Wollongong United FC

Last updated

Wollongong United
Wollongong United logo.png
Full nameWollongong United Football Club
Nickname(s)Lions, United, Macedonia
Founded1976;48 years ago (1976)
GroundMacedonia Park
Capacity10,000
PresidentPeter Vrtkovski
ManagerOliver Vrtkovski
League Illawarra Premier League
20236th of 12

Wollongong United FC is an Australian soccer club based in Wollongong, currently competing in the Illawarra Premier League. The club played in the 1991 season of the National Soccer League under the name Wollongong Macedonia, where it finished last.

Contents

History

Formed in 1976 by the "Macedonian Orthodox Community of Wollongong", the club was originally established on behalf of the Macedonian Australian community of Wollongong. With a huge supporter base, the club was originally known as Wollongong United Soccer Club. Since then it has also been known as Wollongong Macedonia, as represented in the National Soccer League (NSL) 1990.

Upon entering the Premier League in the Illawarra Second division, the club quickly advanced in 1980 to enter the NSW Second division, finishing second at season end on its first attempt.

In 1986, the club reached the top competition in NSW Division 1, today known as NSW National Premier League. Wollongong United F.C completed the season undefeated, to this day, the only club in NSW to do so (Except for Eastern Suburbs Hakoah in 1971 and Croatia Sydney in 1981). In 1990 the club claim their first title in NSW Division 1 History, This success led the club to the pinnacle of Australian soccer.

Post-NSL

Between 1991 and 2004, the club played in the NSW State League with a strong, consistent representation in both junior and senior ranks. In 1992, the club rename as Illawarra Lions in NSW Super League and again in 2003 as Wollongong United FC in NSW State League.

In 2004 the club evaluated its position and it was deemed, in the best interests of the club, its members, supporters and sponsors to return to the local Illawarra Football Association. In 2005, the club competed in the IFA First Division with an aim to return to the IFA Premier League. Wollongong United finished second and gained promotion into the Premier League for the 2006 season. Wollongong United has reached two grand finals in the years since (2015 and 2018), winning the competition in 2015. The club remains in the now Football South Coast Illawarra Premier League.

Notable former players

Honours

Related Research Articles

The National Premier Leagues NSW is a semi-professional soccer competition in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted by Football NSW, the organising body in New South Wales. The league is a subdivision of the second tier National Premier Leagues (NPL), which sits below the national A-League. Prior to becoming a subdivision of the NPL in 2013, the league was previously known as the NSW Premier League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wollongong Wolves FC</span> Football club

Wollongong Wolves Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in Wollongong, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW, the second-tier of soccer in Australia. The club plays its home games at WIN Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marconi Stallions FC</span> Football club

Marconi Stallions Football Club is an Australian semi-professional association football club based in Fairfield, Sydney, New South Wales. The club has been crowned Australian champion four times.

Alvin Ceccoli is an Australian footballer who played for three A-League clubs and was capped internationally for Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bankstown City FC</span> Football club

Bankstown City Lions Football Club, commonly referred to as Bankstown City Lions or simply Bankstown City, is an Australian football club from Bankstown, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They compete in the NSW League One Men's, playing their home games at Jensen Oval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockdale Ilinden FC</span> Australian soccer club

Rockdale Ilinden Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in Sydney suburb of Rockdale. Founded in 1969, by Macedonian Australians, the club competes in the highest men's competition in New South Wales, the National Premier League NSW. The club's home ground is Ilinden Sports Centre, located in the suburb of Rockdale, New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Lions FC</span> Football club

Preston Lions Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club from Preston, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club was established in 1947 to play non-professional soccer matches against other teams in the local community until 1959, and 12 years later, they joined the Victorian Soccer Federation, the club's first season in an officially sanctioned competition. The Lions currently compete in the Victoria Premier League 1 competition, which is the third tier in the Australian soccer league system, after being promoted in 2022 from NPL 3 Victoria. The club won the Victorian Premier League in seasons 1980, 1994, 2002 and 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George FC</span> Australian association football club

St George FC, commonly called Saints or Budapest, is a semi-professional Australian soccer club based in the St George district in the south of Sydney. The club was founded by Hungarian immigrants in 1957 as Budapest Club and by 1965 was renamed to St. George-Budapest Club.

Adrian Alston is a former professional soccer player. Born in England, he began his career as a youth player with Preston North End and briefly at non-league Fleetwood before moving to Australia. In Australia, he played for South Coast United, then St George before returning to South Coast United and was called up to the Australia national soccer team after two years in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illawarra Rugby League</span> Rugby league competition in Australia

The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs. The area provides a nursery of juniors for the Illawarra Steelers and St George Illawarra Dragons. The season is contested by seven teams and concludes with a finals series involving the top four teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canberra Croatia FC</span> Football club

Canberra Croatia Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in the suburb of Deakin in the south of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory founded in 1958. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Capital Football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast United SC</span> Football club

South Coast United Soccer Club is a semi-professional Australian soccer club from the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club was founded in 1984 by Wollongong's Croatian Australian community. The club plays in the Illawarra Premier League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queanbeyan City FC</span> Football club

Queanbeyan City Football Club is an Australian Semi-Professional association football club based in the NSW city of Queanbeyan, Australia. The club was founded in 1966 and currently competes in ACT competitions including the Capital Premier League

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macarthur Rams FC</span> Football club

Macarthur Rams Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The club compete in Football NSW League One, situated in the third tier of Australian football. The club's home ground is the 3,000 capacity Lynwood Park, located in St. Helens Park. Founded by an amalgamation of Campbelltown City Soccer Club and modern-day Gunners Soccer Club, the 'Rams' serve as the premier football club within the Macarthur region, and operate as Macarthur's highest-ranked club outside of the A-League Men competition. The Rams have a corresponding women's team, which competes in National Premier Leagues NSW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canterbury Bankstown FC</span> Football club

The Canterbury Bankstown Football Club is a soccer club based in Bankstown, New South Wales. It competes in the NSW League One after gaining promotion at the end of the 2022 season. The club was formed in 1886 and was an original member of the NSW Federation of Soccer Clubs when it broke away from the New South Wales Soccer Football Association and competed in its inaugural season in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balgownie Rangers FC</span> Football club

Balgownie Rangers Football Club is an association football club based in Balgownie, New South Wales. They play in the Illawarra District League. Founded in 1883, Balgownie is believed to be the oldest running association football club in Australia.

Football South Coast is a sport governing body and soccer competition based in the Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales. All competitions and soccer activity of Football South Coast is under control of Football New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulli FC</span> Football club

Bulli FC, commonly known as Bulli Football Club are a semi-professional association football team based in Bulli, New South Wales. They compete in the Illawarra Premier League, and are considered one of the most successful teams in the competition having finished Premiers 4 times, the most recently in 2014. The team plays out of Balls Paddock, a small ground located at Woonona, just south of Bulli which was opened in 1988. Bulli FC has had several well known, high-profile players both play, and coach at the club including Socceroos players Adrian Alston, and Dean Heffernan. In addition to their Illawarra Premier League team, Bulli FC also fields junior teams and women's teams in local club competitions in Wollongong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulls FC Academy</span> Football club

Northbridge Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in the Sydney suburb of Northbridge, New South Wales. Founded in 1952, the club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW, with matches played at Northbridge Oval. Northbridge is Australia's largest community club with over 2,500 registered players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfield Bulls FC</span> Football club

Fairfield Bulls Football Club is an Australian amateur football club based in Fairfield, New South Wales. The club is currently playing in the Southern Districts Football Association. Fairfield Bulls have previously been known as the Bonnyrigg Eagles and Nineveh Eagles Soccer Team.