1911 – first evidence
There is evidence of "soccer enthusiasts" from the Oakland area meeting at Muldoon's Hotel in June 1911 to form a football association. [8]
The first known game played under the British Association rules saw Oakland defeat Coraki on Saturday 8 July 1911. [9]
The first football club formed in the Lismore area was the Lismore Athletic Football Club which was formed at the Lismore School of Arts in May 1914. [10] The first game of football featuring a side from Lismore was played in June 1914 when students from the Wollongbar Experiment Farm played Lismore Athletic Soccer Club at the farm. [11] The Lismore Athletic team was:
- Goalkeeper – Blackmore
- Backs – Newman and Caley
- Half-backs – Cochrane, Manning (captain), Alcock
- Forwards – Marshall, Stewart, Hope, Thomas & McBeth
The officials for the game were Mr Priestly (referee) and Mr R Hatt (linesman).
1932 – first Lismore club & competition
The first Lismore club (it's possible that the Lismore Athletic Soccer Club of 1914 was a team only) was established in April 1932 at a meeting at the Golden Globe rooms. [12] [13] At that meeting, it was noted the club had 34 players and "the support of prominent Lismore citizens, including representatives of two churches [12] "; Canon Moore (Church of England) and Reverend Parker (Presbyterian). The club adopted club colours of red and blue shirts and white shorts, [14] and decided to enter a team in Bangalow's Association premiership competition that was initially supposed to include 6 teams:
- Bangalow (2 teams)
- McLeans Ridges
- Federal
- Mullumbimby
- Lismore
Only 3 teams nominated for the initial competition of the Northern Rivers Soccer Football Association with additional teams from Lismore, Ballina and McLeans Ridges being invited to compete in the end of season knockout competition: [15] [16]
- Bangalow Rangers
- Lismore AFC
- Federal
In May 1932 Lismore announced they had rented "An area of land at the corner of Diadem and Magellan streets" for use as a home ground. [17]
The first game in the competition was played at Bangalow on Saturday, 14 May 1932 with Bangalow defeating Lismore 3–1. [18] The teams were:
- Bangalow: Morrison, Graham, Hunt, Ramsden, W Turner, Macdonald, Jeffert, A Carter, Davies, Eldridge, J Carter
- Lismore: Fender, Williamson, Green, Daly, Holmes, Gilmour, Kinch, G Wightman, McCredie, Simpson, Temperley
New clubs were formed in Lismore in May [14] and Casino in July 1932. [19] The new Lismore club was probably called Lismore City. [20]
In July 1932 an Association Cup competition attracted 6 teams: Bangalow, Lismore City, Casino, Dyraaba, Lismore & Federal. [21]
Le Clare Cup
Football continued being played on a social basis and then on a more organised basis for the Le Clare Cup until 1939.
1949 revival
Association Football in the Lismore district was revived after a 10-year hiatus in early 1949 by Constable Ossie (Oscar) Pomroy, a local policeman and Jack Connolly, a repatriation representative. [22] Pomroy had played association football with the Police team in the Sydney competition. [23] On Saturday 30 April 1949 the first competition game for 1949 was played at Lismore Recreation Ground between two under-16 teams; Brisbane Telegraph Rangers and Lismore Boys’ Hostel. [24] In May 1949 a club was formed in Casino. [25] The first senior game of the season was played at Lismore Recreation Ground on Saturday 28 May between a Lismore team and a Casino team with Lismore winning 4–1. [26] The Casino team featured former Dutch international, Jack Dalmeyer. [27] In June 1949 the Lismore and District Soccer Football Association, a predecessor to the current Football Far North Coast, was formed. [28] The inaugural office bearers [28] were:
- Patrons: Larry Anthony, Commonwealth member for Richmond and William Frith, NSW member for Lismore
- President: Maurice Guilmant
- Vice-Presidents: R Hatt, C Lawman, J Robertson, Frank Oakes, Clarrie Richards, Ossie Pomroy, RM Frazer
- Secretary: RT McBain
- Treasurer: GJ Wightman
- Publicity Officer: Ossie Pomroy
The under-16 competition played for the Wilcher Cup donated by Wilcher's Dye Works of Keen Street, Lismore with 12 teams from 7 clubs competing:
- 1. North Lismore – Hotspurs, Thistle
- 2. East Lismore – Rovers, Athletic
- 3. South Lismore – Celtic, Albion
- 4. Hostel – United, Wanderers
- 5. Goonellabah Stars
- 6. Telegraph Rangers
- 7. City Rangers
North Lismore Hotspurs were the inaugural winners of the Wilcher Cup with South Lismore Celtic winning the junior cup final.
In seniors 5 teams participated in the competition:
- 1. Lismore City
- 2. North Lismore Marauders
- 3. Goonellabah Gold Stars
- 4. Methodist OK
- 5. Casino Rebels
Lismore City were the winners of the Challenge Cup which appears to have been the equivalent of the grand final, beating Casino 5–1 in the final. In September 1949 a Far North Coast representative team played Corinthians, the 1949 Brisbane soccer premiers. The game was played at Lismore Recreation Grounds, with Corinthians winning 7–1.
Source: [29] At a meeting in February 1950 Eastwood United was established comprising 2 junior teams (Under 14 and 18) and 1 senior team. It was agreed that club colours would be red shirts with white collars, pockets and sleeves, white shorts and red and white socks. The inaugural elected officials were:
- Patron – Dr RE Longworth
- President – Mr M (Maurice) Guilmant
- Secretary – Mr M Glendinning
- Assistant secretary – Mr E Wells
- Treasurer – Mr J Harrison
- Publicity Officer – Mr OH (Ossie) Pomroy
1950 Brand Cup final (Casino Rebels win the final but not the Cup!)
The 1950 Arthur Brand Cup final between Eastwood United and Casino Rebels was played on Saturday, 9 September at the Lismore Recreation Ground (Recreation Ground Number 1). The game was of a high standard with Eastwood United winning 2–1 after extra time and being presented with the cup by Arthur Brand. [30] Casino Rebels protested the result to the Lismore District Soccer Football Association (LDSFA) on the grounds that the refereeing of Mr Des Hyde had not been up to standard, and demanded a replay. In particular, it was reported Casino Rebels players 'began to leave the field when a goal ... (by their captain, Stan Pendrigh) ... was disallowed' [31] and the legitimacy of Eastwood United's winning goal which had been scored direct from an indirect free-kick. [32] The LDSFA upheld (supported) Casino Rebels protest and directed the final be replayed at Casino on Saturday, 23 September. [32] Mr Stan Jarrett, the Secretary of the LDSFA resigned in protest at the decision. [33] Eastwood United refused to play the re-match so the matter was referred to the NSW Soccer Association. [34]
The re-match was eventually played at Casino on Saturday 30 September with Casino Rebels winning 2–0. [35] The NSW Soccer Association ruled the 'referee's decision was final' (in relation to the first game) and as a consequence, the LDSFA decided Eastwood United would hold the cup for the next 12 months. [36] So whilst Casino Rebels won the 1950 Brand Cup Final, Eastwood United had possession of the cup.
The Casino Rebels team for the re-match was: [37]
- A Morgan (Goalkeeper), Stan Pendrigh (Captain), Jack Dalmeyer, L Fryer, G Snow, W Richardson, M De Haan, H Johns, F Koning, M Day, J Davy, J McElligott
The Eastwood United squad for the re-match was: [37]
- H Pogulis (Goalkeeper), Jim Brady, S De Vries, Billy Stark, Ossie Pomroy (Captain), Billy Driver, L Moller, Bill Woolnough, J Docherty, J Felicia, N Manitta, Cliff Burrows, M Nutt, N Garrett
1951 Brand Cup final 'the longest match in history ...'
Source: [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45]
The Brand Cup donated by Arthur Brand, a local pharmacist, was an end-of-season competition played on a knock-out basis. The 1951 Brand Cup final was between North Lismore Marauders and Methodist United. The first game, played on Saturday 25 August, was abandoned at 5:45 pm due to bad light after more than 2 hours play. The teams had played 90 minutes of normal time, and 2 sets of 20 minutes extra time. The score was 2-all at full time and 2-all when the game was abandoned. Goalscorers for North Lismore Marauders were S Miles and Cyril Mayo, whilst A Watson scored both goals for Methodist United. The game attracted more than 1,000 and possibly up to 1,500 fans with gate proceeds of more than 100 pounds being donated to the North Coast Children's Home.
The replay was played on Saturday 15 September. Both clubs made changes with North Lismore Marauders bringing in forwards Dirk Brouwer and Bill Owens, and Methodist United including local baseball star Reg Baxter. Owens, who had been called up for army training was given special leave to play and flown in specially for the game. North Lismore Marauders won the replay 3–1 and their only-ever trophy in Lismore football history. Goalscorers for North Lismore Marauders were ironically, Bill Owens (2) and Dirk Brouwer, whilst Allan Halls scored for Methodist United.
1951 – establishment of breakaway Casino District Soccer Association
In March 1951 following a decision by the Lismore District Soccer Association to limit its boundaries to a radius of 25 miles from the Lismore Post Office, there were murmurings of a breakaway association centred on Casino. The proposed new association would encompass juniors and up to 7 senior teams: Casino (2), Bonalbo (2), Mallanganee, Dyraaba and Kyogle. [46]
1954 – drowning of LDSA secretary, Cliff Burrows
In July 1950 the Caledonians club from Brisbane visited Lismore to play the Far North Coast representative side. Cliff Burrows, a member of the Caledonians side was so impressed by Lismore that he returned to live there. [47] Burrows, originally from the Leeds area in England, played for Eastwood United from 1950 to 1953 [48] and was captain of the Church of Christ Crusaders side in 1954. [49] Burrows was good enough to play for the Lismore City and Lismore representative sides against the Sutherland Shire Casuals [50] and Grafton in 1954. [51] [52] Burrows also refereed. [53]
In June 1954 Burrows was elected secretary of the Lismore District Soccer Association (LDSA) following the resignation of Mr Allan Halls. [54] In September the same year, tragedy struck when Burrows drowned whilst surfing at Ballina Lighthouse Beach. [55] [56] [57] [58] Burrows was buried at Lismore Memorial Gardens on Skyline Road, Goonellabah. [59]
The LDSA opened a fund to condition his grave and provide a suitable epitaph. [60] In September 1955 a memorial was unveiled at Burrows' grave. [61]
1957 – visit by Eastern Athletic (Hong Kong)
In July 1957 a team described in the local press as the Chinese national team but actually Eastern Athletic from Hong Kong visited Lismore to play a Lismore District Soccer Association XI. [62] This was the first time an International or State side had visited the Northern Rivers region of NSW. [63] Eastern Athletic were a good side; in the week before playing the Lismore XI they drew 2-all with Australia and beat Queensland 5–3 in Brisbane. [64]
The week leading up to the game was marred by injury. Firstly, the referee assigned to the game, Allan Halls from Lismore, was concussed in a car accident and there was some doubt he would take charge of the match. Secondly, Bill Smith the captain and central defender of the Lismore XI was injured playing for his club, Eastwood United the weekend before the game, and forced to withdraw. [65] Bill Mullins of Grafton replaced Smith as captain. [65]
Eastern Athletic soundly defeated the Lismore XI 6–0 at Oakes Oval, Lismore after it was 4–0 at half-time. [66] The visitors put on a "display of precision football" on "a wet, slippery ground" with a "greasy ball" in front of a crowd of 1,500 ("the largest crowd ever to see soccer on the Northern Rivers") paying £300. According to the local newspaper the best players for the Lismore XI were R Parkhouse, Bill Mullins, Eric Moss (the youngest player in the team at 17 years of age), [65] Charlie Kostic & L Orchard. [66]
The Lismore XI, selected from the Lismore region and including players from Grafton and Casino was: [63]
- R Parkhouse (Grafton, Goalkeeper), Gary Kuehne (Grafton), Bill Mullins (Grafton, Captain), Eric Moss (Grafton), Charlie Kostic (Grafton), L Orchard (Eastwood United, Lismore), Barry Neaves (Eastwood United, Lismore), B McPherson (Goonellabah Stars, Lismore), A Lee (Goonellabah Stars, Lismore), W van Beers (Casino) and F Laing (Grafton)
The match officials were: [65]
- Referee – Allan Halls
- Linesmen – K Goudie, G Hayward
Eastern Athletic exists to this day, re-badged as Eastern Sports Club and currently playing in the Hong Kong Premier League.
On Friday 31 January 1958 a meeting was held at the Boy's Hostel in Lismore to form a new club to play in Lismore & District Soccer Football Association competitions. [67]
The meeting appointed Warren Bancroft as chairman. Others present at the meeting were to become stalwarts of the Lismore Thistles club including John Ryan, Barry Neaves, Lance Goldsmith, Nooky Lavis and Jim Rixon.
The meeting also agreed on:
- A club name – Thistles Soccer Club
- Club colours – Royal blue & white
- Club emblem – A thistle within a shield
In 1958, Lismore Thistles first season it had 1 team with twenty registered players playing in the First Division.
In 1960 Goonellabah Stars won the treble of ANZAC Cup, premiership and grand final (or Championship for the Cyril Mayo Memorial Cup). Goonellabah Stars beat Lismore Thistles 4–3 in the grand final to win the Cyril Mayo Memorial Cup; the goalscorers being Goonellabah Stars – E Scurr, Earle McPherson, Athol Parmenter and Bill Harris (Captain), and for Lismore Thistles – R Lavis 3 goals. This was the third time in succession Goonellabah Stars had won the Cyril Mayo Memorial Cup since its donation in 1958. [68]
In 1961 Irishman Bill Harris left Goonellabah Stars, the most successful club in the competition, to form a new club; Richmond Rovers. Harris' motivation was to "foster younger players ... create more interest in the code by expanding the competition, which he saw as lopsided due to Goonellabah Stars dominance". [69] Harris was a former Irish schoolboy representative and English 1st Division player who had moved to Lismore in 1957 via Melbourne (where he played for Slavia).
Richmond Rovers became the 5th team in the Senior competition joining Casino Rovers, Eastwood United, Goonellabah Stars and Lismore Thistles. [70] In their first game, an ANZAC Cup-tie, Richmond Rovers were beaten 7–0 by Lismore Thistles [71] and in their first fixture game were beaten 2–1 by Casino Rovers. [72] In its first season Richmond Rovers also fielded 2 junior teams; an Under-16 and an Under-14. [70]
Members of the original Richmond Rovers side were: John Gava, Carl Ross, J Handley, David Flynn, D Cassis, M Bright, John Morrissey, Bill Harris, John Serone, G Perkins, John Farry (goalkeeper), Doug Edwards, Theo Donaldson, Barry Neaves and Arthur Maloney.
1961 – visit by Fijian national team
In May and June 1961 the Fijian national team toured the Eastern States of Australia and played regional and State teams including a North Coast team at Oakes Oval, Lismore.
