Category: News

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 10:19 AM

In what will be an exciting day for South Melbourne FC, the club is hosting the inaugural “Foundation Round” on Sunday against Whittlesea Zebras at Bob Jane Stadium.

The day will focus on celebrating the foundation and formulation of South Melbourne FC in 1959, following the merger of three clubs: Hellenic, Yarra Park and South Melbourne United.

In 1960, South played it’s first official game as a club, where as part of the merger agreement, their home shirt was the famous Red V with a white background that was made well-known by South Melbourne United in previous years.

The shirt would be South Melbourne Hellas’ first official home shirt as a club and would be worn by some great players throughout the highly successful 1960’s. Between 1959 and 1976, South Melbourne stamped its name on Victorian football by capturing 8 state league Championships in 1960 (First Division), 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1974 and 1976 and three Ampol Cups in 1969, 1970 and 1976. The club was also Dockerty Cup Champions in 1974 and 1975.

On top of the team success, South also had numerous club legends that played throughout this 1960’s period in the famous red and white shirt. This included the likes of Ernie Ackerley, Jimmy Adam (deceased), John Bedford, Antonis Hatzieleftheriou, Jordan Ieremiadis (deceased), Boulis Kambouropoulos (deceased), Antonis Karagiannis, Michael Mandalis, Takis Mantarakis, John Margaritis, Con Nestorides, George Papadopoulos, Jim Pyrgolios and SMFC’s first Socceroo, Ted Smith.

In what will be a tribute to the birth of the club and the memories of such legends, South will wear a special limited edition Red V shirt for the home game against Whittlesea on Sunday in a crucial contest for both teams.

The game kicks off at 4pm, with festivities including post match interviews with players in the social club after the game.

To view a full detailed history about the formation of SMFC, please click here.

Monday, 22 June 2009 11:50 AM

Click here to view smfcTV highlights of the game

Photo by Craig Varty

South Melbourne has climbed back up into second position on the table following a frustrating 1-1 draw with the Melbourne Knights on Sunday.

In front of a healthy derby day crowd at Mansion Stadium, the Blues came out of the blocks early, with a long range effort by Joseph Youssef being brilliantly turned around the bar by the Knights goalkeeper.

South continued to pressure the Knights defence and were rewarded in the 23rd minute of the game when a Sebastian Petrovich long range attempt was deflected into the path of Joseph Youssef. Instinctively, Youssef hit a low drive into the back of the net to give his side the lead.

Youssef continued to dominate in the middle of the park and could have had a second only moments later when he managed to win possession in the middle before launching himself forward. However in an unselfish bit of play, Youssef opted to play a ball into the offside Goran Zoric rather than hitting a shot on the target from the edge of the area.

The second half commenced in a completely opposite manner, with the Knights coming out of the tunnel in a far more focussed manner.

In their first real chance of the game, a swirling Mate Dugandzic was headed across goal on the back post, allowing for an unmarked Greg Draper to steer a header into the top corner from point-blank range to send the vocal home crowd into raptures.

South responded by launching a series of attacks of their own, starting via a storming run down the right hand flank by youngster Francesco Stella. The midfielder then hit a beautiful cross into the path of Vaughan Coveny, who had his header deflected into the path of Sam Torrens. With only the keeper to beat from 3 yards out, Torrens was unable to steer his shot onto the target.

The Blues continued to burst forward at every opportunity, with an exceptional interception and final ball by Goran Zoric unlocking the Knights defence and allowing from Youssef to find himself clear on goal. With one Knights defender tracking back and two team-mates by his side, Youssef opted to take the chance himself, only for the ball to be sensationally blocked by the solitary Knights defender.

Youssef was released one final time moments later when yet another Zoric ball unlocked the stagnant Knights defence. With only the keeper ahead of him, Youssef shaped to have the shot from just inside the area. However to the amazement of the travelling contingent, a desperate Craig Elvin somehow launched himself at the ball and thwarted Youssef with an exceptional tackle to secure a point for his team.

