Western Knights SC
Full name | Western Knights Soccer Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Croatia, Knights | ||
Founded | 1968 | ||
Ground | Nash Field, Mosman Park, Western Australia | ||
President | Gordana Sliskovic | ||
Manager | Trim Morgan | ||
League | Football West State League Division 1 | ||
|
Western Knights Soccer Club is an Australian soccer club currently playing in the Football West State League Division 1 in Perth, Western Australia. Its home ground is Nash Field, in the Town of Mosman Park.
History
Western Knights Soccer Club was established by Croatian immigrants in the state of Western Australia under the name of Metropolitan in 1968. Two years later in 1970 under their new name of North Perth Croatia they were promoted from the Third Division to the Second Division. Throughout the years following, Croatia went up and down from Second Division to First.
With the moving from division to division also came the moving from different home grounds over the years. Wellington Square in East Perth, Velodrome in Mount Hawthorn and Perry Lakes Stadium were all homes to North Perth Croatia over those years.
In 1994, the club was forced by the then sport governing bodies to remove all ethnic references from their name, so the club changed their name from North Perth Croatia to Western Knights and in 1995, the club returned to the state's premier league until the 2013 season.
1998 proved to be the most successful year in the club's history so far, the Knights take home the Premier League Minor Premiership, the Championship Final Series Grand Final for the first time in their history and the West Ham Cup.
Paul Cooke became the first ever player in the history of the club to capture the Premier League's major player award, the Gold Medal in 2006.
2007 saw the club's Under 18's side were rewarded after a fantastic season by taking out the League championship, this being the first time in the club's history that the Under 18's had won a major trophy.
The club also hosted the 33rd Annual Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament held at Hilton Park, Hilton. The last time North Perth Croatia hosted the weekend was in 1979.
2008 marked the 40th anniversary since the club's establishment and was celebrated with the League and Reserves taking out the Soccer Pools Cup.
The club claimed back to back minor premierships in 2009 and 2010 after finishing the home and away seasons on top of the league table while David Micevski became the second Western Knights player to claim the Premier League major player award, the Gold Medal in 2009.
The Western Knights has 3 Men's Senior Team which compete in the Football West State League Division 1. It also has Senior Women's, and Junior Boys and Girls teams from under 6 – 14. It's Men's Social Team started in 2017 when the demise of Fremantle Croatia saw their players come over to the club, playing under the banner of Western Knights.
The Knights were a founding club in the Football West Equal Footingball disabled inclusion competition, with both a Junior and Senior male team in competition.
In 2017, the Western Knights became the first club outside of NPLWA to reach the Round of 32 of the Westfield FFA Cup[1]. In July of 2017 The Western Knights became the first team since 1991 to win the State Cup from outside of the Premier Division by defeating Sorrento FC 1-0.[2]
Notable Former Players
Arguably the most successful player to have ever played for North Perth Croatia/Western Knights is Robbie Dunn. Upon leaving North Perth Croatia he went on to establish a fine career in the National Soccer League with West Adelaide, Preston Makedonia and Melbourne Croatia and earn himself 38 international caps for the Australian Socceroos.
Other players from the Western Knights that have come through the ranks of the club and made their mark in the National Soccer League or A-League include Vladimir Beretovac, Tommi Tomich, Craig Deans, Andrija Jukic, Anthony Skorich and David Micevski.