On Sunday 4 June in "greasy, treacherous conditions" the Fijians were "too fast" for the locals, winning 8–2 after it was 5–0 at half-time. [73] Jim Smith scored both goals for the North Coast. [73] Officials voted R Helmond, the North Coast goalkeeper as the best of the local players, whilst the local newspaper also praised Eddie Laycock (right back) and Jim Smith (centre forward). [73] The game was watched by a crowd of 2,500 [73]
The local newspaper noted the North Coast captain Bill Harris (born in Northern Ireland) was the only North Coast player not born in Australia. The team included 8 players from Lismore, 2 from Murwillumbah and 1 from Macksville:
- R Helmood (goalkeeper), Eddie Laycock (right back), J Craven (left back), Bill Smith (right half and Vice-Captain), Earl McPherson (centre half), Ron Fiore (left half), B Dawson (outside right), Bill Harris (inside right and Captain), Jim Smith (centre forward), Ron Phillips (inside left) and E Crooks (outside left). Reserves were R Burns, J Gassner, W Van Meurick, A Parmenter and G Lavis. [74]
The Fijians played 15 games on tour, winning 8, drawing 1 and losing 6 whilst scoring 76 goals and conceding 65. Some of the games against regional sides were cricket scores: Fiji 14 – Riverina 0 (in Wagga Wagga), Fiji 12 – Goulburn Districts 1 (in Goulburn), Fiji 9 – Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area 2 (in Griffith).
1966 – fall of Goonellabah Stars (1949-65)
Goonellabah Stars, sometimes referred to as Goonellabah Gold Stars were established in 1949 and were part of the revival of football in the Lismore district after a 10-year absence. In its first season Goonellabah Stars fielded a senior team and an Under 16 team in the Wilcher Cup competition. Goonellabah Stars were the dominant club during their 17 years in senior competitions, with some of the region's best players and winning honours on 26 occasions:
- 9 ANZAC Cups – 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1964
- 10 premierships – 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964
- 7 grand finals – 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962
In 1966 Goonellabah Stars seniors suddenly disappeared, although they continued as a junior club.
1949 season
In their first season in 1949 Goonellabah Stars went trophyless coming 4th in the premiership (in a 5-team competition) and getting knocked out of the finals series by Lismore City. Players in the 1949 season included: K Packham (captain), J Teale, N Manitta, C Wagner, J Roach, L White, L Duff, N Adams, R Allen, A Andrews, K Bryant, J Doyle, R Packham, A Baker. [76] [77]
1953 season – 3rd premiership, 2nd ANZAC Cup
1953 – final table – seniors [78]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | Arthur Brand Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers (Guilmant Cup Winners) | Goonellabah Stars | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 69 | 15 | 25 | | First Round [79] | Goonellabah Stars 3 defeated Casino Rebels 2 at Oakes Oval | Goonellabah Stars – Barry McPherson, J Cravigan, T Sharpe Casino Rebels – G Snow, own goal |
| 2nd | Eastwood United | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 14 | 24 | | First Round [79] | Methodist United 3 defeated Goonellabah Rangers 0 | Methodist United – M Marsh (2), A Watson |
| 3rd | Methodist United | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 52 | 23 | 22 | | First Round [79] | Crusaders 1 defeated Mallanganee 0 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) at Nielson Park, East Lismore | Crusaders – R Beaumont (penalty) |
| 4th | Mallanganee | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 48 | 12 | | First Round [80] | Eastwood United – Bye | |
| 5th | Crusaders | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 44 | 10 | | Semi-final [79] | Eastwood United 1 defeated Methodist United 0 at Lismore Recreation Ground No 3 | Eastwood United – own goal |
| 6th | Goonellabah Rangers | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 50 | 9 | | Semi-final [79] | Crusaders 3 defeated Goonellabah Stars 2 at Lismore Recreation Ground No 3 | Crusaders – Max Wagner, R Beaumont, V Pushae Goonellabah Stars – J Cravigan, McDermott |
| 7th | Casino Rebels | 14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 47 | 6 | | Final [81] | Eastwood United 1 defeated Crusaders 0 at Oakes Oval | Eastwood United – Bill Stark |
1963 season – 9th premiership, 8th ANZAC Cup
In 1963 Goonellabah Stars won their 9th premiership by 1 point from Lismore Thistles. Goonellabah Stars clinched the premiership in the last round of fixtures, beating last-placed Wallaroos 4-2 after Goonellabah Stars were trailing 2-1 until midway through the second half. A goal by 16-year old Robbie Donaldson (making his senior debut) and 2 late goals by Earl McPherson gave Goonellabah Stars the win and the premiership. Goalscorers for Goonellabah Stars were Earl McPherson (hat-trick) and Robbie Donaldson and for Wallaroos J Battese and Geoff Gray. [82]
1963 – final table – 1st Division [83]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | Finals | Results | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah Stars | 20 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 76 | 48 | 29 | | Semi-final (1st v 4th) | Goonellabah Stars 2 drew Eastwood United 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) | Goonellabah Stars – Earl McPherson, Arthur Maloney Eastwood United – Jim Matthews, Bob Helmood |
| 2nd | Lismore Thistles | 20 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 68 | 36 | 28 | | Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Thistles 5 defeated Casino Rovers 2 | Lismore Thistles – Bill Mulford (2), Garry Jones, Ray Lavis, Ken McDonald Casino Rovers – P Mortenson, C Grennan |
| 3rd | Casino Rovers | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 50 | 52 | 21 | | Semi-final Replay (1st v 4th) | Goonellabah Stars 4 defeated Eastwood United 3 after extra time (3-3 at full-time) | Goonellabah Stars – Arthur Maloney (2), Athol Parmenter (2) Eastwood United – Jim Matthews, F Bignill (2) |
| 4th | Eastwood United | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 68 | 70 | 19 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated Goonellabah Stars 1 | Lismore Thistles – Bill Mulford (2), Ray Lavis Goonellabah Stars – Earl McPherson |
| 5th | Richmond Rovers | 20 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 53 | 68 | 15 |
| 6th | Wallaroos | 20 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 35 | 78 | 8 |
|
1964 season – 10th premiership
1964 – final table – seniors [84]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | Finals | Results | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah Stars | 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 59 | 35 | 30 | | Semi-final (1st v 4th) | Goonellabah Stars 5 defeated Eastwood United 2 | Goonellabah Stars – Nicky Sourry (hat-trick), Ron Fiore, Geoff Rose Eastwood United – E Laycock, J Toshack |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 20 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 65 | 31 | 29 | | Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 | Richmond Rovers – Dick Latta (hat-trick), Bill Harris |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 56 | 32 | 26 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Goonellabah Stars 2 | Richmond Rovers – Alec Mathews, Dave Flynn, Dick Latta Goonellabah Stars – Nicky Sourry, Arthur Maloney |
| 4th | Eastwood United | 20 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 76 | 53 | 25 |
| 5th | Lismore City | 20 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 38 | 104 | 8 |
| 6th | Casino Rovers | 20 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 28 | 67 | 2 |
Goonellabah Stars, 1953
Goonellabah Stars, 1954
1965 – Eastwood United wins premiership-Cyril Mayo Cup double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1965 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Eastwood United | 19 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 76 | 26 | +50 | 33 | | Seeded team | Eastwood United automatically qualified for Semi-final | |
| 2nd | Lismore Thistles | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 69 | 29 | +40 | 25 | | Seeded team | Lismore Thistles automatically qualified for Semi-final | |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 71 | 38 | +33 | 25 | | Quarter-final (3rd v 5th) | Richmond Rovers defeated Grafton City on forfeit | |
| 4th | Goonellabah Stars | 19 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 55 | 55 | 0 | 17 | | Quarter-final (4th v 6th) | Goonellabah Stars 4 defeated Lismore City 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah Stars – John Teale, Nicky Sourry, W Van Beers, own goal Lismore City – John Battese, W Tulk |
| 5th | Grafton City | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 32 | 74 | -42 | 11 | | Semi-final | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Goonellabah Stars 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Dick Latta (2), Other goalscorer unknown Goonellabah Stars – Athol Parmenter (2) |
| 6th | Lismore City | 19 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 24 | 105 | -81 | 3 | | Semi-final | Eastwood United 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – John Toshack, own goal |
| | | | | | | | | | | Final | Eastwood United 5 defeated Richmond Rovers 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – John Toshack (2), Dick Morrissey, own goals (2) Richmond Rovers – Alec Matthews, Dick Latta |
|
1966 – Lismore Thistles win premiership, Eastwood United win Cyril Mayo Cup with record score
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1966 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles No 1 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 19 | 26 | | Seeded team | Lismore Thistles No 1 went straight to Semi-final stage | |
| 2nd | Eastwood United | 15 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 75 | 22 | 22 | | Seeded team | Eastwood United went straight to Semi-final stage | |
| 3rd | Italo-Australian Stars | 15 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 69 | 41 | 19 | | Quarter-final | Italo-Australian Stars 5 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo-Australian Stars – Ken Orr (hat-trick), W Murphy, B Gilligan Richmond Rovers – A Matthews |
| 4th | Casino | 15 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 27 | 89 | 9 | | Quarter-final | Casino 7 defeated Lismore Thistles No 2 3 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Casino – J Gelzinns (2), I Wilson (2), J Lendrigan, M Bell, L Crethar Lismore Thistles No 2 – K Theuerkauf (2), G Daley |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles No 2 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 45 | 86 | 7 | | Semi-final | Eastwood United 5 defeated Casino 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | No details available |
| 6th | Richmond Rovers | 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 34 | 66 | 7 | | Semi-final | Lismore Thistles No 1 3 defeated Italo-Australian Stars 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles No 1 – Bob Smedley (hat-trick) Italo-Australian Stars – Ken Orr |
| | | | | | | | | | Final | Eastwood United 10 defeated Lismore Thistles No 1 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – Orchard (4), Matthews (hat-trick), Bob Helmood (2), Athol Parmenter Lismore Thistles No 1 – Thompson, Bob Smedley |
|
1969 – Eastwood United win 8th premiership, Italo Stars win 2nd Cyril Mayo Cup
| Position | Club | Points | | 1969 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Eastwood United | 25 | | Semi-final | Italo Stars 6 defeated Richmond Rovers 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Brian Lee, Gary Wagner, Unknown Richmond Rovers – Cormack (2) |
| 2nd | Italo Stars | 21 | | Semi-final | Lismore Thistles defeated Eastwood United on forfeit @ Oakes Oval, Lismore * | |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 20 | | Final | Italo Stars 4 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Robert Ellis (2), Gary Wagner (2) Lismore Thistles – Max Thompson |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 4 |
* The Eastwood United team walked-off the field in the 40th minute of the first half after 3 of their players had been sent-off by the referee Jack Pressick in the 30th minute of play. At the time of the walk-off Lismore Thistles were leading 2–0.
1971 – establishment of reserve grade
In 1970 5 teams from 4 clubs competed in Lismore District Soccer Association's senior competition; Eastwood United, Italo Stars, Lismore Thistles A, Lismore Thistles B and Richmond Rovers. In 1971 a Reserve Grade competition was established to give a surplus of senior players a game in the absence of any lower divisions or alternative clubs to the 4 existing Lismore clubs.
The inaugural Reserve Grade competition comprised 5 teams; Casino, Eastwood United, Italo Stars, Lismore Thistles B and Lismore Thistles Green. The first Reserve Grade premiers and grand final winners were Lismore Thistles B who defeated Eastwood United 6–2 in the grand final replay after the first grand final was locked at 3-all after extra time.
The final table, finals results and goalscorers for the 1971 Reserve Grade competition:
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1971 Reserve Grade Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles B | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 24 | 28 | | Semi-final (2nd v 4th) | Eastwood United 5 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – W McDonald (2), I Matthews, J Morrissey, L Jones Italo Stars – M Smitzer |
| 2nd | Eastwood United | 15 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 50 | 42 | 19 | | Semi-final (1st v 3rd) | Lismore Thistles B 4 defeated Casino 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – K Theurerkauf (2), R Lavis, W Nicholl |
| 3rd | Casino | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 43 | 28 | 18 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles B 3 drew with Eastwood United 3 after extra time @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – K Theurerkauf, M Clarke, R Lavis Eastwood United – W McDonald, L James, T Mathews |
| 4th | Italo Stars | 15 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 25 | 17 | | Grand final Replay | Lismore Thistles B 6 defeated Eastwood United 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Neil Burgess, M Clarke (2), Other goalscorers unknown Eastwood United – John Morrissey, Other goalscorer unknown |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles Green | 15 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 20 | 80 | 8 |
1970 to 1974 – Lismore Thistles win every Cyril Mayo Cup (for the grand final)
In 1974 Lismore Thistles created a new record by winning their 5th consecutive Cyril Mayo Cup for winning the grand final. In doing so Lismore Thistles became masters of the finals knock-out format because only once during this period did they win the premiership (in 1973). Lismore Thistles' record was equalled by Italo Stars when they won 5 consecutive Cyril Mayo Cups from 1977 to 1981.
1970 season
Eastwood United won the 1970 premiership their 6th premiership.
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1970 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Eastwood United | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 66 | 19 | 25 | | First (Elimination) Round | Richmond Rovers 6 defeated Lismore Thistles B 4 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Cormack (hat-trick), Watts, De Koster (penalty), own goal Lismore Thistles B – Ray Lavis, Reeves, Behan, own goal |
| 2nd | Lismore Thistles A | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 79 | 12 | 24 | | Semi-final (2nd v 4th) | Lismore Thistles A 4 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles A – Kel Riordan (2), Max Thompson (2) |
| 3rd | Italo Stars | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 46 | 36 | 15 | | Semi-final (1st v 3rd) | Eastwood United 3 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – Dick Latta (2), Unknown |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 38 | 54 | 14 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles A 5 defeated Eastwood United 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles A – Kel Riordan (hat-trick), Kevin Theurerkauf, Unknown Eastwood United – Dick Morrissey |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles B | 14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 88 | 6 |
| 6th | Italo Stars Reserves * | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
* Italo Stars Reserves withdrew from the competition in early-June. All games after their withdrawal have been recorded as a win for their opponent and a 0-0 scoreline.
1971 season
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1971 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Eastwood United | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 55 | 34 | 21 | | Semi-final (2nd v 4th) | Lismore Thistles A 5 defeated Richmond Rovers 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Terry Woods (4), Ian McDonald Richmond Rovers – Marshall Hall, own goal |
| 2nd | Lismore Thistles A | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 44 | 30 | 20 | | Semi-final (1st v 3rd) | Eastwood United 1 versus Italo Stars 1 (1-1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore (1-1 at full-time) (Game abandoned due to rain and failing light during extra time) | Eastwood United – Dick Latta Italo Stars – Unknown |
| 3rd | Italo Stars | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 45 | 29 | 19 | | Semi-final Replay (1st v 3rd) | Eastwood United defeated Italo Stars | No match details available |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 27 | 79 | 0 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles 4 drew with Eastwood United 4 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Terry Woods (3), Gary Thompson (penalty) Eastwood United – John Orchard (2), Dick Morrissey, Dick Latta |
| | | | | | | | | | Grand final 1st Replay | Lismore Thistles 1 drew with Eastwood United after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Terry Woods Eastwood United – Unknown (penalty) |
| | | | | | | | | | Grand final 2nd Replay | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Eastwood United 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Robert Ellis, Terry Woods Eastwood United – John Orchard |
1971 – A-Grade grand final ... "longest grand final in the history of Lismore soccer"
The 1971 A-Grade grand final was both history-making and constitution-changing. Under Lismore District Soccer Association rules of the time it was not possible to have joint champions (grand final winners).
