‘Return to Glory days’: Pelligra vows to restore Perth’s soccer club as ownership confirmed

Melbourne property developer Ross Pelligra has vowed to re-establish embattled A-League club Perth Glory as a benchmark of Australian football amid confirmation he would be taking the reins as its new owner.

The announcement comes less than 48 hours after WAtoday and Nine News Perth revealed Pelligra would be unveiled as the successful bidder after inking a deal earlier this week.

The value of the deal is still not yet public, but it is understood it will involve significant investment to restore the club to its former glory and reconnect it with the West Australian community.

And the chair of the family-owned development and construction business Pelligra Group alluded to that in a statement released on Friday, outlining his intention to unify the sporting community, drive success and create “long-term sustainability”.

Pelligra, who was set to land in Perth in time to greet fans when the club faced off against Brisbane Roar on Saturday, said he wanted to return the club to its “Glory days”, and for it to be the envy of the A-League.

“I remember watching Perth Glory when I was a child on TV back in Melbourne and thinking that football had arrived in this country when I saw a packed Perth Oval every home game and a team that played an exciting and attacking brand of football that had everyone in Perth captivated,” he said.

“That is the energy we know exists here and that is the energy we must rediscover.”

Pelligra, the driving force behind the revival of the once-mighty Sicilian football club Catania FC, submitted a non-binding offer to the Glory’s receivers back in August.

His company also owns Catania Rugby, Catania Women’s Football, Catania Junior Football and the Varese Basketball Team, as well as the Adelaide Lightning Women’s basketball team, Adelaide Giants Baseball team, the Canberra Braves and Adelaide Adrenaline Ice Hockey teams.

The announcement comes three months after the club’s receivers KordaMentha were sent back to the drawing board by the termination of the club’s sale to Melbourne property tycoon Robert Brij.

It marks the end of an eight-month-long search for a buyer, which began when the APL slapped its former owner Tony Sage’s company Okewood with a breach notice, and he relinquished the license.

That notice, issued for its failure to keep up with $4 million worth of player and staff wages, triggered the APL to hand control of the club to receivers.

Glory chief executive Anthony Radich said the announcement marked the end of an “extremely challenging period” for the club and the beginning of an exciting new era.

“The Pelligra Group brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and resources that we are confident will successfully rebuild the club’s reputation, image and credibility, revitalise its commercial relationships and most importantly, reconnect it with the WA community,” Radich said.

“With these key building blocks in place, Perth Glory’s enormous potential can be unlocked and the sustained success which our loyal Members and fans crave and deserve can be delivered.”

Those sentiments were echoed by A-Leagues Commissioner Nick Garcia, who believed the club’s future was in a safe pair of hands.

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