Perth Glory players have been put on notice. Premiership winning celebrations will be no excuse for turning up late for training tomorrow.

When asked if he would mind if they were a little bit late, coach Tony Popovic said: “Yeah I would. I would mind.

“I’m sure they won’t be but I’m sure they will come in with a special smile on their faces.”

Glory’s 1-0 win over Newcastle Jets tonight at HBF Park saw them create history in a remarkable turnaround season.

Ivan Franjic’s 65th-minute winner secured the Premiers’ Plate and ended a 15-year silverware drought since the club won the NSL championship.

It gave Perth an unassailable eight-point lead over second-placed Sydney FC with two games left, against Sydney on Thursday night and Wellington Phoenix 10 days later.

But it is business as usual for Popovic and his team.

“We’ll be training,” Popovic said. “We’ve got a game on Thursday so we’ve got to see who’s fit, who’s healthy. See how they have recovered.

“They’ve won a special trophy, the job has been done, they are the best team in the league. That’s a fact. We are in a wonderful position.

“The hunger was there prior to the game. Now we need to get ourselves right for the major semifinal. That’s our clear focus. We’ll give it our best, that’s for sure.”

Popovic said he was proud of the title, but particularly happy for the club staff, owner and fans.

“Just proud, really proud, to see the joy on the players’ faces, the staff, the owner, the fans, he said. “They’ve been wanting success for a long time. The club has had some fantastic times, some tough times and this is actually a special time. A fantastic night.

“I appreciate and understand how special it is for them. It’s special for me and I’ve only been here a short time.”

Glory struggled to break down a dogged Jets defence and had two goals ruled out through offside. The Jets also had one rubbed out for the same reason.

“You could sense the fans were a bit anxious,” Popovic said.

“I’m sure the players could feel that. The players were relaxed and calm at half–time They knew we would get chances and we got our reward.”

The evergreen Diego Castro set up the winner with a sensational pass after a relatively quiet first half.

“Come the second half you could see he really took charge of the game,” Popovic said.

“In the end it’s no real surprise that he comes with a special bit of play, the weight of the pass to put it in Ivan’s path is really the difference.

“It was a great goal.”

Juande and Jason Davidson both left the field with knee injuries with Juande more in doubt for Thursday night, Popovic said.

He said Chris Ikonomidis, who is recovering from a dislocated shoulder, was likely to travel.

The Premiers’ Plate had been flown to Perth at the last minute and securing it means Perth gain direct entry to the Asian Champions League, which the club will compete in for the first time in its history.

Last year’s grand finalists Jets soaked up plenty of pressure, sitting deep in defence, a dangerous tactic against the attacking threats of the Glory. But they frustrated Perth who made some uncharacteristic turnovers despite their midfield superiority.