The 1971 A-Grade premiers in a 4-team competition were Eastwood United by 1 point from Lismore Thistles A. The grand final was replayed twice before a winner could be found and was described as a "marathon" and the "longest grand final in the history of Lismore soccer": [85]
- 21 August @ Oakes Oval – Lismore Thistles A 4 – Eastwood United 4 after extra time (0-all at half-time, 2-all at full-time). Goalscorers were Terry Woods (3) and Gary Thompson for Lismore Thistles and Dick Morrissey, Dick Latta and John Orchard (2) for Eastwood United.
- 28 August @ Oakes Oval – Lismore Thistles A 1 – Eastwood United 1 after extra time (Lismore Thistles led 1–0 at half-time, 1-all at full-time). Goalscorers were Terry Woods for Lismore Thistles and unknown for Eastwood United.
- 25 September @ Oakes Oval – Lismore Thistles A 2 defeated Eastwood United 1 (0-all at half-time). Goalscorers were Robert Ellis and Terry Woods for Lismore Thistles and John Orchard for Eastwood United.
The Lismore District Soccer Association committee met after the second draw (and 4 hours and 10 minutes of play) to decide whether to replay the grand final or declare Lismore Thistles A and Eastwood United joint champions. Voting was deadlocked and the then Association president, Jim Underhill used his casting vote to support a replay. As Underhill explained after the meeting, it was unconstitutional to have joint champions. [86]
Incredibly on Saturday, 11 September (between the 1st and 2nd grand final replays) Eastwood United played Italo Stars in the final of the Ampol Silver Ball, winning 5–2. Goalscorers were John Orchard, Dick Morrissey, Dick Latta (2) and Peter Irwin for Eastwood United and Robby Pollock and John Percival for Italo Stars. [87] Eastwood United also won the 1971 ANZAC Cup beating Lismore Thistles A 5–2 in the final. Goalscorers were Peter Keyes (2), Bob Kennedy and Jim Matthews (2) for Eastwood United and Gary Thompson and Bob Lavis for Lismore Thistles. [88]
1972 season
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1972 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Italo Stars | 15 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 72 | 22 | 26 | | Quarter Final | Richmond Rovers 10 defeated South Lismore 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – R Donaldson (2), Kevin Watts (2), G Butts (2), P Morgan, A Wilson, Other goalscorers – Unknown |
| 2nd | Eastwood United | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 55 | 37 | 23 | | Quarter Final | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Neil Hanna, Neil Burgess Italo Stars – Phillip Bawden |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 54 | 37 | 20 | | Quarter Final | Eastwood United – Bye | |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 42 | 35 | 15 | | Quarter Final | Lismore Thistles Civics – Bye | |
| 5th | South Lismore | 15 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 27 | 73 | 3 | | Semi-final | Eastwood United 6 defeated Lismore Thistles Civics 2 | Eastwood United – G Latta (hat-trick), J Orchard (hat-trick) Lismore Thistles Civics – R Winterbon, G O'Brien |
| 6th | Lismore Thistles Civics | 15 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 19 | 66 | 3 | | Semi-final | Lismore Thistles 5 defeated Richmond Rovers 4 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Neil Hanna (hat-trick), Kel Riordan, Terry Woods Richmond Rovers – A Wilson (hat-trick), P Morgan |
| | | | | | | | | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Eastwood United 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Michael Clark, Terry Woods Eastwood United – Jim Matthews |
1972 – a year of growth
The 1972 season was a year of growth for the Lismore District Soccer Association with a number of new, existing and former clubs being admitted to its competitions. Total player registrations reached 1,681 (120 teams) including 1,435 juniors and 246 seniors. [89] This compared with the Lismore-based Richmond River Junior Rugby League which had 1,250 registered junior players. [90]
In March Richmond Rovers defeated Tumbulgum 1–0 in a women's game and is the first evidence of women's football on the Northern Rivers. A women's competition would be established by the Lismore District Soccer Association in 1974.
New clubs
- Alstonville – formed in 1972, under-8's only
- Lismore Teachers College – seniors only (Division 2)
Existing clubs
- Ballina – formed in 1971, 7 junior teams only
Former clubs
- Casino United (Division 2)
- Casino Rovers (Division 2)
- Nimbin – juniors (3 teams) and seniors (Division 2) re-admitted after some years absence
The A-Grade and Reserve Grade competitions were renamed Division 1 and Division 2 respectively. The number of Division 1 teams increased by 2 to 6 with the admission of South Lismore and Lismore Thistles fielding 2 teams and the number of Division 2 clubs increased by 5 (Casino United, Casino Rovers, Goonellabah, Lismore Teachers College and Nimbin returning after an absence of some years) to make a 10-team competition.
The Division 1 trophies were shared around:
- Eastwood United retained the ANZAC Cup after drawing 2-all with Italo Stars
- Italo Stars won their first premiership since their formation in 1966
- Lismore Thistles defeated Eastwood United 2–1 in the grand final to win their 3rd successive championship. Goalscorers were Michael Clarke and Terry Woods for Lismore Thistles and Jim Matthews for Eastwood United.
The grand final teams were: [91]
| Lismore Thistles | Position | Eastwood United |
|---|
| P Bartolo | Goalkeeper | I Tyler |
| B Lee | Right back | W Tulk |
| P Nott | Left back | R Ditton |
| T Woods | Right half | Geoff Gaggin |
| M Thompson | Centre half | J Coster |
| R Eather | Left half | S McDonough |
| N Hanna | Right sing | M Wilson |
| M Edwards | Inside right | K Orr |
| Kel Riordan | Centre forward | R Latta |
| I McDonald | Inside left | J Orchard |
| Neil Burgess | Left wing | J Matthews |
| M Clarke G Hale | Reserves | J Bird M McLean |
Division 2 trophies were won by:
- premiership – Lismore Thistles Colts
- Grand final – Italo Stars defeated Eastwood United 4-1 [92]
1973 – 1st Division final table and finals results
In 1973 Lismore Thistles won the premiership-grand final double; their 5th premiership and 5th Cyril Mayo Cup after entering senior competitions in 1958. 1973 was their 4th Cyril Mayo Cup (grand final) victory in a row.
Lismore Thistles won the premiership easily from Italo Stars, who were at least 7 points behind. It's unclear the final margin as Italo Stars-Eastwood United's last fixture of the season was forfeited, but it's unclear which club forfeited.
Lismore Thistles lost just once (to Italo Stars 3–0) and drew three times (Richmond Rovers 3-3, Eastwood United 1-1 and 2-2) during the 1973 season:
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1973 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles | 17 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 64 | 30 | 29 | | Semi-final | Lismore Thistles 5 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Terry Woods (2 including a penalty), Neil Hanna, Ross Winterbon, Neil Burgess Italo Stars – Kevin Watts |
| 2nd | Italo Stars* | 17 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 72 | 46 | 20 | | Semi-final | Eastwood United 4 defeated Richmond Rovers 2 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Eastwood United – John Orchard (2), Geoff Gaggin, G Latta Richmond Rovers – S Harris, A Wilson |
| 3rd | Eastwood United* | 17 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 57 | 50 | 14 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Eastwood United 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Neil Hanna, Terry Woods Eastwood United – Mark Wilson |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 17 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 41 | 108 | 3 |
* The Italo Stars-Eastwood United fixture scheduled to be played 1 September was forfeited, but it's unclear which club forfeited.
1974 finals results
| 1974 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Semi-final | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Eastwood United 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Philip Geary, Ian McDonald Eastwood United – R Kennedy |
| Semi-final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Graham Eather, Phillip Parkes Richmond Rovers – Armin Sandmann |
| Grand final | Lismore Thistles 4 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Neil Burgess, Terry Woods (penalty), Michael Clarke, Ross Winterbon |
1972 – visit by Dundee FC
Sources: [93] [94]
In May 1972 Dundee FC toured Australia and New Zealand. On that tour they played Australia in Adelaide (Dundee FC won 2–1), NSW (Dundee FC won 6–1) and Queensland (Dundee FC won 9–0).
Dundee FC played a Northern Rivers representative side at Oakes Oval, Lismore on Wednesday night 24 May 1972. A crowd of more than 4,000 saw Dundee FC beat the locals 16–1 (8–0 at half-time). Some of the adjectives used to describe Dundee FC's performance were "world class" and "incredible". Goal scorers for Dundee FC were Jocky Scott (5), John Gray (3), John Duncan (2), Ian Scott, Bobby Wilson, Duncan Lambie, Doug Houston, Gordon Wallace and George Stewart. The Northern Rivers goal was scored by Gordon Bryant near full-time. Two awards were made to Northern Rivers players after the game – Dick Latta (Lismore Sports & Toy Centre award) and Phillip Bawden (All-Round Sports Centre (Sydney) award).
The Northern Rivers squad for this game was:
- Goalkeeper – Trevor Rainbow (Grafton)
- Fullbacks – John Percival (Captain, Italo Stars, Lismore), Peter Nott (Lismore Thistles), Robbie Donaldson (Richmond Rovers, Lismore)
- Halfbacks – Max Thompson (Lismore Thistles), Terry Woods (Lismore Thistles), Gordon Bryant (Italo Stars, Lismore), Allan Hampton (Grafton)
- Forwards – Devinder Singh (Grafton, although living at Woolgoolga), John Orchard (Eastwood United, Lismore), Dick Morrissey (Eastwood United, Lismore), Phillip Bawden (Italo Stars, Lismore), Dick Latta (Eastwood United, Lismore)
- Coach – Armin Sandmann (Lismore)
Two players were forced to withdraw from the squad in the week leading up to the game due to injury; Ian Monaghan and Kevin Lollback.
Jack Pressick, Secretary of the Northern Rivers Soccer Federation, was the driving force in arranging this game. Pressick, having noted that Dundee FC's itinerary had one unconfirmed date and venue, contacted the Australian Soccer Federation and suggested a match at Lismore. Pressick's suggestion was wholeheartedly supported provided Dundee FC's asking price of $4,500 could be guaranteed. Pressick and Jim Underhill, President of the Lismore District Soccer Association raised the funds from local businesses and businessmen.
In May 1974 the Lismore District Soccer Association approved its first women's competition. Six teams nominated [95] including:
- Lismore Thistles
- College of Advanced Education (CAE)/Teacher's College
- Lismore High School
- St Vincent's Hospital
The historic first game in a 10-game season was played on Saturday, 25 May 1974 at Richmond River High School with CAE/Teacher's College beating Lismore Thistles 3–0. Goalscorers for CAE/Teacher's College were D Allen, L Worland and G Schubert. [96]
1977 to 1981 – Italo Stars win every Cyril Mayo Cup (for the grand final)
From 1977 to 1981 Italo Stars won every Cyril Mayo Cup (for winning the grand final) and in doing so equalled Lismore Thistles record of 5 successive Cyril Mayo Cups (from 1970 to 1974). During this 5-year period Italo Stars also won every ANZAC Cup and 2 premierships in 1977 and 1978:
- Treble (ANZAC Cup, premiership, Cyril Mayo Cup (for the grand final)) – 2 in 1977 and 1978
- Cup double (ANZAC Cup, Cyril Mayo Cup) – 5 in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981
- premiership–grand final double – 2 in 1977 and 1978
1977 – 1st & 2nd Division final table
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1977 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| 1st Division Premiers | Italo Stars (Undefeated) | 21 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 118 | 11 | 40 | | Minor semi-final (2nd v 4th) | Lismore Thistles 4 defeated Richmond Rovers (1) 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Terry Woods, Tony Roder, Ian McDonald, Unknown Richmond Rovers (1) – South |
| 1st Division 2nd | Lismore Thistles | 20 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 95 | 19 | 34 | | Major semi-final (1st v 3rd) | Italo Stars 2 defeated Eastwood United 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Mike Stevens, Gary Northcote Eastwood United – Binna Pollard |
| 1st Division 3rd | Eastwood United | 20 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 79 | 31 | 33 | | Grand final | Italo Stars 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Greg Sharpe, Peter Wiblen (2) Lismore Thistles – Terry Woods, Ian McDonald |
| 1st Division 4th | Richmond Rovers (1) | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 65 | 55 | 24 |
| 1st Division 5th | Lismore Thistles Civics | 21 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 64 | 53 | 23 |
| 2nd Division Premiers | Ballina | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 52 | 50 | 23 |
| 2nd Division 2nd | Eastwood City | 21 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 59 | 86 | 18 |
| 2nd Division 3rd | Italo Hotspurs | 21 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 44 | 80 | 17 |
| 2nd Division 4th | Nimbin | 21 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 34 | 66 | 14 |
| 2nd Division 5th | Lismore Thistles United | 21 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 43 | 92 | 9 |
| 2nd Division 6th | Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education | 21 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 21 | 75 | 8 |
| 2nd Division 7th | Richmond Rovers (2) | 21 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 38 | 94 | 7 |
1978 – 1st Division final table
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1978 Cyril Mayo Knock-out Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Italo Stars | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 44 | 27 | 22 | | Quarter-final | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Ballina 0 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Richmond Rovers – Unknown |
| 2nd | Lismore Thistles | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 12 | 19 | | Quarter-final | Lismore Thistles 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Jeff Edwards |
| 3rd | Goonellabah | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 25 | 24 | 19 | | Quarter-final | Italo Stars – Bye | |
| 4th | Eastwood United | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 54 | 27 | 18 | | Quarter-final | Eastwood United – Bye | |
| 5th | Richmond Rovers | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 28 | 36 | 10 | | Semi-final | Lismore Thistles 4 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Phillip Hicks (2), Burgess, Jeff Edwards Richmond Rovers – Brendan Buckett |
| 6th | Ballina | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 14 | 77 | 0 | | Semi-final | Italo Stars 3 defeated Eastwood United 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Russell Storti (2), Garry Northcote Eastwood United – Andy Stevens (penalty) |
| | | | | | | | | | Grand final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Greg Sharpe, Russell Storti Lismore Thistles – Terry Woods (penalty) |
1979 – 1st Division final table & Cyril Mayo Knock-out Cup results
| Position | Club | Points | | 1979 Cyril Mayo Knock-out Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Eastwood United | 36 | | Quarter-final | Clarence Valley 3 defeated Richmond Rovers 2 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Clarence Valley – Micky Miner, Greg Pullen (2) Richmond Rovers – Paul Aitken (penalty), Stuart Harris |
| 2nd | Italo Stars | 33 | | Quarter-final | Goonellabah 1 defeated South Lismore 1 on penalties (4-2) after full-time @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Ian McDonald South Lismore – Noel Field |
| 3rd | Goonellabah | 33 | | Quarter-final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Eastwood United 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Russell Storti, Ken McPherson |
| 4th | Lismore Thistles | 22 | | Quarter-final | Lismore Thistles – Bye | |
| 5th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | | Semi-final | Clarence Valley 2 defeated Goonellabah 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Clarence Valley – Tony Blanch, own goal Goonellabah – Peter Warren |
| 6th | South Lismore | 14 | | Semi-final | Italo Stars 4 defeated Lismore Thistles 3 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Rod Dargie, Russell Storti (hat-trick) Lismore Thistles – Murray Edwards (penalty), Jeff Edwards (2) |
| 7th | Clarence Valley | 10 | | Final | Italo Stars defeated Clarence Valley @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | No details available |
1980 – Lismore plays Wellington (New Zealand)
In September 1980 a Lismore side played Wellington (New Zealand) at Oakes Oval. The Wellington side included 4 New Zealand internationals; Barry Pickering (goalkeeper who made the New Zealand squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain), Keith Barton (defender), Jeff Strom (defender) and Michael Simeonoff (midfielder). The weekend before the Lismore game, Wellington beat Clarence Valley 5–0 in Grafton before a crowd of 300. Wellington defeated Lismore 4–0, the goalscorers being Paul Vanderbreggen and Costa Leonadis (hat-trick).
