Floreat Athena
Encyclopedia
Floreat Athena Football Club is a football (soccer) club based 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....
. The club competes in the Football West Premier League
Football West Premier League
The Football West Premier Division is the highest league in the Football West State League, the top tier of football competition in Western Australia....
. The club's founders were of Greek heritage.
Floreat Athena has won the state league four times, the Association Cup five times, and the Night Series five times. In 1997, the club won all three trophies to claim its first ever treble.
Early years
The club was formed in 1951 as the Athena Club by Greek-Australians. The club entered state league football in 1953 when they entered a team into the third division.1960s
In 1960, the club was one of eight teams to form the Soccer Federation of Western Australia which took over from the Western Australian Soccer Football Association. It was also in 1960 that Athena played their first season in the state league's top tier. Athena ended the season sixth and maintained its status in the top flight.The 1960s were turbulent times for Athena on the pitch. The club managed to finish as high as third in 1963 and 1964, but were relegated after finishing 9th in the State Premier League for 1966. Athena finished second in the 1967 First Division season, returning to the top flight for the 1968 season. Athena placed tenth at the end of the 1968 season and were relegated for the second time in three years.
1970s
Athena remained in the First Division for five successive seasons (1969–1973). In 1973 Athena clinched the First Division title. Athena entered the top flight in 1974 with purpose and finished sixth. In the 1975 and 1976 seasons, Athena finish third. Since 1960 the club had finished no higher than third on four separate occasions.In 1977, internal disputes at the committee level resulted in the sacking of coach Bill Dumbbell despite Athena claiming its first state league title. Athena maintained its status in the top flight until 1980 when the club was relegated for finishing tenth under coach Ulysses Kokkinos. This was the third time in two decades Athena was relegated.
The golden era
After being relegated in 1980, the club secured its second First Division title in 1981 and returned the top flight of Western Australia football (soccer). Since 1982, Floreat Athena has not been relegated, maintaining a presence in the State Premier League for nearly the past three decades.Late 1980s - early 1990s
From 1986 until 1994 Floreat Athena entered into its first truly "golden era" of Western Australian Premier League football. From 1986, Athena placed no lower than third for six straight seasons. Having finished third in 1986 and 1987, Athena claimed its second State Premier League title in 1988 under coach Ken Worden.Following the 1988 triumph the Soccer Federation decided that from the 1989 season onwards, the championship would be decided by a top four finals playoff. The 'first past the post' format was discarded after nearly a century of Association Football.
In the subsequent three years, 1989, 1990 and 1991, Athena topped the State Premier League. The 1990 team finished the season first with 17 wins, 1 draw and no losses with a goal difference of +55. Only three other sides have gone through a State Premier League season undefeated. However, Athena lost in the finals against major rival Perth Italia
Perth SC
Perth Soccer Club is a football club based in West Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the Football West Premier League.-Perth Italia:...
on all three occasions. The Soccer Federation decided to revert back to the old 'first past the post' league championship format from 1992 onwards. But for the rule change, Floreat Athena would have seven league championships rather than the recorded four.
The Treble (1997)
In 1997, under coach Jim Pyraglios, the club won a record treble of titles winning the Night Series, League Championship and Association Cup.In 1999, they finished runners up to Inglewood in the Association Cup Final. In 2000, Athena won their fourth Night Series trophy. In 2001, Athena finished runners up in both the Association Cup Final and the Night Series Final to arch rival Perth Italia
Perth SC
Perth Soccer Club is a football club based in West Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the Football West Premier League.-Perth Italia:...
. In 2002, Athena again finished runners up to Perth Italia, this time in the State Premier League Championship.
Undefeated season (2007)
In the newly formed Football WestFootball West
Football West is the state governing body for association football in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the Football Federation Australia, the sport's national governing body...
, Floreat Athena was searching for their fourth State Premier League title. In 2004, a young squad was assembled under former Floreat Athena players Michael Roki and Taki Nicolaidis. Both players had been part of that 1990 side that went through the entire season undefeated.
