Sunshine George Cross

SEARCHING FOR A HOME

After the short stint at Selwyn Park, the Cross was back playing at Olympic Park. It was during this period that George Cross failed to establish them selves with a permanent home ground where the club could secure their future. At the start of most seasons during the 1960’s, it was any ones guess as to where the club would be calling home. During this period grounds like the Showgrounds, Heidelberg’s Olympic Village, Shintler Reserve, Olympic Park’s number one and number two grounds, Elsternwick Park, Maribyrnong, Selwyn Park, St. Kilda Cricket Ground and Optus Oval were just few grounds the George Cross Football Club has used as home grounds. In 1968 fortunes improved for the club with the team always in the top half of the ladder before settling for a mid table placing. This was the end of an era for the club with long serving President Lou Debono retiring for good. He had been President for a total of 14 years and had become known as the ‘FATHER OF GEORGE CROSS”. It was also the beginning of a new era with Alphonse Attard taking the President’s position that was to last for the next 12 years. 1969 was a near disastrous season for the club, with the team finishing in second last place. Fortunately only the bottom place team was relegated that season. 1970 was not much better, but the Cross managed to stay clear enough of relegation to finish in 9^th place. By this time supporters were yearning for a return of better times and the committee started a campaign to improve the situation. 1971 saw our team shoot itself in the foot on the eve of the new season, with five of the better players going on swages strike. By the time three of these players returned to the fold the Georgies was out of title contentions. The team improved and staged a great rally to remain unbeaten in the second round and eventually finish in 6^th place. The latter half of the season showed enough improvement to suggest the Cross was on the right track and the committee saw fit to recruit better quality players to launch another attempt on the championship. 1972 saw the arrival of Norm Maitland one of the most loyal and dedicated players to ever wear a George Cross shirt. 1972 was a very good year for the team as George Cross became serious challengers for the championship. It was one hell of a fight with South Melbourne with both teams finishing the campaign on 35 points. The title went Hellas' way on goal difference. It was second yet again, and the same was to follow over the next two years, as yet again the Cross finished runners up to J.U.S.T. and Hellas respectively. The 1972, 1973 & 1974 seasons saw George Cross challenging for the league title, but failure to win that elusive championship left many disillusioned. The team did acheive some glory by winning the 1974 Ampol Cup and State League Cup. This eased a little bit of the frustrations, but finishing second so many times disappointed many of the club’s faithful, as during this period George Cross had some of the best players in this country. The likes of John Gardiner, Kevin Walker, Frank McArdle, Norm Maitland, Paul Murphy, Derek Ricks, Dario Epifano, Tommy Clarke, Kevin Kelly and Lothar Kastner graced George Cross at the time, but even these players could not break the ice of winning a league title. 1975 saw a mediocre performance in the league with the team falling out of the championship race very early to finish in 6th place. And there was to be no cup success either that season. The beginning of the 1976 season had George Cross red hot favourites for relegation, with team morale sinking to an all time low after losing the opening 4 games of the season. The team failed to score a goal having conceded 12 and was stone motherless last. The concerned committee had been negotiating with former England international Ken Wagstaff to take charge of the team. Agreement was reached and Wagstaff arrive in Australia in May. His arrival coincided with the arrival of 20 year old Robert Culen from Scotland, as well as the return of Paul Murphy from Hellas. Other newcomers were Peter Ebini and Derek Barron. The doom and gloom changed to excitement and a club on the move, as the Georgies went on to remain undefeated 1973 STATE LEAGUE CUP WINNERS             for the rest of the season. Wagstaff had waved his magic wand and his influence and his presence on the park turned George Cross into a very exciting team to watch. The climb up the ladder was rapid as the Georgies took on all comers and beat them. The arrival of Wagstaff was a little bit late to bring home the championship, but the team did well to finish in 4^th place. The reserve team did their bit by winning the Harry Armstrong Cup. It had been 10 seasons of mixed results, with some very poor efforts that nearly resulted in relegation. Some seasons looked very promising but failed to deliver due to internal problems. The three successive seasons of coming second, tested supporters resolve. The final season of this era showed what could be done with proper planning, and the bringing of Ken Wagstaff was a masterstroke that was to have a lasting impact at George Cross.

PROMINENT PLAYERS 1968-1976.

BILLY WILKINSON, KEN WAGSTAFF, ROBERT CULLEN, KEVIN WALKER, DEREK BARRON, JOHN WEBB, NORM NAITLAND, DEREK RICKS, KEN REED, PAUL MURPHY, TOM FOX, JOHN GARDINER, KEVIN KELLY, JOE CUNNINGHAM, DARIO EPIFANO, FRANK McARDLE, JOHN SANCHEZ, JIM PAPARAS, PHILIP CUTAJAR, JOHN WEBB.

