West Adelaide SC

West Adelaide
Full name West Adelaide Soccer Club
Nickname(s) Hellas, Westies
Founded 2008
Ground Adelaide Shores Football Centre
Ground Capacity 2,000
Chairman Alex Alexandrou
Manager Paul Pezos
League NPL South Australia
2014 NPL South Australia, 2nd
Website Club home page

West Adelaide Soccer Club is an Australian soccer club from Adelaide, Australia currently playing in the National Premier Leagues South Australia. It participated in the National Soccer League from the 1977 season until the end of the 1998/99 season, except for the periods 1987–89 and 1990–91. It was also known as West Adelaide Hellas and Adelaide Sharks. They played in various blue and white strips, and played most of their NSL home games at Hindmarsh Stadium. The senior arm of the club re-formed in 2008 and is the FFSA National Premier League 2015 Premiers and 2015 Champions , coached by one of the former NSL players of the club, Paul Pezos.

History

The club was formed in 1962[1] as an amalgamation between West Adelaide Soccer Club (formed 1910) and Hellenic Athletic & Soccer Club (formed 1945 as Olympic Soccer Club) which had been banned by the state association due to spectator violence.[2] Hellas was supported by the local Greek Australian community. The almalgamated club played under the name West Adelaide Hellas, and quickly became one of the dominant clubs in the South Australian 1st Division, winning six titles from 1966 to 1976. Joining the NSL as a foundation member in 1977, in 1978 the club became the only non-Sydney based team to win the NSL championship in the years 1977–1983, a late goal by Vic Bozanic earning a draw against local rival Adelaide City on the final day of the season, which was enough to win the title by a point from Sydney City.

From 1979 until 1986, however, the club struggled, especially in the early to mid-eighties, with poor presidency and committee management leading to the cutting of players' salaries and breaking of players' contracts. A failure to make the finals in the conference system years of 1984–86 made them a prime candidate as one of the clubs to be dumped back to the state leagues when the NSL reformed its conference system back to a single division. A three-season spell in the South Australian 1st Division followed, which saw two titles and a second-place finish. Re-instated to the NSL for the 1989/90 season, the club performed poorly, finishing 13th, and was bumped back to the state league for another two-year spell, where they won another two titles.

West Adelaide were once again re-instated into the NSL for season 1991/92, and despite another 13th-place finish, the club managed to reach the finals in two of the three following seasons. During this time the club also changed its name to the Adelaide Sharks in an attempt to broaden its appeal outside its Greek migrant base. But gradually declining performances on the field, and a worsening financial situation off it, saw the club's senior arm fold at the end of 1998/99 season. The West Adelaide Juniors continued at Park B27 for the next seven years and finally in 2008 were reinstated with seniors. Thirty-five years to the day that West Adelaide claimed the National Soccer League title, the club added another landmark moment to their proud history. The senior side secured promotion back to the top tier of South Australian football, having completed an undefeated championship season and to claim back-to-back state league titles. The West Adelaide Soccer Club are currently in the NPL South Australia.

2014 National Premier Leagues

On Friday 21 February 2014 A proud day for the club, launching the opening of the season with a crowd of 2900 against rivals Adelaide City in a match which finished in a 1–1 draw. This was one of the largest attendances in South Australian league football in recent times.[3]

Honours

Individual Honours

South Australia Player of the Year

National Soccer League Player of the Year

National Soccer League U/21 Player of the Year

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Australia GK Lewis Moss
24 Australia MF Tony Hatzis
5 Australia DF Robert Lippett
5 Australia DF Micael Alexandrou
6 Australia MF Elias Vlassis
8 Australia MF Kosta Mantis
10 Portugal FW Ricardo Da Silva
11 Australia FW Thomas Briscoe
2 Australia DF Meni Haralampopoulos
14 Indonesia DF Nathan Andijanto
9 Australia FW Alex Rideout
18 Australia FW John Karatzas
18 Australia FW Perry Mitris
23 Australia MF Mitchell Nicholson
4 Australia MF Jack Yull

References

  1. ↑ http://www.westadelaideblues.com.au/history.html
  2. ↑ http://www.westadelaideblues.com.au/history.html
  3. ↑ "FFSA – NPL Match Centre". Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 2014-07-16.

External links

Preceded by
Eastern Suburbs		 NSL Champions
1978 		Succeeded by
Marconi Stallions
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