The Lismore squad and officials for the game were:
| Player | Position | Club |
|---|
| Craig Hamshaw | Goalkeeper | Italo Stars |
| Peter Harris | Goalkeeper | Goonellabah |
| Gil Bryen | Back | Italo Stars |
| Greg Sharpe | Back | Italo Stars |
| Ross Winterbon | Back | Eastwood United |
| Bruce Harris | Back | Eastwood United |
| Noel Fields | Midfielder | South Lismore |
| Murray Edwards | Midfielder | Eastwood United |
| Michael Riley | Midfielder | Eastwood United |
| Rob Stevens | Forward | Richmond Rovers |
| Peter Wiblen | Forward | Eastwood United |
| Brendan Buckett | Forward | Lismore Thistles |
| Tony Perkins | Forward | Italo Stars |
| Andy Anderson | Forward | Italo Stars |
| Keith Harris | Team manager | |
|
| 1980 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Quarter-final | Lismore Thistles 7 defeated Ballina 0 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | |
| Quarter-final | Italo Stars 2 defeated South Lismore 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
| Quarter-final | Richmond Rovers 10 defeated Clarence Valley 0 @ | |
| Quarter-final | Eastwood United 6 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
| Semi-final | Italo Stars 6 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
| Semi-final | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Eastwood United 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
| Final | Italo Stars 1 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
|
1981 – Eastwood United premiership, Italo Stars Cyril Mayo Cup
| 1981 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Minor semi-final (3rd v 4th) | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Lismore Thistles 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Steven Campbell (2), Neil Burgess, Ian Brown Lismore Thistles – Jeff Edwards (2) |
| Major semi-final (1st v 2nd) | Eastwood United 1 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – David Burgess |
| Preliminary final | Italo Stars 3 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Russell Storti (2), own goal |
| Grand final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Eastwood United 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Ron Forder, Kevin Wilson |
1982 – Eastwood United win premiership & Ballina make finals for first time
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1982 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Eastwood United | 21 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 56 | 16 | 53 | | Minor semi-final (3rd v 4th) | Ballina 1 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Ballina – Peter Leeson |
| 2nd | Lismore Thistles | 21 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 36 | 20 | 40 | | Major semi-final (1st v 2nd) | Lismore Thistles 1 defeated Eastwood United 0 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Jeff Edwards |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 21 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 43 | 29 | 35 | | Preliminary final | Eastwood United 2 defeated Ballina 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – John Wraights (2) |
| 4th | Ballina | 21 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 38 | 39 | 33 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles defeated Eastwood United on penalties (4-3) (0-0 after extra time, 0–0 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
| 5th | Italo Stars | 21 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 37 | 34 | 30 |
| 6th | Alstonvilla | 21 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 27 | 42 | 23 |
| 7th | Goonellabah | 21 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 32 | 46 | 15 |
| 8th | South Lismore | 21 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 20 | 54 | 9 |
1983 – Goonellabah wins their first premiership & ANZAC Cup
After being formed as a junior club in 1969, Goonellabah first entered a senior team in the 1972 Division 2 competition, coming 2nd last. In 1982 they came 2nd last in First Division. 1983 would be a break-out year as they won the ANZAC Cup and 1st Division premiership for the first time with virtually the same team as 1982.
In April Goonellabah won their first ANZAC Cup 1–0 against Eastwood United with Robert Pearce scoring with full-time looming.
The 1983 premiership was a season-long race between Goonellabah and the defending premiers Eastwood United. Going into the final round the Armin Sandmann coached Goonellabah led by 2 points needing a win against 3rd-placed Lismore Thistles to be certain of their first premiership. Goonellabah won 1-0 (goalscorer – Andy Acton) making Eastwood United's 9-1 thrashing of South Lismore inconsequential.
Eastwood United had revenge when they defeated Goonellabah 3–0 in the major semi-final, the goalscorers being John Wraights, Ken McPherson and Dennis Wiblen. Goonellabah's season came to an end when beaten 1-0 by Lismore Thistles in the preliminary final, the goalscorer being Neil Harris. The Jack Jarvis coached Eastwood United won their 8th grand final defeating Lismore Thistles 2–0 at a windy Oakes Oval, the goalscorers being Darren Laycock and John Wraights.
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1983 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah | 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 14 | + 25 | 43 | | Minor semi-final (3rd v 4th) | Lismore Thistles 5 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Mick Riley (2), Tony Roder, Jeff Edwards, Neil Harris Italo Stars – Unknown |
| 2nd | Eastwood United | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 53 | 7 | + 46 | 41 | | Major semi-final (1st v 2nd) | Eastwood United 3 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – John Wraights, Ken McPherson, Dennis Wiblen |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 41 | 18 | + 23 | 35 | | Preliminary final | Lismore Thistles 1 defeated Goonallabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Neil Harris |
| 4th | Italo Stars | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 34 | 27 | + 7 | 26 | | Grand final | Eastwood United 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Eastwood United – Darren Laycock, John Wraights |
| 5th | Ballina | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 31 | 27 | + 4 | 20 |
| 6th | Richmond Rovers | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 31 | – 10 | 18 |
| 7th | Alstonvilla | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 30 | – 9 | 17 |
| 8th | South Lismore | 16 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 20 | 51 | – 31 | 5 |
| 9th | Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education | 16 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 9 | 64 | – 55 | 3 |
1984 – a year of change
1984 was a year of change with the Lismore District Soccer Association and its committees being replaced by a company, Lismore & District Soccer Pty Ltd and elected board members with responsibility for administering soccer in the Lismore region. In addition two Lismore-based clubs, Italo Stars and South Lismore merged to create a new club, Souths Stars United. Souths Stars United had immediate success, winning the 1984 ANZAC Cup and First Division premiership.
In the ANZAC Cup Souths Stars United defeated Eastwood United 2–1 at Oakes Oval in front of 400 fans and after almost 2 hours of play. Midway through the first half Souths Stars United's Brett Towner pounced on a defensive mix-up to give Souths Stars a 1-0 half-time lead. Eastwood United equalised late in the second half thanks to a Ken McPherson penalty, making it 1-all at full-time. In the first period of extra-time Kevin Wilson headed home the winner to clinch the trophy. Man of the match, selected by referee Dean Mohammed and linesmen Dick Morrissey and Ted Cavanagh, was Brett Towner of Souths Stars United.
The First Division premiership was a two-club race between Souths Stars United and Eastwood United with Souths Stars taking out the trophy by 3 points:
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1984 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Souths Stars United | 18 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 54 | 11 | 46 | | First Round | Souths Stars United 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Souths Stars – Greg Sharpe, Brett Towner, own goal Lismore Thistles – Jeff Edwards |
| 2nd | Eastwood United | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 49 | 18 | 43 | | First Round | Eastwood United 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval | Eastwood United – Ken McPherson |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 37 | 23 | 30 | | Second Round | Souths Stars United 10 defeated Goonellabah 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Souths Stars United – Kevin Wilson (4), Brett Towner (4), Chris McPherson (2) Goonellabah – Unknown |
| 4th | Goonellabah | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 34 | 27 | | Second Round | Eastwood United 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Oakes Oval | Eastwood United – Wayne Ianna, Dave Condon |
| 5th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 28 | 25 | | Finals Points | Souths Stars United – 6 points (13 goals for – 2 goals against) Eastwood United – 6 points (3–0) Lismore Thistles – 0 points (1–5) Goonellabah – 0 points (1–11) |
| 6th | Ballina | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 30 | 35 | 25 | | Grand final | Eastwood United won on penalties against Souths Stars United (3-3 after extra-time, 2–2 at full-time) | Eastwood United – Ken McPherson (2), Dave Condon Souths Stars United – Hugh Naisby, Peter Jensen, Wayne Storti |
| 7th | Casino | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 33 | 18 |
| 8th | Alstonvilla | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 33 | 18 |
| 9th | Mullumbimby | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 22 | 51 | 13 |
| 10th | Bangalow | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 18 | 42 | 12 |
1985 – Eastwood United becomes Lismore Workers
During the 1985 season Eastwood United became a member of the Lismore Workers Club Sports Trust and from 1 June their senior teams were re-badged as Lismore Workers Soccer Club. [97] To avoid confusion Eastwood United's 10 junior teams retained the Eastwood United name until the 1986 season. Eastwood United joined 18 other sporting clubs including the rugby league club in joining the Lismore Workers Sports Trust.
Lismore Workers Soccer Club retained the same executive as that previously elected at its annual general meeting:
- President – Andy Stevens
- Vice-President – Rod Thomas
- Secretary – Glen Hart
- Treasurer – Janice Ianna
1985 Premier Division final table
| Position | Club | Points |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles (Undefeated) | 52 |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 41 |
| 3rd | Mullumbimby | 36 |
| 4th | South Stars | 32 |
| 5th | Casino | 24 |
| 6th | Richmond Rovers | 20 |
| 7th | Bangalow | 13 |
| 8th | Alstonvilla | 10 |
| 9th | Goonellabah | 12 |
| 10th | Ballina | 6 |
Eastwood United were defending champions having beaten Souths Stars United on penalties after extra time (2-all at full-time and 3-all after extra time) in the 1984 grand final. Goalscorers in the 1984 grand final were Ken McPherson (2) and Dave Condon for Eastwood United and Hugh Naisby, Peter Jenson and Wayne Storti for Souths Stars United. However, in 1985 Lismore Workers came second to undefeated premiers Lismore Thistles and made the grand final against Lismore Thistles after a new and confusing finals format in which the top 6 teams played 4 semi-final rounds.
In the Lismore Real Estate Premier Division grand final Lismore Thistles completed the 1985 season undefeated and won their 9th championship, beating Lismore Workers 1–0 with a first half goal by Tony Roder.
1986 – Richmond Rovers celebrate 25 years with a premiership–championship double
In 1986 Richmond Rovers celebrated 25 years. To add to the celebrations they won the 1986 Premier Division (the Lismore Real Estate Premier Division) premiership and grand final. These were their 2nd premiership (the first was in 1975) and 3rd championship (previous championships were in 1964 and 1975).
Richmond Rovers was established by Bill Harris in 1961 and in their first season fielded 3 teams; a senior men's team and 2 junior teams. By 1986 Richmond Rovers had grown to 22 teams; 5 men's teams, 2 women's teams and 15 junior teams.
Richmond Rovers comfortably won the 10-team premiership by 7 points from a logjam of teams equal on 33 points and only separated by goal difference including Maclean, Lismore Thistles and Alstonvilla:
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1986 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 46 | 21 | +25 | 40 | | Elimination Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Mullumbimby 2 defeated Alstonvilla 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Mullumbimby – Unknown |
| 2nd | Maclean | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 57 | 26 | +31 | 33 | | Qualifying Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated Maclean 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Phillip Hicks, Steve Morrissey, Graeme Prior Maclean – Gary Northcote (2) |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 42 | 20 | +22 | 33 | | Minor semi-final | Mullumbimby 2 defeated Maclean 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Mullumbimby – Peter Bywater, Unknown Maclean – Unknown |
| 4th | Alstonvilla | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 33 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Phillip Hicks, Steve Morrissey, Mick Riley |
| 5th | Mullumbimby | 18 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 36 | 25 | +11 | 32 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Mullumbimby 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Stephen Bugden, Ian Brown Mullumbimby – Sulcs |
| 6th | Bangalow | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 31 | 19 | +12 | 29 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Ian Brown, John Bugden Lismore Thistles – Steve Morrissey |
| 7th | Ballina | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 25 | 46 | -21 | 19 |
| 8th | Goonellabah | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 27 | 46 | -19 | 13 |
| 9th | Italo Stars | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 23 | 54 | -31 | 12 |
| 10th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 46 | -36 | 6 |
Richmond Rovers took the hard route to the grand final, being beaten 3–0 in the major semi-final by Lismore Thistles at Oakes Oval (Goalscorers – Phillip Hicks, Steve Morrissey, Mick Riley) before overcoming Mullumbimby 2-1 after extra time in the preliminary final. Mullumbimby scored in the 1st half with a goal by Sulcs and led until deep into the 2nd half before a late Stephen Bugden goal forced the game into extra time. Ian Brown scored Richmond Rovers winner in extra time to give them a grand final berth against Lismore Thistles at Oakes Oval.
The grand final at Oakes Oval was deadlocked 1-all at full-time after first half goals from an Ian Brown header for Richmond Rovers and a Steve Morrissey equaliser for Lismore Thistles. In extra time Richmond Rovers' captain John Bugden hammered home the winner for a perfect finale to their 25th anniversary celebrations.
