gareth Naven
• Assistant Youth Team Coach: Scott Miller
• Team Doctor: Ken Maguire
• Head Physio: Gary Russo

Coaches

• Gary Marocchi (1996-99)
• Bernd Stange (1999-01)
• Mich d'Avray (2001-04)
• Steve McMahon (2005)
• Alan Vest (2005-06) Caretaker Manager
• Ron Smith (2006-2007)
• David Mitchell (2007-Present)

Notable Players

• Nikita Rukavytsya (2006-)
• Nick Rizzo (2007-)
• Jamie Harnwell (1998-) Captain (2005-2007)
• Hayden Foxe (2007-)
• Jason Petkovic (1999-2004, 2005-)
• Nikolai Topor-Stanley (2007-)
• Eugène Dadi (2008-)
• Amaral (2008-)

Notable Former Players

1990s

• Gianfranco Circati (1998-1999)
• Con Boutsianis (1998-2000)
• Troy Halpin (1999-2000)
• John Markovski (1998-1999)
• Bobby Despotovski (1996-2007)
• Alistair Edwards (1999-2003)
• Tony Franken (1997-2003)
• Ljubo Milicevic (1999-2001)
• Gareth Naven (1996-2002) Captain (1996-2002)
• Robert Zabica (1996-1997)
• Danny Hay (1996-2001, 2006)
• Gavin Wilkinson (1996-1999)
• Samson Siasia (1997-1998)
• Ivan Ergic (1999-2000)

2000s

• Simon Colosimo (2002-2003) (2005-2008)
• Stan Lazaridis (2006-2008)
• Damian Mori (2000-2007)
• Nik Mrdja (2000-2004)
• Shaun Murphy (2003-2004)
• Tom Pondeljak (2003-2004)
• Nick Ward (2005-2006)
• Brian Deane (2005)
• Andre Gumprecht (2002-2003)
• Henry Fa'arodo (2006)
• Leo Bertos (2006-2008)

Perth Glory Most Glorious Player Award

• 2007/08 Hyundai A-League - Nikolai Topor-Stanley
• 2006/07 Hyundai A-League - Simon Colosimo & David Tarka
• 2005/06 Hyundai A-League - Bobby Despotovski
• 2003/04 NSL - Bobby Despotovski
• 2002/03 NSL - Scott Miller
• 2001/02 NSL - Bobby Despotovski
• 2000/01 NSL - Bobby Despotovski
• 1999/00 NSL - Gareth Naven
• 1998/99 NSL - Danny Hay & Scott Miller
• 1997/98 NSL - Danny Hay
• 1996/97 NSL - Gavin Wilkinson

Perth Glory league history

Perth Glory League History

Season	P	W	D	L	F	A	Ladder Position	Teams	Avg crowd	Final Position
2007-08	21	4	8	9	27	34	7th	8	7,606	7th
2006-07	21	5	5	11	24	30	7th	8	7,671	7th
2005-06	21	8	5	8	34	29	5th	8	9,734	5th
2003-04	24	18	3	3	56	22	1st	13	9,470	1st
2002-03	24	16	2	6	48	22	2nd	13	10,277	1st
2001-02	24	16	7	1	52	23	1st	13	12,832	2nd
2000-01	28	16	7	5	67	33	3rd	15	13,094	5th
1999-00	34	19	7	8	60	42	1st	16	12,001	2nd
1998-99	28	16	5	7	62	37	3rd	15	14,725	3rd
1997-98	26	10	6	10	35	40	8th	14	14,972	8th
1996-97	26	8	5	8	48	41	7th	14	11,909	7th

Affiliated Clubs

• Manchester City F.C.
• Valencia CF
• Palmeiras
• Grasshopper-Club Zürich
• Shanghai Shenhua
• FC Moscow
• Thanda Royal Zulu FC
• Chonburi FC

Honours

• NSL
  • Champions (2) (Finals Series Winners): 2003, 2004
  • Runners-up (2) (Losing Grand Finalist): 2000, 2002
  • Premier (3) (League Winners): 2000, 2002, 2004
• A-League
  • Runners-up (2) (Pre-Season Cup): 2005, 2007
  • Fair Play Award (2): 2005, 2006

Records

(As of 11 May 2005)

• Biggest winning margin: Perth Glory 6-0 Canberra Cosmos (3 November 1996)
• Biggest losing margin: Parramatta Power 6-0 Perth Glory (2 November 2003)
• Undefeated streak: 13 (29 April 2001 - 15 December 2001)
• Winning streak: 8 (7 October 2001 - 1 December 2001)
• Record attendance during regular season: 18,067 (vs South Melbourne FC - 15 November 1998)
• Record attendance during finals: 43,242 (vs Wollongong Wolves - 11 June 2000)
• Most matches played for club: 240 Bobby Despotovski

External links

• Perth Glory Official Website
• Template:MySpace

Unofficial

• GloryBoys.net
• Glory Fans United
• Glory Shed Supporters Club
• GloryTalk