FIFTY-SIXTH EDITION SEASON 2015/16 ROUND 26 VS CENTRAL COAST MARINERS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY CONTENTS ThIS MATch WE'VE PACKED THIS ISSUE OF THE WANDERER WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR TONIGHT'S MATCH FEATURES FIFTY-SIXTH EDITION SEASON 2015/16 ROUND 26 VS CENTRAL COAST MARINERS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY ThE WANDERER The views in this publication FAREWELL TO WANDERLAND 8 A FORGOTTEN RIVALRY 18 are not necessarily the views of The end of an era A look back on tonight’s fixture the NRMA Insurance Western Story by Jacob Windon Story by Domenic Trimboli Sydney Wanderers FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written permission from the Club. REGULAR COLUMNS ADVERTISING OPEN LETTER: FOUNDATION FOX FOOTBALL FIX 20 GUARDIAN FUNERALS For all advertising enquiries in The Wanderer or questions PLAYER MARK BRIDGE 5 WANDERCREW MEMBERS ANTH'S SPOT THE OF THE WEEK: OUR HALF- about partnership with WARM UP 6 DIFFERENCE 22 TIME PARTICIPANTS 26 the club please contact the Corporate Partnerships team FIVE THINGS 11 CORPORATE NEWS: A [email protected]. HOME LOAN ALTERNATIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH: IN THE COMMUNITY: PHOTOGRAPHY FOR WESTERN SYDNEY ENTER YOUR SCHOOL All photography courtesy REDDY VS IZZO 13 BORROWERS 23 IN THE WANDERERS of Ali Erhan, Beans & SCHOOLS CUP 27 Mash Photography, Daniel FOX FOOTBALL FOCUS TAKE FIVE WITH Boud, Getty Images WITH ADAM PEACOCK 15 JONATHAN Parramatta Melita Eagles and Steve Christo. TODAY'S MATCH 16 ASPROPOTAMITIS 25 OUR PARTNERS 30 STAY CONNECTED VISIT WANDERLAND.COM.AU 3 OpEN LETTER FROM THE FOUNDATION PLAYER MARK BRIDGE THE LOCAL BOY REFLECTS ON HIS FAVOURITE MOMENTS AT WANDERLAND T’S GOING TO be a strange leaving Wanderland. I have so many great memories here and it’s a place that all Iof us hold dear. The fact that our final game at Pirtek is against Central Coast is interesting. I remember our first game here at Parramatta was against them, so playing them tonight is a fitting ending for what has been a magical few years at this place. Hopefully we can end on a high and put up a winning performance to go out on. To have the accolade of first Wanderer to score at Pirtek is something I really cherish. Of course it’s always a team effort and as a striker it’s nice to get on the sheet every week but my first goal here was something I’ll remember long after I stop playing. However, my favourite moment at Pirtek would have to be Shinji Ono’s New Year’s Day goal against Victory. To see THE MAIDEN a volleyed finish like that was something Bridge scored to behold. It’s very rare you get to see the Wanderers' moments like that in football and we’re first ever goal at very lucky to have experienced that at Wanderland Pirtek, let alone the Hyundai A-league. It’s those moments that make This park also means a great deal to Although this is an emotional ending, Wanderland special for all who walk our squad and is a place that is revered you look to the future and you know that through its gates. throughout the entire league. A lot the stadium, once its re-done, is going to be But what really transforms Pirtek of opposing players enjoy coming to amazing. And it’s going to be a place that into Wanderland are our fans. They’re Pirtek for the atmosphere but, luckily the Wanderers turn into a fortress, creating easily the greatest in the league. Their for us, also find it very intimidating. countless more memories. I’m sure of it. passion is moving and to an extent some So as a player we’re privileged to be people come just to watch them - that’s able to play on this amazing arena MARK BRIDGE how good they are. They’re unbelievable. week-in week-out. FOUNDATION PLAYER STAY CONNECTED FOLLOW US @WSWANDERERSFC 5 WARM UP WHAT DOES THE FOXE SAY WITH HAYDEN FOXE OOKING BACK ON our most recent clash completely honest, I don’t have a Lon Friday night against Melbourne favourite as of yet. We still haven’t Victory we were very good for 60 finished what we want to achieve this minutes. We managed to reduce a very season which is to win the championship. attacking team with a strong front four So saying that, if we continue to play the to only one shot from outside the box football we have been playing and with a which was very pleasing on our behalf. few minor details to improve on, I hope Unfortunately we didn’t capitalise to be telling you my favourite memory with a goal from all our great play and will be holding the trophy at