Came From Nowhere: the forgotten story of the Western Sydney Wanderers FC

Less than 24 hours after the Central Coast Mariners captured national attention with their historic treble of titles, SBS quietly released a documentary, this film told a similarly, yet arguably more remarkable, football story that has almost disappeared from the collective memory of Australian sports fans.

In 2014, only two years after their existence, the Western Sydney Wanderers won the most prestigious club competition available to Australian teams: AFC Champions League.

They achieved this victory in front of 11 of their own fans, due to the travel difficulties and restrictions, and 60,000 enraged Saudi Arabians, overcoming challenges such as bus crashes, hotel raids, public taunts, and laser pointers aimed at their eyes. Despite these obstacles, the Wanderers persevered, becoming the first Australian club to win the continent’s most prestigious trophy.

However, this narrative appears to have faded into the pages of history, scarcely acknowledged in broader discussions concerning pivotal moments or memories that have moulded Australian sports, the question is why?

This is what journalist Marc Fennell sought to explore this question in his latest documentary, “Came From Nowhere.” The film delves into the inception and initial triumphs of one of Australia’s most intriguing, yet currently contentious, football clubs.

“What became very apparent very quickly, and what interested me, were two things,” Fennell told ABC Sport.

“One was this truly incredible, Hollywood-esque, fairytale arc of a team that literally went from no name, no players, nowhere to play, nowhere to train, no coach to winning the highest championship you can as an Australian club.

“Then there was the other side, which was that the active support group had gotten lots of coverage. The RBB (Red and Black Bloc), there were reams and reams of news and footage of them. And I felt like those two things were linked somehow, and they were both stories worth telling, but we were trying to work out: how did they intersect?”

For years, the region had fostered a vibrant football community, nurturing numerous Socceroos who honed their skills at clubs such as Marconi, Blacktown, Parramatta, and Sydney United in the former National Soccer League.

In 2012, when Clive Palmer’s Gold Coast United ceased operations, the opportunity arose for the Wanderers. With the FFA requiring ten teams for upcoming television rights negotiations, but facing difficulty in finding a financial sponsor to establish the team in time for the 2012-13 season, they took matters into their own hands. The FFA secured a $4 million government grant to establish a professional football club in Sydney’s west, essentially from the ground up.

Following numerous community forums and fan surveys held across the region, various topics including club colours, playing style, home grounds, club values, and proposed names were thoroughly discussed and debated. On June 25, it was revealed that the club would officially be named the Western Sydney Wanderers, paying tribute to Australia’s first-ever registered football club, Wanderers FC, established in 1880. The club’s colours were designated as red and black.

During their inaugural pre-season match in St Marys, 4,500 attendees witnessed a small gathering on a grassy hill where a few songs, penned over the previous four months, were practised. This laid the foundation for the Red and Black Bloc, an active supporter’s group integral to the club’s narrative alongside the players.

Despite their first match in the A-League at the old Parramatta Stadium ending in a scoreless game, for the supporters standing behind a banner proclaiming “Football comes home,” the result on the scoreboard was inconsequential. What truly mattered was that they now had a club they could proudly call their own.

“This is a love story between a town and its team, between football and its fans. And every love story has ebbs and flows: it has moments of high euphoria, and then it has bickering and tempestuous fighting,” Fennell said to ABC Sport.

The film then tracks the team’s debut season in 2012-13, starting slow with no goals or wins in the initial month but swiftly gaining momentum. They achieved a league-record of 10 consecutive victories, challenging prominent clubs like their now-local rivals, Sydney FC, as they climbed the ladder.

With each victory, the fan base of the Wanderers expanded. In a remarkable show of support, 10,000 Wanderers faithful journeyed to Newcastle for their last regular season match. Mark Bridge’s two goals contributed to a 3-0 triumph, clinching their inaugural Premier’s Plate in an extraordinary debut season.

The film then delves into its second focal point: the club’s fanbase and the escalating tensions arising between its active supporters and the authorities.

Certain factions of the RBB posed challenges for the local police, exhibiting behaviours such as violence, property damage, intimidation, and the use of flares. This led to an increase in police presence at home games.

The RBB’s customary pre-match procession in Parramatta, along with the use of flares, megaphones, banners, and even profanity, was prohibited. While some viewed these measures as necessary for community safety, others saw it as “eroding the essence of what makes football unique.” Fans felt let down by league officials, perceiving a lack of support.

Tension may have arisen from the Wanderers’ blurring of boundaries between what writer Joe Gorman once termed the “de-ethnised” A-League, the ethnic and multicultural roots of Sydney’s west, was where the Wanderers emerged.

This might also explain why the manner in which its fanbase interacts with the sport through tifos, flares, chanting and marches has faced widespread criticism from the mainstream Australian media, which may not fully understand or feel at ease with the cultures and traditions of a working-class migrant sport that differs from their own.