With the draw South jump above Altona Magic into second spot, with an important Foundation Round game against Whittlesea to be played at Bob Jane Stadium next Sunday. Kick-off is at 4pm.

Click here to view smfcTV highlights of the game

Friday, 19 June 2009 12:02 PM

By George Kouroumalis

South Melbourne FC would like to congratulate George Parthimos and the team at miRoamer for their recent accomplishment of winning the AIIA (Australian Information Industry Association) 2009 iAward in the media and entertainment category.

In what is an amazing accomplishment for SMFC’s major sponsor, miRoamer was rewarded and selected for their introduction of the world’s first Internet car radio. This enables drivers worldwide to access internet radio through their car stereo from any location in the world.

In a model developed by leading car radio provider Blaupunkt, each driver will be able to tune into miRoamer’s extensive database of thousands of radio station, being able to listen to them with the simple click of a car stereo button. Users can also then store favourites and re-configure the stereo to enable them to have full control of the technology to make listening to their favourite channel much easier.
 
miRoamer’s corporate headquarters are in Doncaster, but the company also has offices in California and New York and plans to open a European office later this year, and another in Hong Kong in 2010.

Mr Parthimos has been in the information technology industry for two decades and has held management positions in the telecommunications, technology, banking, finance and government sectors.

In 2007 he was recognised by the now defunct Bulletin magazine as a member of its `smart 100’ list, which highlights the 100 brightest individuals in Australia.

miRoamer has been major sponsor of South Melbourne FC in the past 2 seasons, with the company logo proudly displayed on the front of the South Melbourne FC shirt and around the ground at Bob Jane Stadium.

We once again congratulate Mr Parthimos and those associated with miRoamer on this wonderful achievement.

Friday, 19 June 2009 11:56 AM

South Melbourne FC will travel across town on Sunday in a crunch match against the Melbourne Knights at Mansion Stadium (formerly Knights Stadium).

Dubbed as the “Melbourne Derby” between the two most successful football clubs in the state of Victoria, the game remains one of the major football derbies in the nation.

While the glory years of the early to mid 90’s have eluded both clubs in recent times, both fans and players alike look back to those days with passion and pride. Despite some classic regular season matches over the years, it is the finals series hit-outs between these two clubs that take the spotlight.

The first classic finals contest occurred in the 1984 season where Olympic Park played host to an unbelievable semi-final between the clubs. In what caused immense heartache for the Melbourne Knights fans, a John Yzendoorn goal in the 84th minute negated an early Croatia goal to send the game into extra time. In stepped the famous Doug Brown, who scored a double in the 95th and 96th minutes of the game to see South triumphant by 3 goals to 2. South later went on to win the 1984 NSL Championship, while Melbourne Knights were eliminated a week later in the preliminary final by Heidelberg United.

The now  infamous 1991 Grand Final is one that South fans remember fondly, with over 23,000 fans crammed into Olympic Park. In a similar manner to the 1984 Semi Final, Melbourne Knights gained the early lead following a goal by Andrew Marth, before South once again equalised in the dying stages after a sublime ball unlocked the Knights defence to allow Joe Palatsides to hit the back of the net. With no goal in extra time, the title was decided in one of the most famous penalty shoot-outs in the history of the game in this country, with South coming from nowhere to win the shootout by 5 goals to 4 and to become National Champions for the second time.

The Knights extracted revenge on South in both 1993/94 and 1994/95 disposing of the Blues en-route to back to back national championships. Their first title came after a two-legged playoff that resulted in a 2-1 Knights victory first up and a 2-2 draw in the return leg,  with both fixtures played out at Olympic Park.

The Preliminary Final held at Olympic Park in the 1994/95 season is one remembered for the emergence and dominance of one of Australian Football’s most successful exports. In what was a staggering individual display, former Socceroos Captain and current Newcastle United player Mark Viduka buried South Melbourne early in the game scoring twice just before the interval to keep his side in the driver’s seat. After the break, the big striker once again asserted his ascendancy to seal the game after a Marucic cross was turned in by the sliding Viduka to give his side an unassailable 2 goal cushion. Despite South Melbourne pressure and a double by Con Boutsianis, Melbourne Knights would not deny the Knights and Mark Viduka their famous 3-2 victory.

