Wanderers lock in Bankwest Stadium following Spotless exit
A day after playing their last ever game at Spotless Stadium, the Western Sydney Wanderers have announced a long-term agreement to play at the almost-complete Bankwest Stadium.
The A-League club played their final game at the Homebush venue on Sunday, securing a 1-1 draw against Newcastle, bringing to an end what can only be described as an unhappy stay at the ground now officially known as Sydney Showground Stadium.
The Wanderers will play their final three games of the season at ANZ Stadium and then it’s back to Parramatta, with the club to host Leeds United in an international club friendly on July 21 at Sydney’s newest sports venue.
The club’s home attendances have dropped dramatically since moving from Parramatta. Their last game at the venue then known as Pirtek Stadium in 2016 attracted a sell-out crowd of 20,084, while Sunday’s round 20 clash attracted just 7,181 supporters. Now it remains to be seen if the supporters will return as the club enters a new era at their new home.
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The agreement will see the Wanderers play all home matches in the Hyundai A-League, FFA Cup (from the quarter-finals stage) and future AFC Champions League games at their new home ground in the heart of Parramatta. While the Wanderers Westfield W-League team will also play some matches at the venue from next season.
The 30,000-seat stadium features the steepest stands in the country, Australia’s first safe-standing terrace and a world-class setting in Parramatta.
The $360 million is rapidly nearing completion, with the turf now going in and construction due to finish in late March. It’ll host its first event on April 22 with the Parramatta Eels hosting the Wests Tigers in their traditional Easter Monday game.
Fans will get their first chance to inspect the new stadium on April 14 with a Community Open Day set to welcome supporters in for a free look at their new home ground. Tickets will be available via Ticketek from 1pm on Wednesday 27 February – click here for tickets.
We could watch this for hours 😍
— WS Wanderers FC (@wswanderersfc) February 26, 2019
📹 Courtesy NSW Government #WSW pic.twitter.com/8UEciFW81o
