History

Friday, 02 January 2009 00:00

The Geelong Soccer and Sports Club was established in the early 1950s by a group of migrants from the UK and Europe as a way of playing soccer and socialising. The club continues to be very proud of the ethnic mix amongst its membership. The current membership is made up of the following ethnic backgrounds:Australian, British, Irish, Macedonian, Dutch, Italian, Serbian, Greek, Croatian, Slovenian, Maltese and other.

Not long after the club was established, it began competing in the local Geelong and Ballarat Soccer League where it experienced much success. In the early seventies the club was promoted to the Victorian Provisional League and later gained promotion to the Victorian State League where it competes today.

The most recent significance in the club’s history was achieved in 1994 when the club merged with the East Geelong Soccer and Sports Club.  In the period following the merger the club boasts the largest membership of any soccer club in Geelong and it is proud to carry the tag as one of the most progressive soccer clubs in Geelong.

Since season 1968 the club has won 8 premierships. The premierships were won in the following seasons:
1968 – 1969 – 1970 – 1976 – 1980 - 1988 – 1996 – 1998.
The most recent premiership in 1998 also gained the club promotion in the State League - Division Two of the Victorian Soccer Federation.

Since 1994 the club has invested more than $150,000 in improving facilities at Stead Park.  Geelong is the only soccer club in Geelong to have night playing floodlights.The flood light facility gave the club the edge over other local clubs to successfully host the prestigious Geelong Advertiser Cup for four years 1996 to 1999.  The club also hosts half of its home and away matches on Friday nights under lights. This has proved very popular with members, supporters, players and the soccer loving people of Geelong.

The Geelong Soccer and Sports is the designated host of the 2003 Geelong Advertiser Cup and it is planned to play the tournament under lights again as it has proved to be popular with spectators and players alike.

The Geelong Soccer and Sports Club welcome any new members and sponsors to the club in 2009.

Our friend Roy Hay wrote a nice paper on The History of Geelong Soccer, check it out on the link below;

http://www.sesasport.com.au/pages/documents/GeelongsoccersincetheWar_000.pdf