Since returning to the Victorian Premier League following the demise of the NSL, both clubs have shared the spoils, with the last five meetings resulting in 2 wins and a draw to each side.

South come into the game confidently, following the demolition of Preston last weekend at Bob Jane Stadium. Adding to this confidence will be the knowledge the club legend and former Melbourne Knights player Vaughan Coveny will be available, following his Automatic + 3 game suspension being overturned by the tribunal earlier this week.

He will join a potent attacking trio of Goran Zoric, Fernando De Moraes and Gianni De Nittis, with the latter finding some form last week when he managed to score twice against the battling Lions.

On the other side of the park, the Knights will be seeing the game as a crunch contest as they look to try and keep touch with the top five. After a rocky start to the season, the Knights have signed striker Ian Pulman from the Whitstable Town in the English Ryman Leagues. Pulman was the leading goal scorer for Whitsable last season and many at Mansion Stadium are looking at him to be the saviour in front of goal for the Knights. Also joining the team is Western Australia goalkeeper Neil Young, who picked up a man-of-the-match performance against Oakleigh last week.Many South fans would remember Young after he trialed at South prior to the 2008 VPL season, before opting to head back to Western Australia.

The critical match commences at Mansion Stadium on Sunday at 3pm.

Thursday, 18 June 2009 10:57 AM

South Melbourne FC forward Vaughan Coveny is free to play this weekend, after the tribunal last night overturned a Automatic + 3 game suspension that was handed out after the Round 13 derby against Heidelberg United.

In the contest against the Warriors, Coveny was sent off early in the game after allegedly making contact behind the play with Heidelberg player Eric Vassiliadis.

With this result at the tribunal Vaughan will return to the South line-up for Sunday’s crucial contest against the Melbourne Knights, in a game that will be critical for South’s Top 2 aspirations.

Kick-off at Mansion Stadium is on Sunday at 3pm

Wednesday, 17 June 2009 2:48 PM

Bob Jane Stadium has played a significant part to the preparation of both the Australian and Japanese National Teams ahead of the big World Cup Qualifier at the MCG.

The home of South Melbourne FC has undergone extensive ground works over the past year and can now boast to be amongst the best playing surfaces in Victoria.

SMFC has played a significant role in the development of many Socceroos over the past 50 years, with 49 current or former South Melbourne FC players having pulled on the famous Green and Gold Shirt.

The contest also has some significance on the park tonight, with South Melbourne FC Team of the Century goalkeeper Michael Petkovic being selected in the squad for the match, with the club legend fighting for a starting birth against Mark Schwartzer. Petkovic played 161 games in what was a brilliant 6 year spell at Lakeside.

The club is excited that it can further continue to play a role in assisting the national team, both on and off the field.

Japan will also join a long list of visiting nations that will have used Bob Jane Stadium, with France, Uruguay and Greece all having used the venue as a training base in the past prior to games against the Australian National Team.

To view the entire list of SMFC Socceroos, please click here

Sunday, 14 June 2009 5:51 PM

South Melbourne FC has jumped back into the top three on the league ladder following a clinical 6-2 drubbing of bottom-placed Preston at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday.

South entered the contest on the back of an unlucky loss against Heidelberg last round, whilst Preston entered the match searching for their first win of the season.

As expected, South came out of the blocks in storming fashion and continuously peppered Damir Salcin’s goal for the first 10 minutes of the game. Thankfully for the Lions, Salcin managed to save numerous attempts by Goran Zoric, Gianni De Nittis and Fernando De Moraes.

In the 11th minute South were rewarded for early dominance when an inviting cross by Francesco Stella was met inside the area by Gianni De Nittis, who slammed the ball into the back of the net.

South had a second goal only minutes later when Stella once again turned provider, with Zoric on hand to tap the cross into the back of the net.

