The decline of Perth Glory as a football powerhouse has been both spectacular and sad. In the bleak days of the National Soccer League it was the Glory which kept club football float as teams folded and those that remained barely survived as interest withered.

The Glory won two NSL Grand Finals, lost two others and set attendance records in each of the eight seasons they played in the NSL.

While teams struggled to get 5,000 fans at their home games, Glory had to lock the gates. Under the guidance of owner Nick Tana, who marketed the club astutely, Glory averaged 10,000 fans or more in all but one season.

In their two home Grand Finals, in 1999 and 2001, they filled Subiaco Oval to its 43,000 capacity – then the highest ever domestic attendances.

The NSL folded at the end of the 2003-04 season and, fittingly, it was Perth Glory which won the last NSL Grand Final, beating Parramatta Power.

If ever a team, and a city, was going to take the new Hyundai A-League by storm, it was the Glory and Perth.

And the early signs in that first season of the A-League, in 2005-06, were positive. Glory averaged 9,734 fans and just missed the finals as cult hero Bobby Despotovski and Damian Mori scored 15 goals between them.

But since then Glory has turned into a monumental headache for the FFA. Ownership changes, financial problems and questionable coaching appointments have turned the Glory into the worst performing Australian club in three and a bit seasons of the Hyundai A-League.

Long loyal fans have gone, at least for now, and in Glory's most recent home game just 4,433 fans turned up.

At a time when interest in football is at an all time high and with the FFA gearing for expansion, the Glory is drifting into oblivion. Last week it lost 4-1 to Central Coast – the second time in three weeks it found itself down 3-0 at half time.

On Friday it plays Melbourne Victory at the Telstra Dome. There is a touch of irony in the round seven meeting. The Victory is the current day Glory – setting attendance records, winning championships and turning on the style on the field.

Glory coach David Mitchell was seen as a saviour when he took charge of the team last season following the sacking of Ron Smith. After 11 weeks without a win, Mitchell took Glory to Newcastle in his first match in charge and engineered a stunning 4-1 win over the best side of last season.

Glory won three more matches for the rest of the season and Mitchell seemed to have built a sound platform for this season. But after a promising pre-season and the recruitment of several top players, including former Brazil World Cup winner Amaral, things have gone horribly wrong for Mitchell.

Glory squandered a 3-1 lead against Newcastle in their opening home match of the season (Newcastle scored two late goals) and the following week in Sydney seemed to have the better of Sydney FC before a send off triggered a collapse (Glory lost 2-5).

A 3-0 home defeat against Queensland Roar was followed by a breakthrough 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix and the hope that finally Glory had turned the corner.

But Glory was at its most inept a week later, losing 4-1 to Central Coast after again conceding three goals in the first half.

The season will not get any easier for Glory. After playing Victory on Friday it faces up to Sydney FC in Perth and then travels to Adelaide to play Asian Champions League contender Adelaide United.

Those three games could well define Glory's future, not just for this season. If Mitchell and Glory can come through this three-match period it could well bring back the Glory days.