West Adelaide SC

Infobox Football club
clubname = WEST ADELAIDE


fullname = West Adelaide Soccer Club
nickname = Hellas, Blues,
shortname =
founded = 1962
ground = Thebarton Oval
chairman = Dr Arthur Karagiannis
manager = Carl Robinson
league = FFSA State League
season = 2008
position = 3rd
pattern_b1=_whitestripes|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=0000AA|body1=0000AA|rightarm1=0000AA|shorts1=0000AA|socks1=OOOOAA|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=ffffff|body2=ffffff|rightarm2=ffffff|shorts2=0000AA|socks2=FFFFFF| pattern_b2=|

West Adelaide Soccer Club is an Australian football (soccer) club from Adelaide, Australia. Currently it plays in the FFSA State League Competition. 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. In 2008 West Adelaide will play in Blue and White Stripes, Blue Shorts and blue Socks.

History

The club was formed in 1962 [http://www.westadelaideblues.com.au/history.html West Adelaide History Page] 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 [http://www.westadelaideblues.com.au/history.html Olympic banned] . Hellas was supported by the local Greek 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 1966-76. 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, with a best finish of seventh in 1979 for that era, and a failure to make the finals in the conference system years of 1984-86 making 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,the West Adelaide Soccer Club are currently in the South Australian State League competition.

Honours

*National Soccer League Australian Champions 1978
*National Soccer League Finalists 1992/1993, 1994/1995
*South Australian 1st Division Champions 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991
*South Australian 2nd Division Champions 1982
*South Australian Federation Cup Winners 1964, 1967, 1999
*South Australian U/19 Federation Cup Winners 1969, 1971,
*South Australian SF Premier Cup Winners 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
*South Australian Ampol Cup Winners 1964, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1988, 1993
*South Australian Coca-Cola Cup Winners 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1986, 1987, 1988
*FFSA Junior U/15 Cup Winners 2007

Individual Honours

South Australia Player of the Year
*1989 - Alby Kidd

National Soccer League Player of the Year
*1985 - Graham Honeyman

National Soccer League U/21 Player of the Year
*1977 - John Kosmina
*1995/1996 - Jim Tsekinis

Former Players

*flagicon|AUS Anthony LaPaglia
*flagicon|GRE Nick Pantelis
*flagicon|GRE Alex Zervas
*flagicon|GRE Peter Tsitsos
*flagicon|GRE Laki Vagianos
*flagicon|AUS Ted DeLyster
*flagicon|England Richard Yeeles
*flagicon|AUS Martin Crook
*flagicon|AUS Vic Bozanic
*flagicon|SCO Graeme Souness
*flagicon|AUS Graham Norris
*flagicon|SCO Graham Honeyman
*flagicon|SCO Peter Boyle
*flagicon|GRE George Koulianos
*flagicon|SCO Neil Machagy
*flagicon|SCO Alec Byrne
*flagicon|SCO Hammy Macmehan
*flagicon|England David Pillans
*flagicon|Israel Shraga topaz
*flagicon|England Billy Birch
*flagicon|England Barry King
*flagicon|Germany Udo Joske
*flagicon|AUS Barry Reynolds
*flagicon|AUS Robbie Dunn
*flagicon|AUS David Jones
*flagicon|SCO Ian Magregor
*flagicon|Scotland Brian McLaughlin (footballer born in 1954) (1985-86)
*flagicon|SCO Ray Blair (1989-94) 91 apps 17 goals
*flagicon|SCO Martin Doak (1989-90) [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/martindoak.htm]
*flagicon|SCO Albert Kidd (1987-89)
*flagicon|GRE Con Cambas
*flagicon|AUS Stan Lazaridis
*flagicon|AUS Joel porter
*flagicon|AUS Peter Blazincic
*flagicon|AUS Richie Alagich
*flagicon|ARG Jose Iriarte
*flagicon|ARG Hugo Gimenez
*flagicon|AUS Robbie Hooker
*flagicon|AUS Ross Aloisi
*flagicon|AUS Adrian Santrac
*flagicon|GRE Loui Christodoulou
*flagicon|AUS Branko Milosevic
*flagicon|AUS Jimmy Keramidas
*flagicon|ENG Greg Brown
*flagicon|AUS Lemmy Vatsilas
*flagicon|AUS Greg Mills
*flagicon|AUS Paul Pezos
*flagicon|AUS Lindsay Sanders
*flagicon|SCO Eeli McDilan
*flagicon|AUS Gilligan Sanders

Current Players

References

External links

* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Clubs/W/WestAdelaideDH.html OzFootball West Adelaide divisional history]
* [http://www.westadelaideblues.com.au West Adeladie Blues SC 2008]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjWu4G3MUgI youtube clip of West Adelaide clinching the 1978 NSL title]