THE FOURTH DECADE

1977 – 1986

This decade began with a bang for the Georgie faithful after years of waiting for that elusive championship. Even though he had left the club, the legacy of Ken Wagstaff remained. His appointed successor Billy Wilkinson continued building on what was achieved in 1976. The 1977 season saw the departure of Mooroolbark, J.U.S.T., Heidelberg and Hellas to the National League, and George Cross was determined to win the league no matter what. The Cross was a class above everyone else and deservedly won the league title by 7 points from Slavia. That same year George Cross also won the State League Cup to make it a fine double. The following season saw a very ordinary start to the campaign, but as the season wore on George Cross charged up the ladder. The slow start created to big a gap to make up, but the team made the finals by finishing in third place. Later in the season the Georgies won their 4^th Dockerty Cup by beating Wilhelmina 3-2 at Olympic Park. Our team was in red hot form late in the season and was robbed of the State League Cup by a referee’s mistake that proved costly late in the game. 1979 and 1980 saw the team’s performances slip considerably as they finished in 7^th and 8^th. Both seasons were full of trouble due to finances being at an all time low. Playing at Olympic Park was proving to be disastrous. Hiring this ground was far too costly, with gate takings leaving huge deficits after each home match. The only way the club survived through this period was through the dedication of a group of volunteers, who raised enough funds in various ways to make ends meet. In 1980 George Cross was on the move again with the club moving back to Selwyn Park in Sunshine, a ground vacated by the club in 1967. Moving out west saved the club money with many advocating George Cross secure a long term lease, instead of the game to game ground rental plan. George Cross only played 3 matches at Selwyn Park after agreement was reached with Sunshine City Soccer Club to share Chaplin Reserve. In 1981 the team steadied to finish in fifth place, and hovered in mid table throughout the 1982 season before finishing in 8^th place.  During the off season talks between Sunshine City and George Cross led to the possibility of amalgamation. The two clubs grew closer and when both sets of members agreed on the merger, the new club was launched under the name Sunshine George Cross. The new team played their first season in 1983 and it took a very long time for the new combined team to find winning form. The Georgies moved up the ladder in the second round to finish in 5^th place. The following season applications were called for positions in the enlarged National League competition, and S.G.C. application was accepted. It was a baptism of fire in the new league in 1984 with the Georgies finishing last with only 5 wins from the 28 matches played. There was no other Victorian club willing to move into the league and George Cross retained their position in the N.S.L. In 1985 the club recruited some very good players to improve the situation and improve they did. The Cross was very competitive and climbed up the ladder to 6^th place. The 1986 season will go down as the Georgies best in the N.S.L. with the team always in the hunt for top spot before finishing in

 THE FIRST SUNSHINE GEORGE CROSS TEAM IN 1983.    ly overtake Heidelberg and avoid relegation by 2 points. It was a Harry Houdini escape act the way the Cross survived that season and one that had supporters biting their finger nails down to the skin. Under the guidance of wily coach John Gardiner, the Georgies played to their strength and were always competitive. At times it wasn’t pretty football, but getting points is what the game is all about. Whilst the senior team struggled in most seasons in the National League, the Youth side was doing the club proud by winning the Southern Division championship in 1986 and 1987. The club was constantly producing top talent that few clubs in Victoria could match. Many of these youngsters went on to play for the senior team, others played successfully overseas, as well as representing the Australian National team. It was satisfying to see these youngsters coming through the junior academy under the guidance of many top coaches.

PROMINENT PLAYERS 1977-1986.

STEVE RICHARDSON, JEFF FAULKNER, NOEL MITTEN, SHAUN PARTON SEASON KEOGH, JOHN MARKOVSKI, TYRONE JAMES, CHRIS TAYLOR, DON McLAREN, JOHN CAMPELJ, OSSIE LATIF, ANDREW MARTH, CARL GILDER, GED BANNON, DAVID RIGBY, ROGER BAIN, PAUL TRIMBOLI, JOHN WADDELL, GARY CLARKE, GARY HASLER,CHRIS KETSAKIDIS, FRANK TALIA, PAT MORLEY, PAUL LEWIS, LES CARTER, LORENZ KINDTNER, KEVIN MUSCAT.

