Box Hill United SC
Full name | Box Hill United Pythagoras Soccer Club | ||
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Founded | 1925 | ||
Ground | Wembley Park | ||
Capacity | 1,000 | ||
League | NPL Victoria 1 | ||
Website | Club home page | ||
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The Box Hill United Soccer Club is an Australian semi-professional association football (soccer) club based in the Melbourne suburb of Box Hill. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 1.
History
Box Hill entered the Victorian Division 4 in 1925. In their first season they lost one game and drew once to became champion and win promotion to division 3 for the 1926 season. This season proved to be just as successful as they once again became league champions, this time losing just two games throughout the season. The following year they participated in the Victorian District League, where they finished fourth. The league was then suspended for three seasons before restarting in 1931. Box Hill were once again crowned champions and moved up to division one. After a couple of solid seasons placing mid table, the league was again suspended due to World War II.
When the league restarted in 1946 Box Hill remained in Victoria's top division, until 1961 when they were relegated to division two. In this period Box Hill were once crowned champions (1948) and once finished runners up (1950). Over the next 20 years the club remained mainly in the second division, achieving promotion to the state league for just 4 seasons.
From the 1983 season until they were relegated in 1990, Box Hill achieved 3 top 5 finishes. After being relegated it would take three seasons for Box Hill to return to the state league (which was now known as the Victorian Premier League) in 1995. Finishing ninth in 1995 and then twelfth in 1996, they then merged with Bulleen Lions and Brunswick Juventus to form the Bulleen Inter Kings.
From their foundation in 1922 until their merger in 1996, Box Hill had won 9 championships and 11 promotions. Winning the Victorian State League title on just one occasion in 1948, and finishing in second place on two occasions.
Box Hill is still running to this day and the club has achieved a reputation for being one of the best junior development clubs in Victoria. In 2009 the club appointed Dutchman Martin De Korte as Director of Coaching. The coaching curriculum is now very much centred on quality player development at all age levels. During the next few years the club will be gradually introducing junior training methods from successful European clubs such as Ajax.
Women's Team
Box Hill also fields a team in the Victorian Women's Premier League competition. Box Hill's women have enjoyed enormous success since the turn of the 20th century, winning the first of their nine WPL titles in 2001. Fourth in 2002, Box Hill then reclaimed its title in 2003, beginning a run of four straight championship wins. Heidelberg United defeated Box Hill in the 2007 Grand Final to break the winning sequence but Box Hill avenged that loss in 2008 to win back its crown and they were again successful in 2009 and 2010. After slipping out of the finals in 2011, Box Hill returned stronger than ever and became the first team in the modern era to not only win the an unprecedented treble of the Minor Championship, Cup and Grand Final but also remained undefeated for the whole season. 2013 saw Box Hill finish second in the regular season before falling in the finals in straight sets. 2014 and 2015 has been a rebuilding period for the club with the team finishing mid-table.
During the same period, Box Hill players have also claimed the WPL's Gold Medal for player of the season on five occasions; Louisa Bisby in 2003, Anthea Vardakas in 2005, Georgia Koutrouvelis in 2006, in 2008 there was a tie between Vardakas and teammate Daniela Digiammarco and in 2012 the Bisby capped off a brilliant season for the club winning the award for a second time in Box Hill colours.
A stalwart of the club, Melissa Barbieri represented Australia between 2002-2015 as well as being named captain in 2010-2013. In 2015 she was also inducted into the FFV Hall of Fame for all her achievements. Bisby and Selin Kuralay were two other players that represented Australia and with Digiammarco, Tal Karp, Marlies Oostdam, Jessica Humble & Emily Hulbert, has played with Melbourne Victory.[1]
WPL Champions: 2001 (First-past-the-post), 2003 (First-past-the-post), 2004 (Defeated Cranbourne Comets 1–0 in Grand Final), 2005 (Defeated Cranbourne Comets 1–1 [4–3 on penalties] in Grand Final), 2006 (Defeated Heidelberg United 1–0 in Grand Final), 2008 (Defeated Heidelberg United 1–0 in Grand Final), 2009 (Defeated Heidelberg United 2–0 in Grand Final), 2010 (Defeated Heidelberg United 2–1 in Grand Final), 2012 (Defeated Bundoora United 3–3 [4–3 on penalties] in Grand Final)
Naming
The club was originally formed in 1922 as Box Hill Soccer Club. This name remained until the conclusion of the 1991 season where they merged with Clayton Inter to become Box Hill Inter Soccer Club.
In 1996 Bulleen Zebras and Brunswick Juventus merged with Box Hill to create the Bulleen Inter Kings for the 1997 Victorian Premier League season. Box Hill's juniors then became known as Box Hill-Clayton Inter Kings.
At the time of the merger with Bulleen and Brunswick many of the original Clayton Inter club members broke away to form another club, Clayton SC, which changed its name to Waverley Victory Football Club in 2010.
In December 2010 the club merged with Southern Suburbs to form Box Hill United SC, adopting the Pythagoras nickname associated with the club.[2]
In 2014, Box Hill United was one of 28 founding clubs of the National Premier Leagues – Victoria, with the seniors playing in the NPL1 in 2014.
Wembley Park
Wembley Park is situated on Canterbury Road, Box Hill South.
Wembley Park's facilities include a 300+ seat grand stand, press box, function room (condemned) as well as a second change room facility.
Training is conducted opposite the main ground at 'Sparks Reserve Upper'.
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View Facing West April 2009
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View Facing East April 2009
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Grandstand 2009
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Players Race 2009
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Officials Area (old signage)
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Old Clubrooms 2009
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Heritage Building 2009
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Score Board 2009
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Panorama Facing West 2009
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View to the West from the Grand Stand.
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Wembley Park Stadium (circa 2004)
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View from the middle of the Grand Stand
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Box Hill Score Board (pre-2008)
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Old Box Hill Score Board
See also
References
- ↑ Pelada Cup Final at Lakeside Stadium this weekend; photo caption: Louisa Bisby captains Box Hill United, 13August2012
- ↑ "Club History". Box Hill United Pythagoras Soccer Club. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
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