Property mogul Ross Pelligra has been confirmed as Perth Glory’s new owner.
The Melbourne multi-millionaire – who also owns Italian third division club Catania as well as baseball, basketball and ice hockey teams in Adelaide and Canberra – intends to re-establish the Glory as “a benchmark club of Australian football”.
The Pelligra Group will reportedly pledge $4 million per year to the Glory, who have been funded by the financially embattled Australian Professional Leagues since former owner and chairman Tony Sage was stripped of the club’s licence in July last year.
“Sport is a great passion of mine and over the years I have invested in other sporting clubs in Australia and in Italy,” Pelligra said.
“I have seen how integral a sporting club can be to a community. It can have a powerful, unifying impact and that is what we are here to achieve in Perth.
“There are three key pillars we need to focus on in the first phase of our tenure – reconnect, drive success and create long term sustainability.
“We have learned from our previous experiences with other sporting franchises, but every team is different, every city is different and it is important we listen and learn.
“We want (the Glory) to be the envy of every other A-League club, just like it was when it was first founded.”
Pelligra had previously tried to take charge of the Glory, but Melbourne property developer Robert Brij was the preferred option until APL-appointed receivers KordaMentha pulled the plug on the deal in November due to “preconditions” not being met.
A-League commissioner Nick Garcia said an “incredible opportunity” existed for football in Western Australia with Pelligra’s purchase of the Glory.
“Ross is a successful business and football person, both locally and abroad and this experience and his passion for the world game is a great asset for Perth Glory and the A-League,” Garcia said.
“We believe that with this new ownership, the future of Perth Glory is in extremely safe hands and we look forward to seeing them deliver success both on and off the pitch.”
Pelligra has promised to meet with state and local governments, club members and fan groups to “further inform the strategy and future direction of the club”.
“One of our key priorities will be to establish a future permanent home for Perth Glory with state-of-the-art training and administration facilities,” he said.
Pelligra will be at HBF Park on Saturday night for the Glory’s match with Brisbane Roar.
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