1996β97 season | |||
---|---|---|---|
Chairman |
Nick Tana Paul Afkos | ||
Head Coach | Gary Marocchi | ||
Stadium | Perth Oval | ||
National Soccer League | 7th | ||
Top goalscorer | Bobby Despotovski (14) | ||
| |||
The 1996β97 season was Perth Glory's first season in the National Soccer League and first overall season in the top flight of Australian soccer.
After a number of years of speculation around a team from Perth, Perth businessmen, Nick Tana and Paul Afkos put in a bid to join the 1996β97 A-League (as the NSL was known after being relaunched for the 1995β96 season) in late 1995. Arena Investments, a company owned by Tana and Afkos, had stepped in to invest in the Perth Kangaroos IFC after the initial investors of the 1994 FAS Premier League champions pulled out. On 1 December 1995, the name Perth Glory was announced and is considered to be the club's foundation date. [1] [2] [3] [4]
To allow the club to prepare for their first season, the Glory were excused from participation in the 1996β97 National Cup in September and October 1996. Instead the Glory played a number of friendly matches, starting with a match against Italian team Sampdoria which they lost 3β0. This was the only match that the club lost in the leadup to the season, with a series of matches against Western Australian opposition all ending in wins to the Glory. [5] [6]
The league season began with a match against UTS Olympic at Perth Oval. The ground was ordinarily an Australian rules football ground so temporary seating was brought in to make a smaller arena for soccer. A crowd of 9639 saw the Glory lose 4β1 to Olympic, with Alan MacKenzie scoring a late consolation goal. [7] [8]
The Glory entered the final round of the season needing just one point to secure a finals position. However they were defeated 3β1 by the Melbourne Knights after being reduced to ten players, in front of a crowd of 10,000 at knights stadium. [9] [10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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No. | Position | Player | Transferred from | Type/fee | Date | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
β | DF | Vinko Buljubasic | Melbourne Knights | Undisclosed | July 1996 | [11] |
10 | FW | Bobby Despotovski | Gippsland Falcons | Undisclosed | July 1996 | [11] |
β | FW | Doug Ithier |
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Undisclosed | July 1996 | [11] |
β | FW | Vasilios Kalogeracos |
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Undisclosed | July 1996 | [11] |
β | MF | Paul McVittie |
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Undisclosed | July 1996 | [11] |
7 | DF | Scott Miller | Gippsland Falcons | Undisclosed | July 1996 | [11] |
β | GK | Robert Zabica |
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Undisclosed | July 1996 | [11] |
No. | Position | Player | Transferred to | Type/fee | Date | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
β | MF | Paul McVittie |
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Undisclosed | April 1997 | [11] |
β | GK | Robert Zabica |
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Undisclosed | April 1997 | [11] |
Win | Draw | Loss |
Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 May 1996 | Sampdoria | WACA Ground | 0β3 | [12] | |
5 September 1996 | Swan IC | Ashfield Reserve | 3β1 | Nick Lazarevski (2), Bobby Despotovski | [13] |
8 September 1996 | Floreat Athena | Lake Monger Velodrome | 7β0 | Bobby Despotovski (2), Gary Lees (2), Paul Strudwick, Scott Miller, Alex Novatsis (og) | [14] |
10 September 1996 | Morley-Windmills | Ashfield Reserve | 12β0 | Bobby Despotovski (6), Nick Lazarevski (3), Paul Strudwick, Paul McVittie, Scott Miller | [15] |
14 September 1996 | Inglewood Falcons | 2β0 | Scott Miller, Doug Ithier | [16] | |
17 September 1996 | Spearwood Dalmatinac | Ashfield Reserve | 3β0 | Bobby Despotovski, Spase Najdovski, Peter Vukrimovic | [17] |
22 September 1996 | Sorrento | Kiev Sports Centre | 6β0 | Doug Ithier, Bobby Despotovski (3), Spase Najdovski, Paul McVittie | [18] |
26 September 1996 | WA State Amateur team | Kiev Sports Centre | 4β0 | Dale Wingell, Paul McVittie, Vladimir Beretovac, Scott Miller | [19] |
30 September 1996 | Bayswater Panthers all-stars | Bayswater Oval | 3β0 | Bobby Despotovski (2), Alan MacKenzie | [20] |
2 October 1996 | WA State Amateur team | Ashfield Reserve | 6β0 | Alan MacKenzie (3), Bobby Despotovski (2), Dale Wingell | [21] |
6 October 1996 | WA State team | Bayswater Oval | 5β0 | Paul Strudwick (2), Bobby Despotovski, Dale Wingell, Gareth Naven | [22] |
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result [23] | Scorers | Attendance | Referee | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 October 1996 | UTS Olympic | Home | 1β4 | Alan MacKenzie | 9,639 | Lennie | [24] |
