After seeing Perth Glory seal their place in the A-League grand final on Friday night with a penalty shootout win over Adelaide United, club owner Tony Sage has questioned the decision to play next Sunday’s grand final at Optus Stadium.
Having finished the regular season in first, Glory have earned hosting rights for the decider but won’t get to play out of their traditional home – HBF Park.
With Optus Stadium capable of holding triple the number of fans, Sage believes the change of venues robs his side of true home ground advantage and has been done to raise more money for the game’s governing body.
“The FFA want to maximise revenue for themselves. They don’t care what the clubs think,” Sage is quoted by The West Australian.
“I’m a traditionalist. I want our home ground advantage.
“Optus Stadium becomes a neutral ground. That’s the way I look at it. That’s the way the whole of the football department looks at it.”
Glory have played just one game at Optus Stadium and that came nine months ago in a pre-season clash against Chelsea.
Club legend and current W-League coach Bobby Despotovski has also hit out at the decision to play the game at a pitch Perth’s players will be unfamiliar with.
“The advantage of playing at home has been taken away by going to Optus. It’s just ludicrous,” Despotovski said earlier in May.
“There is no advantage. It’s like being in a neutral stadium for the players…different grass, different speed, new changing rooms, new environment, the whole lot.
“They step on to HBF, they don’t have to look around. They see a glimpse of a corner flag and they familiarise themselves like a GPS. Then you go to Optus and you are in the middle of a ginormous stadium wondering where the hell you are.”
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