Glory win race to sign Fowler
Perth Glory’s dogged three-week pursuit of Robbie Fowler paid off handsomely late on Monday night when the A-League club received confirmation the Liverpool legend had agreed to a one-year deal believed to be worth around $600,000.
Glory owner Tony Sage and deputy chairman Lui Giuliani pulled out all stops to out-bid A-League rival Sydney FC and some cashed-up Middle East clubs to win the race to sign the former England striker.
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Fowler scored nine goals in 26 appearances for North Queensland Fury and was contracted for another season before the Townsville-based club’s financial uncertainty paved the way for Glory to pounce.
Football Federation Australia stepped in to rescue the embattled outfit and when Glory were given the green light to pursue Fowler for next season the club went full tilt to sign the man still lauded by Liverpool fans for his goal-scoring exploits during the 1990s and on his return to the club in 2006.
Sydney initially appeared to have the upper hand in the race to sign the 35-year-old but Sage, who splashed out on several key players last season, was desperate to land the biggest name in Glory’s 14-year history.
Sage spoke enthusiastically to Fowler over the telephone and Giuliani negotiated a deal with the player’s manager, George Scott, before an agreement was struck.
Fowler will rejoin his Fury coach, Ian Ferguson, who is now assistant to Dave Mitchell at Glory. A public disagreement at Fury, when Fowler refused to take his place on the substitute’s bench after being told by Ferguson he was not in the starting line-up, has long since been patched up.
The striker was restored to the starting XI the following week and he recently recommended Glory sign Ferguson as an assistant coach.
Fowler agreed to join Perth for reasons other than money.
Sage said: “Our offer was not the highest. There were two or three other offers, especially from a Middle Eastern club, that were higher.
“Obviously the Sydney offer was a bit higher than ours, so why did he decide to come to Perth? … we convinced him of the lifestyle here, the way the club is going, the direction we are heading.”
Sage said the team must deliver a home final next season to be considered successful.
“We want to win and if Robbie was just going to be an ornament we wouldn’t be interested,” he said.
“The aim again is top four. We missed out by one point last year and that was very disappointing. But we want to have a home final.
“I would be disappointed if we didn’t finish top two, obviously, but top four is the aim initially.”
