Former Perth Glory coach Dave Mitchell has paid the price for the team’s season from hell as his position at the club was terminated on Thursday evening.
Interim coach Ian Ferguson will remain in his job, however, despite overseeing just two wins from 21 matches after taking the helm from Mitchell in October, with the former coach having then stepped into a newly created role as Football Director.
Glory owner Tony Sage said an extensive review into most aspects of the club’s operations after their disastrous second-last finish this campaign, had recommended Ferguson retain his job for next season.
But the independent review, conducted by former Fremantle chief David Hatt with input from legendary Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth, recommended Mitchell’s Football Director position be abolished in an effort to establish a clear ‘chain of command’ from the head coach downwards.
Sportal has tried contacting Mitchell without success at this stage after key findings from the review were released to the media late on Thursday evening.
But reports in the West Australian already indicate the former Socceroos striker is considering legal action in order to receive compensation, having apparently made a handshake agreement with Sage to continue in the role next season.
“This review was not about blame,” said Sage in the media release.
“It was about having an honest look at ourselves and determining what actions needed to be taken to ensure the Perth Glory regained its position as one of WA’s leading sporting teams and a credible force in the A-League.”
“We are drawing a line in the sand for Perth Glory and moving forward with a revitalised spirit and a new and positive direction.”
“I would like to thank Dave for this commitment to the club, but unfortunately the position of Football Director is superfluous to requirements, as identified in the review.”
Sage had previously said that the Glory’s second-last finish, where they were only kept off the bottom of the table by the now defunct North Queensland Fury, meant no one’s job at the club was safe.
However Mitchell’s position was still terminated despite the report praising the football department for its work under trying circumstances, especially as coaches and training staff operated out of the AK Reserve Athletics facility, while the club’s administration was done in offices elsewhere.
“The review found that the lack of combined administration and training facility was a factor likely to impact on the sustained success of the club and created a physical division between the football and administration departments, which negatively impacted on communication within the club and the overall club culture,” read the report.
As a matter of urgency the report recommended that a combined administrative and training facility be established in conjunction with Football West, preferably at one of Perth tertiary institutions.
However, despite the lack of such a facility this season, Hatt stated: “Anecdotal and initial research suggests that Glory’s football section certainly holds its own in the A-League in terms of the financial investment.”
“Currently, the division is under severe pressure but the impression given is that the staff have held together reasonably tightly, which is quite an achievement.”
However, the report was highly critical of the club’s recruitment over the past few seasons, an area where Mitchell was heavily involved, having brought numerous high-profile players to the squad, some of whom failed to live up to their reputations.
“There is no doubt that recruitment over the past two years has been largely unsuccessful,” said Hatt, despite Glory making the A-League finals for the first time in 2009-10.
“More needs to be done in the recruitment area to guard against the presence of players who simply seek a superannuated end to their careers.”
“There is nothing more important than good recruiting outcomes for the Perth Glory in its present state.”
Another recommendation also indicated there may have been internal friction between coaches and players and the players themselves, which may have contributed towards a team that looked very good on paper, failing to gel properly on the park.
The report said a sports psychologist should be employed to ‘assist in player profiling prior to recruitment, and to support players with their mental approach and the interaction between coaches and players’.
Sage said the report didn’t look at his own financial administration of the club as he reaffirmed his commitment to being sole owner, having met with Football Federation Australia (FFA) chief executive Ben Buckley and A-League boss Lyall Gorman on Wednesday to tell them this, amid rumours FFA were looking at potential new investors for Glory.
But the report did examine two major issues, the high cost of travel and the expenses associated with playing matches at nib Stadium.
According to the report, Glory spent $200,000 on travel and accommodation costs, while Hatt examined the financial relationship between nib Stadium and the club, identifying ‘costs in excess of $700,000 per annum that can be saved’.
The report recommended discussions take place with the State Government, the Town of Vincent and Allia Venue Management, who run nib Stadium, in order to ‘alleviate these identified costs’.
It also suggested looking for alternate venues, although the Hockey WA’s headquarters at Bentley Stadium, was not specifically mentioned, despite reports last week it was being considered.