The squads and coaches for the grand final were:
| Richmond Rovers | Lismore Thistles |
|---|
| John Bugden (Captain) | Graeme Prior (Captain) |
| Peter Montgomery | John Noble (Goalkeeper) |
| Ian Brown | Scott Gilmore |
| Jamie Maher | Terry Dwyer |
| Darren Maher | Mick Gooley |
| Robert Armbruster | Richard Nind |
| Stephen Bugden | Leo Rossitto |
| Craig Kennedy (Goalkeeper) | Jeff Edwards |
| Noel Field | Phillip Hicks |
| Tony Perkins | Mick Riley |
| Craig Hamshaw | Steve Morrissey |
| Wally Edwards | Craig Watson |
| Phillip Darragh | Neil Harris |
| Peter Wappett | Rodney Lees |
| Brian Bugden (Coach) | Darryl Riley |
| Martin Scott |
| Mark Riley (Coach) |
1987 – Lismore Thistles win premiership, Richmond Rovers win Cyril Mayo Cup
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1987 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 49 | 16 | 31 | | Elimination preliminary final (4th v 5th) | Bangalow 1 defeated Alstonvilla 0 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Bangalow – Robert Parkes (penalty) |
| 2nd | Ballina | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 33 | 21 | 26 (+12) | | Major preliminary final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Ballina 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Darren Maher |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 26 (+3) | | Minor semi-final | Bangalow 2 defeated Ballina 0 @ Crawford Oval, Alstonville | Bangalow – Paul Clarke (2) |
| 4th | Bangalow | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 20 | 22 (+15) | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers defeated Lismore Thistles 4–3 on penalties (2-2 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Peter Wappett, Craig Hamshaw Lismore Thistles – Jeff Edwards, Peter Morrissey |
| 5th | Alstonvilla | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 20 | 22 (+4) | | Preliminary final | Bangalow 1 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Bangalow – Robert Parkes (penalty) |
| 6th | Maclean | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 38 | 38 | 18 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Bangalow 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Noel Fields (2), Peter Wappett, Stephen Bugden Bangalow – Lyle Wheeler |
| 7th | Brunswick Heads | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 47 | 7 |
| 8th | Italo Stars | 14 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 35 | 5 |
1988 – Italo Stars win premiership–Cyril Mayo Cup double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1988 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Italo Stars | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 54 | 17 | +37 | 53 | | Elimination preliminary final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Workers 2 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Ken McPherson (2) |
| 2nd | Lismore Thistles | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 37 | 18 | +19 | 48 | | Major preliminary final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated South Lismore 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Steve Morrissey, Jeff Edwards, Mick Gooley South Lismore – Terry Dwyer, Mark Goodall |
| 3rd | South Lismore | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 53 | 24 | +29 | 46 | | Minor semi-final | South Lismore 3 defeated Lismore Workers 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | South Lismore – Dave Prosser, Geoff Marshall, Darryl Gray Lismore Workers – Andrew Pierce, Penalty (unknown) |
| 4th | Lismore Workers | 21* | 13 | 4 | 4 | 57 | 16 | +41 | 43 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Thistles 1 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Philip Hicks |
| 5th | Goonellabah | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 37 | 41 | -4 | 37 | | Preliminary final | Italo Stars 3 defeated South Lismore 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Chris McPherson, Steven Fredericks, own goal South Lismore – Rodney Hyde (penalty) |
| 6th | Ballina | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 30 | 40 | -10 | 29 | | Grand final | Italo Stars defeated Lismore Thistles 7–6 on penalties (1-1 at full-time, 1-1 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Steven Fredericks Lismore Thistles – Unknown |
| 7th | Grafton | 21* | 8 | 3 | 10 | 30 | 42 | -12 | 27 |
| 8th | Casino | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 39 | 42 | -3 | 26 |
| 9th | Richmond Rovers | 22 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 29 | -8 | 24 |
| 10th | Alstonvilla | 22 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 27 | 55 | -28 | 23 |
| 11th | Bangalow | 22 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 27 | 48 | -21 | 14 |
| 12th | Brunswick Valley | 22 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 16 | 56 | -40 | 4 |
* The final game of the season, a deferred game between Lismore Workers and Grafton wasn't played by mutual agreement
1989 – Lismore Workers win premiership–Cyril Mayo Cup double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1989 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Workers (Undefeated) | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 13 | +23 | 42 | | Knock-out Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Ballina 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Gerald Pollard, Mick Gooley |
| 2nd | Italo Stars | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 34 | | Major semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Italo Stars 3 defeated Casino 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Unknown |
| 3rd | Casino | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 16 | +22 | 32 | | Minor semi-final | Casino 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Casino – Unknown Lismore Thistles – Unknown |
| 4th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 30 | 13 | +17 | 31 | | Major semi-final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Lismore Workers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Kevin Wilson, Norm Snow Lismore Workers – Peter Wiblen |
| 5th | Ballina | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 30 | +7 | 29 | | Preliminary final | Lismore Workers defeated Casino 5–3 on penalties (1-1 at full-time, 1-1 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – John Wraight Casino – Unknown |
| 6th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 23 | +1 | 26 | | Grand final | Lismore Workers defeated Italo Stars 4–3 on penalties (1-1 at full-time, 1-1 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – John Wraight Italo Stars – Anthony Gaggin |
| 7th | South Lismore | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 30 | -11 | 18 |
| 8th | Grafton | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 17 | 32 | -15 | 15 |
| 9th | Goonellabah | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 19 | 48 | -29 | 12 |
| 10th | Alstonville | 18 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 50 | -33 | 7 |
1990 – Lismore Workers win 2nd successive premiership–Cyril Mayo Cup double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1990 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Workers | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 21 | +16 | 38 | | 5th Place Play-off (5th v 6th) | South Lismore 1 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | South Lismore – Unknown |
| 2nd | Italo Stars | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 42 | 18 | +24 | 36 | | Sudden Death Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated South Lismore 0 @ Nesbitt Park, Goonellabah | Lismore Thistles – James Hay, Doug Boardman |
| 3rd | Casino | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 34 | | Major semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Italo Stars 1 defeated Casino 0 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Italo Stars – Jason Thatcher |
| 4th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 33 | 15 | +18 | 32 | | Minor semi-final | Casino 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Casino – Gary Smith (2), Dennis Westerman Lismore Thistles – Glen Harley |
| 5th | South Lismore | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 28 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Workers 2 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Lismore Workers – Andrew Pierce, Wayne Ianna |
| 6th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 28 | | Preliminary final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Casino 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Italo Stars – Gary Underhill (penalty), Jason Thatcher |
| 7th | Ballina | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 23 | 35 | -12 | 21 | | Grand final | Lismore Workers 1 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Lismore Workers – Andy Thomas |
| 8th | Byron Bay | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 24 | 34 | -10 | 13 |
| 9th | Goonellabah | 18 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 39 | -22 | 11 |
| 10th | Grafton | 18 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 38 | -25 | 10 |
1991 – Lismore Thistles win premiership; history made as Cyril Mayo Cup shared by Lismore Thistles & Richmond Rovers
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1991 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 12 | +33 | 43 | | 5th Place Play-off (5th v 6th) | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated South Lismore 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Brendan Matthews (penalty), Jack Bugden, Chris Matthews South Lismore – Troy Percival |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 47 | 12 | +35 | 40 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Richmond Rovers defeated Italo Stars 5–4 on penalties (0-0 at full-time, 0-0 after extra time) @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | |
| 3rd | Casino | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 33 | 12 | +21 | 39 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 1 defeated Casino 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Paul Wiltshire |
| 4th | Italo Stars | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 33 | 24 | +9 | 27 | | Minor semi-final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Casino 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Richmond Rovers – Chris Matthews (2) Casino – Shane Battistuzzi |
| 5th | South Lismore | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 24 | 27 | -3 | 24 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated Lismore Workers 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Troy Newman (hat-trick) Lismore Workers – Neil Wraight, John Wraight |
| 6th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 24 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers defeated Lismore Workers 3–2 on penalties (2-2 at full-time, 2-2 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Chris Matthews (2 including a penalty) Lismore Workers – Steve Fredericks, Paul Wiltshire |
| 7th | Byron Bay | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 17 | 24 | -7 | 23 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles 1 drew with Richmond Rovers 1 after extra time @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Steve Morrissey Richmond Rovers – Chris Matthews |
| 8th | Goonellabah | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 21 | 33 | -12 | 16 | | Grand final Replay | Lismore Thistles 0 drew with Richmond Rovers 0 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore (declared Joint Champions) | |
| 9th | Nimbin Headers | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 36 | -16 | 15 |
| 10th | Ballina | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 66 | -56 | 0 |
1992 – Lismore Thistles undefeated in winning premiership–Cyril Mayo Cup double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1992 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles (Undefeated) | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 5 | +39 | 54 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Richmond Rovers – Craig Hamshaw |
| 2nd | South Lismore | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 29 | 12 | +17 | 37 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 1 defeated South Lismore 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Dave Condon (penalty) |
| 3rd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 39 | 18 | +21 | 33 | | Minor semi-final | South Lismore 4 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | South Lismore – Bruce Mourhaus (2), Brett Towner, Chris Cherry |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 22 | +13 | 30 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Thistles 4 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Steve Morrissey (2), Anthony Nind, Doug Boardman |
| 5th | Italo Stars | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 23 | | Preliminary final | South Lismore 3 defeated Lismore Workers 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | South Lismore – Brett Towner (2), Scott Allen Lismore Workers – Steve Fredericks (penalty), own goal |
| 6th | Goonellabah | 18 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 30 | -8 | 19 | | Grand final | Lismore Thistles 0 drew with South Lismore 0 after extra time @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
| 7th | Casino | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 30 | -8 | 17 | | Grand final Replay | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated South Lismore 1 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Steve Morrissey (2 including a penalty) South Lismore – Bruce Mourhaus |
| 8th | Brunswick Valley | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 47 | -29 | 15 |
| 9th | Byron Bay | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 19 | 41 | -22 | 12 |
| 10th | Nimbin Headers | 18 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 39 | -23 | 7 |
1993 – South Lismore premiership-Grand final Double
South Lismore established its first senior team in 1972 when they entered the old Division 1 finishing 2nd last in a 6-team competition.
In 1992 South Lismore came 2nd to premiers Lismore Thistles in Premier Division. In their first grand final appearance South Lismore were beaten 2-1 by Lismore Thistles after extra time in the grand final replay after the first game ended 0-0 after extra time.
In 1993 the John Percival coached South Lismore won the Premier Division premiership-grand final double. After winning the premiership for the first (and so far only) time by a point from Lismore Workers after a dramatic final round they won the grand final in similarly dramatic fashion when they defeated Lismore Workers 2-1 after extra time.
Going into the last round of fixtures Lismore Workers were leading South Lismore by a point. In the last round Lismore Workers drew 1–1 with second last-placed Italo Stars and South Lismore defeated Goonellabah 2–0 to win their first ever premiership. The final table was:
| Position | Club | Points | | 1993 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | South Lismore | 38 points | | 5th Place Play-off | Byron Bay 3 defeated Ballina 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Byron Bay – Tony Wilson, Craig Hutchison, Marty Jaegers Ballina – Ian Haynes |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 37 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Goonellabah defeated Byron Bay 7–6 on penalties (2-2 at full-time, 2-2 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Tony McLean, Matt Lampard Byron Bay – Glen Godbee, Tony Wilson (penalty) |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 34 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 with a golden goal in extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Lismore Workers – Mick Geartner, Sam Tancred Lismore Thistles – Leo Rositto |
| 4th | Goonellabah | 29 | | Minor semi-final | Goonellabah defeated Lismore Thistles 4–3 on penalties (2-2 at full-time, 2-2 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Tony McLean (2 including a penalty) Lismore Thistles – Darren Beardow (penalty), Mick Gooley |
| 5th | Ballina | 29 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Workers 2 defeated South Lismore 1 with a golden goal in extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Sam Tancred (2) South Lismore – Brett Towner (penalty) |
| 6th | Byron Bay | 29 | | Preliminary final | South Lismore 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 with a golden goal in extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Crawford Park, Alstonville | South Lismore – Bruce Mourhaus |
| 7th | Casino | 16 | | Grand final | South Lismore 2 defeated Lismore Workers 1 with a golden goal in extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | South Lismore – Brett Towner (2) Lismore Workers – Tony Marquart |
| 8th | Richmond Rovers | 16 |
| 9th | Italo Stars | 14 |
| 10th | Nimbin Headers | 5 |
|
South Lismore lost the major semi-final to Lismore Workers 2-1 after extra time before beating Goonellabah 1-0 (Goalscorer – Bruce Mourhaus) after extra time in the preliminary final to make their second successive Premier Division grand final.
The grand final was played under lights at Oakes Oval. Lismore Workers took the lead in the first half thanks to a goal by Tony Marquart. With 2 minutes of normal time remaining Brett Towner scored for South Lismore to force the game into extra time. During extra time a free kick from Troy Percival (South Lismore) was blocked by Lismore Workers' goalkeeper Graham Nesbitt into the path of Brett Towner who scored to give South Lismore a 2–1 win and their first grand final success.
The South Lismore squad for the grand final was:
| Player | Position |
|---|
| Shane Hunter | Goalkeeper |
| Matt Bastion | Sweeper |
| Scott Allen | Stopper |
| Dave Turnage | Left back |
| Paul Hampson | Right back |
| Jamie Maher | Central midfielder |
| Jason Percival | Central midfielder |
| Todd Franks | Right midfielder |
| Troy Percival | Left midfielder |
| Bruce Mourhaus | Striker |
| Brett Towner | Striker |
| John Bryant | Reserve |
| Gary Williams | Reserve |
| Haydon Smith | Reserve Goalkeeper |
| Darren Maher | Reserve |
| Matthew Poles | Reserve |
| Ray Sanders | Reserve |
|
1994 – Goonellabah win premiership-Cyril Mayo Cup Double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1994 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venue | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 41 | 13 | +28 | 41 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Byron Bay defeated Richmond Rovers 6–5 on penalties (0-0 at full-time, 0-0 after extra time) @ Saunders Park, Ballina | |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 36 | 17 | +19 | 41 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Paul Wiltshire, Alan Donadel, John Wraight Lismore Thistles – Darren Beardow |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 40 | | Minor semi-final | Byron Bay 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Crawford Oval, Alstonville | Byron Bay – Gavin Peel, Brent Simpson, Craig Hutchison |
| 4th | Byron Bay | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 13 | +14 | 40 | | Major semi-final | Goonellabah 1 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – John Newton (penalty) |
| 5th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 31 | 26 | +5 | 27 | | Preliminary final | Lismore Workers 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Jeff Schneider Field, Bangalow | Lismore Workers – Anthony Alvos, Shane Ianna |
| 6th | South Lismore | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 21 | -1 | 20 | | Grand final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Workers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Martin Sommerville (2) Lismore Workers – Andrew Pearce (penalty) |
| 7th | Italo Stars | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 19 | 32 | -13 | 16 |
| 8th | Casino | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 38 | -16 | 14 |
| 9th | Maclean | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 48 | -27 | 12 |
| 10th | Ballina | 18 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 42 | -24 | 4 |
1995 – Goonellabah win premiership-Cyril Mayo Cup Double ... Again
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 1995 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah | 22 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 54 | 8 | 58 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Ballina 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Ballina – Justin Stockham (2) Richmond Rovers – Josh Taylor |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 54 | 19 | 47 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 2 @ Oakes Oval | Lismore Workers – Brad Bosworth (2), Shane Ianna Lismore Thistles – Graham Prior, Darren Beardow |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 39 | 16 | 44 | | Minor semi-final | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated Ballina 1 @ Crawford Park, Alstonville | Lismore Thistles – Jeremy Pollard (2), Darren Beardow Ballina – Phil Dalli |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 22 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 46 | 27 | 40 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Workers defeated Goonellabah 3–2 on penalties (0-0 at full-time, 0-0 after extra time) @ Caniaba Street, South Lismore | |
| 5th | Ballina | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 33 | 27 | | Preliminary final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Goonellabah – own goal, Jim Phillips Lismore Thistles – Rod Kirkland |
| 6th | South Lismore | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 36 | 26 | | Grand final | Goonellabah 3 defeated Lismore Workers 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Jim Phillips (2 including 2 penalties), Phil Cook Lismore Workers – John Wraight (2) |
| 7th | Maclean | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 37 | 25 |
| 8th | Grafton | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 25 | 39 | 23 |
| 9th | Byron Bay | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 33 | 47 | 22 |
| 10th | Casino | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 35 | 57 | 19 |
| 11th | Alstonville | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 29 | 17 |
| 12th | Italo Stars | 22 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 43 | 17 |
1996 – Lismore Workers win 13th premiership-Richmond Rovers win 6th Cyril Mayo Cup
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1996 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Workers | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 13 | +39 | 54 | | Minor preliminary final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Thistles 5 defeated South Lismore 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Craig Kennedy (2 penalties), Anthony Nind, Brett Beardow, David Burns South Lismore – Todd Franks |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 52 | 18 | +34 | 48 | | Major preliminary final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Josh Taylor (2) |
| 3rd | Goonellabah | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 68 | 27 | +41 | 45 | | Minor semi-final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Shane Wilson, Jim Phillips Lismore Thistles – Michael Nind |
| 4th | South Lismore | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 48 | 21 | +27 | 45 | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Andrew Newett |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 37 | 20 | +17 | 39 | | Preliminary final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Matthew Lampard, Matthew Olley (penalty) |
| 6th | Byron Bay | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 34 | 40 | -6 | 28 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Goonellabah 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Josh Taylor, Mark Coster Goonellabah – Matthew Olley |
| 7th | Grafton | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 30 | 42 | -12 | 29 |
| 8th | Ballina | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 37 | -15 | 26 |
| 9th | Nimbin Headers | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 51 | -31 | 20 |
| 10th | Casino | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 39 | -24 | 15 |
| 11th | Maclean | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 27 | 52 | -25 | 15 |
| 12th | Alstonville | 22 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 62 | -45 | 9 |
1997 – Casino Take Cyril Out of Lismore For the First Time in Almost 50 Years
In 1997 Casino won their first grand final and became the first club from outside Lismore to win the Cyril Mayo Cup for the Premier Division championship in almost 50 years. The long-defunct Casino Rebels won the inaugural grand final and the Arthur Brand Cup in 1950 in a disputed grand final replay against Eastwood United.
