FIFTIETH EDitiON SEASON 2015/16 ROUND 13 VS ADELAIDE UNITED 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 FIFTIETH EDITION SEASON 2015/16 ROUND 13 VS ADELAIDE UNITED PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY RED-DEMPTION 8 THE KIDS Are ALriGht 18 THE WANDerer Things are a little different to the last time Another Foxtel National Youth League The views in this publication are not necessarily the views of the Wanderers faced Adelaide season draws to a close the NRMA Insurance Western Story by Jacob Widon Story by Domenic Trimboli Sydney Wanderers FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written REGULAR COLUMNS permission from the Club. OPEN LETTER: CHIEF TODAy’s MATCH 16 GUARDIAN FUNERALS ADVertiSING For all advertising enquiries EXECUTIVE OFFICER WANDERCREW in The Wanderer or questions JOHN TSATSIMAS 5 FOX FOOTBALL FIX 20 MEMBERS OF THE WEEK: about partnership with OUR PRECINCT the club please contact the WARM UP 6 SLAV’S SPOT THE VOLUNTEERS 26 Corporate Partnerships team [email protected]. DIFFERENCE 22 FIVE THINGS 11 CORPORATE NEWS: IN THE COMMUNITY: PHOTOGRAPHY All photography courtesy PLAYERS TO WATCH: PRIMO AND WANDERERS: WANDERERS IN THE of Ali Erhan, Beans & DIMAS VS ISAIAS 13 A PROUD PARTNERSHIP 23 COMMUNITY 27 Mash Photography, Daniel Boud, Getty Images, and Steve Christo. FOX FOOTBALL FOCUS TAKE FIVE WITH WITH KATE COHEN 15 ANDREW REDMAYNE 25 OUR PARTNERS 30 StAY CONNecteD VISIT WANDERLAND.COM.AU 3 BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE OpeN Letter FROM the Chief EXecUtiVE OFFICER STRIVING TO BE THE BEST Dear Wanderers Family, under the guidance of Ian Crook and we are excited I welcome you all on the first day of 2016 as well as by the prospects that are involved in our program. ONWARDS AND our opponents Adelaide United to Wanderland. We aim to see the fruits of the Academy program UPWARDS On a personal note, I hope 2015 was a good one reflected in our Hyundai A-League team in good CEO John for you and your families and I wish you all the very numbers in the not too distant future. Our elite Tsatsimas says best for 2016. training and administration facility is coming along he is looking We are excited at what this brand new year holds nicely and we will have more news in that space in forward to an for the Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club. the coming months. exciting 2016 Our boys are top of the ladder entering the back I would like to take this opportunity to thank end of the season and I could not be prouder of you for your unwavering support and we can the efforts that have been put in by all at the club, only continue to grow with you by our side. The including players, Tony Popovic and his coaching last few months have shown that collectively we staff, administration staff, the Board and most are an important voice in the Australian sporting importantly you, the Members, to help us get to landscape and in a much broader context can where this club deserves to be. I also acknowledge represent Western Sydney on the national and the efforts of our corporate partners in that regard. world stages, in keeping with our mantra of being We look forward to our boys taking the field today a globally respected and recognised football club - and keeping us on track for qualifying for another the pride of Western Sydney. AFC Champions League campaign and competing at the business end of the season for domestic honours. JOHN TSATSIMAS This year we will see our Academy program debut CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER StAY CONNecteD FOLLOW US @WSWANDERERSFC 5 WARM UP BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE WHAT DOES THE FOXE SAY WITH HAYDEN FOXE APPY NEW YEAR and welcome to they’ve now won three games out of their HWanderland for 2016. We’ve had a last four matches. They’ve come through good week since our Christmas Eve win a sticky patch and are now getting some over Newcastle Jets with training being good results and playing good football. excellent over the holiday period. It’s similar to us: a slow start in regards We had a really short turn around after to results but now we’re getting the the Perth Glory game before Newcastle rewards. We are now on a nine match which made it harder to freshen the boys unbeaten run. When you put a new squad up, especially as Perth trips take a lot out together like we have it can take time to ON THIS DAY of you, but we handled that very well and gel, but we gelled quickly and established a played really well against Newcastle and good culture and very bright environment COURTESY OF ANDREW HOWE controlled the game for most of the match. within the group from an early stage. @ANDYHOWE_STATTO