Kingston City FC

Kingston City Football Club is an Australian, professional soccer club from Clayton South, Victoria (within the local government area of Kingston), whose home ground is The Grange Reserve. Kingston club is competing in 2020 in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 2.

Kingston City FC
Founded1974
GroundThe Grange Reserve
Capacity2000
ChairmanAchilles Kalfoglou
CoachCon Tangalakis
LeagueNPL 2
201913th in NPL (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

History

The club was established in 1974 in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Clarinda by members of the local Greek Australian community. Originally called Liverpool Soccer Club, the club was renamed Clarinda Soccer Club the following year (1975). Playing many of its home games on the grounds of Clayton Technical School in Clayton, Victoria, the club spent most of its early years competing in the lower divisions of the Victorian District Leagues. In 1982 the club moved to its current home ground The Grange in the neighbouring suburb of Clayton South, Victoria, and in 1998 was renamed Kingston City Soccer Club. The name change was made to reflect the amalgamation of local city councils and the restructuring of city borders, but also to broaden the club's appeal amongst the non-Greek population in the local area.

Kingston City competed in the 2006 Victorian Premier League after back-to-back promotions in 2004 and 2005, winning the State League Division One title in the latter year. The club's stay in the top-flight was short-lived, though, suffering relegation in 2007. Financial struggles then blighted the club, with debt as high as six-figures hindering Kingston's operations. A second relegation followed in 2008 when City finished bottom of State League 1 and then a third consecutive relegation when it finished bottom of the 2009 State League Division Two South-East.[1]

After finishing his playing career at the end of the 2012 State League Division 2 South-East season, Nick Tolios took over as head coach of the club.

In 2014, Kingston City was announced as one of the successful applicants for the newly introduced National Premier Leagues Victoria, joining the second division, the new second tier of football in Victoria. Kingston finished in 8th place in its first season in the 14-team league.[2]

The following season, six additional clubs were added to National Premier Leagues Victoria 2, with the division splitting into East and West conferences of ten sides each. Kingston finished in 6th place in NPL2 East in 2015.[3]

On 3 September 2016, Kingston City achieved promotion from to NPL Victoria in dramatic circumstances. Needing to avoid defeat on the final match-day of the regular season, Damian Iaconis scored a 94th-minute equaliser to achieve automatic promotion into the top flight.[4] In the 2016 NPL2 Grand Final, Kingston City came back from 2–0 down to win 3–2 against St Albans Saints, with Slaven Vranesevic scoring two near-identical free kicks, and Kingston were crowned NPL Victoria 2 Champions. Velibor Mitrovic was top goalscorer with 19 goals.[5]

Kingston finished in 10th place in its first season in the NPL in 2017, seven points clear of the relegation playoff spot.[6] Iaconis top-scored with 12 goals. The following season, City finished just outside of the finals series, two points behind Port Melbourne in sixth place.[7] Iaconis once again top-scored with 11 goals. In 2019, after three seasons in the top flight in Victoria, Kingston City were relegated, finishing in second-bottom place, one point short of Dandenong Thunder in the relegation play-off spot.[8] After relegation was confirmed, Tolios left the club to take up an opportunity at Bentleigh Greens after seven years as head coach of Kingston.

Kingston then appointed Con Tangalakis as manager for the 2020 season.

Honours
Kingston City celebrating their 2016 NPL2 championship

2019 Senior Men's National Premier Leagues Victoria Squad

as of February 2019 [9] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  AUS Stephen Hatzikourtis
2 DF  AUS Michael Mullins
4 DF  AUS Simo Jovanovic
5 DF  AFG Faisal Sakhizada
6 DF  AUS Nathan Tidmarsh
7 MF  AUS Chris Irwin
9 FW  CHI Hernan Inestroza
10 FW  AUS Mouad Zwed
11 MF  AUS Ali Sulemani
No. Pos. Nation Player
12 FW  AUS Erhan Yalaz
13 DF  AUS Daniel Bennett
14 FW  AUS Damian Iaconis
16 MF  AUS Anthony Theo
17 MF  AUS Alex Caniglia
18 MF  AUS Anthony Ianchello
19 FW  AUS David Antequera
20 GK  JPN Satoshi Osougi
22 DF  AUS Ajdin Fetahagic
23 FW  AUS Cooper Legrand

Competition Timeline

[10]

R relegated P promoted C champions F finals

SeasonDivisionPosPlayedWDLFAPoints
2019 RNPL13th266515355123
2018NPL7th2610412394534
2017NPL10th268711374231
2016 CNPL 2 East1st282134653266
2015NPL 1 East6th2815211595047
2014NPL 18th2611213544635
2013SL 2 South/East7th2210111424231
2012SL 2 South/East7th2210012404530
2011 CSL 3 South/East1st221642611552
2010SL 3 South/East4th221426443244
2009 RSL 2 South/East12th224513325714
2008 RSL 112th224117205013
2007 RVPL15th267613323827
2006 FVPL5th2611510373938
2005 CSL 11st221651441453
2004 PSL 2 South/East2nd221183351741
2003 RSL 112th223712225216
2002 CSL 2 South/East1st221651471753
2001SL 2 South/East4th2211110434034
2000SL 2 South/East8th228212313026
1999 RSL 113th266614315824

References
  1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/o1t9xmj2xj8of35/2000%27s.pdf?dl=0&s=sl
  2. "Ladder for NPL1". SportsTG. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  3. "Ladder for PS4 NPL1 East VIC". SportsTG. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  4. Bourbos, Dimitrios. "Late Iaconis header seals Kingston's East title and promotion". The Corner Flag. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  5. "Competition Stats for PS4 NPL2 East VIC Men". SportsTG. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  6. "Ladder for PS4 NPL VIC Men". SportsTG. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  7. "Ladder for NPL VIC". SportsTG. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  8. "Ladder for NPL VIC Men". SportsTG. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  9. "Kingston City Team". Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  10. OzFootball – Victorian League Archive
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