By Tim Sperliotis
With Western United creating headlines on the weekend in their 3-2 win over rivals Melbourne Victory, the arrival of fellow expansion club Macarthur FC is approaching.
In the past week, $15 million in corporate support has been announced, with Wisdom Homes to appear at the front of their jersey and Hoot Homes on their shorts.
The Charles Perkins Soccer Academy has also been launched, which the club has driven and will work alongside other teams in the league and in the community. The academy will be led by former Socceroos manager Frank Farina and will create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballers and increase participation.
Ivan Jolic has been appointed as assistant coach and will work under manager Ante Milicic, while Ken Stead will be the club’s Director of Football. Stead worked with Ange Postecoglou at Brisbane Roar during the club’s dominant “Roarcelona” era.
Finally, the club’s membership program has been unveiled, with foundation memberships priced at just $95. 1500 memberships were already sold in the first 48 hours after release.
The club’s presence in the Macarthur region is slowly building. The official store is under construction, with signs at the Macarthur Square Shopping Centre being put up.
Their logo also features outside Campbelltown Stadium, where they will be playing this time next year.
The Macarthur region is growing and its distance to the other A-League venues in Sydney makes it difficult for football fans in the area to attend matches live.
The club will give the community the opportunity to have a team in their area and offer many the chance to jump on board if they are yet to follow the league.
The scenes in Western United’s win over Melbourne Victory on Saturday night were exciting and the inclusion of Macarthur FC next season should add another spark to the league.
