In 2016 Football Federation Australia announced intentions to expand the A-League competition.
Two bid emerged from the Macarthur region:
- South West Sydney FC, was backed by local businessmen Gino Marra and Sam Krslovic.
- United for Macarthur, was a partnership between Campbelltown City Council and Lang Walker of the Walker Corporation Property Development group.
Both bids submitted expressions of interest, although ultimately submitted a merged bid to the FFA.
The consortium rejected a further merger offer from the Southern Expansion bid group, who were backed by a Hong Kong consortium and based in the Sutherland Shire.
In 2018 Macarthur was granted a licence to compete in the A-League.
In 2020 Lang Walker (Property Developer) sold his 50% share in Macarthur to Roy Mammone (Sydney Trucks and Machinery), Michael Gerace (Property Developer). Walker continued to support the club through sponsorship by his companies.
Insights
The emergance of two bids for the region showed a strong desire for football in the area, and considering the mix of coutnerparties a team in Macarthur appears to have broad support.
Walker’s property development in the region would be supported by a club in the area and the club would benefit from his financial backing, even later in the form of sponsorship.
The council’s support of the bid in the form of training facilities and an appropriate stadium gave the club a natural home and important community connections. In return the club would help community development in the area and help attract more funding in the form of local jobs and potential assistance when applying for federal or state government grants.
The emergence of local businessmen with connections to football too also provided potential connections to the grassroots which could help the club’s community grow.
The departure of Walker however is a key event. Although Walker remains committed as a sponsor (noting it is in his interest to keep the club going), the club lost out on direct access to his funds. Walker’s departure the club quickly lost their chairman Rabieh Krayem (appointed by Walker) only to have him replaced with remaining owner Gino Marra.
Limitations and considerations
Exact ownership holdings are not clear, especially in case of Gino Marra’s and Sam Krslovic’s shares. Nor is it clear in the case of Roy Mammone’s and Michael Gerace’s shares
The Beautiful Game 