News that Perth Glory may well move away from its traditional home of NIB Stadium could well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Ever since taking over the reins of Perth Glory Tony Sage has butted heads with the Allia, the management company that holds the lease for NIB Stadium. He has constantly griped at the costs for the A League team to play at the venue and has claimed that every home game loses him up to $75,000.
One of the main problems would appear to be that each season Perth Glory fail to obtain the projected crowd numbers that they base their budgets on. In business such a miscalculation would see heads roll, but year on year they claim they will average the 12,500 needed to break even, yet fail to do so. One of the reasons for this is the disconnection that the club has with the football public but the main reason is a complete lack of marketing. This season the same picture was run in the paper prior to every game with the copy changed to suit the game. That is not marketing!
News that the opening game of next season of the Hyundai A league will be played at Patersons Stadium – formerly Subiaco Oval – has been met with a mixed response from those “Not The Footy Show” spoke to. This venue is dreadful for watching sports played on rectangular pitches, because you are too far away from the action. Rugby Union fans tolerated it for two years and then in the third stayed away in their droves and watched the Emirates Western Force on television, what is to say the Perth Glory Fans won’t do the same.
The club believes according to Mr Sage on radio station 6PR this morning that they will get over 20,000 for that opening game against Grand Final opponents Brisbane Roar, and will average 14,000 a home game because the are now ‘title contenders.’ That is not enough, to be ‘title contenders,’ as was reflected in the fact that they were unable to draw that number for either of their home finals games last season. The club has to lift its profile and its place in the psyche of the Perth public. Perth Glory tickets used to be the hottest in town but regrettably that is no longer the case.
As for getting over 20,000 at Subiaco Oval unless a massive marketing campaign is embarked on to pull the public in the club could once again be left with egg on its face.
Then there is the news that the club may move to the soon to be demolished Perth Arena and play on a synthetic pitch indoors. A novel idea, and one that will no doubt intrigue many for the first game but it is again a risky move. The much talked about move to the Perth Hockey Stadium will have to be discounted as in December the Super 9‘s tournament is locked in already, so a change of pitch there would not be possible in the short term.
One has to feel for the club that it is faced with finding a new home, as Football fans like certainty and routine, having one game at one venue another somewhere else will break that routine. One hopes that something can be sorted out before the start of the season and Perth Glory do take the field at NIB Stadium next season, and maybe a well planned and executed marketing strategy will see more fans come through the gates.
Thank You for the information. Now that I am informed I feel a bit better about the way Glory seem to always be on the “outer”. Thanks, Kevin.
Kevin, Thanks for your comment. I recall only too well the bid for Leederville Oval having attended the meetings.
I can tell you how the former owner of Perth Glory ended up with the lease, quite simply he underwrote the initial re-development of Perth Oval for the then Town of Vincent. He simply said if I am going to underwrite the work on the stadium, then I want something for my money, which I think is fair.
One thing I would say is don’t believe all that you read about what Perth Glory are being charged to use NIB Stadium, it is in fact one of the cheaper stadia to rent in Australia and the cost is far less than the figures bandied about, the trouble is no one actually asks Allia, they simply believe what they are told.
Nick Tana is painted as being the bad guy, yet he does not go to the media and simply goes about his business quietly and is far from the evil ogre he is portrayed to be. In fact he still buys a corporate box at the ground. He loves football and he loves Perth Glory, but is also a very successful business man, and that is what allowed him to set up the club in the first place.
I hope this helps a little.
This situation should never have happened. Perth Glory in it’s early days tried to get Leederville oval only to be rejected due to Footballs unsavoury fans ( ??) Anyway, after much lobbying the town of vincent ( Catania and Co.) Perth Glory ended up with Perth Oval. What I would like to know is, how did the Perth Glory owner end up with the lease (or control) of this stadium. As soon as He left He took the stadium with Him…HOW?? This stadium was paid for by taxpayers and should have been controlled by the Town of Vincent not Alia holdings. Meanwhile, the true “Tenants” of this stadium Perth Glory now have to go cap in hand to Alia to rent the bloody thing….It’s a disgrace! There should be an investigation into this and whoever “gave” this stadium away ( I can guess who!) should be brought to answer this. Then again, the pieces of gold have been paid, I’m sure He is nowhere to be seen.
All White, Good to hear from you again.
I have to say your last point is an interesting one. I know that Perth Glory would not like it, but you almost think getting people to buy tickets – for the club’s sake – but not attending would send a pretty clear message to one and all.
If as mooted in the paper today they are to play more games at Paterson’s then I fear for the crowds. Burswood I don’t think will happen either and I understand your attendance figure is very close to the correct capacity so it makes no sense to play away from NIB.
At least Subiaco has its own big screen, so that will save the club in the region of $20k a game.
I have too say I think we will find that this story will end up being used as a get out clause for Tony Sage.
With Cape Lambert shares going down, and his $92million tax debt, shareholders would probably be none too impressed with his leadership of late. He gets ousted as Chairman and where does that leave Perth Glory?
He will use this whole stadium issue as a reason to part ways with the club claiming he cannot make money, and his losses will be even greater. He walks away and makes it look like the Government and Allia are the bad guys. Perfect scenario for an ego driven man like him.
He is complaining about NIB only having a capacity of around 10k next season yet Burswood dome I believe with an artificial pitch inserted would only hold a similar number of fans and the corporate boxes will be well below par to those at NIB.
As for Subiaco Oval forget it, there is no way I will ever watch a game there again. Dreadful venue and every football fan who does go and support a game there is supporting the new Stadium being pushed by AFL and the State Government. To me the Roar game is the ideal opportunity for Football fans to make a stand and state they will not accept their sport being played on an oval.
Time will tell how long Mr Sage is there, but you are quite right with no marketing and profile the best they can hope for are the 9k who turned up regularly last year.