Perth Glory FC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Perth Glory

Full name	Perth Glory Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Glory
Short name	PGFC
Founded	1 December 1995; 29 years ago (1995-12-01)
Ground	HBF Park
Ground Capacity	20,500
Owners	Pelligra Group
Manager	David Zdrilic
League	A-League Men
2022–23	9th of 12
Home colours Away colours

Perth Glory Football Club is a professional soccer team from Perth, Western Australia. They play in Australia's top men's league, the A-League Men.

The club started in 1995. Perth Glory is one of the few teams from the old National Soccer League (NSL) that still exists. They played their first game in October 1996. Perth Glory became a very strong team in the NSL's last years. They won the league three times and reached the Grand Final four times.

After joining the A-League in 2004, they won another league title. They also played in two more Grand Finals. The team has competed in the AFC Champions League once. They also reached two Australia Cup finals.

Perth Glory plays home games at Perth Rectangular Stadium. This stadium is also known as HBF Park. It can hold 20,500 fans. The team has played there since they began.

The main fan group is called the "Glory Shed Supporters Club." It's named after "The Shed," a special area at their home stadium. Perth Glory has rivalries with teams like Wellington Phoenix and the Melbourne Knights. The club's top goal scorer ever is Bobby Despotovski, with 129 goals. Jamie Harnwell has played the most games, with 256 appearances.

Club History

Early Years and NSL Success (1995–2004)

Perth Glory joined the National Soccer League (NSL) in the 1996–97 season. The club was officially launched on December 1, 1995. They quickly became popular and helped make soccer more well-known in Western Australia. Gary Marocchi was their first coach. He led the team with an exciting, attacking style of play.

In their first season, players like Bobby Despotovski became fan favorites. The team just missed out on the finals. The next season, despite signing more famous players, they had a disappointing year.

In 1998, Bernd Stange became the new coach. He was a former East German national coach. Stange led Glory to their first finals series in his first year. They reached the preliminary final but lost. In the 1999–2000 season, Glory finished first in the regular season. They became "minor premiers" for the first time. A record crowd of 42,764 fans watched them play in the semi-final.

The 2000 National Soccer League Grand Final was very exciting. Perth Glory led 3–0 at halftime. But the Wollongong Wolves came back to tie the game 3–3. Perth lost on penalties. This tough loss motivated the team for years.

After Stange left, Mich d'Avray became coach in 2001. He changed the team's strategy. In 2001–02, the team almost went the whole season without losing. They reached the Grand Final but lost 1–0 to Sydney Olympic.

In 2003, Glory finally won their first NSL Championship. They beat Sydney Olympic 2–0 in the Grand Final. The next season (2003–04) was the last for the NSL. Perth Glory won their second championship, beating Parramatta Power with a "golden goal" in extra time. This meant they won both the league and the championship that year.

Joining the A-League and Challenges (2005–2013)

In 2005, the A-League started. Perth Glory changed its name to Perth Glory Football Club. Steve McMahon became the coach. The team had a tough start in the new league. They struggled with player issues and coaching changes. Steve McMahon left, and Alan Vest took over temporarily.

In 2006, the club's original owner, Nick Tana, stepped down. The Football Federation Australia (FFA) took over for a short time. In 2007, new owners, Tony Sage, Brett McKeon, and John Spence, took charge. They wanted to make the club strong again. Ron Smith became coach but was later replaced by David Mitchell.

In 2009, Tony Sage became the sole owner. He invested more money into the club. Perth Glory played friendly matches against English Premier League teams. They also changed their team badge and kit. Key players like Mile Sterjovski and Jacob Burns joined. In the 2009–10 season, Perth Glory made the A-League finals for the first time. They lost in a penalty shootout.

In the 2010–11 season, Ian Ferguson became coach. The team had a strong start but then lost many games. They finished second to last.

The 2011–12 season saw many new players join, including Shane Smeltz and Liam Miller. Perth Glory had a great second half of the season. They finished third and made the finals. They won their way to the 2012 A-League Grand Final. In a very close game, they lost to Brisbane Roar in the final seconds.

In 2012–13, Ian Ferguson was replaced by former player Alistair Edwards. The team improved and reached the finals again.

Ups and Downs (2013–Present)

In 2013, the club decided to dedicate the number 12 shirt to their fans. Kenny Lowe became the new coach in late 2013. The 2014–15 season started well. They signed new players like Andy Keogh and reached the FFA Cup final. However, the club faced problems with salary cap rules. They were fined and removed from the finals series.

Despite this, the 2015–16 season was successful. Diego Castro won the Johnny Warren Medal as the league's best player. The club finished 5th and reached the FFA Cup final again. In the 2016–17 season, they finished 5th once more and made it to the semi-finals.

The 2017–18 season was tough. They finished 8th. Kenny Lowe left as coach. Tony Popovic took over in 2018.

The 2018–19 season was very successful under Popovic. New players joined, and the team started strong. Perth Glory won the A-League Premiership. This was their first major trophy in 15 years. They also earned a spot in the AFC Champions League. They reached their second A-League Grand Final. A record crowd of 56,371 watched in Perth. The game ended in a draw, and Perth lost on penalties.

