Lyall Gorman to part company with Western Sydney Wanderers

Following the Football Federation Australia (FFA)'s recent sale of the Western Sydney Wanderers A-League licence, Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman is to leave the club.

Gorman, who left a similar role at Central Coast Mariners to found the Wanderers in 2012, will reportedly leave the club with a payment that could be as large as $1 million. Prior to joining the Mariners, Gorman was Head of A-League at the FFA.

Fairfax Media reported last week that Gorman was to receive a cut of the sale price of the Wanderers with the club being sold for an estimated $10 million to a consortium headed by Primo Smallgoods Chief Executive Paul Lederer.

Through just two seasons under Gorman’s leadership, the Wanderers have become one of the most popular A-League clubs, with large home crowds, sold-out corporate hospitality areas and big sponsorship deals.

However, with Lederer becoming Chairman of the board of directors for the Wanderers, and John Tsatsimas, the current Football Operations Manager, taking up the role of Chief Executive of the club, Gorman’s role has largely ceased to exist.

Fairfax Media reported last week that Gorman was to receive a cut of the sale price of the Wanderers with the club being sold for an estimated $10 million to a consortium headed by Primo Smallgoods Chief Executive Paul Lederer.

The Australian Financial Review have suggested that Gorman’s payment could be as much as 10% of the sale price, though it has also been described as a performance bonus rather than a percentage of the sale.

Commenting on his involvement with the FFA, Gorman told Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph “the last ten years have been an incredibly rewarding experience.

“The game of football and its ongoing development are very close to my heart and it has been an honour and a privilege to be able to contribute to its evolution in some small way.

“In relation to the Wanderers I have been absolutely humbled and blessed to be able to share this amazing journey with the most outstanding group of people on and off the field, the most remarkable fans and the most remarkable region in Australia.

“The heartland of football is alive and well. As I hand the baton over to the new management team I look back with tremendous pride and satisfaction of where the club sits today and equally, with tremendous optimism for its future.

“My heartfelt thanks goes to everyone who has helped lay a brick in the foundations of what I have no doubt will one day be one of the greatest and most successful sporting clubs across any code in the country. My family and I look forward to sharing that journey with a different hat on in the future with the same passion that we have had for it since day one.”

Fairfax Media recently reported that Gorman could be a contender for chief executive roles at AFL clubs Carlton and Brisbane Lions.

He is a scheduled speaker at the 2014 Sports Fan Summit being held from 30th June to 2nd July at the MCG.

29th May 2014 - FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA CONFIRMS SALE OF WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS TO CONSORTIUM