WA soccer glory is for all

It has become a strong trend in this office on Monday mornings in summer.

With little or no AFL news - although those days are fewer as the league commands the spotlight with or without a ball being kicked - sports tragics need something else to talk about after the weekend.

In recent years the sports topic du jour during this period has been the English Premier League.

Today was no different.

As soon as a couple of features writers had been scanned through security, they were talking about David Silva's winning goal for Manchester City over Arsenal. Or they were discussing another touch of skill by Wayne Rooney.

And that is a problem for Australian soccer.

Fans the losers in private ownership

Tony Sage is the epitome of the passionate sports supporter.

Not only does Sage have an emotional investment in his beloved Perth Glory but he has made a financial one as well. A big one. We're talking huge bucks here. The kind of cash that is made through digging minerals from the WA dirt.

But while Sage has forked out an estimated $6 million to prop up WA's A-League team over the past three years, his side haven't been able to turn that support into success on the pitch.

Sage is an astute deal maker. He has negotiated with some of the shrewdest mining executives here and in Asia. He knows a bum offer when he sees one.

And what happens to WA's premier soccer team when Sage decides enough is enough? That day might be closer than you think, especially if the Glory can't rebound.