In the last segment of the film, the focus shifts to the team’s extraordinary journey through the Asian Champions League. Once more, they embrace their underdog status and mindset to triumph over some of the most formidable and accomplished clubs in the region.

Members of the championship-winning team reminisce about the different tactics employed by rival fans to disrupt their visits, including infiltrating their hotels to disturb players, using lasers during games, and even orchestrating a bus accident on a congested freeway on the way to a stadium.

The match that ensued became legendary in football history, now recounted by bleary-eyed Wanderers fans who congregated in a public square in Parramatta at 3am witnessing their club, which had humble origins, rise to become one of the greatest football clubs ever produced in Australia.

The greeting for the team was at least 2000 passionate, chanting fans of the Western Sydney Wanderers flooded Sydney International Airport on a Monday night at 11:20pm, transforming the arrivals area into a vibrant and noisy celebration welcoming home the newly crowned Kings of Asia at the time.

This type of football fan culture is present all around the world which is just another normal day for them, but for WSW fans to take over the Sydney airport is remarkable when you really think about and is what gives hope that football is a sleeping giant in Australia, much to the dismay of mainstream media in the country.

The other Australian sporting codes to see scenes such as those can only dream to have it for their games at the stadiums, let alone greeting their teams at the airport.

“Any future of this sport has to really consider not just things like player development and long-term strategies and diversifying and being clubs for whole communities, but also how fans are folded into that process,” Fennell said to ABC Sport.

“Because fans are engaged with a club, it’s an experience unlike anything else. To be there in the midst of some of those games felt bigger than a Taylor Swift concert, but when they go, the whole thing just deflates.

“Whatever comes next, they have to consider how active support and everyday fans are part of the process of the club, the energy of the club, because that’s the value of it. There is absolutely a link between success and fans, and if you’re not doing well, it’s clear how that diminishes.”

Despite the club’s decline in the past decade following that remarkable achievement, “Came From Nowhere” underscores the fundamental essence of success in football. It urges current decision-makers to refocus on these core principles as they endeavour to rejuvenate a competition that many feel has passed its prime.

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Shepparton Cup 2024: The largest junior football tournament goes from strength to strength

The Shepparton Cup was conducted over the weekend, with the event being the largest weekend junior football tournament ever held in Australia.

The 3-day event was a huge overall success, with a record breaking 313 teams competing in the tournament across 21 divisions.

Matches were spread across 38 pitches at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve, Shepparton Sports City, Rumbalara and Wanganui Oval.

With around 4,000 players participating, 755 matches were played over the weekend – with finals matches concluding the event on Sunday.

“It was the biggest and smoothest tournament we’ve ever ran in our 17-year history,” Australian Football Skool (AFS) Director Rolando Navas told Soccerscene.

“There was of course really good football on show across the age groups and great sportsmanship, which was fantastic to see.

“I think the message is getting through about how important it is to provide a positive environment for kids to play sport in. It was pleasing to see everybody there, both players and parents/supporters, had a good time.”

Navas estimates that there were well over 12,500 people attending the event across both venues over the weekend, providing a giant boost to the local Shepparton area.

“You are talking about a wide range of people who are, at a minimum, staying in the city of Shepparton or close by for two nights,” he said.

“The economic impact was massive.”

Economic activity at Shepparton Cup – Image Credit: One Nil Media

Director for Sustainable Development at Greater Shepparton City Council, Geraldine Christou, further explained the greater benefits the tournament had on the local community.

“Australia’s largest junior weekend football tournament right here in Greater Shepparton showcases the strength of our community spirit and our capacity to host major events that bring joy, talent, and visitors to our region,” she stated.

“The economic benefit of this tournament is immense with an estimated $3 to $4 million generated for the region, supporting our local businesses and creating lasting memories for thousands of young athletes and their families.

The Greater Shepparton City Council’s Parks, Sport and Recreation team played a big hand in the organisation of the tournament, which included looking after the setup of pitches to the placement of goals at the venues.

Football Victoria CEO Chris Pehlivanis, who attended the tournament over the course of the weekend, was impressed with the execution of it.

“I’m proud of the whole tournament, it was an amazing opportunity to come down here to Shepparton and see lots of boys and girls playing football and playing lots of games,” he stated at the event.

“I think most kids had six, seven, eight games which is an amazing opportunity and not only that, there was amazing organisation.

“Everyone should be extremely proud of what they have achieved here this weekend…the logistics, everything was run smoothly…the referees were great and all the parents and participants were great.”

Kids at play during the Shepparton Cup – Image Credit: One Nil Media

The Shepparton Cup has continued to grow exponentially over the years, initially starting with just 30 teams in the inaugural tournament in 2007.