After finishing the 2004 season in ninth position, Athena finished fifth in 2005 and fourth in 2006, climbing the ladder. Athena signed former Perth Glory defender Ante Kovacevic
Ante Kovacevic
Andrew Kovacevic is an Australian football player with Croatian origins playing for Floreat Athena. He last played as a centre full back for the Australian A-League club Perth Glory before retiring in March 2007...
who was to prove instrumental in the 2007 season. Jerry Karpeh scored 25 goals and Josip Magdic
Josip Magdic
Josip Magdić is a professional football player. He currently plays as an attacking midfielder for the Australian club Melbourne Knights.-Club career:...
played the wing. Captain Bajo Savic played his last game for Athena against Cockburn in a match that helped seal the title for Athena. Savic suffered a serious knee injury and subsequently never played again.
In the 2007 Football West Premier League season, Athena clinched the title undefeated with a 15 point gap over second place. There were several notable events during the season:
- James Isaia's 94th minute long range goal to draw the match against Fremantle Spirit,
- the 4-1 victory over rivals Perth SCPerth SCPerth Soccer Club is a football club based in West Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the Football West Premier League.-Perth Italia:...
at Dorrien GardensDorrien GardensDorrien Gardens is an association football ground in West Perth, Western Australia. It is the home ground of Perth SC.-History:...
, - the 4-0 win over the Stirling Lions at Litis StadiumLitis StadiumE & D Litis Stadium is a stadium in Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia. Originally constructed in 1959 as a velodrome for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, it is now primarily used for football .-Name:...
, - the bicycle kick goal by Garin Collins on debut, and
- the last round against Armadale at Alfred Skeet Oval, where Athena found itself down 2-0 in the first 10 minutes, but rallied to win the match 5-3.
Being the fourth side in Western Australian State Premier League history to go through an entire season undefeated places Michael Roki and Taki Nicolaidis in the elite category of having played and coached Floreat Athena sides through undefeated seasons.
Following the 2007 season, Floreat Athena dominated almost all opposition but failed to bring home the trophies. Floreat Athena finished the 2008 season without a title, having lost the Night Series final to arch rival Perth SC on penalties. Athena was to finish Runners Up in the 2008 State Premier League to Sorrento whom they had beaten 9-3 on aggregate for the season. Floreat was gain defeated by Perth SC in the 2009 Night Series final.
Floreat Athena managed to avenge the defeat Inglewood had inflicted upon them in the 1999 Association (Boral) Cup final by defeating them in the 2009 Association Cup final. Following the 2010 Night Series, Michael Roki decided it was time to retire due to work and family commitments.
Floreat Athena was taken over by player-coach Ante Kovacevic
Ante Kovacevic
Andrew Kovacevic is an Australian football player with Croatian origins playing for Floreat Athena. He last played as a centre full back for the Australian A-League club Perth Glory before retiring in March 2007...
for the beginning of the 2010 Football West Premier League season. Athena finished a respectable 4th in the league and finished Runners Up to the Stirling Lions in the 2010 Association Cup final.
2011 season
It had been 11 years since Floreat Athena had been crowned Night Series champions. Ten players and management staff left at the end of season 2010. Coach Ante Kovacevic and assistant Taki Nicolaides assembled a fresh outfit that won the title in February 2011.Floreat Athena finished their group on top, dispatching Armadale and Forrestdale 3-1, and drawing to Inglewood 2-2 with goals coming from Liam Boland, Garin Collins, James Isaia and Danny Trevisol, with all three games being played at Alfred Skeet Reserve.
The quarter final against Sorrento was played at Athena's home ground, Litis Stadium. New recruit Dave Houston scored a goal in the 91st minute to set up a semi-final appearance.
The semi-final against Cockburn City was played at 6PR Stadium. Athena went a goal down in the early stages of the first half but Liam Boland scored a goal back. Cockburn defender Paul Natale was sent off in the first half and Floreat Athena took the lead. Early in the second half, Boland scored his second of the game. Garin Collins then added a further two goals to make the score 4-1 and put Athena into another Night Series Grand Final.
