The appointment of Alistair Edwards to the position of head coach of Perth Glory for the next three years marks a significant moment in the history of this great Western Australian sporting club.
The appointment of Alistair Edwards to the position of head coach of Perth Glory for the next three years marks a significant moment in the history of this great Western Australian sporting club.
While the daily football routine is a crucial component of Edwards- brief, his planning over the longer term will be equally vital as the club enters a new and prosperous phase.
Perth Glory have not had a local in charge of coaching matters since Gary Marocchi-s thrilling period as inaugural boss from 1996-98. Some 15 years later, Edwards, who was raised in Kwinana WA, has accepted the challenge.
He has been appointed today, so that success can be achieved tomorrow and beyond.
Edwards and Perth Glory are firmly committed to a vision and strategy that will ensure the club rises to meet the challenges of competing successfully in the Hyundai A-League. At the heart of the plan is a desire to mine into this state-s football resources as a matter of priority.
Best possible appointment
Perth Glory was grateful to Edwards for coming to the club-s aid at very short notice to take on what was initially an interim coaching role. At the time, the club was committed to a thorough process to ensure the best possible appointment over the long term.
That process has been completed and the club firmly believes that Edwards has both the vision and experience to lead the club to a position of great strength.
Perth Glory was humbled by the quality of applicants and the club extends its thanks to coaches from around Australia and overseas, who expressed interest in the position.
The process started five weeks ago and involved connecting with the global football community, identifying potential targets, reviewing, assessing, referencing CV-s and interviewing possible appointees. Importantly, the process required applicants to prepare a detailed blueprint for Perth Glory-s football future.
To assist in the club-s review, we engaged people from the highest level of the game and we sincerely thank them for their invaluable input and assessment on football-specific matters.
A vision to succeed
Throughout this intensive process, we were driven by our Strategic Vision, which is to “Win ON and OFF the field whilst providing benefits to our Western Australian community.”
The four pillars of Perth Glory-s Strategic Vision are:
• Be equipped to win every game we play
• Be financially sustainable
• Develop young Western Australian footballers
• Provide benefits to our Western Australian community
Edwards understands the club-s vision and prepared a plan which included relevant actions and strategies. We engaged in many robust discussions always with the ultimate goal in mind. In that regard, Perth Glory and Edwards are 100% united in our pursuit of success.
He was selected to lead Perth Glory for many reasons. He has a great football pedigree, playing history and passion for the club. He has a deep knowledge of youth development and future talent and a keen understanding of the WA football culture. He has an outstanding record with Football Federation Australia and is one of the most highly qualified coaches in the country.
In a few short weeks as an interim coach, he also showed how these fine attributes can be used to such great effect at the helm of our A-League club.
United in football
While today marks the very start of the implementation of Edwards- football strategy, it should also be seen as a revitalised commitment to Western Australian football.
Our club-s Chairman and owner Tony Sage is committed to Perth Glory and the further development of football in this state.
We acknowledge the great work of the state-s peak body, Football West, and the players, officials and fans involved in our State League, Amateur and Junior clubs. We acknowledge, also, the people who have been directly involved with Perth Glory over its history, including the players, coaches, medical and administration staff and volunteers.
Most importantly we wish to thank our loyal Perth Glory fans, The Shed supporters, our young supporter groups, our members and our great corporate sponsors.
We significantly thank the people at the Football Federation of Australia for their support through this coaching transition period.
We hope you will continue to share in our vision for a brighter future under Edwards- guidance and play your part in presenting a united front for football.