2 | 20 October 1996 | West Adelaide | Away | 1β3 | Paul Strudwick | 3,527 | Brazzale | [25] |
3 | 26 October 1996 | Newcastle Breakers | Away | 3β1 | Paul Strudwick, Bobby Despotovski (2) | 3,750 | Micallef | [26] |
4 | 3 November 1996 | Canberra Cosmos | Home | 6β0 | Paul McVittie, Bobby Despotovski (2), Dale Wingell, Gareth Naven, Scott Miller | 8,053 | Panella | [27] |
5 | 10 November 1996 | Collingwood Warriors | Away | 0β0 | 5,504 | Dade | [28] | |
6 | 16 November 1996 | Gippsland Falcons | Home | 2β3 | Vas Kalogeracos, Paul Strudwick | 6,299 | Gorton | [29] [30] |
7 | 23 November 1996 | Sydney United | Away | 2β4 | Paul Strudwick, Vas Kalogeracos | 3,450 | Diomis | [31] |
8 | 1 December 1996 | Adelaide City | Home | 2β1 | Gavin Wilkinson, Bobby Despotovski | 9,765 | Lennie | [32] |
9 | 7 December 1996 | Brisbane Strikers | Away | 5β1 | Gavin Wilkinson, Bobby Despotovski (2), Vas Kalogeracos, Paul Strudwick | 4,028 | Shield | [33] |
10 | 14 December 1996 | Wollongong City | Home | 3β1 | Paul Strudwick, Bobby Despotovski (2) | 10,281 | Lennie | [34] |
11 | 21 December 1996 | South Melbourne | Away | 0β1 | 7,896 | Brazzale | [35] | |
12 | 28 December 1996 | Melbourne Knights | Home | 3β2 | Paul McVittie, Vas Kalogeracos, Scott Miller | 14,759 | Gorton | [36] |
13 | 4 January 1997 | Marconi-Fairfield | Away | 2β1 | Vas Kalogeracos (2) | 5,419 | Micallef | [37] [38] |
14 | 12 January 1997 | Marconi-Fairfield | Home | 1β1 | Paul Strudwick | 17,582 | Brazzale | [39] |
15 | 2 February 1997 | UTS Olympic | Away | 2β0 | David Barrett (og), Bobby Despotovski | 7,124 | Hugo | [40] [41] |
16 | 9 February 1997 | West Adelaide | Home | 1β1 | Vas Kalogeracos | 15,737 | Lennie | [42] |
17 | 15 February 1997 | Newcastle Breakers | Home | 0β2 | 11,546 | Dade | [43] | |
18 | 22 February 1997 | Canberra Cosmos | Away | 1β4 | Bobby Despotovski | 2,000 | Brazzale | [44] [45] |
19 | 2 March 1997 | Collingwood Warriors | Home | 0β2 | 10,964 | Panella | [46] [47] | |
20 | 9 March 1997 | Gippsland Falcons | Away | 1β1 | Alan MacKenzie | 2,149 | Diomis | [48] |
21 | 15 March 1997 | Sydney United | Home | 3β1 | Vas Kalogeracos (2), Dale Wingell | 11,644 | Connolly | [49] [50] |
22 | 23 March 1997 | Adelaide City | Away | 1β1 | Bobby Despotovski | 5,253 | Micallef | [51] |
23 | 30 March 1997 | Brisbane Strikers | Home | 0β2 | 12,858 | Dade | [52] | |
24 | 6 April 1997 | Wollongong City | Away | 3β1 | Bobby Despotovski (2), Gavin Wilkinson | 3,158 | Dade | [53] |
25 | 12 April 1997 | South Melbourne | Home | 4β0 | Vas Kalogeracos (3), Con Blatsis (og) | 15,197 | Hugo | [54] |
26 | 20 April 1997 | Melbourne Knights | Away | 1β3 | Tony Carbone | 10,000 | Micallef | [55] [56] |
List of squad players, including number of appearances by competition
Nat | Pos | Name | Appearances | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
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GK | Vince Matassa | 11 | 0 |
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GK | Tom Maras | 8 | 0 |
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GK | Robert Zabica | 7 | 0 |
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DF | Gavin Wilkinson | 24 | 3 |
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Vladimir Beretovac | 13 | 0 | |
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Vinko Buljubasic | 25 | 0 | |
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Tony Carbone | 8 | 1 | |
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Doug Ithier | 12 | 0 | |
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Paul McVittie | 25 | 2 | |
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Scott Miller | 26 | 2 | |
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MF | Gareth Naven | 25 | 1 |
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Craig Naven | 25 | 0 | |
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Paul Strudwick | 23 | 7 | |
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Peter Vukrimovic | 6 | 2 | |
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Dale Wingell | 25 | 2 | |
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Marc Wingell | 2 | 0 | |
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FW | Alan MacKenzie | 12 | 2 |
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FW | Vasilios Kalogeracos | 20 | 12 |
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FW | Bobby Despotovski | 23 | 14 |
Statistics accurate to end of 1996β97 NSL season [58]
New national league club Perth Glory have been given permission to miss the Johnnie Walker Cup so they can maximise preparations for their entry into the Ericsson Cup...
SA technical director Peter Russell inspected the ground on Wednesday and expressed extreme satisfaction with the changes, which include the erection of 2000 temporary seats.
The Glory, needing a draw to qualify for the semi-finals...