They were once Australia’s hottest sporting team. But the Wanderers are a shell of their former selves

[Beaussie]

Hmm, not sure about the headline and suggestion the Wanderers were once Australia’s hottest sporting team.

Long gone are the days of big crowds for the Sydney derbys at Olympic Park and Parramatta Stadium. The entire A-League is a mess. Do any clubs make a profit? Sydney FC perhaps?



They were once Australia’s hottest sporting team. But the Wanderers are a shell of their former selves
By Vince Rugari
January 21, 2026

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/the ... 5nviy.html


About a decade ago, the red and black hooped jersey of the Western Sydney Wanderers was ubiquitous. Not unlike the ‘Random Souths Guy’ phenomenon, any visit to a populated public space in the city’s western suburbs (or even beyond) would give you a decent enough chance of spotting one, somewhere.

That’s because back then – in the olden days, when the Wanderers were arguably Australia’s hottest sporting team – those jerseys were worn with pride. Which is precisely why you don’t see them so much any more.

The early years were glorious, yielding a premiership and grand final appearance in their first season and the famous 2014 AFC Champions League title, an achievement which won’t be replicated by an Aussie side any time soon.

Importantly, the people bought in, to the point where their big, boisterous crowds sparked the rebuild of CommBank Stadium – complete with Australian-first safe standing sections for the Red and Black Bloc.


CommBank Stadium is emptier than it ever has been for Wanderers games – and you can’t blame the locals.CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

…as the Wanderers kept losing, people slowly stopped coming – first the casuals, then the hardcores – and the buzz they’d earned years ago wore off. They are now a shell of their former selves.

[leeroy*NRL*]

they were not even close to a big club or hottest ticket in town.

huge bandwagon push over a couple years big winning record. ASIA title.

20, 30 thousand people just boarded the Wagon and jumped off quickly
cause Tv Ratings were very poor >>>

Big Clubs Rate Well

for example

Collingwood or the Broncos

[Terry]

The Wanderers started off well. Even I travelled out to the wild west to watch 'em play years ago. That was when they had some world class players, including Yoko's brilliant son Shinji Ono, on the roster. Sadly those days are long gone. Not only for WSW but the whole aleague . The shemozzle has gone down the gurgler quicker than yellow matter custard sitting in the hot sun.

I reckon the Wanderers are now competing with the western Sydney Ginats as the least known and supported professional sporting club in the city.
Hard to believe that they've imploded to that level of non-entity but geeeez they're close. I'd still put 'em slightly in front of the invisible Ginats but they are quickly descending to that level of irrelevancy.

Sad but true!!!!!!!!!!!