North Sunshine Eagles FC

North Sunshine Eagles
Full name North Sunshine Eagles Football Club
Founded 1970
Ground Larissa Reserve, St Albans
President Shpetim Alimi
Manager Arben Isai
League State League 1 North-West
2015 5th

North Sunshine Eagles FC is a soccer club from St Albans, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is an Albanian Australian-backed club.

It currently competes in the Victorian State League Division 1 North-West division, after promotion in 2014.

History

Early years

The club was founded in 1975 as Albanian Eagle Soccer Club by Albanian migrants.[1] In 1989 the club moved its home base from McIvor Reserve in Yarraville to Keilor Downs.[1] Just two years later in 1991, the club moved its home base once more to its current location at Larissa Reserve in the Western Melbournian suburb of St Albans.[1]

In 1993, the club changed its name from Albanian Eagle SC to North Sunshine Eagles Soccer Club.[1] In 2000, NSEFC was promoted from Victorian Provisional League 1 to Victorian State League Division 3. Another promotion followed just two seasons later, but the club found itself back in Provisional League 1 after relegations in both 2005 and 2006.

Rise to State One

North Sunshine experienced a stellar rise between 2011 and 2014. The club won the Provisional League 1 championship in 2011, earning automatic promotion to State League Division 3. In 2013, the side managed a 3rd-place finish in State 3 and were promoted to the Victorian State League Division 2 North-West for the 2014 season due to a league re-structure following the introduction of the National Premier Leagues Victoria. The Eagles achieved promotion in their first season in State League 2, winning the league championship.

In its first season in the third tier of football in Victoria in 2015, the Victorian State League Division 1 North-West, the club finished in 5th place. In the 2015 season, there was a historic match played out between North Sunshine Eagles and local rivals Sunshine George Cross FC in the FFA Cup. The nine man Eagles came from two-goals down in extra-time to draw 6–6 and then win 4–2 on penalties. FFA Cups 12 goal Sunshine derby spectacular The club was then drawn against state league powerhouse South Melbourne FC in the next round and unfortunately lost 8–0.

Following a melee in a pre-season friendly in January 2016 against local rivals Sunshine George Cross FC, the Eagles were deducted 12 championship points, fined $4,000 and had their president and senior squad member Besnik Kutleshi banned from any activity in the sport for two years.[2] The Football Federation Victoria highlighted the club’s prior convictions, its lack of apology or expression of remorse, and its denial that the incidents occurred as reasoning for the sanctions.[2] Despite the 12 point deduction, North Sunshine was able to finish in 3rd place in State League One North-West. Without the point deduction, the Eagles would have finished in 2nd place, two points off league champions Altona Magic SC.[3]

In September 2016, North Sunshine announced the homecoming of former player and 2016 Hume City FC central defender Shane Rexhepi. On signing for the club, Rexhepi stated: "I will play NPL again and it will be with NSEFC”.[4]

Today the club is primarily backed and supported by Albanians and Albanian-Australians living in Melbourne.

Supporters

North Sunshine supporters are known to be one of the loudest and loyal supporter groups in Victoria which usually outnumber majority of supporters at each and every game during the season, with support coming mainly from the Albanian community in the area as well as support from brother club Dandenong Thunder SC.

Honours

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Club History – NSEFC". www.nsefc.com.au. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 Twomey, Liam. "Eagles president banned, points lost after melee". Star Weekly. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  3. ↑ http://www.nsefc.com.au/table/2016-league-table/
  4. ↑ "NSEFC Sign Shane Rexhepi for 2017". NSEFC. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
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