Honours
- Western Australian Premier League Champions: 1998, 2004
- Western Australian Premier League Runner-Up: 1988, 2000, 2009, 2010
- Western Australian Premier League Minor Premiers: 1998, 2004, 2009, 2010
- Football West State Cup Winners: 2000, 2008, 2017
- D’Orsogna Cup Runner-Up: 1992
- Night Series Winners: 2003, 2015
- Night Series Runner-Up: 1996, 2002, 2004, 2010
- Charity Shield Winners: 2009
- West Ham Cup Winners: 1998
- Western Australian First Division (Second Division) Champions: 1971, 1975, 1995
- Western Australian First Division Night Series Winners: 2015
- Western Australian Third Division Champions: 1969
- Australian-Croatian Tournament Champions: 1980
- Western Australian First Division (Second Division) Reserves Champions: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986
- Western Australian Cup Reserves Winners: 1976, 1999, 2004, 2008
- Western Australian Premier League Under 18 Champions: 2007
- Western Australian Cup Under 18 Winners: 2007
Individual Honours
Western Australian Premier League Gold Medal – Player of the Year:
- 2006 – Paul Cooke
- 2009 – David Micevski
- 2011 – Johny Mirco
Western Australian Premier League – Top Goal Scorer:
- 1998 – Trim Morgan – 18 Goals
- 2000 – John Nicolaou – 16 Goals
Western Australian Premier League – Goalkeeper of the Year:
- 2011 – Frazer Siddall
Western Australian First Division (Second Division)- Player of the Year:
- 1978 – William Stewart
- 1979 – Archie Van Dongen
- 1981 – John Fiamengo
- 1987 – Paul McKenna
- 2013 – David Annall
Managerial History
Year | Coach/Manager |
---|---|
1968 | Vladimir Piščetek |
1969 | Ivica Barišić |
1970 | Ante Zanetić |
1971 | Ivica Barišić |
1972 | Derek Buckley |
1973 | Vladimir Knezović |
1974 | Vladimir Knezović |
1975 | John Lorell |
1976 | Brian Newell |
1977 | Vladimir Knezović |
1978 | Vladimir Knezović |
1979 | David Harrison |
1980 | David Harrison |
1981 | David Harrison/Ivica Barišić |
1982 | Ivica Barišić/Alan Kerr |
1983 | Alan Kerr/Lazlo Koroknai |
1984 | Lazlo Koroknai |
1985 | Lazlo Koroknai |
1986 | Lazlo Koroknai |
1987 | Gordon Todd / Edie Dabrowski |
1988 | Eric Williams |
1989 | Eric Williams |
1990 | Eric Williams |
1991 | Chris Marustick |
1992 | Chris Marustick/Francis Burns |
1993 | Robbie Dunn |
1994 | Robbie Dunn/Graham Normanton |
1995 | Ivo Miletić |
1996 | Ivo Miletić |
1997 | Gerry Christie |
1998 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
1999 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2000 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2001 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2002 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2003 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2004 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2005 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2006 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2007 | Ronnie Campbell / Willie Kelly |
2008 | Ronnie Campbell |
2009 | Paul Price |
2010 | Paul Price/Carl Medica |
2011 | Carl Medica |
2012 | Carl Medica |
2013 | Robbie Dunn |
2014 | Andy Thorburn |
2015 | Andy Thorburn |
2016 | Trim Morgan |
2017 | Trim Morgan |
Presidential History
Year | President |
---|---|
1968 | Ivan Brajdić |
1969 | Ivan Brajdić |
1970 | Ivan Brajdić |
1971 | Ivan Brajdić |
1972 | Vladimir Knezović |
1973 | Josip Grgurić |
1974 | Josip Grgurić |
1975 | Ivan Brajdić |
1976 | Tomislav Marković |
1977 | Ivan Šimić |
1978 | Ivan Šimić |
1979 | Žarko Dugandžić |
1980 | Vladimir Piščetek |
1981 | Vladimir Piščetek |
1982 | Vladimir Piščetek |
1983 | Vladimir Knezović |
1984 | Ante Šunić |
1985 | Vladimir Piščetek |
1986 | Žarko Dugandžić |
1987 | Ivan Šimić |
1988 | Ivan Šimić |
1989 | Dinko Burmas |
1990 | Ivan Kostrenčić |
1991 | Dusan Dropulić |
1992 | Josip Peraković |
1993 | Dinko Burmas |
1994 | Dinko Burmas |
1995 | Tomislav Marković |
1996 | Ivan Kostrenčić |
1997 | George Graša |
1998 | George Graša |
1999 | Ned Cecić |
2000 | Ned Cecić |
2001 | Ned Cecić |
2002 | Jerko Žuvela |
2003 | Jerko Žuvela |
2004 | Jerko Žuvela |
2005 | Jack Grego |
2006 | Jack Grego |
2007 | George Graša |
2008 | Luke Jurcević |
2009 | Luke Jurcević |
2010 | Mišo Bunić |
2011 | Mišo Bunić |
2012 | Mišo Bunić |
2013 | Mišo Bunić |
2014 | Gordana Slisković |
2015 | Gordana Slisković |
2016 | Gordana Slisković |
2017 | Gordana Slisković |