SEVENTY-SECOND EDITION | SEASON 2017/18 | ROUND 1 VS PERTH GLORY 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 SEVENTY-SECOND EDITION | SEASON 2017/18 | ROUND 1 VS PERTH GLORY Proudly brought to you by THE WANDERER The views in this publication are AN ODE TO POPA 8 WANDERERS TAKE RISDON BACK IN THE not necessarily the views of the The only leader the OUT NPL HONORS 14 GREEN & GOLD 20 NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers have ever known It was a season to remember From Perth to Western Wanderers FC. Material in this has said goodbye but his for the Red & Black’s U20s Sydney to Russia? publication is copyrighted and may legacy will live on still. and U18s sides. only be reproduced with the written permission from the Club. ADVERTISING REGULAR COLUMNS For all advertising enquiries for The Wanderer or partnership with the OPEN LETTER 5 TODAY’S MATCH 16 IN THE COMMUNITY 27 club please contact the Corporate Partnerships Team by sending an email WARM UP 6 JUNIOR WANDERER ZONE 18 CORPORATE NEWS 28 to [email protected] FIVE THINGS 11 FOX FOOTBALL FIX 22 OUR PARTNERS 29 PHOTOGRAPHY All photography in The Wanderer is PLAYERS TO WATCH TAKE FIVE courtesy of Ali Erhan, Getty Images Brought to you by Turner and Freeman 13 Brought to you by Turner and Freeman 25 and Steve Christo. 2 THE WANDERER ROUND 1 Refrigerator MR-WX743 Big Enough to Feed the Red and Black Army this Season! Mitsubishi Electric proudly supporting Western Sydney Wanderers FC. ME Fridge Finder Want to see how this fridge will look in your kitchen? For more information on our products Phone:1300 280 625 please visit www.mitsubishielectric.com.au Magazine_210x297_WSW_WX743_V2_FINAL.indd 1 29/09/2017 9:34:13 AM OPEN LETTER Refrigerator MR-WX743 FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER WANDERERS CEO JOHN TSATSIMAS ON THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR THE CLUB that Western Sydney determination, pride and commitment today without a doubt. We take this opportunity to thank Tony Popovic for his enormous contribution to the club since inception which will forever be noted with the pinnacle obviously being the amazing 2014 Asian Champions League success. I’m sure you will all join me in wishing him all the very best with the Big Enough to Feed the Red and next chapter of his football career and we will watch with pride as this club provided the platform for him to prove himself on a global stage. Black Army this Season! The club has shown from its Board of Directors down a strength, stability and structure which will allow a new head coach to hit the ground running and I can assure you that as we embark upon this season - the team is ready, the club is ready. We hope to have news with respect to a new appointment fairly soon. In the meantime everything will be done to ensure that the new man at the helm of this team will be the right one for the club and its fans. Mitsubishi Electric proudly supporting With this stable environment, a new stadium and training facilities on the horizon, the best Western Sydney Wanderers FC. ELCOME TO THE first game of the youth academy in the country and the best fans 2017/18 season as we take on Perth in the league, the club has already attracted some Glory here at Spotless Stadium. outstanding candidates from across the globe. WMatches against the Glory have always been tough Nothing less than what a club of this stature and entertaining affairs and there is no suggestion deserves. today’s match will be any different. Until a new coach is announced it is business as Obviously our lead-in to this match has been usual at Wanderland as we look forward to a great ME Fridge Finder rather unusual to say the least and unexpected for season ahead. all concerned. Notwithstanding this, the club and its Want to see how this fridge will members and fans have always exhibited resilience John Tsatsimas look in your kitchen? and robustness in our relatively short history and Chief Executive Officer the club through the playing group will demonstrate NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers For more information on our products Phone:1300 280 625 please visit www.mitsubishielectric.com.au VISIT WANDERLAND.COM.AU 5 Magazine_210x297_WSW_WX743_V2_FINAL.indd 1 29/09/2017 9:34:13 AM