After a couple of weeks discussing entertainment, WINNING!, and building a better club in general, I think it's high time I turned the focus of this blog back to my hometown club. After the (somewhat welcome) fires of the Hatt/Charlesworth Report ripped through the club, fans wondered when we'd start to see the first signs of change. In a welcome surprise it seems they haven't had to wait too long, as the first shoots of green (or is that purple?) start to emerge from the charred ruins.
The much-derided administration present at the club is now nearly unrecognisable, as several staff members had their employment terminated. Whilst those at the very top haven't moved (more on that later) the departure of three general administration staff, the football operations manager, technical director David Mitchell, and the youth team operations manager leaves the club running on bare bones in the off-season. Whilst this is almost certainly a cost-cutting measure, it does give the club a chance to start afresh and have a new crack at serving their fanbase in the way that they should.
On the footballing side, it also gives Glory a chance to get their recruiting and contract management in order - something that surely even they would recognise their failings on over the past few seasons. A good start has been made here with the recruiting of Shane Smeltz as our marquee player, reportedly for the next three years. Some people would argue that Smeltz isn't good enough or even famous enough to fit that role - but when you consider that it is likely he will score more goals than his predecessor, the ever-famous Robbie Fowler, and he'll be paid $200,000 a year less, it seems a good investment. The signing of Smeltz and Danny Vukovic is the first true sign of Ian Ferguson's commitment to recruit proven A-League performers, rather than some donkey the club once saw on a DVD. He'd perhaps argue that his other signings so far also fit that mould, but I'll cover those soon.
Another welcome sign of recovery is the club's much-delayed entry into the world of Twitter - another area in which Perth have lagged badly behind their A-League rivals, seemingly with an attitude of "What a stupid fad, why would you want to connect with your own fans?". Happily, they're now giving it another crack; but all attention will be focused on whether their entry into this realm of social media is actually social, or just another one-way advertising platform like their Facebook page. The club themselves acknowledged it as a long time coming in their opening tweet - so perhaps just a grain of humility is starting to creep in to the club's previously ignorant culture.
The full press release from Media Manager Steve Nelkovski states that; "With the club relaunching its social media platform, fans can now follow Perth Glory all day and all night with breaking news, exclusive photos and inside commentary from the players, coaches and staff." Nelkovski goes on to state that "Perth Glory will deliver a first class, all inclusive social media package. It's been a long time coming but we are confident our loyal fans will love what's to come."
Interestingly, apart from FourFourTwo and The World Game, the club has also subscribed to the twitter feed of yours truly - something that would have been unimaginable in previous years, given that I have been somewhat, um- frank with my opinions. It will be interesting as the year goes by to see how the club deals with the input, and dare I say criticism, of the great unwashed; and just how truly social the platform will be. Until then, it is a first step I approach with cautious optimism.
Rotten Wood
Cautious optimism? Oh Dave, you're such a pessimist!
Hardly. I think most Glory fans would be wary of once more getting their hopes too high before being ultimately let down by shoddy recruiting, coaching, or administration. Need I point out:
2005: From best in Australia to missing the finals.
2006: A revival? No, FFA ownership and Ron Smith.
2007: Consolidation and new owners - and the same 2nd last placing.
2008: A bright new era; the same old 2nd last position.
2009: The most expensive squad in the league - and a first round away finals exit.
2010: Ready to build on last year; oh look, we're back to 2nd last again.
I think perhaps - just perhaps - you too might get a sense of wariness when experiencing a similar pattern of underachievement. What's more, for all the green shoots we might be seeing, there's a sense that some of the timber around this here club might be rotten to the core. Take the coach, for example. Ian Ferguson, I'm sure he's a nice bloke, but does he really have the quality needed to put his mark on a squad? It's not just Perth fans who doubt his ability - he is often singled out on these very forums as the worst coach in the A-League; and for all the cuts that took place at the club you do get the feeling that they've stopped just short of a full job.
Likewise, one must surely ask questions about the people who oversee the club as a whole. A bunch of admin and backroom staff might have been given the boot for the club's poor performance in the last year or so; but what about those above them, calling the shots? Paul Kelly, Lui Guiliani, Tony Sage, and the other members of the board and senior management must surely have to take some of the blame rather than put it all on their former subordinates.
