Perth Glory enters receivership as owner hands back A-League licence

July 23, 2023

A-Leagues side Perth Glory has been put into voluntary receivership after its owner Tony Sage relinquished the club’s A-League licence.

Facing a raft of financial challenges, including not being able to pay players and staff on time this month, Sage’s 15-year tenure as Glory’s sole owner came to an end on Saturday when the club was placed into receivership.

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) released a statement confirming that advisory firm KordaMentha had been appointed to manage the receivership process, expressing its optimism that a new owner can be found.

The club’s operations will continue as normal in the meantime.

Commenting on the sale process, KordaMentha Executive Director, Andrew Knight stated "an orderly sale process for the Perth Glory Football Club will commence immediately (and) while this process is being undertaken, the receivers and managers will continue to operate the club in a 'business as usual' manner as the teams continue their pre-season preparations."

Explaining of the reasons for relinquishing the licence, Sage, a mining company owner, explained how he had poured about $50 million into Glory during his tenure, which includes about $14 million of losses over the past three years.

He advised “I’ve run out of funds. Everything I’ve got at the moment is poured into my business. I can’t take it out of my business.

“I want the players to be paid on time, which they weren’t this month, which I greatly regret.

“It’s the first time in 18 years they haven’t been paid on time, but they’ve been paid now.”

Sage said the decision to hand the club’s licence back was made in consultation with the governing body, adding “I just want to make it clear, the licence wasn’t stripped off me

“It was a decision made with the APL to put it in a position to find a really good owner.”

Sage, who started as a part-owner the club in 2007 before taking full ownership in 2009, advised of the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic when the team could not play home games in front of crowds for the greater part of two season.

He also advised of the disruption and losses caused subsequent upgrades for the FIFA Women’s World Cup at the 2019 Premier’s home ground at Perth’s HBF Park, which forced the team to play most of their home games at the far smaller Macedonia Park last season.

Sage was expecting the Western Australian Government to significantly compensate the Glory for losing the ability to play at HBF Park during the renovations, but the sum received was much less to the $3 million he was expecting.

The situation forced Sage to seek a loan from the APL to be able to pay players and staff last season.

A 9News and WAtoday report revealed that, for the past five months, players and staff wages of around $5 million have been paid by loans secured by the APL rather than by Sage.

APL Chief Executive, Danny Townsend said a sale of the Glory would guarantee its future, commenting "Perth Glory have faced incredibly difficult circumstances over the last five years and we are pleased to close off this period of uncertainty for players, staff, members and fans as they continue their preparations for next season.”

Sage has made a number of attempts to sell the club during his ownership.

Founded in 1995, Perth Glory is one of three A-League clubs to survive from the former National Soccer League.

It topped the regular season table in 2019, and also made the Grand Final that year.

The women's side has also made the Grand Final in 2014, 2017 and 2019.

Images: Perth Glory secure the A-League Premiers plate in 2019 (top, courtesy of Football Federation Australia), Macedonia Park where it played the majority of its howm games during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons (middle) and its traditional home at Perth's HBF Park (below).

17th July 2023 - State Football Centre in Perth’s Queens Park unveiled ahead of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

15th May 2023 - Works at Perth’s HBF Arena to include new amenities and family leisure pool refurbishment

4th May 2023 - Western United looks to host matches at Wyndham Regional Football Facility during 2023/24 A-League season

28th April 2023 - Liberty extends naming rights partnership with A-League Women and agrees major sponsorship with A-League Men

14th April 2023 - New turf among upgrades at Perth Rectangular Stadium ahead of FIFA Women’s World Cup

15th March 2023 - A-Leagues announces plans for expansion teams in Canberra and Auckland as of 2024

25th September 2022 - A-League’s Perth Glory confirm temporary home ground relocation

22nd January 2022 - Football West announces appointment of former Perth Glory captain Jamie Harnwell as new Chief Executive

17th December 2021 - COVID-19 variant impacts world sport

13th September 2021 - Fremantle Oval set to become new home of A-League’s Perth Glory

19th August 2021 - Construction begins on Western Australia’s State Football Centre and $35 million upgrade announced for HBF Park

25th February 2020 - Perth Glory FC sale off following revelations over buyer

13th February 2020 - London Football Exchange announce deal to buy A-League’s Perth Glory

13th February 2020 - A-League’s Perth Glory agrees new sponsorship as ownership change looms

12th July 2019 - Western Australian Government takes HBF Park developer to Court over venue ‘defects’

19th November 2018 - Health insurer HBF secures naming rights for Perth’s NIB Stadium

24th October 2013 - Concern over $25,000 Perth Glory political donation

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