Western Sydney Wanderers court Australia's Asian football fans

In just over two months, the 2015 Asian Cup kicks off in Melbourne, but last Thursday in a small room at Club Marconi in Bossley Park, the Western Sydney Wanderers launched their own mini Asian Cup tournament. If you want a picture of how Australian soccer has changed over the past two decades, this was it. Delegates representing – among others – Nepal, China, the Philippines, Iraq and Hong Kong crowded into the old Italian social club to be part of the new, non-denominational A-League club.

These days, Club Marconi is a signed-up supporter of the Wanderers, and their own football team barely warrants a mention. Marconi Stallions still play at the grand old stadium next door to the social club, but on game day there are more people inside playing the pokies and eating at the Chinese restaurant.

Quite simply, the demographics have changed. The great influx from Europe to Australia has ended, and immigrants from Asia have taken their place. While the intake of Italians and Greeks, for example, has decreased, the intake of Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Malaysians and the Filipinos have all steadily increased. Football, which has historically been an Anglo and Eurocentric sport in Australia, needs to readjust its focus accordingly.

The Wanderers’ Asian Champions League victory was remarkable, but some equally impressive work is being done behind the scenes. During the ACL run the club made an effort to reach out to local communities. “If we played a Japanese team then we’ve worked with the Japanese, if we played a Korean team then we work with the Koreans,” explains the Wanderers community, pathways and football development manager, Tim Thorne. Against Guangzhou Evergrande, the Chinese community were approached to play a part on game day. The same occurred for the first leg of the finals with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

Thorne is impressed with the amount of new fans who have bought into the project. “What we’ve found is that the Wanderers unites these guys. I asked a Saudi Arabian guy, just out of interest, who he’s supporting and he said ‘we’re Wanderers.’

“We identified very early on which are the emerging cultures in Western Sydney, as well as the ones that were already football cultures,” explains Thorne. “Along the way we’ve also found more cultural groups that have wanted to come on board.”

Back in April, the club invited representatives from different Asian communities to a Wanderers home match, and floated the idea of hosting a mini Asian Cup. After the communities told the club what they wanted, the Wanderers worked with the Asian Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC), as well as several other partners, to create the event.

It’s grassroots democracy. The pamphlet handed out to the delegates says each squad should have a maximum 16 registered players. It’s written in bold and underlined, but the Iraqis, seated in the back left of the room, wanted more. The Hong Kong delegate agreed, as did the Indians and the rep from NSW Police, who will be the token ‘Australian’ side. “This is our tournament,” Thorne said, gesturing around the room, “what do you guys want?” After some discussion between the delegates, it was agreed there will be squads of 23. “Bring your families and your kids,” said Thorne.

The idea is to create legacy from this historic ACL run, not just for the club but for football. With the Wanderers winning the Asian Champions League and the Asian Cup beginning in January, this mini Asian Cup, which starts on Saturday, will provide a bridge from one Asian tournament to the next. Each community will play in their colours for their homeland over four weekends, with the final matches to be held on 20 December.

In the great football turf wars, this is part of the Wanderers blitzkrieg operation in one of the most important football markets in the country. The fans articulate a distinctive Western Sydney pride. By day, Steven Issa, the deputy mayor of Parramatta City Council, helps organise live sites and consults with the club. By night, you’ll find him marching with the Red and Black Bloc. His old man Tony – the member for Granville – is one of the Parliamentary Friends of the Wanderers.

Many of the players are locals, and last year there were over 500 player appearances at events big and small. The club was there for the Asian Cup LOC’s first community event at an Indian festival back in March 2013, and in August 2014, both Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Ante Covic attended a boutique screening of a football film for the Arab Film Festival in Parramatta. There is a growing and mutual respect between the club and the community they wish to represent.

The Asian Cup LOC couldn’t be happier with the way the club has operated over the past few months. The ACL victory has created a rare narrative of Asian football in Australia, which aligns well for the Asian Cup in January.

“The fact that they’ve done so well is a massive boost,” says Alison Hill, the General Manager of the Asian Cup LOC. “If nothing else it gets people talking about Asian football. Western Sydney is a real growth engine for football, and for them to have done so well in an Asian tournament is of great benefit.”

The key, as Thorne explains, is to stick by these communities in the long term. It’s unlikely this mini Asian Cup will be a one off, and although no promises have been made there are plans to expand it in coming years. Imagine a Western Sydney Wanderers World Cup? It’s not inconceivable in one of Australia’s most diverse regions.

“Everything we do in Western Sydney is to make a difference,” says Thorne. “The main aim is twofold: to get people excited about the Asian Cup, and get all those wonderful cultures in Western Sydney to come together.”