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. The Australian tournament kicked off in 1974 with an event staged in Melbourne, Australia where six soccer clubs participated at Melbourne Croatia's ground Montgomery Park in Essendon. The tournament was born. Although only six clubs participated, it was the beginning, a beginning spawned from Croatia Melbourne's expulsion from the Victorian Soccer Federation, with the clubs leadership including Tony Vrzina and Josip Solic together with Mirko Furjanic the now Honorary President of the Australian Croatian Soccer Tournament being the forerunners in getting the tournament up and going. The second tournament was staged in 1975, hosted by Sydney Croatia and taken out by Canberra FC who defeated Sydney Croatia 3–1 in the Final. Since then it has gone on to become the largest and oldest ethnic football tournament in Australia, having been hosted in every state and territory except for the Northern Territory. It also holds the honour of being the oldest national soccer competition still running in Australia. Melbourne Knights and Sydney United are the only two clubs to hold Life Membership to the Australian Croatian Soccer Federation due to their pioneering in the early days in getting the tournament going, as well as their success on the National footballing stage.

Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
Organising bodyCSA Australia Savez
Founded1974 (1974)
RegionAustralia
New Zealand
Number of teamsVaries
Current championsDandenong City (1st title)
Most successful club(s)Sydney United (10 titles)
WebsiteCSA Australia Savez

List of Tournaments

Year Winner Host
2020 North Geelong Warriors (5)
2019 Dandenong City Dandenong City
2018 Melbourne Knights (7) Gold Coast Knights (3)
2017 St Albans Saints (9) Canberra FC (5)
2016 St Albans Saints (8) Adelaide Raiders (7)
2015 Melbourne Knights (6) Brisbane Knights (4)
2014 North Geelong Warriors South Coast United (2)
2013 Melbourne Knights (5) Melbourne Knights (5)
2012 Melbourne Knights (4) Gold Coast Knights (2)
2011 Melbourne Knights (3) Kralj Tomislav Sydney (2)
2010 Melbourne Knights (2) Auckland Croatia
2009 Adelaide Raiders (5) Adelaide Raiders (6)
2008 St Albans Saints (7) North Geelong Warriors (4)
2007 Ljubuski FC Western Knights (2)
2006 Sydney United (9) Sydney United (3)
2005 Canberra FC (6) Melbourne Knights (4)
2004 O'Connor Knights Canberra FC (4)
2003 Auckland Croatia Luddenham Bosna
2002 Adelaide Raiders (4) Adelaide Raiders (5)
2001 Canberra FC (5) Brisbane Knights (3)
2000 St Albans Saints (6) St Albans Saints (2)
1999 Hajduk Sydney Hurstville Zagreb
1998 St Albans Saints (5) North Geelong Warriors (3)
1997 Adelaide Raiders (3) Adelaide Raiders (4)
1996 Sydney United (8) Canberra FC (3)
1995 Adelaide Raiders (2) Gold Coast Knights
1994 Canberra FC (4) South Coast United
1993 Melbourne Knights Melbourne Knights (3)
1992 Canberra FC (3) North Geelong Warriors (2)
1991 St Albans Saints (4) Adelaide Raiders (3)
1990 St Albans Saints (3) St Albans Saints
1989 Sydney United (7) Brisbane Knights (2)
1988 Sydney United (6) Canberra FC (2)
1987 Sydney United (5) Sydney United (2)
1986 Canberra FC (2) Melbourne Knights (2)
1985 St Albans Saints (2) Adelaide Raiders (2)
1984 Adelaide Raiders Irymple Knights
1983 St Albans Saints North Geelong Warriors
1982 Brisbane Knights Brisbane Knights
1981 Sydney United (4) Kralj Tomislav Sydney
1980 Western Knights Glenorchy Knights
1979 Sydney United (3) Western Knights
1978 Sydney United (2) Canberra FC
1977 Whyalla Croatia Adelaide Raiders
1976 Sydney United Melbourne Knights
1975 Canberra FC Sydney United
1974 ^ Sydney United Melbourne Knights

^ 1974 Tournament was a trial event

Tournament Winners

  • Sydney United, 9 titles
  • St Albans Saints, 9 titles
  • Melbourne Knights, 7 titles
  • Canberra FC, 6 titles
  • Adelaide Raiders, 5 titles
  • Dandenong City, 1 title
  • North Geelong Warriors, 1 title
  • Whyalla Croatia, 1 title
  • Western Knights, 1 title
  • Ljubuski FC, 1 title
  • Hajduk Sydney, 1 title
  • O'Connor Knights, 1 title
  • Auckland Croatia, 1 title
  • Brisbane Knights, 1 title

See also

References

(1) Adelaide Advertiser "Raiders confident" 4 October 2002, page 103

Official website AusCroSoccer.com

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