Northern Rangers

Northern Rangers

Full name	Northern Rangers Football Club
Founded	1996 By David Hughes and Brendan Lichtendonk
Ground	NTCA Ground, Launceston (Capacity: 10,000)
Chairman	Mark Ackerly
Manager	Adam Whitemore
League	Northern Premier League
2011	2nd
Home colours

Northern Rangers Football Club is a football (soccer) club which represents Launceston in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams. Northern Rangers play their home games at the NTCA Ground in Launceston, Tasmania.

The Northern Rangers entered a junior side under the name "Northern Tasmanian Christian Soccer League Rangers" in the 1996 season. The club first entered the Northern Premier League in 1999. The club finally arrived on 15 August 2009 when it won its first Northern Premier League title.^{[citation needed]}

Honours

Northern Premierships:

• 2009 & 2010 Northern Premier League Champions
• 2010 Forestry Tasmania State Final Series Runners up
• 2009 Milan Lakoslejac Statewide Cup Runners up.
• 2006 Steve Hudson Cup Winners
• 2007 Northern Reserve Grade Premiers
• 1999, 2001 Northern Tasmanian Under 17 Premiers

History

Northern Rangers formed in 1996 when a group of players playing amateur six-a-side competitions in Riverside decided to combine their teams to form one 11-a-side team and enter the NTJSA under the banner of the Northern Tasmanian Christian Soccer League Rangers (NTCSL Rangers). The players were all under 16.^{[citation needed]}

Around 18 players formed the first Northern Rangers side. The team went through the 1996 season undefeated to win the under-16 premiership in its debut season against strong opposition.^{[citation needed]}

The following years saw the rapid expansion of the club with two teams entered in 1997. In 1998 NRFC finished one and two on the table and Rangers White took the MacDonalds cup. 1998 produced one player who would become a household name at the NTCA in the future, Derek Schipper.

In 1999 most of the players were too old to play in the junior competitions, so it was decided to try to gain a position in the Northern Premier League. Rangers finished with 2 wins and 2 draws in the seniors, 4 wins and 1 draw in the reserves. The under-17s took the premiership under the guidance of coach Mark Ackerly.

In 2000 Mark Ackerly took on the senior coaching role and with some key recruits in Damire Metric and his younger brother Goran both from Bosnia, Adam Whitemore, Tony Ludby and Seb Deak From George Town the side was strengthened and more consistency was achieved. The club also was able to reach the final in the statewide vase competition.

In 2003 Mark Spicer joined the club as the first contracted coach to the Northern Rangers. He helped the club finish in fourth place on the senior table two years running and third for the Reserves for the two years also. For the first time Northern Rangers were a consistent and challenging force in the Northern Premier League.

In 2007 the club's Reserves took the Northern Premier Reserve Grade Champions.

The club won its first Northern Premier League title on 15 August 2009 with a last minute winner against Devonport. The club secured it second consecutive Northern Premier League on August the 7th 2010 with a 3 nil victory over Somerset at Cardigan Street with a week to spare.

Records

Record Games Holder

• Derek Schipper 200+

Club Best and Fairest Winners Men's

• 1999: Tim Armstrong
• 2000: Derek Schipper
• 2001: Derek Schipper / Tim schipper
• 2002: Tim Schipper
• 2003: Adam Whitemore
• 2004: Sam Luck
• 2005: Sam Luck
• 2006: Derek Schipper
• 2007: Thataetsile Kakadumane
• 2008: Thataetsile Kakadumane / Derek Schipper / Mark Ambrose
• 2009: Derek Schipper/Todd Hingston
• 2010: Todd Hingston
• 2011: Derek Schipper

Club Best and Fairest Winners Women's

• 2007: Arlene Crooks
• 2008: Rebecca Wheatley
• 2009: Arlene Crooks
• 2010: Felicity Shaw
• 2011: Felicity Shaw

Individual Honors

• George Dale Medal Winner: Derek Schipper(2006), Todd Hingston(2009, 2010 & 2011)
• 2006: Tasmanian State team selection: Derek Schipper / Marshall Pooley
• 2007: Tasmanian State team selection: Thataetsile Kakadumane
• 2008: Tasmanian Youth A-League Team: Mark Ambrose / Marshall Pooley
• Fred Paice Medal Winners (Best & Fairest Winners Reserve Comp): Gabriel Tams (2003, 2008), Oytun Aykiran (2004), Peter Mcbeath (2005, 2007)
• Under 18 League Best and Fairest winners: Stefan Jago (2009), Yitay Towns (2011)
• Northern Premier League Coach of the Year: Mitchell Billing (2002), Roslan Sa'ad (2009), Adam Whitemore (2010)

Life Members

• 2000: David Hughes
• 2003: James Park
• 2005: Brendan Lichtendonk
• 2008: Mark Ackerly
• 2008: Ian Loft

Senior Premier League Records.

• First Senior Game played: 10 April 1999, against Launceston at Birch Avenue.

• First Senior win: 5 June 1999, Northern Rangers defeated George Town Utd. 5-2 at the NTCA.

• Greatest Winning Margin: 27 March 2010 versus Prospect Knights 7-1 at Harley Parade.

• Greatest Losing Margin: 10 April 1999, Launceston defeated Northern Rangers 14-2 at Birch Avenue.

• Best Finish to a Season Men's: 2010, 1st place out of 9 with 12 wins, 3 draws, 1 losses, 56 goals for and 23 against.

• Best Finish to a Season Women's: 2008, 3rd place out of 10 with 13 wins, 1 draws 4 losses, 100 goals for and 36 against.

• Worst Finish to a season: 1999, 10th place out of 11 with 2 wins, 2 draws, 16 losses, 41 goals for and 111 against

External links

• Northern Rangers - official website
• Northern Rangers - unofficial forums