This year’s edition also featured a wide range of off the field activities that contributed to a carnival like atmosphere. There was live music, on stage entertainment, food trucks, a fun zone for players and families.

Navas detailed to Soccerscene that the enormity of the event was not lost on him and is investigating ways to make the competition better in the near future.

“(The growth of the event has been) overwhelming, compared to many of the previous years. It was the biggest by far this year and there was a great positivity around it.

“The plan is to not necessarily make it bigger in the future, just to tweak it and add more to it and make it a better experience for everyone.

“I’d love to be able to attract some more international teams, we are looking at that to see how we can get some of the Asian teams to come across to the event.

“This would be fantastic, as it would show the kids here how football is played in different parts of the world. The way we look at things is ‘if I was 10- or 12-years-old what would I want this tournament be?’

“That’s what drives a lot of our thinking and ultimately our initiatives. It’s important to us because if the kids have a good experience, they’re going to become better players and better people because of it.

“We’ve also received some really good information from the feedback surveys we put out, which is very beneficial in shaping the tournament suitably in future editions.”

Is it time to make the A-League Women a full-time professional competition?

Newcastle Jets Women

In the last fortnight, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) released their annual A-League Women’s report, providing an overview of the current state of the women’s game at the highest level in Australia.

Throughout the document the PFA pinpointed their key recommendation, make the A-League Women’s (ALW) competition a full-time professional league.

The association had previously earmarked this as their number one priority in the year prior, but have now doubled down – setting a timeline for implementation by the 2026-2027 season.

The timeframe has come from extensive feedback from stakeholders within the game, with the vast majority of players agreeing that action on this front must come sooner rather than later.

The report outlined in detail the difficulties players are having with the current part-time nature of the league – with most players not on 12-month contracts, minimum wages set at $25,000 and club salary caps sitting at $600,000 per season.

The representative body also highlighted the threat to the competition based on significant progress of other women’s sporting leagues here in Australia and more importantly overseas women’s football leagues.

“The global growth of women’s football presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the A-League Women,” PFA Co-Chief Executive Kate Gill stated.

“Our players recognise that the league must embrace full-time professionalism by 2026 to remain competitive on the global stage.

“Our league and club leaders must unite behind a new vision that drives professionalism, commercial growth, and investment.”

Competitions such as the UK Women’s Super League (WSL) and the US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), have continued to build their presence in the global landscape.

The WSL has had a 700% increase in attendances, since establishing themselves as a full- time professional league in 2018.

The NWSL has recently increased its salary cap by 40% to $4.1 million for the 2024 season, after securing a significant broadcast deal worth 40 times more than their previous one.

Alongside this, a new American professional league, the United Soccer League’s Super League (USLS) launched in August of this year – with plans underway to continue to expand the competition.

These developments will continue to affect the ALW’s ability to not only retain but also attract talent to the Australian competition, as player salaries and conditions continue to rise in overseas leagues.

Of the 106 foreign player transfers into the ALW since 2018, 63 were Americans. 46% of the imported players (across all nationalities) came directly from the NWSL. With professionalism and club standards continuing to reach greater heights in competitions in America, for example, the ALW may continue to fall behind and not be an attractive proposition for foreign players coming into our competition, but also for players already competing in the ALW.

According to 2023-2024 end of season surveys conducted by the association, ALW players have now rated the NWSL as the second most preferred league to play in, behind the WSL in the UK.

In the previous year, 56% of ALW players put the ALW ahead of the NWSL on their respective lists, but a year later only 41% of players did the same.

It’s a clear sign that these leagues overseas are offering superior opportunities for players, which the ALW needs to try to combat and minimise this impact immediately.

With full time professionalism in the Australian competition set as a clear goal by the PFA, the commercial viability of the league will be at the forefront of any discussions around this.

The ALW did increase their crowds organically in the past season by 72 percent (on the back of a Women’s World Cup on home soil) however the PFA believes there were still strategic missteps that could have led to even further growth.

Based on fan focus groups setup by the organisation, newly converted Matildas fans were ignorant to details about ALW teams and schedules – due to a lack of promotion to spectators who attended international matches.

With the Women’s Asian Cup also to be played in Australia in two years’ time, the same mistakes cannot be made and capitalising on these home tournaments is paramount.

The 2026 Women’s Asian Cup is set to be an important part of the PFA’s proposed professional relaunch of the A-League women’s competition, using the major tournament to enhance the leagues visibility.

Alongside this, the report claims that an improvement of the ALW’s match presentation is needed – from consistent match day experiences, to appropriate venues for games and better broadcast standards.

All of these factors should, alongside overall improvements to club environments, lead to an attractive product that may eventually reap commercial rewards in the future.

The question is however, will the next step of initial investment towards a professional full-time A-League Women’s competition be taken?

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