What performance targets do they aspire to? How are their jobs going to be measured in the coming seasons? I'm certainly not saying that they're 100% to blame and should leave the club - but as a Glory fan, you do become suspicious of possible scapegoating. It certainly wouldn't be the first time we've witnessed it. Afkos' fault. Tana's fault. FFA's fault. Allia's fault. Gooch's fault. The physio's fault. The water boy's fault. Anyone-who-is-not-currently-in-charge's fault.
And what about this much-publicised revamp of recruiting, aiming to attract WA talent and youthful, quality players, with proper medical checks? Here's a quick matrix for you:
Again, I'm not saying that theseare all going to be bad signings; I understand why we're signing guys like Young, Dodd, et al. But at the same time, you can't really say one thing and then start recruiting in the opposite. Evan Berger for example, I really can't get my head around. Victory supporters don't really rate him and as I've shown in blogs past, we have young talent in the Glory Youth and state league setups that could easily challenge him for that contract.
A Matter of Trust
When you work in IT, information security is a pretty big issue. And for all the work that goes into virus detection, firewalls, and access control, they key component of any secure IT system remains trust. Likewise, the relationship between supporters and their A-League club comes down to how much one party feels they can trust the other. If the club doesn't trust its fans, it won't allow tifo displays, player appearances at social functions, and relaxed policing. If the fans don't trust the club, the level of support, membership numbers, and morale in general takes a nosedive.
Happily, for all the body blows dealt to the fanbase in recent years, Glory can still rely on their hard core of fans to prop up attendances, promote the game, and organise impressive shows of support. The question is, how much is true of the reverse? Can Perth still be relied upon by fans to serve their best interests and build- or rather rebuild- a great club?
On first glance, things aren't too encouraging. Fans will continue to have problems with the level of service and access at nib stadium - some issues out of the club's control, but some well and truly within it. Furthermore, the club's annual award night this year had a ticket price of $195 (or $175 for the "special member's price"). Now you can talk about cost of living, inflation, etc all you like - but ten years ago we weren't being charged anywhere near that amount. It is a night well and truly out of many supporters' price range, to celebrate a truly mediocre season.
However Glory's fans, true to their nature, decided that something needed to be done about this - and proceeded to put on their own "Most Glorious Fans Night", complete with awards of their own:
Get in, Cougar!
Frankly, I'm absolutely devastated that I didn't win the Golden Armchair Award for non-attendance... I still think the cheap buggers didn't want to pay for the freight. In any case, for those who did go, $80 tickets got you all the drinks, nibblies, DJ entertainment (fan-made once more) you could handle, a chance to mingle with a few of the lads including club legend Jamie Harnwell, and a general great time at the Universal Bar. Oh, and one big kick-arse cake:
Big ups to VinesCakes for this masterpiece!
So... an MGP night watching horribly biased voting for near enough $200, or a truly fan-made, let-your-hair-down party with your fellow supporters and some of your footballing heroes for less than half the price? I know where I stand; perhaps the club should take some notice.
That said, it's not all doom and gloom. Talks are already under way between a group of supporters and the club to purchase/rent a property near to nib stadium to create a true supporter's clubhouse. This would entail control of our own drinks (and prices) and the creation of a place to store trophies, photos, and other memorabilia collected in Perth's proud history. Considering the current smattering of Glory fans over several watering holes in the city, it presents a fantastic opportunity to get the majority in one place for a big pre-game get together, full of scrabble games and knitting classes, and all the other things football fans enjoy before a match.
Glory's administration would be hoping for a smooth off-season and a big marketing campaign to inspire fans to come back afresh for season 2011/2012. But they'll have to accept the brutal fact that many fans (and the Perth public at large) have simply been losing faith, trust, and patience with the club in recent years. There's only so much mediocrity one can stand - and Glory have certainly been pushing that limit hard.
The best way to get those people convinced of a real refresh of club culture is to show evidence of real changes taking place at all levels - the Hatt/Charlesworth report has started to do some of this, but it needs to be shown to be more than a whitewash. The new steps into social media, the next few players signed, the linking of youth, state league, and womens teams into the club's day-to-day culture - they will all be important next steps. And we'll be watching.
There are green shoots of encouragement, after the fire swept through - but even that initial growth can wither and die if not tended to properly.
