How new Wolves GM Mark Upton plans to guide the club to National Second Tier

Securing corporate sponsors and guiding the club to be ready for the upcoming National Second Tier competition - slated to begin in March or April 2025 - are at the top of his priority list.

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Upton was appointed as GM of the Wolves following over six years in the same role at The Sage Wollongong. He comes into the position on a full-time basis following the departure of former chief executive Strebre Delovski, who was employed with the club on a part-time basis since 2022.

His main role will be to guide the Wolves to its return to the national stage with Football Australia's brand new NST competition, set to act as the league directly below the professional A-League with promotion and relegation between the competitions the ultimate goal.

The Wolves were one of the foundation clubs to be announced to be taking part in the inaugural league, along with seven other teams from across Australia.

Upton knows just how significant it was for the club to return to a national league once more. Being two-time National Soccer League champions in the early 2000s, the Wolves brand is synonymous not only in Wollongong, but nationally and even globally.

"It's definitely a privilege and I'm extremely happy that they're able to welcome me into the club," Upton said.

"It's a strong club with an amazing history within Wollongong. I think the hard work that the club has been able to do over a long period of time, especially over the last few years to be able to get us into that second tier league is fantastic.

"That's just one aspect of it obviously. The first few months of my role will be getting us ready for that league, but also the business corporate side of the club as well just to really strengthen that side of it so that the club continues to thrive.

"I think obviously the football side of it, that's for the football guys and the team to do that and the coach. For me, it's for the club to build upon the strength of the community. It is a community based club. But also the business, corporate community as well, and just building on what's been done around that space.

"Hopefully we can get a few more corporates who jump on board, not just in this region, but also state and nationally to get them on board."

Upton said he saw plenty of potential to continue to grow the Wolves brand.

"For me, that growth around the brand and the brand awareness, not just within the region here, but across Australia as well is huge," he said.

"That's one of my many goals to try and strengthen that brand awareness. It's already got a pretty good brand around Australian and the world and it's just about leveraging that to make it even stronger and hopefully one day in the near future, get it back into the A-League.

For me, it's just getting in there and understanding obviously what they've already done, and hopefully I can help be part of what''s already a great club."

Upton will formally commence his new role on May 13, 2024.