In the 2019–20 season, Bruno Fornaroli joined the team. They had a good unbeaten run. However, the season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tony Popovic left the club after the season.

Richard Garcia became coach in 2020. Glory played in the AFC Champions League for the first time. They earned their first point in the competition. However, the team struggled in the A-League. In 2022, Garcia was replaced by Ruben Zadkovich. The club finished last for the first time in its history.

Zadkovich left in 2023. Tony Sage also stepped down as chairman. The club faced financial difficulties. In October 2023, Robert Brij was announced as the new owner, but this deal fell through. In February 2024, the Pelligra Group became the new owner. The 2023–24 season saw the club finish last again. Adam Taggart won the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals.

In June 2024, David Zdrilic was named the new head coach. His first game was an Australia Cup play-off, which Perth won.

Team Name, Colours, and Badge

Perth Glory's home kit (uniform) is mostly purple. It has orange stripes on the collar and arms. The away kit is white with orange and purple stripes. In 2009–10, the home kit had vertical stripes, like their very first jersey.

The club's first badge had sun rays and a soccer ball. The word 'Glory' was featured, with the 'O' as a soccer ball. When the A-League started in 2005, they got a new badge. It kept the sun rays, soccer ball, and purple and orange colours. In 2009, a new shield-shaped badge was introduced. It was well-liked and showed a new chapter for the club.

Kit Evolution

• Home

1996–1997

1998–2000

2000–2001

2002–2003

2003–2004

2005–2006

2007–2009

2009–2011

2011–2013

2013–2017

2017–2019

2019–2020

• Away

1996–1997

1998–1999

1999–2000

2000–01

2001–2002

2003–2004

2005–2009

2009–2011

2011–2014

2013–2017

2017–2019

2019–2020

• Third

2011–2012

2013–2014

2017–2019

2019–2020

Club Sponsors

Perth Glory has had different sponsors over the years. These companies help support the club.

AFC Competition Sponsorship

Home Stadium

Perth Glory plays its home games at Perth Rectangular Stadium. This stadium is also known as HBF Park. It has room for 20,500 fans. The club has played there since it started in 1996.

The stadium has been updated over the years. In 2012, major renovations began. The stadium's capacity was increased to 20,441 by 2013.

The record attendance for an A-League match at the stadium is 17,868. This was for a semi-final game in 2019. The largest crowd for any soccer match at the ground was 18,067 in 1998. The biggest crowd for a Perth Glory game ever was 56,371. This was for the 2019 A-League Grand Final.

Training Headquarters

In 2021, the club moved its main office and training area to Fremantle Oval. In 2025, they plan to move to a new location in Mirrabooka. This new spot will have upgraded training facilities.

Fans and Rivalries

The main fan section at the stadium is called The Shed. It's a standing area where the Glory Shed Supporters Club cheers on the team.

Perth Glory has a rivalry with Wellington Phoenix. It's called The Distance Derby. This is because the two teams have one of the longest travel distances in club soccer. They are about 5,255 km apart! They have played many exciting finals games against each other.

The club also had a rivalry with the former A-League team Gold Coast United. This was called the Iron Ore Cup. It was named after the mining businesses of the two club owners.

Perth also had a rivalry with Melbourne Knights from the old NSL. This rivalry began with a tough game in 1997. It became more intense after a player incident in 2001.

Team Players

First-team squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Oliver Sail 2 DF Riley Warland 3 DF Anas Hamzaoui 4 DF Luke Bodnar 5 DF Lachlan Barr 6 MF Brandon O'Neill 7 MF Nicholas Pennington 8 MF Mustafa Amini 9 FW David Williams (vice-captain) 10 FW Nikola Mileusnic 11 MF Hiroaki Aoyama 12 MF Taras Gomulka 13 GK Cameron Cook 14 FW Nathanael Blair 15 DF Zach Lisolajski

No. Position Player 16 MF Adam Bugarija 17 FW Jarrod Carluccio 19 DF Josh Risdon 20 MF Trent Ostler 21 FW Abdelelah Faisal 22 FW Adam Taggart (captain) 23 FW Cristian Caicedo 24 DF Andriano Lebib 25 MF Jaylan Pearman (scholarship) 26 FW Khoa Ngo (scholarship) 27 MF Will Freney (scholarship) 28 DF Kaelan Majekodunmi 29 DF Jacob Muir 31 FW Joel Anasmo 33 DF Luis Cangá

Youth Players

These players have been part of the first-team squad for a match.

No. Position Player 30 GK Robert Cook 38 MF Corey Sutherland 41 FW Royie Rahamim

No. Position Player DF Tadiwanashe Kuzamba FW Laat Mathiang DF Aiki Tsukamoto

Players on Loan

No. Position Player MF Aaron McEneff (at Shamrock Rovers until 31 December 2024)

Club Ownership

In 1995, Nick Tana helped start Perth Glory. He was the owner when the club joined the NSL. In 2004, Tana decided to sell the club. The Football Federation Australia (FFA) took over for a short time in 2006.

