User:Kerprunt/Elizabeth Vale Soccer Club

'Elizabeth Vale Soccer Club' are an amateur sports club, based in Adelaide, South Australia. They field both junior and senior teams in the Elizabeth & Districts Junior Soccer Association, and The South Australian Amateur Soccer League, respectively. The clubrooms are located at Mofflin Rd, Elizabeth Vale. The name Elizabeth Vale first became associated with soccer in South Australia in 1961 with the opening of the Elizabeth Vale Primary School. That same year the school fielded a soccer team for the first time with Dennis Sykes from Elizabeth Town Soccer Club (now Elizabeth City) as coach assisted by Sago Petrucco. This first Vale side was off to a flying start finishing top of League 2 and reached the Queens Birthday Cup and the Challenge Cup. In their second season, 1962, the Vale school side went on to finish top of League 1. The 1963 season saw the Vale begin playing on their current “home” turf at Mofflin Road. Mofflin Road Hall was rented to the Junior Soccer Council for £7 per week. Mofflin Road Hall became the birthplace of the Amateur Soccer League when on the 23rd November 1964 an inaugural meeting was held to discuss the formation of the Sunday works competition. A meeting which followed on the 7th March 1965 saw the formation of the Sunday Industrial League comprising of teams from Diecasters, Mayne Nickless, Mounted Rifles, Para Hills, Tramways and GMH (2 teams). At the last minute Munno Para All Protestants Athletics Club (APAC) stepped in to make it an 8-team competition. The following season, 1966, saw Elizabeth Vale emerge with their first senior soccer side. This side had a strong debut season culminating in runners-up in the Coca-Cola Challenge Cup. In 1967 season the Vale fielded a 1st and Reserve side in the same division (there was only one division then). 1968 saw the Vale 1st team finish in second position whilst the reserves became the inaugural Reserve League Champions and Reserve Cup winners. The following 1969 season the 1st team and Reserves side repeated the same feat as the previous season except APAC won the Reserve Cup. Vale players such as Alan Murphy and Geoff Murch were selected for the State Amateur side, whilst Peter Edwards, Colin Prunty and G Cotgrave were chosen for the State Amateur Under 23 representative side. Colin Prunty finished the clubs leading scorer with 7 goals followed closely by Peter Edwards with 6 goals. The 1st and Reserve teams were both runners up in 1970 and gained a lot of respect by taking Polonia to extra time in their Federation Cup clash. Franky Day with 14 goals was the Vales top scorer in 1971 and played alongside players such as B Orr, G Murch, G Butler, C Prunty, J Cotter, G Cotgrave, B Hawkins, Teale, Craige, Balding and Harding. That season the Vale became the first amateur club to field a C team. 1972 was a disappointing season narrowly avoiding relegation with an 8th position finish. However the following season, 1973, the Vale won their first piece a 1st team silverware with the winning of the Coca Cola Challenge Cup. Player previously mentioned were joined with the likes of J Caven, J Hunt and R Thompson to form this winning side. During the 1974 season the C team saw the emerging talent of players like R Nicholls, H Hindmarsh, and T Woodward. The Vale tasted their first bitter taste of relegation in 1975, the same year Elizabeth Downs won the Division 2 and gained promotion to Division 1 for the first time. Two rebuilding years followed but by 1978 a team with players of the ilk of R Nicholls, J Tallarico, T Blackwood, T Barber, R Revel, C Costigan, G Hodgkinson, B McHale, and T Morrison the Vale took out the Division 2 Championship and R Nicholls was that leagues top scorer. With the addition of G Pettit, P Methofer and R Shaw in 1979, P Donovan, P Stanzac and R Preston 1980, and P Donovan the leagues equal best and fairest in 1981, the Vale could only produce average seasons with mid-table finishes. By 1982 players of the calibre of K Dickman, R Freeman, J Tallarico, R Smith, M Allen, R Nicholls, D Nicholls, W Orr, R Revell, P Edwards, J McGregor, F McDonald and W Graham were to be found in the Vale colours. Despite R Nicholls finishing runner up to Terry Wetton for the leagues best and fairest award in 1983 the Vale were relegated for the second and last time, to present, after finishing bottom. The 1984 season saw the Vale bounce straight back in Division 1 finishing runners up to an old rival in Elizabeth Downs. The side that year featured R Nicholls, D Allen, W Orr, R Kember, M Johnson, J Ostbye, D MacDonald, M Chumbley, M Reeves, M McKay, J Portch, and M Armstrong. Roger Nicholls good form continued in 1985 and culminated in the winning of the Munaro Medal for the Division 1 best and fairest player. With the additions of K Hill, E Pudler, and G Armstrong the Vale had assembled a stable team to carry