Fringe Socceroo Dylan McGowan signs three-year deal with Wanderers

Markus Babbel’s Western Sydney Wanderers renovation doesn’t look like slowing down, with the coach adding an experienced campaigner to replace departing captain Brendan Hamill.

The Wanderers have added more defensive strength to their squad for next season, bringing fringe Socceroos centreback Dylan McGowan back to the A-League.

An Australian title winner with Adelaide, McGowan has spent time in Scotland, Korea and Denmark and is a direct replacement for departed captain Brendan Hamill at the heart of the Wanderers defence.

Signing a three-year deal, McGowan is likely to line up alongside Patrick Ziegler as coach Markus Babbel continues to ring the changes in the wake of two miserable seasons on the pitch for Western Sydney.

Adelaide born, McGowan made more than 60 appearances in the Scottish Premier Leaguie for Hearts, his first professional club, and has played 12 minutes for the Socceroos in a friendly against Brazil in 2017.

Dylan McGowan has one Socceroos cap. Picture: Sarah Reed

“I’m delighted to be joining the Wanderers. It’s a really exciting time for the club with things like moving into the new stadium and the team the coach (Markus Babbel) is building,” said McGowan.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of that and bringing success to the club.

“Coming back to Australia is the right decision for myself and my family. I have been successful here before and want to be again at the Wanderers.”

Meanwhile, Bankwest Stadium hopesAustralia’s first designated “safe standing” area will persuade Wanderers fans to vote with their wallets.

A month before the club plays its first game at the rebuilt stadium in Parramatta, more than half the memberships available in the dedicated active end for next season have been sold, driving hopes that the Red and Black Bloc supporters group will assemble in numbers again for the club’s return to its permanent home.

Tarek Elrich with Western Wanderers fans at Bankwest Stadium. Picture: Getty

Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas dubbed the installation of the “safe standing” zone as a “seminal moment” for active support after three itinerant seasons where the club’s attendances have dipped while their home ground was rebuilt and the club has struggled on the pitch.

More than 10,000 members have renewed already for the new stadium as a whole for next season, and a further 4000 fans have already paid a deposit to hold a seat at the new venue.

Stadium staff have this week begun replacing seats behind the goal at the stadium’s northern end with bespoke crush barriers, which will be in place for all Wanderers home games including the debut friendly with Leeds United on July 20.

The central three of five bays will have 1260 seats in total removed and crush barriers installed in their place, allowing the same number of fans to be on their feet for the whole game.

Either side, two more bays will have flip-up seating but fans will still be allowed to stand, giving the whole active area a capacity of some 2600.

Newly installed safe standing rails at Bankwest Stadium. Picture: Getty

Entry to that area will be for members only and some 1400 of those have been sold as renewals, with new memberships not on sale until the end of the month.

The incorporation of safe standing into the stadium design followed years of lobbying by the club as a concept widely used in Europe but still banned under all-seater legislation in England’s top two tiers.

“This safe standing represents a landmark moment for Australian football,” said Tsatsimas. “It’s something we’ve lobbied for long and hard and now it’s come to fruition.

“It's the first time an Australian football team has been able to have a safe standing area, and we’re glad to be leading the charge in terms of active support.

“It provides a proper platform for the Wanderers fans, and the RBB in particular, to be intimately involved in the matchday atmosphere.

“In terms of active support it’s a seminal moment, and the vociferous nature of the RBB will certainly come to the fore.

“We have more than 10,000 members already signed up for next season including 1400 in the RBB area, so we’re very confident they will come out in numbers to support us in this unique facility.”