Launceston City FC

Launceston City Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in Launceston, Tasmania. The club was founded in 1957 and currently participating in the Tasmanian NPL Tasmania since 2013, run by the governing body Football Tasmania. The club has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.

The junior club was briefly called "Westside Devils Soccer Club" from 1998 to 2016 and has since changed to Launceston City Devils. It has age groups from Under 6 to Under 17, and is one of the largest and most successful junior soccer clubs in the state with just under 600 registered juniors.

The club also heavily supports the participation of girls and women with many teams across different age groups and a senior women's team, which has been dominant since the turn of the century, picking up 9 Northern Premier League titles and going unbeaten over four league seasons between 2005 and 2008.

History
Launceston City was founded in 1957 orignally known as Roma. City was particularly dominant in the 1960s, when they won every season except 1964. Although Northern Tasmania's most successful club with 19 Northern titles, they have failed to repeat their dominance of the 60s. The club uses the colours of Juventus and has links to the club. Prior to the cessation of ethnic affiliations by Australian football clubs in 1997, Launceston City were known as Launceston Juventus.

In 1978 Launceston Juventus relocated from their home ground at Brooks High School to Buckby Motors Park located in Prospect Vale next to the Australian Italian Club where the club is still playing home games till this day. TassieCare Park has two playing grounds, fully functional floodlights for night games, clubrooms and changerooms.

Launceston City fields teams in the National Premier League Tasmania NPL, the second tier of Australian football, Northern Championship, Northern League 1, Under 18's and competes in the Northern Women's Championship Team this makes up over 100 senior registered players.

With regard to youth and juniors as of 2024, the club has nearly 600 players, compromising of 58 junior teams and over 100 enrolments in the clubs 'Juventus Academy'.

Since 2018, a video of former goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos kicking the ball away prior to an opposition striker taking a penalty has been a regular viral video on social media. The move, designed to throw his opponent off balance psychologically just prior to taking the kick, resulted in Giantsopoulos being issued a yellow card, but the penalty went ahead. Giantsopoulos saved the goal.

Club Crest
Since Launceston City (Juventus) was founded in 1958 there has been four recorded club crests throughout the years.

First logo on record The first ever recorded club crest since Launceston City's (Juventus) beginning in 1958 was this crest. Featuring the club's Italian heritage, resolve for success and the Launceston's coat of arms down the bottom of the crest. Which features with the two Tasmanian Tiger's holding the gold of the shield which refers to the early history of gold-mining in nearby hills. The blue represents the junction of the North and South Esk rivers where the city (symbolised by the gold central disc) was founded and the Tamar River flowing north to the Bass Strait. The club crest still features prominently outside the Launceston City change rooms to this day which was painted by life member Frank Stolp.

1980's In the 1980s the club committee led by president and life member Ross Wesson formed a new design of the Launceston City (Juventus) club crest highlighting the club's relations to the club's Italian relations Juventus FC with the black and white stripes as seen on the club's home kits, the crest was used up until the early 2000s. The crest could be seen around Launceston in the form of stickers on motor vehicles and in the way of a keyring.

2008 to 2018 As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, the club began its fifth decade with a new logo created by David Jordaan. This logo pays homage to the Italian heritage and was the first to feature a soccer ball in the centre of the crest as well as a ribbon at the base of the crest that marked its establishment of 1958.

2018 to Current Designed by Nathan Fellows of Freestyle FX Signs the design features a wreath to commemorate the clubs 60th year and is the current crest of Launceston City Football Club

Honours

 * State Championships: (2) 1961, 1963
 * State Championships Runners-up: (12) 1960, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1995, 2001, 2005
 * Northern Premierships: (17) 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1984, 1986, 2001, 2005
 * Cadbury Trophy : (1) 1979
 * Northern Knockout Cup : (2) 1964, 1971
 * Advocate Coca-Cola Night Soccer Series : (1) 1981
 * Statewide Cup: (5) 1966, 1976, 1991, 2004, 2007
 * Statewide Cup Runners-up: (6) 1964, 1977, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2006
 * Steve Hudson Cup: (9) 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007
 * Northern Women's Premier League: (16) 1987, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
 * Women's State Championship: (2) 2007, 2012
 * Women's Statewide Cup: (1) 2015

Individual honours
Men's State League Player of the Year
 * 1986 – Colin Guest
 * 1987 – Peter Savill
 * 1989 – Peter Savill
 * 1994 – Anthony Valentine

Men's State League Golden Boot Also Rothmans Medal winner ( State League Player of the year) 1985 and 1988 with George Town United.
 * 1981 – Peter Sawdon (20)

Women's State League Player of the Year
 * 2017 – Beth Bygrave

Northern Men's League Golden Boot
 * 1969 – Hans Streit (25)
 * 2004 – Alex Brownlie (14)
 * 2005 – Roger Mies

NPL Tasmania Rising Star Award
 * 2017 – Noah Mies

NPL Tasmania Goal of the Year
 * 2018 – Noah Mies

Northern Men's Best & Fairest
 * 2003 – Justin Dyer

Northern Women's Best & Fairest
 * 2005 – Jill Couch
 * 2013 – Caitlin Storay
 * 2014 – Caitlin Storay
 * 2015 – Caitlin Storay

Northern Women's League Golden Boot
 * 2005 – Chelsea Smith
 * 2008 – Chelsea Smith

NPL TAS Coach of the Year
 * 2015 – Lino Sciulli
 * 2022 – Lino Sciulli