Western Sydney Wanderers have become an icon across their sweeping heartland but it may just be in the regions, like Mudgee where their future success lies according to new CEO Scott Hudson.
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Wanderers, fresh off the back of celebrating a decade in existence, headed to Goulburn on Sunday to run clinics with juniors.
In attendance were coaching staff as well as long-serving midfielder Keanu Baccus as they put players from across the region through their paces.
It looks like it won't be a one-off either with Hudson revealing Western Sydney had their eyes on regional areas to the west and south-west of the club's Rooty Hill base.
"We've done a heap of stuff in the last few years," he said in an interview to the Southern Highland News.
"We started by taking a game to Mudgee three years ago and we wanted to lead with our strongest assets which was a professional game.
"My thing is when you're supporting these regional areas is not just be present as a one off and say 'see you later'.
"Ever since then we've led with a number of these community engagement opportunities through other areas like Bathurst, Orange and Goulburn now as well.
"Even though we're a Western Sydney-based team we see ourselves as a professional sporting club that has a responsibility to engage regional communities."
Hudson will have a big task ahead of him as the club ties to once again get back on track after prolonged on-field struggles.
Despite moving into the new Parramatta Stadium and impressive training complex in Rooty Hill, the red and black men's side has struggled to hit the heights of their early years which netted an A-League Men's Premiership and Asian Champions League crown while the women's side has only once played finals.
The new CEO said it would be community initiatives like the one in Goulburn that would help pave the way back to success.
"In 10 years we've definitely achieved a lot as a club," he reflected.
"Obviously [we had] the initial on-field success but establishing a engaged fanbase, a new stadium and world-class training facility...that's been great.
"In saying that thought in recent years won-field we haven't had the success we expect of ourselves. We're going through a changing of the guard here, we need to re-set the club in a way.
"The key thing for us is re-engaging with the community again and being active and present."
As for any A-League Men's and Women's fixtures in the regions, Hudson said the club had it on their agenda ahead of season 2022/23.
"We're always looking at those opportunities.
"The last two years have been challenging with having matches re-scheduled but now we can do some proper planning we are looking at that at the moment in terms of men's and women's matches we can look to take."
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