Western Knights
Encyclopedia
Western Knights Soccer Club is an Australia
n football (soccer) club currently playing in the Football West State League Premier Division in Perth, 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 Division.
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 division and have been their ever since.
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. While in 2007, the club will host the 33rd Annual Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
after last hosting it some 27 years ago.
Youth development was the main focus in 2007, the club's Under 18's side were rewarded after a fantastic season by taking out the League championship. The first time in the club's history that the Under 18's have won a major trophy. Matthew Allen won the Under 18 League Best & Fairest, making him the first Western Knights player to win the award while Anthony Fearon tookout the Golden Boot and was recognised with selection in the Australian Schoolboys.
The club also took part in the 33rd Annual Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament held in Western Australia after North Perth Croatia last hosted the weekend long tournament back 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 most successful player to have ever played for North Perth Croatia/Western Knights is Robbie Dunn
. After leaving North Perth Croatia he went onto establish a fine career in the NSL
with Melbourne Croatia
and earn himself 38 international caps for Australia
.
Western Australian Premier League Top Goal Scorer:
Western Australian First Division (Second Division) Player of the Year:
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n football (soccer) club currently playing in the Football West State League Premier Division in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
History
The club was established by Croatian immigrants in the state of Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
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 Division.
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
Perry Lakes Stadium
Perry Lakes Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium adjacent to Perry Lakes in Floreat, Western Australia, Australia. It was built and funded by the State Government and the City of Perth in 1962 for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and had a nominal capacity of 30,000...
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 division and have been their ever since.
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. While in 2007, the club will host the 33rd Annual Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
The Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament is a tournament run by the Croatian Soccer Federation of Australia and New Zealand, an organisation founded in 1974. The inspiration for the tournament came from the successful Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament founded in 1964...
after last hosting it some 27 years ago.
Youth development was the main focus in 2007, the club's Under 18's side were rewarded after a fantastic season by taking out the League championship. The first time in the club's history that the Under 18's have won a major trophy. Matthew Allen won the Under 18 League Best & Fairest, making him the first Western Knights player to win the award while Anthony Fearon tookout the Golden Boot and was recognised with selection in the Australian Schoolboys.
The club also took part in the 33rd Annual Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament held in Western Australia after North Perth Croatia last hosted the weekend long tournament back 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 most successful player to have ever played for North Perth Croatia/Western Knights is Robbie Dunn
Robbie Dunn
Robert "Robbie" Dunn is an Australian former football player. Dunn played as a defender in a career that spanned 15 years.-Club career:...
. After leaving North Perth Croatia he went onto establish a fine career in the NSL
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
with Melbourne Croatia
Melbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights Football Club is a football club representing Melbourne, Australia in the Victorian Premier League . The club is one of the most successful football clubs in Australia, being a two-time championship and four-time premiership winner in the now defunct National Soccer League...
and earn himself 38 international caps for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Current Squad
Notable Former Players
- Robbie DunnRobbie DunnRobert "Robbie" Dunn is an Australian former football player. Dunn played as a defender in a career that spanned 15 years.-Club career:...
- Australian International & NSL - Branko MilosevicBranko MilosevicBranko Milosevic is a midfielder who made several appearances for the Socceroos. Milosevic was known for his extremely fast bursts of speed, vision, goal scoring ability, positioning, work rate, distribution and skill with the ball.-Europe:...
- Australian International & NSL - Mark Silic - NSL
- Vladimir BeretovacVladimir BeretovacVladimir Beretovac was an Australian football player.Beretovac played as a defender for NSL club Perth Glory and the Perth Kangaroos in the S-League. He also represented Western Australia on one occasion.-External links:*...
- NSL - Tommi TomichTommi TomichTomislav "Tommi" Tomich is an Australian football player who is currently uncontracted.Tomich has previously played with Bassendean Caledonians, Cockburn City, Melbourne Knights, Western Knights and a stint with Perth Glory in the 2000. In November 2006 Tomich joined Perth Glory as a replacement...
- NSL & A-League - Craig DeansCraig DeansCraig Deans is an Australian football player. He last played as a central defender for the Australian A-League club Newcastle United Jets....
- NSL & A-League - Andrija JukicAndrija JukicAndrija Jukic is an Australian football player currently playing for Liga Primer Indonesia club Bogor Raya FC.-Club career:...
- A-League - Anthony SkorichAnthony SkorichAnthony Skorich in Perth is an Australian football player who currently plays for Stirling Lions.-Biography:He attended John Curtin College of the Arts and graduated in 2007...
- A-League - David MicevskiDavid MicevskiDavid Micevski is an Australian soccer player who currently plays for Solo FC in Liga Primer Indonesia.-Club career:He was identified by former Perth Glory technical manager, Mich d'Avray as one of the brightest young prospects in the WA State League...
- Australian Youth International & A-League
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
- Western Australian Cup Winners: 2000, 2008
- Western Australian Cup Runner-Up: 1992
- Night Series Winners: 2003
- 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 Third Division Champions: 1969
- Australian-Croatian Tournament Champions: 1980
Individual Honours
Western Australian Premier League Gold Medal - Player of the Year:- 2006 - Paul Cooke
- 2009 - David MicevskiDavid MicevskiDavid Micevski is an Australian soccer player who currently plays for Solo FC in Liga Primer Indonesia.-Club career:He was identified by former Perth Glory technical manager, Mich d'Avray as one of the brightest young prospects in the WA State League...
Western Australian Premier League Top Goal Scorer:
- 1998 - Trim Morgan - 18 Goals
- 2000 - John Nicolaou - 16 Goals
Western Australian First Division (Second Division) Player of the Year:
- 1978 - William Stewart
- 1979 - Archie Van Dongen
- 1981 - John Fiamengo
- 1987 - Paul McKenna
External links
- List of Croatian football clubs in Australia
- Australian-Croatian Soccer TournamentAustralian-Croatian Soccer TournamentThe Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament is a tournament run by the Croatian Soccer Federation of Australia and New Zealand, an organisation founded in 1974. The inspiration for the tournament came from the successful Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament founded in 1964...
- Croatian AustralianCroatian AustralianCroatia has been a source of migrants to Australia, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2006, 128,051 persons resident in Australia identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry.- History :...