In 1997 Casino finished on equal points with Lismore Workers (their 14th premiership including 10 as Eastwood United) but second on goal difference in the 12-team Premier Division:
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Points | | 1997 Finals | Results & venues | Scorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Workers | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 48 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Bangalow Recreation Reserve | Lismore Thistles – Chris Harley, Todd Franks |
| 2nd | Casino | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 48 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Casino 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Casino – Ken Reichmann |
| 3rd | Goonellabah | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 44 | | Minor semi-final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Goonellabah – Leo Silva, Greg Huxtable (penalty) |
| 4th | Lismore Thistles | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 38 | | Major semi-final | Casino 1 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Casino – Dave Hood |
| 5th | Byron Bay | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 35 | | Preliminary final | Lismore Workers 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Lismore Workers – Glen Gilchrist |
| 6th | Italo Stars | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 34 | | Grand final | Casino 2 defeated Lismore Workers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Casino – Stewart Coughran, Paul Wiltshire Lismore Workers – Brad Bosworth |
| 7th | Maclean | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 31 |
| 8th | Ballina | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 29 |
| 9th | South Lismore | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 28 |
| 10th | Richmond Rovers | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 25 |
| 11th | Grafton | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 13 |
| 12th | Nimbin Headers | 22 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 3 |
|
In the major preliminary semi-final Casino defeated Goonellabah 1–0 at a packed Oakes Oval thanks to a Ken Reichmann chip over Goonellabah's goalkeeper Paul Hickey. This game was played as a curtain-raiser to a pre-season Ericcson Cup (National Soccer League) game between Brisbane Strikers and Marconi which attracted more than 5,000 fans.
In the major semi-final at Weston Park, Casino defeated Lismore Workers 1–0 with a first half goal by Dave Hood, and made history by reaching their first ever grand final. Lismore Workers reached the grand final after defeating Goonellabah 1–0 in the preliminary final after a 108th minute extra time goal by Glen Gilchrist.
The grand final between Casino and Lismore Workers was played at a water-logged Oakes Oval. A wild storm including rain, wind and thunder forced the players off the field after 10 minutes of play. After a 40-minute break the players returned to a drenched surface. Casino scored first when sweeper Stewart Coughran drove a free-kick from just outside the penalty box, around the wall and past goalkeeper Justin Marks. Soon after scoring Coughran was stretchered off with an ankle injury, briefly returned but was substituted before half-time and played no further part in the game. With 15 minutes remaining Paul Wiltshire made it 2–0 to Casino when he scored with a "venomous" shot from 20 metres. With 5 minutes to go Lismore Workers scored with a Brad Bosworth headed goal from a corner. But Casino held on to win the grand final 2–1. The player of the match was Casino's Wayne Mortimer.
The squads, coaches and support staff for the grand final were:
| Casino Cobras' Squad | Player | Lismore Workers' Squad | Player |
|---|
| Goalkeeper | Joel Renshaw | Goalkeeper | Justin Marks |
| Left back | John Hartley | Sweeper | Brad Bosworth |
| Right back | Mal Kenny | Central defender | Jason Toniello |
| Sweeper | Stewart Coughran | Central defender | Matthew Walsh |
| Stopper | Shane Hogan | Left wing-back | Wayne Marchant |
| Left midfield | Scott Bruni | Right sing-back | Matthew Clegg |
| Right midfield | Dave Hood | Central midfield | Mark Foster |
| Central midfield | Paul Wiltshire | Central midfield | Steve Fredericks |
| Central midfield & coach | Jeff Hogan | Central midfield | Jason Monk |
| Striker | Wayne Mortimer | Attacking midfield | Anthony Alvos |
| Striker | Nathan Scully | Striker | John Wraight |
| Reserve | Terry Blasche | Striker | Glen Gilchrist |
| Reserve | Scott Creighton | Reserve | Barry Manning |
| Reserve | Rohan Coe | Reserve | Craig Wiblin |
| Reserve | Tim Miller | Reserve | Adam Morrisey |
| Reserve | Glen Armstrong | Reserve Goalkeeper | Andrew McGregor |
| Coach | Jeff Hogan | Coach | Graham Bird |
| Manager | Tony McAteer | Manager | John Walsh |
| Strapper | Gary Shepard | Strapper | Robert Donadel |
|
1997 – Matildas Beaten by Classy Chinese
In November 1997 the Matildas played China at Oakes Oval, Lismore as part of a Tri-Series involving China, New Zealand and Australia.
A crowd of more than 3,000 saw the Chinese team win 3–0 with the 3 first half goals, the goalscorers being Shui Qingxia, Sun Qingmei and Zhao Lihong. The local press were glowing of the Chinese team ... their "silken touch, ... superb ball skills, such a desire to be the best".
The game was historic because it was the first game China had played in Australia, and for the inclusion of Lismore local Lisa Casagrande in the Australian team. Unfortunately Casagrande was replaced late in the first half due to calf cramps.
In the curtain-raiser the Soccer Far North Coast Under-16 girls team defeated the Coffs Harbour Under-16 girls team 4–1. Goalscorers for Soccer Far North Coast were Martene Edwards (2), Amy Brown and Olivia Brisby with Katrina Byrnes scoring for Coffs Harbour.
The winner of the Matilda for a Day competition run by The Northern Star newspaper including a Matildas playing strip, match ball and spending game day with the team was Kym Butts of South Gundurimba.
1998 – 50th season
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 1998 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah | 22 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 51 | 24 | +27 | 48 | | Knock-out Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Ballina 3 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Colley Park, Casino | Ballina – Justin Stockham (penalty), Troy Percival, Danny Vincent Italo Stars – Unknown (penalty) |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 47 | 23 | +24 | 46 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 1 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Colley Park, Casino | Lismore Workers – Paul Wiltshire |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 29 | +6 | 42 | | Minor semi-final | Richmond Rovers defeated Ballina (4-2) on penalties (0-0 at full-time, 0-0 after extra time) @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | |
| 4th | Italo Stars | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 35 | 33 | +2 | 38 | | Major semi-final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Workers 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Matthew Lampard, Adam Hughes Lismore Workers – Brad Bosworth |
| 5th | Ballina | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 36 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Lismore Workers 2 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Mark Coster, Jamie Maher, Andrew Witchard, Robbie Armbruster Lismore Workers – Jeremy Wraight, John Wraight |
| 6th | Casino | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 46 | 36 | +10 | 36 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers defeated Goonellabah (4-3) on penalties (0-0 at full-time, 0-0 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | |
| 7th | Lismore Thistles | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 46 | 32 | +14 | 34 |
| 8th | Byron Bay | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 35 | -7 | 19 |
| 9th | Maclean | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 30 | 48 | -18 | 19 |
| 10th | Southern Cross University | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 30 | 52 | – 22 | 19 |
| 11th | South Lismore | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 35 | 49 | -14 | 15 |
| 12th | Alstonville | 22 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 18 | 53 | -35 | 11 |
1999 – premiership leaves Lismore for the first time ever
In 1999 Maclean re-wrote FFNC record books by becoming the first club from outside Lismore to win the top grade premiership in its 51-year history. Maclean and Goonellabah finished equal on points, with Maclean's superior goal difference clinching their first premiership.
The 1999 premier division finals (for the Cyril Mayo Cup) were reduced to 4 teams due to time constraints and ground unavailability following a wet season where many games were washed out.
| Position | Club | Points | | 1999 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Maclean | 39 | | Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Goonellabah 2 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Matthew Prior, Adam Hughes Italo Stars – Mark Maslen |
| 2nd | Goonellabah | 39 | | Semi-final (1st v 4th) | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Maclean 0 @ Yamba Sporting Complex | Richmond Rovers – Brendan Matthews |
| 3rd | Italo Stars | 37 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Josh Saye |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 35 |
| 5th | Ballina | 34 |
| 6th | Lismore Thistles | 33 |
| 7th | South Lismore | 29 |
| 8th | Southern Cross University | 28 |
| 9th | Lismore Workers | 24 |
| 10th | Byron Bay | 13 |
| 11th | Bangalow | 2 |
|
2000 – Italo Stars win premiership-Cyril Mayo Cup Double
| Position | Club | Points | | 2000 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Italo Stars | 40 | | Elimination Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Maclean 4 defeated Lismore Workers 2 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Maclean – Gary Carmichael (2), Kevin Crofton, Daniel Fong Lismore Workers – Unknown |
| 2nd | Southern Cross University | 36 | | Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Southern Cross University 2 after extra time (2-2 at full-time) @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Richmond Rovers – Ian McGregor, Mark Greentree, Tim Sheridan Southern Cross University – Todd Patch (2 including a penalty) |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 34 | | Minor semi-final | Southern Cross University 4 defeated Maclean 2 @ Maurie Ryan Field, Southern Cross University, Lismore | Southern Cross University – Scott Collins (2), Todd Patch, Radan Sturm Maclean – Gary Carmichael, Unknown |
| 4th | Lismore Workers | 34 | | Major semi-final | Italo Stars 1 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Italo Stars – own goal |
| 5th | Maclean | 32 | | Preliminary final | Southern Cross University 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Caniaba Street, South Lismore | Southern Cross University – Dean Stensholm, Stewart Coughran Richmond Rovers – Mark Greentree |
| 6th | Lismore Thistles | 32 | | Final | Italo Stars defeated Southern Cross University on penalties (4-2) (1-1 at full-time, 1-1 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Todd Gava Southern Cross University – Radan Sturm |
| 7th | Ballina | 30 |
| 8th | Goonellabah | 26 |
| 9th | Byron Bay | 24 |
| 10th | Casino | 17 |
| 11th | South Lismore | 6 |
2001 – Maclean win premiership – Cyril Mayo Cup double including first Cyril Mayo Cup
| Position | Club | Points | | 2001 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Maclean | 53 | | Elimination Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Byron Bay 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Byron Recreation Ground | Byron Bay – Todd Knaus, Jed Wright, Bruce Morhaus Lismore Thistles – Darren Beardow |
| 2nd | Italo Stars | 45 | | Major semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Italo Stars 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Italo Stars – Jeremy Pollard, Nick Harris Richmond Rovers – Zenon Kowalczyk (penalty) |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 43 | | Minor semi-final | Byron Bay 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Byron Bay – Unknown Richmond Rovers – Unknown |
| 4th | Byron Bay | 42 | | Major semi-final | Maclean 2 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Wherrett Park, Maclean | Maclean – Daniel Fung, Aaron Bylos |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles | 33 | | Preliminary final | Byron Bay 2 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Byron Bay – Luke Glanz, Glen Sheldrick Italo Stars – Mark Maslen |
| 6th | Ballina | 32 | | Grand final | Maclean 3 defeated Byron Bay 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Maclean – Aaron Bylos, Kevin Crofton, own goal Byron Bay – Aaron Richter-Steers, Nathan Jones |
| 7th | Southern Cross University | 30 |
| 8th | Casino | 29 |
| 9th | Lismore Workers | 29 |
| 10th | Alstonville | 14 |
| 11th | South Lismore | 12 |
| 12th | Goonellabah | 10 |
2001 – Matildas play France in Lismore
In January 2001 the Matildas played France at Oakes Oval, Lismore. This was the second time the Matildas had played in Lismore, having played China at Oakes Oval in November 1997. [98]
This was the second game in the 3 match Australia Cup series; the first game being played at the Coffs Harbour International Stadium and the final game at Carrara Stadium.
A crowd of 2,350 saw a hard, physical game end in a 1–1 draw. [99] The Matildas took a late lead when in the 86th minute Kim Revell latched onto a through ball from Sharon Black and slipped her shot past the French goalkeeper. France equalised soon after in the 88th minute when Stephanie Mugneret Beghe blasted home after a cut-back from the bye-line.
The curtain-raiser between Soccer Far North Coast Under-17's and New England Under-17's also ended in a 1–1 draw. The goalscorer for Soccer Far North Coast was Hollie Jarrett after great lead-up play by Megan Janezic. Samantha Dowse of Goonellabah won the Matilda For A Day competition run The Northern Star newspaper which included a Matildas playing strip, match ball and spending the day with the Matildas.
