St George FC
Full name | St George Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Saints, Budapest | ||
Founded | 1957 | ||
Ground | Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre (NPL Youth Team) (NSW League One Senior Team) (NSW League One Women Team) | ||
Capacity | 5,000 | ||
Head Coach | Nefta Gonzalez | ||
League | NSW League One | ||
Website | Club website | ||
|
St George FC, commonly called Saints or Budapest, is a semi-professional Australian
One of the top clubs of Australia from the 1960s to the 1980s, St George currently competes in the second-highest tier of Australian soccer, the National Premier Leagues NSW. Their former home ground was the St George Stadium, but due to its dilapidated state, St George has played its youth and senior fixtures at Ilinden Sports Centre since 2018.
St George FC Women compete in the New South Wales League One Womens, third tier of Australian women's soccer. Their home ground is Ilinden Sports Centre from 2023 and Fraser Park for 2022 season, due to the dilapidated state of their former home ground, St George Stadium.
History
The club was formed shortly after the
Such was the dominance of St George in those days that up to 10 players on the national team would be St George players. Five of their players were in the
In 1975 at the urging of some former Hungarian soccer greats and youth coach Bob Szatmari, the meeting determined to establish the Australian
Recent history
In 2012 St George competed in the New South Wales Super League, the second tier of state soccer, finishing seventh out of twelve clubs and missing out on the finals.[2] In 2013, St George were promoted from the NPL NSW Men's 2 after taking out the league championship, finishing seven points ahead of the second placed Macarthur Rams FC. The club also won the Grand Final, beating the Rams in the semi-final 2–1 and then beating Mounties Wanderers FC 3–1 in the final. The joy was not to last long, though, as in 2014, the club was immediately relegated back to the second tier of soccer in NSW. Managing just four wins and four draws in 22 games, St George finished dead last in the top tier. The Saints endured another tough season in 2015, finishing third last in the NPL NSW Men's 2.
In 2017 the club played most senior home fixtures out of Seymour Shaw Park, also playing one game at St George Stadium, Fraser Park and Blacktown Football Park. This didn't seem to deter St George as the side finished in 2nd place, losing the semi-final to Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC 4–2.[3][4]
Due to the dilapidated state of St George Stadium, the club played senior fixtures out of Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, St George finished in 2nd place in the league and won the NPL NSW 2 grand final, but were not promoted due to the 'Club Championship' ranking which takes into consideration the performance of the U20 and U18 sides. In 2019, St George finished 10th in the 14-team NPL NSW 2 season.[5]
During the 2019 season, St George reached the FFA Cup round of 32 after beating clubs such as
In 2023, St George FC were promoted back into the National Premier League by finishing 2nd place in League 1, then defeating and relegating Mt Druitt Rangers in a thrilling play-off series.
Honours
- Champions: 1983
- Runner-up: 1982
- Runner-up: 1979
- Champions: 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1981
- Runner-up: 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1976
- Minor Premiers: 1962, 1972, 1976
- Winners 1964, 1972
- Runner-up: 1966, 1974
- NSW 2nd Division/NPL NSW 2/NSW League One
- Champions: 2013, 2018
- Minor Premiers: 2013
Season results
Season | League | Place | Cup |
---|---|---|---|
1961 | NSW 1 | 7th | |
1962 | NSW 1 | 1st | |
1963 | NSW 1 | 6th | |
1964 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1965 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1966 | NSW 1 | 3rd | |
1967 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1968 | NSW 1 | 11 | |
1969 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1970 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1971 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1972 | NSW 1 | 1st | |
1973 | NSW 1 | 3rd | |
1974 | NSW 1 | 3rd | |
1975 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1976 | NSW 1 | 1st | |
1977 | NSL | 6th | |
1978 | NSL | 7th | |
1979 | NSL | 11th | 2nd |
1980 | NSL | 14th | |
1981 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
1982 | NSL | 2nd | |
1983 | NSL | 1st | |
1984 | NSL | 10th | |
1985 | NSL | 5th | |
1986 | NSL | 3rd | |
1987 | NSL | 3rd | |
1988 | NSL | 8th | |
1989 | NSL | 2nd | 3rd |
1989–90 | NSL | 10th | |
1990 | NSW 1 | 4th | |
1990–91 | NSL | 10th | |
1992 | NSW 1 | 11th | |
1993 | NSW 1 | 11th | |
1994 | NSW 2 | 10th | |
1995 | NSW 1 | 5th | |
1996 | NSW 1 | 10th | |
1996 | NSW 1 | 3rd | |
1997 | NSW 1 | 9th | |
1998 | NSW 1 | 12th | |
1999 | NSW 2 | 2nd | |
2000 | NSW 1 | 4th | |
2000–01 | NSW 1 | 6th | |
2001–02 | NSW 1 | 10th | |
2002–03 | NSW 1 | 9th | |
2003–04 | NSW 1 | 2nd | |
2004–05 | NSW 1 | 8th | |
2005 | NSW 1 Champions League | 7th | |
2006 | NSW 2 | 10th | |
2006 | NSW 2 Group B | 5th | |
2007 | NSW 2 | 4th | |
2008 | NSW 2 | 6th | |
2009 | NSW 2 | 6th | |
2010 | NSW 2 | 3rd | |
2011 | NSW 2 | 3rd | |
2012 | NSW 2 | 7th | |
2013 | NSW 2 | 1st | |
2014 | NPL NSW 1 | 12th | |
2015 | NPL NSW 2 | 10th | |
2016 | NPL NSW 2 | 9th | |
2017 | NPL NSW 2 | 2nd | |
2018 | NPL NSW 2 | 2nd | |
2019 | NPL NSW 2 | 10th | |
2020 | NPL NSW 2 | 9th | |
2021 | NPL NSW 2 | Cancelled | |
2022 | NSW League One | 9th | |
2023 | NSW League One | 2nd |
First team squad
- As of 17 February 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Notable players
- List of NSL players, which was constructed exclusively to those players who had made at least one appearance in the competition between 1977 and 2004.
- List of NSL players, which was constructed exclusively to those players who had made at least one appearance in the competition between 1977 and 2004.
- List of NSL players, which was constructed exclusively to those players who had made at least one appearance in the competition between 1977 and 2004.
- List of NSL players, which was constructed exclusively to those players who had made at least one appearance in the competition between 1977 and 2004.
- Roy Cotton participated in the 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1986 National Soccer League seasons, across two spells with the club.
- Australia's all-time top goal scorer Tim Cahill was born in Sydney but played for Samoathree times and scored in two of those appearances. Cahill played for St George from 2006 to 2012.
References
- ISBN 9781740512671. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
- ^ Men's Super League 2012 final table. Retrieved 30 January 2013
- ^ "Ladder for 1st - PS4 NPL 2 NSW Men's 2017". SportsTG. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ "St George FC Season Fixture in Football NSW - NPL". SportsTG. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ "Ladder for 1st - NPL 2 NSW Men's 2019". SportsTG. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ "Australian Player Database - AA".
- ^ "1978 National Soccer League results".