Singleton Strikers Football Club - Community

Junior & Senior committee members, players, parents and representatives from our governing body. In 2014 both Senior & Junior Committees attended meetings and at the AGM of both clubs during that year a decision was made to amalgamate the clubs and progress football jointly in Singleton under one banner. One which we hope will continue successfully for many years to come. Singleton Junior Soccer Club - A potted history

It was in December 1971 that a meeting was held to form Singleton Junior Soccer Club. The people who called the meeting were those who the previous year had run the Soccer section of the Singleton Police-Citizens Boys Club (now PCYC). That group had been formed in 1971 under the presidency of Mr Bill Weller with Constable Alan Randall, the supervisor of the PCBC as secretary/ treasurer. Initial plans were for two teams but enthusiasm was so high that teams played in 10, 11, 13 and 14 year age groups, with home games played at Singleton High School. The following year they were allocated Cook Park as a home ground with the 12 ‘s making a first finals appearance. Mr Tony Farmer was the first president of the independent club formed as mentioned for the 1978 season with fifteen teams on the park. Trophy winners in that first season included a number of players who would become legends of the local game in the next thirty years. They included Rodney Luxford, Anthony Castledine and Brant Jenkins. The following year 1979 saw Singleton selected to host the first of a long series of ‘State Titles’ over the June Long Weekend. In 1980 the club moved to its current ground at Alroy Oval. It was in the next few years that Singleton set the standard for the running of and presentation of ‘State Titles’. In 1981 an Under 15 team coached by King St School principal Jim Porteus became the first local team to win a Hunter District 1st Division premiership. Progress continued until in the mid-eighties when ‘political infighting’ between Northern NSW and the Northern Amateurs, saw Singleton, as a member of Hunter Districts, become part of NSW Amateurs. This caused some anguish amongst officials and a changed representative path way but also allowed Singleton Juniors to achieve its highest honour. Hunter District premiership teams were eligible to contest the NSW Champion of Champions event. After some encouraging results in the first couple of years it was in 1989 when the Under 16s coached by Phil McDougal beat Sydney based side Lilli Pilli 3-2 in the final at Endeavour Field, Fairfield. The captain of the team, who received the trophy from Liverpool star Craig Johnston, was long term Senior Club official Warren Gillespie. Shortly after this the ‘political’ situation was resolved and current set up in the greater Hunter Valley began to emerge. The Hunter, Newcastle and Macquarie Associations began to combine their competitions and only the older groups were actually playing for competition points. The Singleton Club continued to progress over the next twenty years taking out its fair share of premierships and a leading club in the valley. Current officials continue to work hard as the games races towards its fiftieth anniversary in 2021. There is no mention of Association Football having been played in Singleton before Singleton Police Boys Club (now PCYC) formed a Soccer section in 1971. Late in 1977 the group running the Soccer Section called a meeting to form Singleton Junior Soccer Club they took over the game in the 1978 season and are still a leading club in the Hunter Valley. In 1972 there was a mysterious report in the local paper that Singleton United Soccer Club had beaten Warners Bay. There was no further mention of such a club in newspaper reports and no one has any memory of it. The following year an All Age team was formed with Police Boys. They played until 1976 when there was a grandiose plan for an Upper Hunter Soccer Club, this morphed into the Singleton Hunters who played in the Federation’s 4th & 5th Division competitions until 1983 when they folded, during that time they had one semi-final campaign. In 1985 a new club was formed and entered a team in the Coalfields All Age Soccer Association (CAASA). By 1987 they had two teams and both won CAASA Grand –finals, the first silverware for a Singleton senior side. Club officials began making enquiries about joining ‘Federation’ competition and they were accepted into the old 5th Division. The All Age side had played at Alroy Oval the home of the Singleton Juniors but following a dispute between Cricket and Rugby League which saw the latter leave Howe Park, the Strikers as they were known moved there as headquarters. Howe Park has been Singleton main sporting venue since the 1880s. First grade made the semi-finals in their first year and both sides finished third the following year. With an outstanding group of youngsters developing 1990 saw both sides win their premiership. First grade lost the Grand-final in a shootout while reserve grade added a Grand-final win to their honours. More importantly after three years promotion was obtained. In 1991, playing in Fourth Division Singleton took all before them until they lost the first grade Grand-final in a howling gale at West Wallsend. Their opponents were Muswellbrook. Federation were talking of restructuring their competitions and forward looking officials at Singleton, after much hard work, discussion and consideration, decided to apply for the re-vamped 2nd Division competition. In what was seen as an expansion of the game up the Valley Singleton were included in the new set up and have been there ever since. The only honours gained were in the first year, 1992, when Stockton were beaten in a Grand-final at Maquarie Field. All three grade teams have made the semi-final finals on a few occasions. The club also now fields two over 35 and an All Age Womens team which have had varying amounts a success over the last ten or so years. While the majority of the players to have worn the Maroon shirts of the Strikers are locals efforts are continually made to entice players from further up the Valley, Muswellbrook and Scone, to come south to play at a higher level. A number of overseas players, mostly exchangees at either local schools or the Lone Pine Army Barracks have played for the club. These have included players from the UK, several European countries, Chile, Costa Rica, Namibia and PNG.