New book looks at the Western Sydney Wanderers’ dramatic journey on and off the field
THE Western Sydney Wanderers have united western Sydney in a way that NRL and AFL rules have not. A new book by Sydney FC fan, author Michael Visontay examines the Wanderers’ dramatic journey.
Parramatta
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IT IS A team that has shown the rest of Sydney that the western suburbs are a force to be reckoned with.
Soccer is truly the world game and the Western Sydney Wanderers’ entry into the A-League in 2012 brought people together in one of the most culturally diverse parts of Australia.
A new book titled Welcome toWanderland: Western Sydney Wanderers and The Pride of The West looks at the team’s dramatic journey on and off the field.
Despite being a Sydney FC fan, author Michael Visontay says he was inspired by the Wanderers’ story.
“They have created a sense of unity in the western suburbs that hasn’t really been achieved before,” he says.
“It (the book) was a story about a community, a social portrait as much as football.”
Visontay says other football codes such as AFL and rugby league had been unable to unite people in the west in the same way as the Wanderers.
“Nearly every one of the ethnic and cultural communities there has grown up with soccer as part of their community life ... It’s the perfect fit for the diversity of western Sydney,” he says.
“It’s quite unique, it’s something that has been a long time coming and it’s surprising that it’s been so successful, on and off the field, so quickly.”
Visontay says the appointment of Wanderers founding CEO Lyle Gorman and coach Tony Popovic had been masterstrokes.
“Popovic was very single-minded and he was able to create a great sense of self-belief,” he says.
“Their supporters are just mushrooming.”
The book also covers the Wanderers’ Asian Champions League win and includes interviews with 11 people who travelled overseas to support the team, including female fan Kate Durnell
Durnell was granted special permission by the Saudi Arabian authorities to attend the final, normally off limits to women.
“There were some great anecdotes, a couple of fans told me travelling overseas to see the team was the first time they have ever left Australia and that said something interesting about both their own life experiences and how important the club was in their life,” Visontay says.
And the Wanderers continue to make an impact every time they play.
“When Western Sydney comes out to Moore Park and plays Sydney FC, people from the north and east (suburbs) can see how passionate the west is,” Visontay says.
“They sort of dwarf the support from the north and east, there’s a real sense of something really powerful.”
Welcome to Wanderland by Michael Visontayisout now.
RRP: $29.99
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