Perth Glory are preparing themselves for arguably their toughest pre-season ever, with its eagerly awaited match at nib Stadium, against Spanish La Liga club, Malaga CF, on the 27th July, three away matches against A-League opposition, and an away tie in the FFA Cup against Newcastle Jets. There is also a re-match of the 2002 and 2003 National Soccer League Grand Finals plus several matches in Perth, against the WA State Team and a number of WA’s National Premier and State League clubs.
Perth Glory are preparing themselves for arguably their toughest pre-season ever, with its eagerly awaited match at nib Stadium, against Spanish La Liga club, Malaga CF, on the 27th July, three away matches against A-League opposition, and an away tie in the FFA Cup against Newcastle Jets. There is also a re-match of the 2002 and 2003 National Soccer League Grand Finals plus several matches in Perth, against the WA State Team and a number of WA-s National Premier and State League clubs.
The 2014 Preseason will kick off next week, on the 15th July at Intiga Stadium, Inglewood, when Perth Glory take on local National Premier League club, Inglewood United. Kick-off is scheduled for 7.00pm.
The match is to be held in honour of Siggy Kramer, who sadly passed away this week. Mr Kramer started as a goalkeeper with Inglewood Kiev in 1953 and later became the club-s coach, before moving on to President in 1994, a position he held for 19 years. Mr Kramer has left a lasting legacy on football in WA, and it is fitting that Glory-s first preseason game this season is against Inglewood, with the teams playing for the Kramer Memorial Cup.
The highlight of Glory-s 2014 Preseason for fans will undoubtedly be the match against Spanish La Liga club, Malaga CF, on the 27th July. The game, which is part of the 2014 LFP World Club Challenge, will be the first time Western Australia has hosted a La Liga team.
This will also be the first opportunity Glory fans will have to watch the Club-s new signings including Mitch Nichols, Youssouf Hersi, Andy Keogh and Diogo Ferreira take the field at nib Stadium with their new Perth Glory team mates in a competitive match. Perth Glory members have been given the opportunity to purchase tickets for this game from 11th July on a priority and discounted basis, ahead of sales to the general public from 14th July.
Ahead of the match against Malaga CF, Glory will head to Sydney to take on Adelaide United at Belmore Sports Ground on the 20th July, before taking on former NSL rivals Sydney Olympic, 3 days later, at the same venue in a mouth-watering evening kick off on the 23rd. The match will be the first against Sydney Olympic in almost a decade and for the die-hard Glory supporters, will bring back both bitter memories of the 2002 Grand Final loss, and some very sweet memories of the 2003 Grand Final victory at Subiaco Oval, where under coach Mich d-Avary, Jamie Harnwell and Damian Mori both scored to secure Glory-s first NSL title in front of an almost sell-out crowd at Subiaco Oval.
After the Malaga CF game, Glory will head to Newcastle to take on the Jets in the FFA Cup, in a Round of 32 match, that is scheduled to kick off at 7.30pm on the 5th August. The game will be played at Magic Park, Newcastle, given the pitch refurbishment work that is due to commence at Hunter Stadium shortly. The game will likely have an extra bit of bite, given the off season signing, by Glory, of Ruben Zadkovich, the former Jet-s captain.
Further matches in August will include, the annual “Call to Arms” game against the WA State Team on the 12th at Intiga Stadium, Inglewood, where money raised will be donated to charity; and in conjunction with Save the Children and Parkerville Children and Youth Care, Glory, will take on State League team, Gosnells City FC, on the 17th.
The Perth Glory team will then head south to take on Cockburn City SC, at Dalmatinac Park on the 27th and then down to the Lark Hill Sportsplex on the 31st to take on Rockingham City.
In September, Glory, will again head east on a very tough road trip that will involve matches against two A-League clubs, Adelaide United, on the 4th, at Hindmarsh Stadium and Melbourne Victory, at AAMI Park on the 7th. The Victory game will see new Glory signing Mitch Nichols line up against the club he left in January to go to the J-League.
On the 20th, the team will take on local National Premier League club, Sorrento FC, in a testimonial match for Todd Harnwell. This is in recognition of him becoming the first player to make 400 senior appearances for the NPL club. Harnwell, brother of Glory legend, Jamie, also played for Perth Glory in the NSL between 2000 and 2002.
With potential FFA Cup games on the 16th and 23rd September, Glory is currently finalising three further fixtures to be played in September against local National Premier and State League clubs.
2014 PRESEASON MATCHES
JULY
15th Inglewood United Intiga Stadium 6.30pm
20th Adelaide United Belmore Sports Ground 2.30pm
23rd Sydney Olympic Belmore Sports Ground 7.00pm
27th Malaga CF nib Stadium 3.00pm
AUGUST
5th Newcastle Jets Wanderers Oval/Magic Park 7.30pm
12th WA State Team Intiga Stadium 6.30pm
17th Gosnells City FC Walter Padbury Reserve 3.00pm
24th TBC TBC TBC
27th Cockburn City Dalmatinac Park 7.00pm
31st Rockingham City Lark Hill Sportsplex 3.00pm
SEPTEMBER
4th Adelaide United Hindmarsh Stadium 3.00pm
7th Melbourne Victory AAMI Park 2.00pm
10/11 Floreat Athena Litis Stadium 6.30pm
16th FFA Cup Round of 16 TBC TBC
20th Sorrento FC Percy Doyle Reserve 2.00pm
23rd FFA Cup Round of 16 TBC TBC
27th TBC TBC TBC
30th TBC TBC TBC