2002 – Italo Stars win ANZAC Cup–premiership double, Richmond Rovers win Cyril Mayo Cup
| Position | Club | Points | | 2002 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Italo Stars | 50 | | Elimination Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Ballina 3 defeated Lismore Workers 2 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Ballina – Paul Kirkland, Rod Troughton, Justin Stockham (penalty) Lismore Workers – Anthony Alvos, Tom Guttormsen (penalty) |
| 2nd | Byron Bay | 49 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Byron Recreation Ground | Richmond Rovers – Andrew Gray |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 46 | | Minor semi-final | Ballina 1 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Byron Recreation Ground | Ballina – Clint Colless |
| 4th | Ballina | 40 | | Major semi-final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Italo Stars – Max Latimer, Craig Wiblen Richmond Rovers – Luke McAnelly |
| 5th | Lismore Workers | 39 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Ballina 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Luke McAnelly, Troy Matthews (penalty) Ballina – Christian Watson |
| 6th | Lismore Thistles | 31 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Steve Arnett, Brett Lane, Chris Matthews (penalty) Italo Stars – Craig Wiblen |
| 7th | Maclean | 27 |
| 8th | Casino | 27 |
| 9th | Alstonville | 22 |
| 10th | Southern Cross University | 21 |
| 11th | Goonellabah | 18 |
| 12th | South Lismore | 6 |
2003 – Italo Stars are undefeated premiers & champions
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 2003 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Italo Stars (Undefeated) | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 14 | +32 | 48 | | Minor preliminary final (4th v 5th) | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Josh Saye, Troy Matthews (penalty) |
| 2nd | Ballina | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 18 | +21 | 40 | | Major preliminary final (2nd v 3rd) | Byron Bay 1 defeated Ballina 0 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Byron Bay – Jed Wright |
| 3rd | Byron Bay | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 41 | 27 | +14 | 32 | | Minor semi-final | Ballina 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Ballina – Jordy Campbell, Christian Watson |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 31 | +9 | 28 | | Major semi-final | Italo Stars 2 defeated Byron Bay 1 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Italo Stars – Max Latimer (2 penalties) Byron Bay – Floyd Pandava |
| 5th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 34 | +4 | 28 | | Preliminary final | Ballina 2 defeated Byron Bay 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Ballina – Clint Colless (2) Byron Bay – Jens Walter |
| 6th | Maclean | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 26 | | Grand final | Italo Stars 1 defeated Ballina 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Italo Stars – Clint Willoughby |
| 7th | Alstonville | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 21 | 35 | -14 | 16 |
| 8th | Casino | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 25 | 39 | -14 | 16 |
| 9th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 21 | 43 | -22 | 14 |
| 10th | Southern Cross University | 18 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 54 | -38 | 7 |
2004 – Richmond Rovers win premiership, Lismore Workers win first grand final since 1990
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 2004 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 48 | 27 | +21 | 38 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Byron Bay 3 defeated Maclean 0 @ Wherrett Park, Maclean | Byron Bay – Nathan Jones, Ryan Gray, Aaron Richter-Steers |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 51 | 21 | +30 | 36 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 3 defeated Casino 0 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Tom Guttormsen, John Wraight, Steve Morrissey |
| 3rd | Casino | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 44 | 23 | +21 | 33 | | Minor semi-final | Byron Bay 1 defeated Casino 0 @ Colley Park, Casino | Byron Bay – Adam Bostock |
| 4th | Maclean | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 31 | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Lismore Workers 2 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Matthew Olley (2), Scott Coster Lismore Workers – Steve Morrissey, Zac Crowley |
| 5th | Byron Bay | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 47 | 35 | +12 | 28 | | Preliminary final | Lismore Workers 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Zac Crowley, Shane Banks |
| 6th | Italo Stars | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 43 | -12 | 24 | | Grand final | Lismore Workers 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Lucas MacPherson, John Wraight Richmond Rovers – Matthew Olley |
| 7th | Ballina | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 21 |
| 8th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 40 | -28 | 15 |
| 9th | Bangalow | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 18 | 39 | -21 | 14 |
| 10th | Alstonville | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 55 | -41 | 13 |
2005 – a season of firsts; Goonellabah wins premiership in their first season back in Premier League, Byron Bay win their first grand final (Cyril Mayo Cup)
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Points | | 2005 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 40 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Italo Stars 2 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Lismore Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, Barrow Lane, Lismore | Italo Stars – Mark Maslen, Wayne Mortimer |
| 2nd | Byron Bay | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 33 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Byron Bay 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Byron Recreation Reserve | Byron Bay – Adam Bostock, Paul Bird |
| 3rd | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 32 | | Minor semi-final | Italo Stars 1 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Italo Stars – Mark Maslen |
| 4th | Italo Stars | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 31 | | Major semi-final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Ben Andrews, Peter O'Neill |
| 5th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 30 | | Preliminary final | Byron Bay 4 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Byron Recreation Reserve | Byron Bay – Paul Bird (2), Tom Ruhl, Bruce Morhaus Italo Stars – Max Latimer |
| 6th | Ballina | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 29 | | Grand final | Byron Bay 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Byron Bay – Shaun Packham |
| 7th | Maclean | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 18 |
| 8th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 16 |
| 9th | Casino | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| 10th | Bangalow | 18 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 7 |
2006 – Byron Bay's first premiership–Grand final double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2006 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Byron Bay | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 49 | 22 | 44 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Lennox Head 4 defeated Italo Stars 3 after extra time (3-3 at full-time) @ Skennars Heads Reserve | Lennox Head – Troy Percival (2), Rameesh Moaaz, Adrian Zakaras Italo Stars – Matt Weir, Wayne Mortimer (penalty), own goal |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 37 | 25 | 36 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Maclean 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Adam Gray, Chris Matthews, Russell Dent |
| 3rd | Maclean | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 50 | 30 | 32 | | Minor semi-final | Maclean 2 defeated Lennox Head 1 @ Wherrett Park, Maclean | Maclean – Grant Nielson (2) Lennox Head – Troy Percival |
| 4th | Lennox Head | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 43 | 30 | 32 | | Major semi-final | Byron Bay defeated Richmond Rovers 3–1 on penalties (5-5 after extra time, 4–4 at full-time) @ Byron Recreation Reserve | Byron Bay – Jonathan Pierce, Tom Ruhl, Aaron Richter-Steers (penalty), Shaun Packham, Joel Rudgley Richmond Rovers – Aaron Heffernan (2), Adam Gray (2), Ian McGregor |
| 5th | Italo Stars | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 41 | 36 | 26 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Maclean 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Aaron Heffernan (2), Andrew Gray (2) Maclean – Travis Armstrong (penalty) |
| 6th | Goonellabah | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 33 | 27 | 25 | | Grand final | Byron Bay 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Byron Bay – Bruce Morhaus, Tom Ruhl Richmond Rovers – Aaron Heffernan |
| 7th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 34 | 38 | 23 |
| 8th | Ballina | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 24 | 33 | 16 |
| 9th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 21 | 56 | 16 |
| 10th | Casino | 18 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 47 | 6 |
2007 to 2011 – Richmond Rovers dominate
From 2007 to 2011 Richmond Rovers won 10 of the 15 trophies on offer in Premier League and dominated the competition and opposition clubs:
- ANZAC Shields – 2 in 2008 and 2009
- premierships – 4 in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011
- Grand finals (Cyril Mayo Cup) – 4 in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010
In doing so Richmond Rovers won the treble (ANZAC Shield, premiership and grand final) in 2008 and 2009 and the premiership-Grand final double in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
2007 Premier League table and finals results
- 4th premiership, 10th championship
| Position | Club | Points | | 2007 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 40 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Goonellabah 3 defeated Maclean 0 @ Wherett Park, Maclean | Goonellabah – Steve Foster, Dave Annetts (2) |
| 2nd | Italo Stars | 34 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Italo Stars 4 defeated Byron Bay 1 @ Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, North Lismore | Italo Stars – Wayne Mortimer, Brenton Mumford, Max Latimer (penalty), Matt Pratten Byron Bay – Jonathan Pierce |
| 3rd | Byron Bay | 33 | | Minor semi-final | Goonellabah 3 defeated Byron Bay 1 @ Byron Recreation Grounds | Goonellabah – Kale Hopper, Adam Barnes, Ben Andrews Byron Bay – Todd Knaus |
| 4th | Maclean | 30 | | Major semi-final | Italo Stars won 7–6 on penalties against Richmond Rovers (2-2 after extra-time, 2–2 at full-time) @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Italo Stars – Max Latimer (2 penalties) Richmond Rovers – Ian McGregor, Ben Casagrande |
| 5th | Goonellabah | 28 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers defeated Goonellabah on penalties (2-2 after extra time, 2–2 at full-time) @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Ben Casagrande, Matthew Olley Goonellabah – Peter O'Neil (2 penalties) |
| 6th | Lennox Head | 28 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Troy Matthews (penalty) |
| 7th | Bangalow | 24 |
| 8th | Ballina | 21 |
| 9th | Lismore Workers | 11 |
| 10th | Burringbar | 4 |
2008 Premier League table and finals results
- 5th premiership, 11th championship
| Position | Club | Points | | 2008 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 34 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated Italo Stars 1 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Matt Parrish (3) Italo Stars – Zac Innes |
| 2nd | Lennox Head | 33 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lennox Head 1 defeated Ballina 0 @ Skennars Head Oval, Lennox Head | Lennox Head – Justin Stockham |
| 3rd | Ballina | 31 | | Minor semi-final | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Ballina 0 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Lismore Thistles – Matt Parrish, Tom Boland |
| 4th | Lismore Thistles | 30 | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Lennox Head 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Aaron Heffernan (2), Ben Casagrande Lennox Head – Rameesh Kassim |
| 5th | Italo Stars | 29 * | | Preliminary final | Lennox Head 1 defeated Lismore Thistles @ Skennars Head Oval, Lennox Head | Lennox Head – Peter Edwards |
| 6th | Byron Bay | 23 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Lennox Head 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Brett Lane, Ian McGregor, Aaron Heffernan Lennox Head – Peter O'Neill |
| 7th | Goonellabah | 18 |
| 8th | Bangalow | 15 |
| 9th | Lismore Workers | 14 |
| 10th | Pottsville | 12 |
* 9 point penalty for crowd misbehavior at the 2007 grand final
2009 Premier League table and finals results
- 6th premiership, 12th championship
| Position | Club | Points | | 2009 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 42 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Italo Stars 2 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Italo-Australian Sports & Recreation Club, North Lismore | Italo Stars – own goal, Clint Willoughby |
| 2nd | Goonellabah | 37 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Goonellabah 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Dave Annetts, Chris Matthews |
| 3rd | Byron Bay | 33 | | Minor semi-final | Italo Stars 3 defeated Byron Bay 1 @ Byron Recreation Grounds | Italo Stars – Clint Willoughby, Max Latimer (2) Byron Bay – Jordy Campbell |
| 4th | Italo Stars | 30 | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers 5 defeated Goonellabah 2 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Troy Matthews (2), Ben Casagrande, Jonathan See, Andrew Marshall (penalty) Goonellabah – Dave Annetts, own goal |
| 5th | Lismore Workers | 28 | | Preliminary final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Italo Stars 0 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Dave Annetts, Ben Andrews |
| 6th | Ballina | 26 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 3 defeated Goonellabah 1 @ Crozier Field, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Tim Casagrande (penalty), own goal, Russell Dent (penalty) Goonellabah – own goal |
| 7th | Bangalow | 15 |
| 8th | Alstonville | 12 |
| 9th | Lismore Thistles | 12 |
| 10th | Lennox Head | 11 |
2010 Premier League table and finals results
Source: [100]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2010 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 61 | 16 | 49 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Thistles 3 defeated Ballina 1 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Lismore Thistles – Darren Beardow, Jake Nind, Brenton Parrish Ballina – Andrew Lundie |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 29 | 42 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Pottsville Beach 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Scott Coster, Tim Sheridan |
| 3rd | Pottsville Beach | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 45 | 34 | 33 | | Minor semi-final | Lismore Thistles 5 defeated Pottsville 2 @ Koala Beach Sports Fields, Pottsville Beach | Lismore Thistles – Brenton Parrish (3), Jake Nind (penalty), Jakeb Speers Pottsville Beach – Josh McQueen, Mike Kolovos |
| 4th | Ballina | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 35 | 37 | 25 | | Major semi-final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – own goal, Kale Hopper (penalty) Richmond Rovers – Aaron Heffernan |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 34 | 48 | 24 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Scott Coster |
| 6th | Alstonville | 18 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 34 | 32 | 22 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Goonellabah 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Aaron Heffernan, Tim Sheridan Goonellabah – Matt Dorigo |
| 7th | Byron Bay | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 35 | 43 | 20 |
| 8th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 26 | 40 | 18 |
| 9th | Italo Stars | 18 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 30 | 12 |
| 10th | Bangalow | 18 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 17 | 50 | 9 |
2011 Premier League table and finals results
Source: [101]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2011 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 58 | 20 | 42 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Workers 3 defeated Byron Bay 1 @ Saunders Oval, Ballina | Lismore Workers – Shaun McDonald, Cameron Hyde (2) Byron Bay – Kazuhiro Tsukamoto |
| 2nd | Goonellabah | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 14 | 33 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Cerys Hawkins, Sam Ireland Lismore Thistles – Matthew Parrish |
| 3rd | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 44 | 34 | 32 | | Minor semi-final | Lismore Thistles 4 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Jakeb Speers, Matthew Parrish (3) |
| 4th | Byron Bay | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 22 | 30 | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Jonathan See |
| 5th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 43 | 26 | 28 | | Preliminary final | Goonellabah 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Dylan Rippon, Dave Annetts Lismore Thistles – Brenton Parrish |
| 6th | Alstonville | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 27 | 38 | 20 | | Grand final | Goonellabah 5 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Goonellabah – Sam Ireland, Cameron Rippon, Matt Dorigo, Dave Annetts, Cerys Hawkins |
| 7th | Pottsville Beach | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 44 | 19 |
| 8th | Casino | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 26 | 46 | 19 |
| 9th | Italo Stars | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 38 | 18 |
| 10th | Ballina | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 47 | 13 |
2012 – Richmond Rovers win premiership, Lismore Workers win First Cyril Since 2004
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points | | 2012 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 62 | 21 | +41 | 43 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Byron Bay 1 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Byron Recreation Ground | Byron Bay – Aaron Richter-Steers |