WARM UP MATCH PREVIEW Here’s tonight’s match day playlist: BACK IN BLACK AC/DC BECAUSE I LOVE YOU MONTAIGNE BEST OF YOU FOO FIGHTERS 7 CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN TEENAGE KICKS OOTBALL IS FINALLY back! Academy technical director Ian Crook THE UNDERTONES F The wait is over as the Wanderers following the departure of inaugural kick off their Hyundai A-League head coach Tony Popovic. YOU’RE THE VOICE 2017/18 season against Perth Glory Nothing else changes for the Red JOHN FARNHAM today at Spotless Stadium. & Black though, having begun their SINCE I LEFT YOU It’s set to be an interesting clash tonight preparations for the Hyundai this season AVALANCHES with a number of familiar faces now calling some fifteen weeks ago. Perth home including Mitch Nichols, Scott There could be two competitive THE WANDERER Neville, Andreu and Liam Reddy. débuts for the Wanderers today with DION After a watershed week in the club’s marquee man Álvaro Cejudo and history, Hayden Foxe will be at the helm defender Raúl Llorente still yet to make NO GOOD KALEO today with the assistance of Wanderers their first appearances in Red & Black. BORN TO RUN BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN VALE TONY BONELLO MEMBER #5167 SOMETHING I SAID THUNDAMENTALS AND NATASHA GADD MEMBER #9462 Visit our spotify channel UR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES go out Natasha loved and lived for her sport. wswanderersfc and collaborate on to the families of Members Tony She started playing soccer from the age of the “For the Fans” playlist OBonello and Natasha Gadd. 13 and fell in love. She played state league Tony was the best husband, father, this season with St George and was just grandfather and fan of football. Forty asked to sign for NPL2 in 2018. She was a years ago he was a coach for his son’s dedicated Wanderers fan and was always team. When a team player was asked to excited for game day. Natasha loved the describe Tony he replied. “Only the very adrenaline rush of supporting the boys best coaches taught you life skills for from the RBB. She would attend both use beyond football. He was hard yet so home and away games and wasn’t shy to likeable that you strived to win for him.” paint her face to show her support. 6 THE WANDERER ROUND 1 WARM UP The ‘King’ Mark Bridge is also ready to make his return to the league after a season abroad while Wanderers fans will be hoping striker Oriol Riera can continue his sparkling pre-season form in front of goal. The Red & Black will be without Josh Risdon though after he was recently selected in Ange Postecoglou’s 23-man squad for the Socceroos’ mission against Syria. Together with Club Marconi, the Wanderers will today be highlighting the work of the Heartbeat in football organisation who have done immense work in the sporting community and raising awareness of the importance of having life-saving equipment on the field at all sporting events. The Red & Black will also be paying We raise funds to tribute to Popovic, assistant Andrès Carrasco and goalkeeping coach Zeljko work with amateur Kalac as they prepare to make their football clubs to mark in Europe. educate, train and It’s an exciting time to be a Wanderer equip participants as the club looks to write another chapter in order to reduce in an already colourful history. And it all starts today! the risk of heart related deaths on the football field. ON THIS DAY HE SOCCEROOS TOOK on one of its biggest rivals Israel in the FIND OUT MORE Tintimidating cauldron of Tel Aviv on this heartbeatoffootball.com.au day in 1985, in the qualifying campaign for the 1986 World Cup. Adelaide lads David Mitchell and John Kosmina both Proudly Supported by scored to earn the Socceroos a vital 2-1 win in a typically tough encounter against the Israelis: Australian coach Frank Arok was sent to the sidelines, goalkeeper Terry Greedy was stretchered off following a collision and Ken Murphy was red-carded late in the game. 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The Red & Black’s best days are ahead of them still and there are plenty of big names yet to walk through the doors at Rooty Hill, though they’ll all have their work cut out if they hope to match the contribution that Popovic has made in the last five years.