Virtus Soccer Club
Encyclopedia
Virtus Soccer Club, known as Northern Demons are a football (soccer)
club from Port Pirie, South Australia
. Northern Demons play in the South Australian State League
. Their home ground is Byrne Park. Aside from their senior teams, the club currently have three sides in the Junior Premier League which play in the U/12 u/14 and u/15 Divisions. Their cross-town rivals are the Savoy Soccer Club, known as Port Pirie City
, who play in the Adelaide Ameteur League.
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 much silverware over the years. Just none since the move to the state league, oh and that year that we got put in the premier league and then relegated down in the first year.
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 50 m, 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 adopted the new playing name of Northern Demons and are now playing a major role in local football. With high match day attendances and superb facilities the cub is highly regared in the South Australian soccer community.
The Northern Demons had a 1988 20 year premiership reunion on the 19th July 2008 at the Virtus clubrooms.
Also in the 1988 premiership season the Demons were undefeated under coach George Hadges and the captain of that year Tony Introna scored a record 28 goals. That record still has not been beaten.
The Demons also won another premiership in 1991, once again undefeated under coach George Hadges.
In 2004 the club won its first Football Federation SA silverware with the Under 19's beating Playford Patriots in the SASF U/19's Premier League Grand Final. In 2009 this success was repeated with the U/19's team again taking out the State League Premiership, beating Enfield City in a penalty shoot-out.
Sergio Melta
Joe Mullen
Jose Iriarte
Milan Ivanovic
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
SASF Premier League U/19 Premiers: 2004
FFSA State League U/19 Premiers: 2009
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club from Port Pirie, South Australia
Port Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
. Northern Demons play in the South Australian State League
South Australian State League
The South Australian State League is now the third-tier state-level football competition in South Australia. It is conducted by the Football Federation of South Australia , the state's governing body. Each season, the top two clubs are promoted to the Premier League while the bottom two sides in...
. Their home ground is Byrne Park. Aside from their senior teams, the club currently have three sides in the Junior Premier League which play in the U/12 u/14 and u/15 Divisions. Their cross-town rivals are the Savoy Soccer Club, known as Port Pirie City
Port Pirie City
The Port Pirie City Spirit is a football club from Port Pirie, South Australia. Port Pirie play in the South Australian State League. Their home ground is at Savoy Park. They are great rivals of fellow Port Pirie club, the Northern Demons.-History:...
, who play in the Adelaide Ameteur League.
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 much silverware over the years. Just none since the move to the state league, oh and that year that we got put in the premier league and then relegated down in the first year.
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 50 m, 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 adopted the new playing name of Northern Demons and are now playing a major role in local football. With high match day attendances and superb facilities the cub is highly regared in the South Australian soccer community.
The Northern Demons had a 1988 20 year premiership reunion on the 19th July 2008 at the Virtus clubrooms.
Also in the 1988 premiership season the Demons were undefeated under coach George Hadges and the captain of that year Tony Introna scored a record 28 goals. That record still has not been beaten.
The Demons also won another premiership in 1991, once again undefeated under coach George Hadges.
In 2004 the club won its first Football Federation SA silverware with the Under 19's beating Playford Patriots in the SASF U/19's Premier League Grand Final. In 2009 this success was repeated with the U/19's team again taking out the State League Premiership, beating Enfield City in a penalty shoot-out.
Players of Note
High profile players to have represented the club:Sergio Melta
Sergio Melta
Sergio Melta , is a former Australian footballer, who had an extensive career in Australia's National Soccer League, spent entirely with Adelaide City. He won the NSL's player of the year award in 1984...
Joe Mullen
Joe Mullen (footballer)
Joe Mullen was an Australian football player.On 1 May 2008 Mullen was appointed as Adelaide United's inaugural youth team coach.-Player:...
Jose Iriarte
Jose Iriarte
Jose Iriarte is a retired Argentine football player.-External links:* * * *...
Milan Ivanovic
Milan Ivanovic
Milan Ivanović is a former Serbian Australian football player...
Current Senior Squad
Coach: Dominic SciangaleporeClub honours
NASA League Champions: 1957, 1961, 1985, 1988 & 1991MNSA 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
SASF Premier League U/19 Premiers: 2004
FFSA State League U/19 Premiers: 2009