In 2007, three local businessmen, Tony Sage, Brett McKeon, and John Spence, became the new owners. Later, Tony Sage became the sole owner in 2009. He was a very dedicated owner for many years.

In 2020, there was a plan to sell most of the club to a cryptocurrency company, but it didn't happen. In 2023, Tony Sage stepped down as chairman. The league helped manage the club's sale. Robert Brij was announced as a new owner in October 2023, but that deal also fell through.

Finally, in February 2024, the Pelligra Group became the new owners of Perth Glory. Ross Pelligra is now the club's chairman.

Team Captains

Dates	Name
1996–2002	Gareth Naven
2003–2004	Shaun Murphy
2005–2007	Jamie Harnwell
2007–2008	Simon Colosimo
2008–2009	Jamie Coyne
2009–2014	Jacob Burns
2014–2015	Michael Thwaite
2015–2016	Richard Garcia
2016–2017	Rostyn Griffiths
2017–2018	Andy Keogh
2018–2021	Diego Castro
2021–2022	Brandon O'Neill
2022–2023	Mustafa Amini
2023–2024	Mark Beevers Adam Taggart
2024–Present	Adam Taggart

Club Staff

Advisory Board

Football Department

Position	Name
Director of Football	Stan Lazaridis
Head Coach	David Zdrilic
Assistant Coach	Tomi Vidovic
Assistant Coach/Analyst	Andres Clavijo
Goalkeeping Coach	Danny Milosevic
High Performance Manager	Cameron Lord
Strength and Conditioning	Ivan Razlog
Head of Medical	Dr Garrett Leonard
Head of Physiotherapy	Andrew Hughes
Logistics and Equipment Manager	Brett Lambert
Administration Manager	Samara Griffiths

Management and Administration

Team Managers

Name	Period	Honours	Ref(s)
Gary Marocchi	1996–1998	—
Bernd Stange	1998–2001	National Soccer League Premiership: 1999–2000 National Soccer League Coach of the Year: 1999–2000
Mich d'Avray	2001–2004	National Soccer League Premiership: 2001–02, 2003–04 National Soccer League Championship: 2003, 2004 National Soccer League Coach of the Year: 2003–04
Steve McMahon	2005	—
Alan Vest	2005–2006 (a.i.)	—
Ron Smith	2006–2007	—
David Mitchell	2007–2010	—
Ian Ferguson	2010–2013	—
Alistair Edwards	2013	—
Kenny Lowe	2013–2018	—
Tony Popovic	2018–2020	A-League Premiership: 2018–19 A-League Coach of the Year: 2018–19
Richard Garcia	2020–2022	—
Ruben Zadkovich	2022–2023	—
Kenny Lowe	2023 (a.i.)	—
Alen Stajcic	2023–2024	—

Club Records

Jamie Harnwell has played the most games for Perth Glory, with 269 appearances. Bobby Despotovski is second with 250 games.

Bobby Despotovski is also the club's all-time top goalscorer, with 116 goals. Damian Mori is second with 84 goals.

The highest attendance for a home league match was 18,067 in 1998. The club's highest home attendance for any match was 56,371. This was for the 2019 A-League Grand Final.

Club Honours

Perth Glory won its first major trophy in the 1999–2000 season. They won the "premiership" (finishing first in the regular season). They won it again in 2001–02 and 2003–04.

They reached the Grand Final in 2000 and 2002 but lost both times. In 2003, Perth Glory won their first Australian championship. They beat Sydney Olympic 2–0. In the last NSL season (2003–04), Perth won both the premiership and the championship. This is called a "double."

After joining the A-League, Perth Glory had a tough time winning trophies. They reached the 2012 A-League Grand Final and two Australia Cup finals, but didn't win. In the 2018–19 season, they finally won the A-League Premiership. This ended a 15-year wait for a trophy. They hosted the Grand Final that year but lost on penalties.

Domestic Competitions

League Titles

• National Soccer League Championship
  • Winners (2): 2003, 2004
  • Runners-up (2): 2000, 2002
• National Soccer League Premiership
  • Winners (3): 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2003–04
  • Runners-up (1): 2002–03
• A-League Men Championship
  • Runners-up (2): 2012, 2019
• A-League Men Premiership
  • Winners (1): 2018–19

Cup Competitions

• Australia Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 2014, 2015
• A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 2005, 2007

Doubles

• Premiership and Championship (1): 2003–04

Continental Record

Perth Glory has played in the AFC Champions League, a competition for top Asian clubs.

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2020	AFC Champions League	Group F	FC Tokyo	0–1	1–0	4th
			Ulsan Hyundai	1–2	2–0
			Shanghai Shenhua	1–2	3–3

Images for kids

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  Chart of yearly table positions for Perth Glory in the NSL and A-League Men

• 

  Perth vs North Queensland

• 

  Perth vs North Queensland

• 

  Glory fans before the 2012 A-League Grand Final

• 

  Perth Glory training before a home game in 2015

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  Perth Glory supporters before the 2012 A-League Grand Final

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  Perth Rectangular Stadium, home of Perth Glory FC

See also

In Spanish: Perth Glory Football Club para niños