John Tsatsimas, the current football operations manager of the club, will assume the role of chief executive of the club.
As part of the licence transfer from FFA, Lyall Gorman will step down as executive chairman of the Wanderers.
FFA chiuef executive David Gallop paid tribute to Gorman’s leadership in establishing the Wanderers over the past two years and his significant legacy as a result of his tireless commitment to the development of the A-League in various roles since inception including:
:: Establishing and being the executive chairman of Central Coast Mariners over a six-year period;
:: Undertaking a substantial re-structuring and re-positioning of the A-League during his role as head of that league over a two-year period;
:: Representing the FFA on various Asian Football Confederation committees; and
:: Founding executive chairman of Western Sydney Wanderers.
“In relation to the Wanderers, Lyall was there for the very first fan forum in Mount Pritchard and was able to bring to life the aspirations of the people in football’s Western Sydney heartland,” said Gallop.
“His boundless energy and commitment to the building of the club have driven all those around him to achieve great things.
“The club has enjoyed unprecedented success both on and off the field and with this success Lyall has created an exceptional foundation for the next stage of the club’s growth. On behalf of the football community, I thank him and wish him well for his next professional challenge and sincerely hope that he is not lost to our game.”
FFA chairman Frank Lowy also commended Gorman on his contribution to the sport.
“Lyall has been an integral part of the success of the A-League since its inception. He has made an exceptional contribution in each of the key roles he has held over the last 10 years – as founding chairman of Central Coast Mariners, head of the A-League and executive chairman of the Western Sydney Wanderers,” Mr Lowy said.
Gorman underlined the growth of the game in the last decade.
“The last 10 years have been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Gorman.
“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 go 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."
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