Saturday, 19 February 2011, Floreat Athena faced ECU Joondalup at Dorrien Gardens. In the 68th minute, a goal attempt by the right wing by Jack Allen was stopped by the ECU goalkeeper, however Liam Boland scored a goal from three yards. With 15 minutes remaining, a challenge on Athena goalkeeper Alex Dunn forced the no. 1 to leave the field with a head injury. Replacement goalkeeper Simon Madaschi took his place, making several saves in the remaining minutes to hold ECU at bay. The final score was 1-0.
Club crest and the Goddess Athena
Both the club shield and the Goddess Athena feature on all Floreat Athena merchandise. Playing strips have always carried both emblems. The club shield has blue and white stripes and a football placed in the middle. This signifies both the heritage and purpose of the club.The Goddess is the club's original namesake and features heavily. Unlike other clubs with an ethnic past, Athena is allowed to keep her name because it is essentially non-ethnic. The Goddess is not a nationality but an idea, a symbol of virtue that is required in football as well as life.
Colours
Floreat Athena are known for their famous blue and white stripes. Away strips have generally tended to be all white. However, this current format was not the original strip. In 1953, Athena had a predominantly blue strip with a white block 'V' topped off with a blue collar. Floreat Athena will be using a replica heritage strip in the 2011 season as it is the club's 60th Anniversary. Blue and white has significance as the majority of people who founded the club came from GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Stadium
Main article(s): Wellington Square, PerthWellington Square, Perth
Wellington Square is a public park located on Wellington Street in the suburb of East Perth in Perth, Western Australia.-History:The park was originally a swamp and was drained in the 1830s. It was originally used to exercise horses. The ground was known as the Recreation Ground or the "Rec"...
, 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...
, Litis Stadium
Litis Stadium
E & D Litis Stadium is a stadium in Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia. Originally constructed in 1959 as a velodrome for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, it is now primarily used for football .-Name:...
Athena's first home was at Wellington Square
Wellington Square, Perth
Wellington Square is a public park located on Wellington Street in the suburb of East Perth in Perth, Western Australia.-History:The park was originally a swamp and was drained in the 1830s. It was originally used to exercise horses. The ground was known as the Recreation Ground or the "Rec"...
in East Perth
East Perth, Western Australia
East Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located next to the Perth CBD.Primarily an industrial area in the early twentieth century, it was the location of the East Perth gas works, East Perth Power Station , the East Perth railway yard, and East Perth engine sheds.A considerable...
. The club later played at 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...
in Floreat, leading to the addition of Floreat to the club's name.
The club has played at Litis Stadium
Litis Stadium
E & D Litis Stadium is a stadium in Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia. Originally constructed in 1959 as a velodrome for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, it is now primarily used for football .-Name:...
, formerly the Lake Monger Velodrome, in Mount Hawthorn since 1985. There are two grandstands, the Eleni grandstand and a more modern stand in front of the clubrooms which were built 20 years ago. A cycling tunnel has been left intact for players to use to and from the change rooms and is a feature of the ground. The tunnel has been named after two famous Athena players: Stan Lazaridis and Vas Kalogeracos.
Proposed 'Home of Football'
In late 2008 Football West (the peak governing body for football in WA) approached a number of local governments to explore potential sites to establish their state headquarters. Litis Stadium was identified as a potential site to become the 'Home of Football'. The proposal has faced opposition from local residents.Support
Floreat Athena have always enjoyed the support of the many Greek-Australians who attend matches on a Saturday afternoon. The current average attendance at Litis StadiumLitis Stadium
E & D Litis Stadium is a stadium in Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia. Originally constructed in 1959 as a velodrome for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, it is now primarily used for football .-Name:...
is between 300-500 people per match. This is a far cry from the 5,000 - 10,000 that would regularly attend matches in the early years. Local Greek-Australian businesses contribute in the form of sponsorship on an annual basis. Many affluent Greek-Australian families have donated to the club on countless occasions helping Floreat Athena become a mainstay in top flight and junior football.
Current season
The club's season started well, with a win in the preseason Night Series, defeating ECU Joondalup.Current squad
As of 20 February 2011Club officials
- President: Con Poulios
- Manager: Ante KovacevicAnte KovacevicAndrew Kovacevic is an Australian football player with Croatian origins playing for Floreat Athena. He last played as a centre full back for the Australian A-League club Perth Glory before retiring in March 2007...
