i've heard that reported on multiple sites so im pretty sure its true. guess we will hear all after todays press conference. 10am WST

Veteran attacker Marc Overmars has made it clear that he will retire at the end of this season. The 36-year-old ended his career for the first time in 2004, but he made a comeback earlier this campaign to help out injury-plagued Go Ahead Eagles.

However, his return to professional football wasn't too big a success. Overmars made 23 league appearances for the Dutch second tier outfit, without finding the net.

The former Oranje winger started his professional career at Go Ahead Eagles in 1990 and also played for Willem II before joining Ajax in 1992.

He developed into one of the world's best wingers at the Amsterdam outfit and made the move to Arsenal in 1997. Overmars won the double in his first year at the London side and became a fans' favourite in no-time.

In the summer of 2000, 'the Roadrunner' moved to Spain and joined FC Barcelona, for a record ₤25 million (€40.6 million), making Overmars the most expensive Dutch player of all time.

Overmars still has two more league matches to play at Go Ahead Eagles before he hangs up his boots again.

Glory set for Fulham friendly

4th May 2009, 9:30 WST

Perth Glory are this morning set to confirm a second pre-season friendly game against an English Premier League side with Fulham heading to Member's Equity Stadium.

Newly-promoted Wolves are already booked in for a trip to Perth and now Mark Schwarzer's Fulham have signed on the dotted line.

Meanwhile Glory coach David Mitchell has revealed how his recruitment plans came unstuck, sometimes for the most bizarre reasons, with one player scuppering a move to WA because of his wife’s aversion to creepy crawlies.

Mitchell, who expects to apply some star trimmings to his squad in the next month, said signing players from overseas was much more complicated than most people imagined, sometimes because of misconceptions about the Australian lifestyle.

“One player decided not to come here because his wife didn’t like the spiders and snakes in Australia,” Mitchell said of the former English Premier League player who he did not want to name. “And she was a bit worried about the sharks, too.

“Some players think it’s too hot all the time and you get some who want to know what the food is like. Some of the reasons that are put forward are ridiculous.”

Mitchell said the distance from Europe and the high tax rate were also factors that could complicate what appeared to be a straight-forward deal. But the coach expected to have all but finalised his squad by early next month.

“By the start of June, we’ll hopefully have all the signings apart from maybe one,” Mitchell said.

Although Glory are yet to announce any new signings for the 2009-10 campaign, Mitchell has re-signed several players from last season and has made inquiries about a number of overseas-based players.

The club announced last week that defender Brent Griffiths, striker Anthony Skorich and midfielder Howard Fondyke have been signed on senior contracts to take to five the number of last season’s National Youth League team to join the A-League set-up. Defender Scott Neville and midfielder Andrija Jukic are the others.

The West Australian understands the club is close to finalising deals with Socceroos midfielder Jacob Burns, who is playing for Romanian club Unirea Voluntari Urziceni, and Derby County defender Andy Todd.

As well as the two high-profile games, Glory’s pre-season campaign is also expected to include a home match against North Queensland Fury, where former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is the marquee player, while Gold Coast United are also understood to be interested in a friendly in Perth.

Mitchell was disappointed to be playing the first two games of the season away from home — Glory play Adelaide United on August 7 and Wellington Phoenix on August 16 — before returning to Members Equity for a first home match against Newcastle Jets on August 23.

Glory look for fixture bonanza
4th May 2009, 11:15 WST

Perth Glory owner Tony Sage hopes the announcement of glamour friendly fixtures with English Premier League clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham will put pressure on the State government to finance an upgrade of Members Equity Stadium.

In a big day for the A-League club, Sage also announced the signing of former Socceroos midfielder Jacob Burns and a two-year sponsorship deal with Sydney-based company Financial and Energy Exchange worth more than $500,000.

Glory will play Wolves, who have recently been promoted to the EPL from the second-tier Championship, on July 10 and Fulham on July 15, both at Members Equity Stadium.

The Fulham game will be the first part of a double-header, with Wolves to play A-League expansion club North Queensland Fury, featuring Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler, in Perth on the same night.

Glory will then play the Fury at a regional centre, most likely Rockingham, Mandurah or Carnarvon, on July 18.

More to come ...

Why on earth would they play Fury in Carnarvon?

Do they really think they might get people from Carnarvon to make the trip down to perth to watch games?

Barcelona could be the next big name club to head to Australia for a friendly match.

Hot on the heels of English Premier League sides Fulham and Wolverhampton, who have confirmed matches against North Queensland, Perth and the Gold Coast in July, and Scottish giants Celtic, the Spanish superstars are rumoured to also be interested in taking on the A-League's finest.

TWG understands the Catalans have met Sydney FC officials to discuss a possible midweek match up in August, with another club - believed to be Melbourne Victory - also in the frame.

Given the proposed blockbuster would not be until after the start of the A-League season, it is understood there are still some scheduling details to be arranged.

A source close to Sydney FC has confirmed the high profile interest and suggested that Barcelona had initially expressed a desire to come in July before the start of the A-League, but have had to revise their plans.

The game would be a huge boon for the profile of the A-League, with Barcelona boasting a host of international stars and on the cusp of winning Spain's La Liga.

Fresh from a 6-2 obliteration of fierce rivals Real Madrid, the Catalans, who have been lauded for their free-flowing football this season, are also still in contention for the Champions League final.

Now that would be a game to see.

Now that would be a game to see.

Now that would be a game to see.

Killer.
I'd love to see it on free to air.

‘Embarrassing’ stadium set for temporary upgrade

4th May 2009, 14:30 WST

The “embarrassing” facilities at Members Equity Stadium will undergo a temporary transformation in July for the visit of English Premier League clubs Wolverhampton and Fulham to accommodate a greater number of fans and corporate clients.

Perth Glory owner Tony Sage made his blunt assessment of WA’s premier rectangular stadium this morning and is continuing his combined push with Rugby WA and WA Rugby League for a $73 million upgrade of the stadium.

Peter Bauchop, the chief executive of venue manager Allia, said the capacity of Members Equity Stadium will be increased to around 20,700 – up from 18,156 – for Glory’s glamour pre-season fixtures against the two EPL clubs with the addition of temporary facilities at either end of the ground.

Corporate marquees, similar to those erected around the greens at The Vines for the Johnnie Walker Classic golf tournament, will be put in place either side of The Shed at the northern end of the ground, while additional seating will be added to the stand at the southern end.

Allia will also investigate ways to temporarily upgrade the changing room facilities under the main stand on the western side of the ground. The relocation of ice baths, new carpet and a change of the seating configuration in the dressing rooms are all on the cards.

“They’re using facilities that were built in 1956, I understand the change rooms are,” Bauchop said.

“We can guarantee they’ll be clean but they’re not going to be state-of-the-art unfortunately. We’ll definitely work with all the stakeholders to do the best with what we’ve got. We’re just going to keep pushing to do the best with that.”

Bauchop said that the three rectangular football codes and Allia are united in their views on a permanent upgrade for Members Equity Stadium, which they want the State government to pay for, and believes that the July friendly fixtures will help their bid.

“I think anything that shows the stadium in its full use, whereby we need higher level facilities, will assist,” Bauchop said.

“But I’d say there’s already a fair bit of interest at the moment with the planned move for Super 14 here in 2010.

“I definitely believe we’re all united. The owners and the users definitely all want the same thing because it’s all going to give us positive outcomes, there’s no downside about upgrading this stadium.”

Super 14 franchise Western Force will relocate to the East Perth ground from Subiaco Oval next season.