| 2nd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 19 | +48 | 42 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 3 defeated Goonellabah 1 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Max Harlan (2), Wayne Mortimer Goonellabah – Dave Annetts |
| 3rd | Goonellabah | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 44 | 21 | +23 | 39 | | Minor semi-final | Goonellabah defeated Byron Bay on penalties (2-2 at full time, 2-2 after extra time) @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Batok Ring, Dave Annetts Byron Bay – Aaron Richter-Steers (2 including a penalty) |
| 4th | Byron Bay | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 50 | 35 | +15 | 30 | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Lismore Workers 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Troy Matthews (2) Lismore Workers – Max Harlan |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 44 | 29 | +15 | 29 | | Preliminary final | Lismore Workers 5 defeated Goonellabah 4 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Steve Morrissey, Bill Latimer, Jay Keevers, Kurt Walker, Miller Goonellabah – Batok Ring (hat-trick), Dave Annetts (penalty) |
| 6th | Alstonville | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 43 | 32 | +11 | 26 | | Grand final | Lismore Workers 3 defeated Richmond Rovers 2 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Lismore Workers – Bill Latimer, Max Harlen, Kurt Walker Richmond Rovers – Kurt Brewer-Charles, Troy Matthews |
| 7th | Lennox Head | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 33 | 51 | -18 | 20 |
| 8th | Italo Stars | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 22 | 63 | -41 | 13 |
| 9th | Casino | 18 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 19 | 70 | -51 | 10 |
| 10th | Ballina | 18 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 14 | 57 | -43 | 9 |
2013 – Lismore Thistles win ANZAC Shield-premiership Double
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2013 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 43 | 16 | 42 | | Elimination final (4th v 5th) | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Bangalow 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Andrew Casagrande, own goal |
| 2nd | Byron Bay | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 72 | 26 | 38 | | Qualifying Final (2nd v 3rd) | Lismore Workers 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Byron Recreation Grounds | Lismore Workers – Wayne Mortimer, Daniel Kelly |
| 3rd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 21 | 35 | | Minor semi-final | Byron Bay 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Byron Recreation Grounds | Byron Bay – Sebastian Bell, Jonathan Pierce Richmond Rovers – Andrew Casagrande |
| 4th | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 56 | 27 | 34 | | Major semi-final | Lismore Thistles defeated Lismore Workers on penalties (0-0 after extra time, 0–0 at full-time) @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | |
| 5th | Bangalow | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 33 | 22 | 33 | | Preliminary final | Byron Bay 3 defeated Lismore Workers 1 @ Byron Recreation Grounds | Byron Bay – James Tomlinson (2), Herrick Schulaman Lismore Workers – Wayne Mortimer |
| 6th | Alstonville | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 54 | 35 | 28 | | Grand final | Byron Bay 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Byron Bay – Sam Owens (2) Lismore Thistles – Matt Weir (penalty) |
| 7th | Lennox Head | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 28 | 60 | 15 |
| 8th | Goonellabah | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 31 | 66 | 15 |
| 9th | Italo Stars | 18 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 27 | 75 | 10 |
| 10th | Casino | 18 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 67 | 7 |
2014 – Byron Bay premiership, Richmond Rovers Cyril Mayo Cup
Source: [102]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2014 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Byron Bay | 18 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 15 | 45 | | Elimination final (4th v 5th) | Lismore Thistles 1 defeated Alstonville 0 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Thistles Park, East Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Matt Weir (penalty) |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 66 | 27 | 42 | | Qualifying Final (2nd v 3rd) | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Lismore Workers @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Aaron Gray |
| 3rd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 51 | 25 | 41 | | Minor semi-final | Lismore Thistles 2 defeated Lismore Workers 1 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Lismore Thistles – Matt Weir (2 including a penalty) Lismore Workers – Shaun McDonald |
| 4th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 46 | 14 | 37 | | Major semi-final | Byron Bay 4 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Byron Recreation Ground | Byron Bay – Kazi Tsukamato, James Tomlinson, Connor Cannon, Herrick Schulaman Richmond Rovers – Russell Dent |
| 5th | Alstonville | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 46 | 28 | 30 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Lismore Thistles 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Brad Bugden, Josh Scicluna Lismore Thistles – Matt Armstrong |
| 6th | Bangalow | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 33 | 31 | 26 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers defeated Byron Bay 9–8 on penalties (1-1 after extra time, 1–1 at full-time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Andrew Gray Byron Bay – Kazi Tsukamato |
| 7th | Ballina | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 35 | 58 | 19 |
| 8th | Lennox Head | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 26 | 50 | 16 |
| 9th | Goonellabah | 18 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 14 | 65 | 6 |
| 10th | Tintenbar/East Ballina | 18 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 14 | 83 | 4 |
2015 – Byron Bay premiership
Source: [103]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2015 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Byron Bay | 18 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 63 | 18 | 47 | | Elimination final (5th v 6th) | Lennox Head 3 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Skennars Head Oval, Lennox Head | Lennox Head – Sam Ireland, Byron Milne, Ihsan Savran |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 49 | 15 | 40 | | Qualifying Final (3rd v 4th) | Richmond Rovers 1 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Scott Flynn |
| 3rd | Lismore Workers | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 42 | 33 | 31 | | Minor semi-final | Lennox Head 2 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Richards Oval, Lismore | Lennox Head – Gus McDonnell, Byron Milne |
| 4th | Lennox Head | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 43 | 37 | 31 | | Major semi-final | Byron Bay 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Byron Recreation Ground | Byron Bay – Todd Knaus, James Tomlinson Richmond Rovers – Russell Dent |
| 5th | Goonellabah | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 34 | 23 | 28 | | Preliminary final | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Lennox Head 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Kurt Walker, Andrew Casagrande, Jake Heffernan, Matthew Olley Lennox Head – Jervis Foley |
| 6th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 40 | 35 | 22 | | Grand final | Richmond Rovers defeated Byron Bay on penalties (2-2 at full-time, 2-2 after extra time) @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Bobby Bugden, Kurt Walker Byron Bay – Michael Kelly, James Tomlinson |
| 7th | Alstonville | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 31 | 22 |
| 8th | Casino | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 25 | 49 | 15 |
| 9th | Bangalow | 18 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 50 | 9 |
| 10th | Ballina | 18 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 66 | 5 |
2016 – Bangalow Wins Their First Title: Cyril Mayo Cup
In 1987 in their first and until 2016 only grand final appearance Bangalow were convincingly beaten 4-1 by Richmond Rovers. Bangalow had made the grand final from 4th place, beating Alstonvilla (1-0, Goalscorer – Robert Parks), Ballina (2-0, Goalscorer – Paul Clarke (2)) and Lismore Thistles (1-0, Goalscorer – Robert Parks (penalty)).
In 2016 Bangalow won the Premier Division grand final 1–0 against the premiers Goonellabah, to win their first and so far only title.
2016 – Premier Division final table & Cyril Mayo Cup results & venues
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2016 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Goonellabah | 18 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 56 | 24 | 46 | | Minor Preliminary Semi-final (4th v 5th) | Byron Bay 2 defeated Lismore Workers 0 @ Byron Recreation Grounds | Byron Bay – Aaron Walker, Quinn McDonald |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 68 | 18 | 41 | | Major Preliminary Semi-final (2nd v 3rd) | Bangalow 3 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Bangalow – Daniel Crisante, Bryn Hicks, Rory Devlin Richmond Rovers – Kurt Walker |
| 3rd | Bangalow | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 55 | 30 | 40 | | Minor semi-final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Andrew Gray, Russell Dent (penalty) |
| 4th | Byron Bay | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 61 | 16 | 38 | | Major semi-final | Goonellabah 1 defeated Bangalow 1 on penalties (1-1 after extra-time, 1–1 at full-time) @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Lloyd Howard Bangalow – Joel Rudgley |
| 5th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 45 | 36 | 32 | | Preliminary final | Bangalow 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Bangalow – Rory Devlin, own goal Richmond Rovers – Jake Heffernan |
| 6th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 34 | 34 | 25 | | Grand final | Bangalow 1 defeated Goonellabah 0 @ Oakes Oval, Lismore | Bangalow – Rory Devlin |
| 7th | Casino | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 27 | 56 | 14 |
| 8th | Alstonville | 18 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 38 | 11 |
| 9th | Italo Stars | 18 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 17 | 55 | 8 |
| 10th | Lennox Head | 18 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 18 | 91 | 7 |
2017 – Byron Bay wins the treble and South Lismore win 1st Division double
In 2017 Byron Bay won its first ever treble (ANZAC Shield, premiership & Cyril Mayo Cup) and in doing so became the 8th team to achieve the feat.
In April Byron Bay won the ANZAC Shield beating Richmond Rovers 2–1 in the final at Oakes Oval. Aaron Walker scored both goals for Byron Bay before being sent-off in the 89th minute, whilst Kurt Walker scored for Richmond Rovers in the 65th minute. [104] Joel Wood of Byron Bay was named player of the match. [104]
Byron Bay won the premiership by 2 points from Richmond Rovers, losing only once during the season, a round 17 home loss to Richmond Rovers 1–2. This defeat meant that Byron Bay had to win their final fixture away to Alstonville to secure the premiership. A 5–2 win ensured Byron Bay's 4th premiership.
The Cyril Mayo Cup (grand final) between Byron Bay and defending champions Bangalow was history-making, being contested for the first time ever by 2 clubs from the Byron Shire. It was also the first time since 2001 that both grand finalists were from outside Lismore (in 2001 Maclean defeated Byron Bay in the Cyril Mayo Cup final). [105] And for the first time since 2009 when the grand final was played at Crozier Field; the grand final wasn't played at Oakes Oval due to refurbishments. The game was played at Lismore Workers' home ground, Richards Oval in Lismore. A 10-man Byron Bay won the grand final 2-1 after Ben Ahearn was sent off in the 16th minute and extra time thanks to a double by player-of-the match Joel Wood. [106]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2017 Finals | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Byron Bay | 18 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 93 | 15 | 51 | | Elimination final (4th v 5th) | Goonellabah 5 defeated Lismore Thistles 4 after extra time (3-3 at full-time) @ Weston Park, Goonellabah | Goonellabah – Kaiden Powell (3 including a penalty), Wayne Gordon, Lloyd Howard Lismore Thistles – Oscar Stahl, Nathan McCann, Chris Hunt, Max Hospers |
| 2nd | Richmond Rovers | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 76 | 23 | 49 | | Qualifying Final (2nd v 3rd) | Bangalow 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Bangalow – Rory Devlin, Luke Wakefield |
| 3rd | Bangalow | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 47 | 30 | 40 | | Minor semi-final | Richmond Rovers 4 defeated Goonellabah 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Luke McWaide (2), Jonathan See, Kurt Walker Goonellabah – Kurt Stephens |
| 4th | Goonellabah | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 54 | 34 | 29 | | Major semi-final | Byron Bay 3 defeated Bangalow 1 @ Byron Recreation Grounds | Byron Bay – Gianluca Bongiovanni, Sam Owens, Joel Wood Bangalow – Scott Fuller |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles | 18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 42 | 44 | 22 | | Preliminary final | Bangalow 3 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Bangalow – Dayne Smith, Josh Cole, Sam Ireland Richmond Rovers – Kurt Walker |
| 6th | Alstonville | 18 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 31 | 49 | 18 | | Grand final [106] | Byron Bay 2 defeated Bangalow 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Recreation Ground Number 12, Richards Oval, Lismore | Byron Bay – Joel Wood (2) Bangalow – Sam Ireland |
| 7th | Lennox Head | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 37 | 55 | 16 |
| 8th | Casino | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 27 | 74 | 16 |
| 9th | Lismore Workers | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 22 | 69 | 12 |
| 10th | Italo Stars | 18 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 29 | 62 | 11 |
South Lismore were promoted to the 2018 Premier Division after winning the 2017 1st Division premiership by beating Ballina 3–1 at Saunders Oval, Ballina in the final fixture of the season. Going into that final fixture Ballina led South Lismore by 2 points and draw or win would have been enough for Ballina to be promoted. However goals by Kaine Allan (2) and Steve Morrissey in response to a Ben Coulter goal for Ballina gave South Lismore the win and the premiership. South Lismore won the premiership-grand final double by beating Shores United 3–1 in the grand final. South Lismore would be playing in the top division of FFNC competitions for the first time since 2002. South Lismore's 1st Division double was a triumph for their young coach, Cameron Hyde, who overcame a cancer diagnosis to guide his young team back into the Premier Division. [107]
2018 – Lismore Workers & Italo Stars Depart the Premier Division
The 2018 season began with the sad realisation that the 2 most successful clubs in FFNC history, Lismore Workers and Italo Stars, would not be competing in Premier Division. Italo Stars were relegated to 1st Division after coming bottom in the 2017 Premier Division competition whilst Lismore Workers voluntarily opted to play in the men's lower divisions. [108] Between them Lismore Workers (46 titles, 28 as Eastwood United and 18 as Lismore Workers) and Italo Stars (33 titles) have won 79 titles. Lismore Workers dropped 5 divisions to Division 5 whilst Italo Stars went back 1 division to 1st Division.
South Lismore returned to the Premier Division in 2018 after a 16-year absence after winning the 2017 1st Division premiership-grand final double. With the return of South Lismore, the self-demotion of Lismore Workers and the relegation of Italo Stars, the 2018 Premier Division competition has 9 clubs, a change from the tradition of 10 or even 12 clubs.
In April Lismore Thistles won their 3rd ANZAC Cup in 6 years and their 8th overall, beating Bangalow 3–0 at Crozier Field. Goalscorers were Oscar Stahl, Nick Albertini and Jye Wilson, with Stahl being named player of the match [109]
In May Byron Bay announced that Byron Bay Council had approved its plans for a new clubhouse at its "spiritual home", Byron Recreation Grounds, with the clubhouse expected to be completed in 2019. [110]
In July Richmond Rovers defeated Lennox Head 5–0 away and in doing so wrapped up their 9th premiership with 4 games to play in the 16-game home and away season. [111]
2018 Premier Division – final table & Cyril Mayo Cup results
Source: [112]
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Points | | 2018 Cyril Mayo Cup | Results & venues | Goalscorers |
|---|
| Premiers | Richmond Rovers | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 16 | 41 | | Elimination final (4th v 5th) | Bangalow 3 defeated Lismore Thistles 0 @ Bangalow Recreation Ground | Bangalow – Sam Ireland (2), Luke Wakefield |
| 2nd | Byron Bay | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 39 | 21 | 29 | | Qualifying Final (2nd v 3rd) | Byron Bay 1 defeated South Lismore 0 after extra time (0-0 at full-time) @ Byron Recreation Ground | Byron Bay – Matt Pike |
| 3rd | South Lismore | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 19 | 27 | | Minor semi-final | South Lismore 2 defeated Bangalow 1 @ Caniaba Street, South Lismore | South Lismore – Bob Mullenberg, Joel Goulding Bangalow – |
| 4th | Bangalow | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 25 | 22 | | Major semi-final | Richmond Rovers 2 defeated Byron Bay 0 @ Nielson Park, East Lismore | Richmond Rovers – Jaiden Walker, Brad Bugden |
| 5th | Lismore Thistles | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 32 | 28 | 20 | | Preliminary final | Byron Bay 2 defeated South Lismore 0 @ Byron Recreation Ground | Byron Bay – Matt Pike, Ethan Archer |
| 6th | Alstonville | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 28 | 19 | | Grand final | Byron Bay 2 defeated Richmond Rovers 1 after extra time (1-1 at full-time) @ Crozier Field, Lismore | Byron Bay – Jonathan Pierce (2) Richmond Rovers – Brad Bugden |
| 7th | Goonellabah | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 20 | 17 |
| 8th | Lennox Head | 16 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 47 | 14 |
| 9th | Casino | 16 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 61 | 11 |