THE FIFTH DACADE

1987 – 1996

The start to the 1987 N.S.L. season was nothing short of disastrous with the team getting only 2 points in the first 11 games of the season. Anchored in last place, the Georgies looked doomed until a hat-trick by Paul Trimboli gave the S.G.C. their first win of the season over South Melbourne Hellas. The fight to avoid last place was against Heidelberg and with only 3 rounds left the Georgies was still last. A win over Sydney Olympic and a draw at Footscray J.U.S.T. saw George Cross hand bottom spot to Heidelberg. The Georgie boys rose to the challenge away at Preston in the final game to win 2-0 and secure their place in the N.S.L. It was a year for youngsters with Andrew Marth winning thew best & fairest award along with Paul Trimboli being named Under 21 player of the year. The club celebrated the 40^th anniversary by winning the third successive Youth League championship. The Cross lifted their game the following season to finish in a respectable mid table position. A youngster who was rocking the football world at the time was John Markovski, who scored many sensational goals. In 1989 it was another battle at the wrong end of the table, but once again the team was able to do enough to avoid the drop. The Cross finished fourth last, only 1 point ahead of the relegated Heidelberg. Many newspaper scribes dubbed George Cross ‘the great survivors’. The youth team continued to roll along the road of success by winning the fourth Southern Division Youth championship. The youngsters crowned the season by finally winning the big one by defeating Marconi 3-2 in the final of the National Australian Championship. This was Gradiner’s last season in charge with Ernie Merrick taking over for the first summer league that got under way in 1989-90. The first match for the Cross was in Sydney against Melita Eagles and it was to be a winning start. The following week the Georgies played their first home game at their new ground in Skinner Reserve against the Ferenc Puskas led South Melbourne Hellas team. The Georgies continued their good start winning 2-0 in front of over 6,000. Stars for the Cross were Jeff Faulkner and Craig Foster, but things soured soon after with the end of Ossie Latif’s career through a training mishap. The loss of Craig Foster and David Clarkson followed and not long after Paul Lewis and Les Carter left the club to badly deplete the squad. Lorenz Kindtner was another youngster making an impact that season, along with young 15 year old Kevin Muscat who played his first game for S.G.C. The team struggled in the second round, but was good enough to steer clear of the relegation zone. The 1990-91 season promised a lot but failed to deliver. From the first round home loss to Heidelberg which featured high profile new Cross recruit David McFarlane, the season never ignited with the team always near the drop zone.

THE 1989 NATIONAL YOUTH TEAM CHAMPIONS

The bottom bottom dropped out for the Cross in the second half of the season following the sacking of Merrick and the departure of team manager Garry Hasler. There was no recovery and at the end of a very troubled season the Georgies finished second last and had to re-apply for a position in the N.S.L. This was rejected and Sunshine George Cross was demoted back to the Victorian Premier League for the 1992 season. With most of the players leaving, it was always going to be difficult returning to the V.P.L. The Georgies did well to finish 6^th in the 14 team league. 1993 saw the Georgies make the finals after a poor start, following the appointment of John Waddell as coach and John Markovski returning as a guest player. Wins over St. Albans and North Geelong in the finals set up a preliminary final clash with Fawkner. The game played at the Veneto Club saw John Waddell carried of very early in the game, and the Cross exiting the finals through a last minute goal that gave Fawkner victory. The highlight of the season was the 5-1 win over Green Gully at Green Gully and the 18 goals scored by John Markovski. 1994 was the year the Victorian Soccer Federation renamed our club ‘SUNSHINE GEORGIES’. A late season surge saw the team finish 5^th to make the finals again. After beating Altona Magic 1-0 in the semi–final, the Cross’ season ended on a disappointing note following a 1-0 loss to Port Melbourne. That season saw our reserve side win the Harry Armstrong cup for the first time in 16 years. Craig Lewis stood out scoring 16 goals. 1995 saw the Georgies have another top season under the guidance of Willie Vassallo. The team started badly but once Vassallo took over, the team never looked back. They went through the last 15 matches undefeated to finish in 3^rd place. In the finals it was an early exit losing 2-0 to Altona Magic and Bulleen 5-1. In 1996 Vassallo remained in charge of a revamped and younger team that surprised everyone by winning 12 and drew 2 of the first 14 matches. The Cross eventually finished the season in third place. In the finals it was to be another disappointment losing 2-0 to Green Gully. The return to the V.P.L. saw the club acquit itself well and was much more competitive than playing in the N.S.L. Most supporters stuck with S.G.C. in a decade that saw the club disappointly lose their National League status, but proud of the fact that this period produced so many home grown youngsters.

PROMINENT PLAYERS 1987-1996.

ROBERT FERLA, JOHN KANESOULIS, STEVE WARDLE, ANTHONY CASSAR, CHRIS DAGLARAS, CRAIG LEWIS, JOE DEBONO, SPENCER FIELD, JAMIE MELROSE, BILLY MAKRIS, JOHN MARKOVSKI, MICHAEL UTTING, STEVE MANGOS, AGIM SHERIFOVSKI, PETER COCKER, BRIAN ROBERTS, LUCIANO FABRIZIO, DAMIEN MORI, DAVID CLARKSON, CRAIG FOSTER.