.
- Assistant Manager: Taki Nicolaidis
- Specialist Coach (GK) Vas Vujačić
- Reserve Team Manager Jamie Goodman
- Under 18's Manager Chris Barbas
- Under 16's Manager George Strezos
- Physio Chiara Princi
- Property Manager Sam Tzoganos
Honours
Joined state league: 1960Seasons in semi-professional state league: 45 (1960–1966, 1968, 1974–1980, 1982–2011)
State league championships
Winners: 4
1977 | 1988 | 1997 | 2007
Runners Up: 5
1989 | 1991 | 1993 | 2002 | 2008
Western Australia League Night Series
Winners: 5
1977 | 1985 | 1997 | 2000 | 2011
Runners Up: 8
1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1992 | 1994 | 2001 | 2008 | 2009
Western Australia Association Cup
Winners: 5
1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1997 | 2009
Runners Up: 4
1984 | 1999 | 2001 | 2010
Western Australia First Division
Winners: 2
1973 | 1981
Runners Up: 1
1967
Doubles:
League and Night Series
1977
League and Association Cup
1988
Treble:
League, Association Cup and Night Series
1997
Notable players
Australia
- Troy Bernard
- Ronnie Campbell
- Jeff Curran
- Bobby DespotovskiBobby DespotovskiSlobodan "Bobby" Despotovski is an Australian football player of Serbian origin.-Biography:Only nine months after his birth his family moved to Yugoslavia because his mother, Valentina, was home-sick...
- Clive Fransz
- Ross GreerRoss GreerRoss Greer is a former Australian association football player. He previously played for Floreat Athena, Chester City, South China, Selangor, Eastern, Instant-Dict, Sorrento, Melbourne Knights and Leeming Strikers before retiring....
- Doug IthierDoug IthierDoug Ithier is an Australian football player most notable for playing for Perth Glory, Walsall, and throughout Asia including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and China...
- Stan LazaridisStan LazaridisStanley "Stan" Lazaridis is a former football player. He was predominantly a left winger though he had been known to perform at left-back...
- Ray Illott
- Norrie Sutton
- John SydenhamJohn SydenhamJohn Sydenham, born in Southampton 15 September 1939 is a former footballer, who played most of his career for Southampton F.C.-Early career:...
- Ken Worden
- Paul WormleyPaul WormleyPaul Wormley was a former professional footballer. Paul started his serious playing career at Yorkshire Amateurs before playing for the Leeds United youth team...
- James AfkosJames AfkosJames Afkos was an Australian football player.Afkos played as a midfielder for NSL clubs Perth Glory and the Marconi Stallions and also represented Western Australia. He was remembered for missing an important penalty take in the 2000 National Soccer League Grand Final.-External links:*...
- Vas Kalogeracos
- John CarboneJohn CarboneJohn Carbone is an Australian football player who played a number of years in the National Soccer League for Perth Glory and the Brisbane Strikers.-References:...
- Steve StaceySteve Stacey-Biography:Steve Stacey made his only two appearances for Queensland in the first and last games of the 1983 series. Stacey occupied the left wing as Queensland triumphed 24-12 and 43-22 to clinch the series....
- Ante KovacevicAnte KovacevicAndrew Kovacevic is an Australian football player with Croatian origins playing for Floreat Athena. He last played as a centre full back for the Australian A-League club Perth Glory before retiring in March 2007...
Greece
- Ulysses Kokkinos
Croatia
- Josip MagdicJosip MagdicJosip Magdić is a professional football player. He currently plays as an attacking midfielder for the Australian club Melbourne Knights.-Club career:...
Scotland
- John HunterJohn HunterJohn Hunter may refer to:* John Hunter , former bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman* John Hunter , Canadian Liberal MP for Parkdale, 1949–1957...
- David Walker (Scottish footballer)
New Zealand
- Adrian Sutton
- Brad Scott
Liberia
- Boima KarpehBoima KarpehBoima Karpeh , aka Jerry Karpeh, is a Liberian-Australian professional football player currently playing for Persisam Putra Samarinda...