With eight days since the Jets match We have always been positive and the we’ve had a longer turn around this week undefeated run hasn’t changed that. ORMER SOCCEROO AND 1983 which helps with preparation: we’ve been With the positive results everyone NSL Player of the year Joe F able to get a lot more done on the training is in a good mood and knows what is Watson was born on this day in field so we’re feeling good leading into required, especially over the Christmas 1952. After playing in his native tonight’s match against Adelaide United. and New Year period, to be the best and Scotland for Dundee United and Adelaide are coming off a good win perform the best and that won’t change Forfar Athletic, the ball-playing against Wellington where a strong today. Like every week we approach midfielder moved to Australia second half saw them win 3-0. After a every game with the same focus no aged 21. From 1973 to 1986 slow start to the season for the Reds matter who we’re playing. he played at Hakoah/Sydney City where he amassed several Championship medals - NSW MAtch DAY PARTNER FIxtURes & ResULts state league titles in 1973 and Scan the QR code below for all score 1974, and NSL Championships in updates across our Hyundai A-League, 1977 (the inaugural NSL season), Westfield W-League and Foxtel 1980, 1981 and 1982. ‘Jinky’ National Youth League matches. Joe played 258 NSL games for Sydney City before ending his national league career at APIA in 1988 (12 games). From 1979 to 1986 he made 41 appearances for the Socceroos, captaining the team in his last match in 1986, against Czechoslovakia. He passed away in 2000. 6 THE WANDERERS ROUND 13 BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE 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 DEAN HEFFERNAN @HEFF35 appear in The Wanderer. T’S BEEN SO good to watch the boys out every week they all know exactly Ion their current run of nine matches what is expected of them and are doing +500 unbeaten, especially when I talk to the their job well. POINTS + players and coaching staff and they all say The team looks like they’ve gelled 5000 there is a lot more improvement to come: together really well. For that, big wraps POINTS it can only be a good thing for the club. must be given to guys like Nikolai, + Before I joined the Red & Black I Bridgey, Shannon Cole and Brendon 7000 POINTS remember coming up against the boys Santalab: when new players come in it’s in season one when they went on the 10 up to those who have been there to teach @FAMOUS_Mick match winning streak and they were just them what the club is all about. so hard to beat. They had the firepower I know from experience that new and game winners up front too: it looks players learn pretty quickly when they do very similar to that year this season, their first warm-up lap and Bridgey is up except even better. front trying to sprint. It makes you think Bridgey is on fire, he’s so versatile “wow, everyone goes pretty hard in the that he’s playing well in different warm-up” so you go hard as well, fall into positions while Mitch Nichols has been line like the rest of them and it pays off. a stand out too. Players like Nikolai It’s going to be hard for other teams Topor-Stanley and Alberto are unsung that to go to Pirtek. Now working for @HERBIEGIRL_teNAE heroes but everyone is playing their part. Fox Sports, I’ve watched a lot of games If you look all over the pitch and on the and a lot of Wanderers. They’re just on bench, even if players are coming in and another level at the moment. WSWREWARDS DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY! Turn to page 28 now to see how you can win the NUBEZ7 Ultimate Members Derby Experience. PLUS YOU CAN EARN 100 BONUS POINTS* for entering the code ‘WsWRnd13’ 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 +20 +100 *The code is available for 24 hours between 6:25pm Friday POINTS POINTS +500 1 January 2015 until 6:25pm Saturday 2 January 2015 @SMACRAH POINTS + 5000 POINTS + + 500 can’t aTTEND7000 A MATCH? POINTS + POINTS 5000 POINTS + RELEASE YOUR SEAT 7000 AND BE REWARDED POINTS if you can’t aTTEND ANY GIVEN HOME MATCH DAY YOU CAN NOW RELEASE YOUR SEAT FOR SALE AND EARN 5,000 POINTS THROUGH WSW REWARDS WHILST GIVING OTHER FANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WANDERLAND VISIT WANDERLAND.COM.AU FOR MORE INFORMATION WSWREWARDS StAY CONNecteD WATCH WESterN SyDNey WANDererS TV 7 FEATURE BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE STORY BY JACOB WINDON @JACOBWINDON RED- DEMPTION REWIND TO ROUND 2 OF THIS SEASON AND A 1-1 DRAW AGAINST ADELAIDE UNITED MEANT THE WANDERERS WOULD ENTER THE THIRD WEEK OF THE COMPETITION WITH ONLY A SINGLE POINT.