Noarlunga United Bulldogs
Encyclopedia
The Noarlunga United Bulldogs are a football (soccer)
club from Adelaide
, South Australia
. In 2011, Noarlunga play in the FFSA
South Australian Premier League
. They play at Wilfred Taylor Reserve in Adelaide's southern suburbs.
The Club won Honours in the FFSA Awards including State League Player of the Year, U19 Player of the Year, State League Coach of the Year and the FFSA Fair Play Award.
The club originally played at Wakefield Reserve, Acre Avenue, Pimpala. The pitch was virtually on the top of a cliff. It had a very big slope down hill from south to north and the winds which used to rip down and across the pitch were horrific.
The club moved to the Wilfred Taylor Reserve which is a far cry from the early years. The club has spacious clubrooms and undercover facilities for supporters. Club patrons and players alike have nicknamed their home the pound.
Their biggest rivals are South Adelaide F.C. and Seaford Rangers. Supporters of the club from years gone by remember heated matches between Seaford and Noarlunga, but in more modern times it is South Adelaide games which are most highly anticipated, as Seaford games are often expected to be one sided affairs.
Mike Harkness took over as manager for the 2007 season. The former Cumberland United, West Adelaide Sharks, Sorrento FC, Stenhousemuir FC, Arbroath FC and Motherwell FC goalkeeper brought new ideas and a fresh vision to the club. Under his guidance the club was promoted to the Premier League for season 2008 at the first time of asking. The club came as runners up to Adelaide Comets in a season which could very well have seen them win their fourth championship as they lost it in the final weeks of the season by a single point. 2008 saw a similar struggle but at the other end of the table and the Club was relegated to the State League in the final round of the season.
2009 saw a consolidation of the Club under the guidance of Steve Young (Chairman) and a coaching trio of Noarlunga stalwarts (Lloyd Roberts, David Foy & Colin Bolto). At the end of the season, the Club narrowly missed the Final series.
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 Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. In 2011, Noarlunga play in the FFSA
Football Federation of South Australia
The Football Federation of South Australia is the governing body of association football in South Australia. The FFSA are affiliated to the Football Federation Australia...
South Australian Premier League
South Australian Premier League
The South Australian Premier League is now the second-highest state-level football competition in South Australia. It is conducted by the Football Federation of South Australia , the state's governing body. Prior to the 2006 season, this was the highest level competition in South Australia...
. They play at Wilfred Taylor Reserve in Adelaide's southern suburbs.
Season 2010 - "The Bulldog bites back"
Season 2010 was a stellar year for the Bulldogs under the guidance of Senior Coach, Brenton Hiern. All three senior teams won the State League minor Premiership and the Reserves (U/23) went on to win the Championship.The Club won Honours in the FFSA Awards including State League Player of the Year, U19 Player of the Year, State League Coach of the Year and the FFSA Fair Play Award.
History
The club was founded under the name of Wakefield Wanderers in 1963 by John Jones and Norm Hughes. The club changed its name in 1974 to Noarlunga United. The nickname the bulldogs is in honour of the club's British heritage.The club originally played at Wakefield Reserve, Acre Avenue, Pimpala. The pitch was virtually on the top of a cliff. It had a very big slope down hill from south to north and the winds which used to rip down and across the pitch were horrific.
The club moved to the Wilfred Taylor Reserve which is a far cry from the early years. The club has spacious clubrooms and undercover facilities for supporters. Club patrons and players alike have nicknamed their home the pound.
Their biggest rivals are South Adelaide F.C. and Seaford Rangers. Supporters of the club from years gone by remember heated matches between Seaford and Noarlunga, but in more modern times it is South Adelaide games which are most highly anticipated, as Seaford games are often expected to be one sided affairs.
Mike Harkness took over as manager for the 2007 season. The former Cumberland United, West Adelaide Sharks, Sorrento FC, Stenhousemuir FC, Arbroath FC and Motherwell FC goalkeeper brought new ideas and a fresh vision to the club. Under his guidance the club was promoted to the Premier League for season 2008 at the first time of asking. The club came as runners up to Adelaide Comets in a season which could very well have seen them win their fourth championship as they lost it in the final weeks of the season by a single point. 2008 saw a similar struggle but at the other end of the table and the Club was relegated to the State League in the final round of the season.
2009 saw a consolidation of the Club under the guidance of Steve Young (Chairman) and a coaching trio of Noarlunga stalwarts (Lloyd Roberts, David Foy & Colin Bolto). At the end of the season, the Club narrowly missed the Final series.
Club honours
| 2nd Division Champions: | 1977 & 1980 |
| 3rd Division Champions: | 1968 |
| State League Minor Premiers: | 2010 |
| U/23 State League Champions: | 2002,2010 |
| U/23 State League Minor Premiers: | 1998,2010 |
| U/19 State League Champions: | 2007 |
| U/19 State League Minor Premiers: | 1998,2010 |
| U/17B League Winners: | 2006 |
| U/17C League Runner-Ups: | 1999 |