Virtus Soccer Club
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| Northern Demons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Virtus Soccer Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Northern Demons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Byrne Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | FFSA Premier League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Premier League, 6th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Virtus Soccer Club are a football (soccer) club from Port Pirie, South Australia. They are known as the Northern Demons. Northern Demons play in the FFSA South Australian Premier League. Their home ground is Byrne Park in Port Pirie, 224 kilometres north of Adelaide. They currently have one side in the Junior Premier League which plays in the U16 Division. Their rivals are Port Pirie City who play in the State League.
[edit] History
The Virtus Soccer Club was founded in 1951 by a group of players who could not get a regular game of football in Port Pirie. The club currently plays in the SASF State League under the name of Northern Demons.
The club played its first game in 1952 and their first win was against a team called Rangers who they beat 2-1.
The name Virtus came about when Domenic Lobasso nominated the name for consideration as it was the name of his old club in Egypt. The name was adopted and has become very recognised in Port Pirie and throughout South Australia.
In 1955 the club purchased a soccer ground in Port Pirie and named it Byrne Park after Roger Byrne - the captain of Manchester United who was killed in the infamous Manchester United team plane crash.
The club won its first championship in 1957 and has gone on to win many trophies over the years.
In 1960 members of the club committee designed and then laid the foundations for the new clubrooms. The clubrooms took over five years of mainly voluntary labour to complete. The new facility was officially opened by the Lord Mayor Harry Welsh on 25 June 1965.
In 1963 the club joined the Mid North Association but rejoined the Norther Areas Soccer Association in 1968.
In 1976 the club decided to upgrade its bar and clubrooms facilities which were completed in time to hold the club's silver jubilee celebrations in 1977.
Virtus utilised Globe Oval as their home ground in 1978/79 whilst the renovations were taking place at Byrne Park. The renovations included moving the pitch 50m, new change rooms and installation of an automatic watering system. Byrne Park was reopened in 1980.
In 1997 the club received a State grant with Council support to develop a modern lighting system. Two years later in 1999 the club entered the SASF State League competition.
When the club entered the SASF State League they adaption the new playing name of Northern Demons and are now playing a major role in local football.
[edit] Club Honours
NASA League Champions: 1957, 1961, 1985, 1988 & 1991
MNSA League Champions: 1963, 1965 & 1966
MNSA Premier League Grand Finalist: 1993
NASA Minor Premier & Grand Finalist: 1994
NASA Cup Winners: 1958, 1959, 1967, 1994 & 1997
MNSA Cup Winners: 1966
NASA League Cup Winners: 1988, 1993 & 1997
Adelaide City Intercity Cup Winners: 1992 & 1993