the end of dominance which we deserved and the season. Victory scored a second goal against the But first we must take on the Central ON THIS DAY run of play. Coast Mariners today who are a free We have now moved on to tonight spirited team. We must show them COURTESY OF ANDREW HOWE which is potentially our final game respect like all the teams we play against @ANDYHOWE_STATTO at Wanderland. and continue with our good play. I’m LAYING AND COACHING legend Every great memory I’ve had confident the boys will perform like they Pat Mt Druitt Town Rangers, at Wanderland comes off the back have all season and for us to take all Wayne Farnsworth was born of a match we have won. But to be three points. on this day in 1965. Farnsworth played juniors at Busby Soccer MATch DAY PARTNER FIXTURES & RESULTS Club and also spent time at Marconi and Lansvale youth Scan the QR code below for all score teams. He joined NSW State updates across our Hyundai A-League, League team Parramatta Melita Westfield W-League and Foxtel Eagles from Liverpool Albion in National Youth League matches. 1983 and, while still a teenager, made the step up to the National Soccer League at the start of the 1984 season following Melita’s entry in to the national league that year. He stayed on with the Eagles following the club’s demotion back to the NSW State League in 1985, and in the late 1980s moved on to Mt Druitt Town where he became senior coach in 1990 aged just 24. He stayed on at the Rangers for several years. 6 THE WANDERER ROUND 26 WARM UP #HASHTAG You can earn 20 points in the WSW Rewards app by using the official hashtag +20 +100 FIELD REPORTER #wsw - PLUS you could POINTS POINTS WITH CATHERINE CANNULI @CANNULI_13 appear in The Wanderer. S A FAN and a former player of the next couple of years but I am looking Aclub it was heartbreaking to watch forward to seeing what the upgrade +500 our recent match against Melbourne will bring and the ability to bring more POINTS + Victory as we didn’t get the three points people to the game to watch the team 5000 we were searching for. we all love. POINTS Watching the game it was very much All my favourite memories at + a case of us being unable to take our Wanderland have been centred around 7000 POINTS chances whereas Victory took theirs. the Sydney Derbies. You simply Now though, we’re back home cannot beat them. @PAULBOUDAHER and ready to play our final match But today we take on the team we at the original Wanderland. You first played against in our debut season, always knew from the very start that the Central Coast Mariners. there was something very special The Mariners have nothing to about this club. play for in terms of the ladder as it is Every experience that we have had so impossible for them to now make the far in our fortress has just gotten better top six but I’m sure they will be still be and better as time has gone on. playing for their pride. I have started to take my nieces and They have some great players in their nephews to the game so it’s been great squad including recent international @AVERMAN84 to show them this experience. Luis Garcia so they will make it a It will certainly be sad to say difficult match making it a challenging goodbye to our home stadium for the race for us to the finish line. WSWREWARDS DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY! Turn to page 28 now to see how you can win a @MOUDI_NAJJAR double pass to the Wanderers Medal 2016 by voting for the Members' Player of the Year. PLUS YOU CAN EARN 100 BONUS POINTS* for entering the code 'WSWRND26' into the app! + + THERE ARE POINT BURSTS IN THE WANDERER 20 100 TO SHOW YOU HOW MANY POINTS YOU CAN POINTS POINTS EARN BY COMPLETING SIMPLE ACTIVITIES *The code is available for 24 hours between 6:25pm Friday 1 April 2016 until 6:25pm Saturday 2 April 2016 @NAT452 +500 POINTS + 5000 POINTS + 7000 POINTS STAY CONNECTED WATCH WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS TV 7 FEATURE STORY BY JACOB WINDON @JACOBWINDON FAREWELL TO WANDERLAND IT'S ONLY BEEN HOME FOR FOUR SEASONS BUT THE SOON-TO-BE REBUILT PIRTEK STADIUM HAS ALREADY GIVE N THE WANDERERS A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES ONIGHT WE CELEBRATE our final regular season West was, like the people of the Western Sydney match before the demolition of a venue which region itself, given a dismissive backward glance. has given us so much and played host to some Rejected as the washed-up back alley of a larger and NO PLACE LIKE Tof Australian football’s greatest moments.