Perth Glory have been handed a significant boost ahead of the 2023/24 A-League season, with their long-standing ownership issues finally resolved.
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has confirmed that Primeland Group, an Australian-based development group specialising in asset management, has secured the licence to run the club.
The news will be a major relief to Perth fans, who were rocked when Tony Sage’s 15-year reign as owner ended when the club was placed into receivership amid ongoing financial troubles earlier this year.
Sage ploughed an estimated $50 million into Glory during his time in charge, but was unable to continue to fund the club due to the financial pressures of maintaining his other businesses.
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He took full ownership of the club in 2009 and enjoyed his most successful season when Glory finished top of the table at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit Glory hard financially, leaving the club languishing in the lower reaches of the A-League. The takeover gives them the chance to rebuild.
Robert Brij and John Nekic, who head up the Primeland Group-led consortium which has taken charge of the club, boast a vast network of global business contacts.
Their business has a presence in Australia, Singapore, India, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Europe, and they have the resources to transform Perth’s fortunes.
Primeland’s portfolio of companies includes business parks, real estate, luxury residential developments, hotels, private equity, movies and media production.
Brij’s business acumen will be vital to the new project, while Nekic boasts a wealth of previous experience at various levels in Australian football.
“We are honoured to have been handed this great responsibility, acknowledging we are just the third ownership group to lead the club in 27 years,” Brij said.
“We believe in the potential of football, the potential of the A-League and particularly in the potential of Perth Glory.
“At its best, Glory was a representation of Perth and Western Australia and we are eager to reconnect, especially with the fans and bring everyone along for the journey in what we believe will be an exciting future for the club.”
Primeland has taken on a tough task in Perth, with the club’s squad in need of major improvements if the team is to climb the standings.
A quick look at the latest odds on online sportsbooks highlights that point to perfection, with Glory currently rated as 33/1 shots to win the A-League championship this season.
The operators featured on this list of best betting sites are unlikely to be too concerned about Glory making a run at the title given their limited activity in the transfer market during the close season.
They have signed a handful of players on the free transfers, but you would be hard-pushed to think their squad is capable of upsetting the odds this season.
However, with ambitious new owners in place, Glory fans can finally start looking towards what promises to be a much brighter future.