it through the late 80’s. By 1987 the Vale were fielding five senior teams. The height of success during this time was gained in 1989 when the 1st team was runners up and the reserves took out the championship. By 1991 the Vale 1st team featured players like C Leyland, D Allen, D Berlin, J Fraser, K Sherwood, D Lowes, D Nicholls, I Manhire, G Armstrong, G McGarrigan, S Jakubowicz and S Windle and went on to again become runners up. In 1992 B Sneddon, J Ostbye, Williams, Hobbs were added to this lineup but the 1st team only managed 3rd place. B Sneddon, J Ostbye and D Allen took out 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 1993 Division 1 best and fairest count but the Vale were unlucky to be runners up on the goals for rule to Para Hills East in the closest Division 1 result. The 1994 team lineup added S Greaves to established Vale player names of Ostbye, Hobbs, Williams, Lowes, Allen, Hotka, Fraser, Brissland, Ainsworth, Slater, Hobbs and Nicholls but a mid table result was all that was achieved in this season and also the following 1995 season. The 1996 season saw Geoff Armstrong take charge in the coaching position for the second time to be assisted by Roger Nicholls. The playing side saw the emergence of a second generation of Vale players bearing the Nicholls surname. It also saw the team of D Nicholls, M Hobbs, E Pudler, D Lowes, S Jakubowicz, R Hotka, S Nicholls, D Williams, S Mansell, B Sneddon, R Morrison, I Dickie, S Greaves, M Armstrong, J Ostbye and S McIlduff shake off the bridesmaid tag and take out the Division 1 championship. A feat matched by the reserves side which also took out the championship. With the addition of Dave Edwards in 1997 the Vale continued their success with a follow up championship beating close rivals Elizabeth Downs. The 1998 season was tinged with sadness as the Vale and amateur soccer mourned the passing of Geoff Armstrong. The Vale recruited strongly with the names like Matheson, Acton and Peace to build a strong team, which went on to, make it a hat-trick of championships in 1998. Eric Ainsworth took out the Division 1 Best and Fairest award with Matheson finishing 3rd in the count. Eric was also the clubs top goal scorer with 10 goals. Come the end of the season the 1st team found themselves in the final of the Challenge Cup. The result was decided on penalties with Salisbury Inter coming out victors. The club also fielded three C teams in 1998 with the Division 9 team the most successful finishing 2nd. M Allen from this team was equal Best and Fairest for Division 9. After the success of the previous three years 1999 was disappointing as the 1st team finished 4th in the league. Dave Edwards had a good year topping the Division 1 goals scoring list with 20 goals and coming 3rd in the Best and Fairest count. As per the previous season the 1st team again competed in the Challenge Cup final this time losing 2-1 against Macedonia. The club again fielded three C teams with the Division 8 team successful winning the title. S Greaves from this team was the Division 8 Best and Fairest and E Pudler with 27 goals the Division 8 top goal scorer. The Vale recruited well for the 2000 season with the addition of players like D Tarbard, M Ryan, R Winter, S Roche, A Kokot and Bert Fuda. This saw the club as run away winners of the Division 1 title by a clear 10 points. Downs’s old player Bert Fuda topped off this success by winning the Division 1 Best and Fairest award. This year the 1st team was knock out of the cup in the semi finals. The Reserves followed in the 1st team footsteps by winning the title in their league, as did the Division 8 C team. S Greaves and E Pudler repeated the previous season’s successes by taking out the Division 8 awards, E Pudler this time scoring 20 goals. The Vale started 2001 losing the Cichanowski Shield 2-1 against Salisbury Villa. However come the seasons end the Vale eventually finished second behind Salisbury Inter. Bert Fuda again had an excellent year winning the Division 1 Best and Fairest in a tie with Vito Malivindi from Salisbury Villa. Other players to shine in that team were Eric Ainsworth, Rob Winter, Dave Edwards and Daniel Nicholls. The season finished on a high when the 1st team won the Challenge Cup beating St Peters Old Collegians 3-2 in the final. The Reserves and Division 10 C team both had poor seasons finishing well down their respective leagues. Pat Dobin replaced Earl Pudler as coach for the 2002 season and some new faces found their way into the Vale 1st team. One such player was Shaun Butler who impressed, polling well in the referee’s voting. Top scorer with 11 goals was Daniel Nicholls. Other players that represented the club well were Steve Jakubowicz, Chad Hutchins, Michael Hobbs, Simon Matheson, Andrew Kokot, David Hayes and Grant Chapman. The Reserves finished 7th while the Veterans team in Division 10 finished 5th.