THE SIXTH DECADE

1997 – 2006

CHAPLIN RESERVE BOUGHT

Big things were expected for the 50^th anniversary season, but unfortunately the team assembled in 1997 was mediocre at best. The club made their biggest signing ever when Sunshine George Cross bought Chaplin Reserve from the State Government. Club officials made it official by signing the deal at the club's 50th Anniversary Dinner Ball held at the Lakeside Banquet & Convention Centre on Saturday June 28 1997. Two coaching changes during the season did not help with Vassallo being replaced by Robert Ferla and not long after he was replaced by Gus McLeod. The best win in 1997 was a 6-0 drubbing of Preston, while Bentleigh Greens inflicted an embarrassing 9-1 thrashing over the Georgies. Saso Markovski scored a club record 25 goals that season. The following season saw another similar performance by the Georgies, who had adopted a very tight financial budget for the team. The youngsters introduced that season performed well with the team close to the top 5 all season, before finishing in 7^th place. At the end of the season Gus McLeod sensed further tightening in player spending and resigned. Anthony Cassar took over as the new coach. He only lasted three rounds into the season and was replaced by John Kanesoulis. The team was far too young for the Premier league and struggled throughout, winning only 4 matches and was relegated to the first division. This was the first time George Cross had been relegated from the Premier League since 1958. The start of the new millennium saw the Georgies struggle once again in the first division. For many weeks the team looked destined to drop another division before coming good over the final rounds to climb to safety. At the end of the season the club made a decision to go Amateur. Most of the players from the 2000 season left and the club faced the impossible task of playing the 2001 season with virtually the same team that had just completed their under 16 season. Interest in the team by supporters disappeared with most matches attracting only a handful of loyal fans. The club was at its lowest web since being founded and it was feared Sunshine George Cross played its last match ever at the end of that season. There was no money and no support and things looked very bleak. Relegation was a certainty with the team going all season without a win. All unwanted records were created in 2001 including a 14-1 hiding at Frankston Pines. 2002 was to be the last season for Mr. Alfred Zahra as President after he inflamed many with an article predicting the club’s demise that appeared in the Herald –Sun. In a way the article was just what Sunshine George Cross needed, as many returned to the club and worked like never before to get the club on its feet once again. Mr Charles Borg took over as the new President, who along with his new committee faced the huge task of getting the team out of the second division. Things began rather poorly on the field with Sunshine George Cross without a win and in last place at the end of the first round. The first win for the club came courtesy of a protest being upheld after East Richmond fielded an ineligible player. The first on field win came in round 13 when the Georgies won 2-1 at Croxton Park to end a run of 40 games without a win. Second division status was achieved and confidence was returning back to the club. The 2003 season saw the Georgies continue to build a team capable of challenging for promotion. After being engaged in a tough battle with Pascoe Vale, the Cross finally edged out the Vale to win the second division championship. The season was further enhanced with the team winning the State League Cup on penalty kicks. The final was against Cranbourne Comets and after a scoreless draw, the Georgies had to rely on Steve Wardle’s penalty saves to take the cup. It was the first cup win for the club in 25 years. The following season the team was yet again involved in another championship challenge. This time it was Heidelberg United who went neck and neck with the Georgies all season long. Heidelberg came out on top to win the championship by 2 points, but for George Cross the task of reaching the Premier League once again was completed. It was a remarkable turn around under the new administration to revive a club that was virtually dead and almost buried. It was always going to be difficult being back with the big boys in 2005, and tough it was, with the Cross falling away after a bright start. The team struggled in the second round and it was not until the final game of the season that ensured another season of Premier League football for the Georgies. The point gained in the 0-0 draw away at Melbourne Knights was enough to ensure safety. It was much the same for the club in 2006, but this time it was survival on a technicality after the team finished in the relegation zone. A protest against Essendon Royals over the Royals fielding a suspended player was upheld and the Cross was reprieved for another season in the V.P.L.
 

2006 SQUAD

PROMINENT PLAYERS 1997-2006.

EDUARDO SOARES, JUAN NILO, COLIN AZZOPARDI, COLIN JOHN, DUSKO DELIC, BRETT GILMOUR, VASKO TRPCEVSKI, ANOTHONY MAGNACCA, PETER SPITERI, MANNY MUSCAT, TONY NECESKI, TRENT WATERSON, GEORGE GEORGADIS, ILIJA DRAGICEVIC, JANI SURIC, MARK RECCHIA, MAHJOUB TAOULI, ALFONSO OPAZO, SASO MARKOVSKI, ROBERT KRAJACIC, BRANDON VASSALLO, ARTHUR TSIRTSAKIS.

THE SEVENTH DECADE

2007 - 2011

SALE OF GROUND

TO BE CONTINUED AS THE YEARS ROLL ON.

LONG LIVE SUNSHINE GEORGE CROSS FOOTBALL CLUB!

Compiled by club historian Victor Brincat