Rhodri Payne then gave the home side its third for the afternoon when he capped off a one-two play with De Nittis by beating Salcin at his near post with a calm finish.

South ended the match as a contest as early as the first minute of the second half. From a corner, Joseph Youssef rose unmarked to head home a Fernando cross to send the home side into delirium.

The Blues dominance continued moments later when captain and hard working defender Rama Tavsancioglu burst past the stagnant Preston defence before sliding a brilliantly finished shot into the bottom corner to give his side a five goal lead.

In the 55th minute, Preston got a goal back after some lovely interplay culminated in the ball falling to Igorce Kolevski on the edge of the area. With the defence unable to commit themselves fully, he then hit a brilliant right foot shot into the top corner to give his side some hope.

Preston continued to push forward and via a long ball by keeper Salcin, they managed to find a 2nd goal. In a poor piece of defending by South, the long ball managed to bounce over the watching South defence, allowing for Vladamir Kostandinovski to slide the ball past Tomich.

South continued to attack the Preston goal for the remaining part of the match, with Salcin making 5-6 unbelievable saves to deny the South Melbourne side.

It wasn’t until the 82nd minute that South managed to score their sixth and final goal of the game, after some good lead up work by Fernando saw De Nittis find himself in space just inside the area. He then hit a bullet like shot into the top corner to score his second of the game.

South will now play Melbourne Knights next Sunday in what is looming as a crunch away fixture, whilst Preston must once again re-group as it takes on Green Gully away from home.

Thursday, 11 June 2009 2:55 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC hosts the Preston Lions on Sunday in what is a must-win match for the home side. South will have to do battle with the Lions without veteran forward Vaughan Coveny, who was sent off against Heidelberg United and subsequently suspended.

South has slipped from second to fourth spot in the league following the unlucky 1-0 away loss to Heidelberg in the previous round. The defeat also broke the ten week unbeaten run enjoyed by Michael Michalakopoulos’ men. The home side will be heartened by the fact that the win over Preston in round three began the unbeaten streak and will be hoping for a similar outcome on Sunday.

Preston has endured what can only be described as a horror season, with only one point from its 13 matches in 2009 and a series of heavy defeats. While relegation has not yet been confirmed, the Lions will surely have to get all three points on Sunday to give itself any chance of staying in the VPL. However Preston can go into the match with some confidence, having defeated South at Bob Jane Stadium twice since the two sides renewed acquaintances in the league in 2005.

Despite Preston’s form in 2009, South will not be taking this match lightly. Recent history between the sides has shown that the underdog has usually taken the honours. In the eight league matches that Preston and South have played since 2005, the away side has won on five occasions (with two draws and a South home win being the other results).

Since meeting for the first time in the old Victorian State League in 1967, South and Preston have played each other on 39 occasions. This includes both in the State Leagues and the old National Soccer League. South has enjoyed 21 wins, Preston 8 and there have been 10 draws.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 3pm at Bob Jane Stadium.

South Melbourne vs Preston Lions – An Overview

First VPL match:

Round 7, 1967
Preston Lions 2-4 South Melbourne
(SMFC Goals: John Bedford, Con Nestorides pen, Leo Damianakos, Ernie Ackerley)
Venue: Olympic Park. Attendance: 11,000

First NSL match:

Round 11, 1981
Preston Lions 1-1 South Melbourne
(SMFC Goal: Branko Buljevic)
Venue: Connor Reserve. Attendance: 6,000

Last NSL match:

Round 17, 1992/93
Preston Lions 0-1 South Melbourne
(SMFC Goal: Francis Awaritefe)Venue: Connor Reserve. Attendance: 3,982

Last VPL match:

Round 3, 2009
Preston Lions 1-7 South Melbourne
(SMFC Goals: Goran Zoric x4, Steve O’Dor, Joseph Youssef, Danni Radojicic)
Venue: Connor Reserve. Attendance: 1,000.

Totals:

Total Games (League): 39
South Melbourne Wins: 21
Preston Lions Wins: 8
Draws: 10

Highest Aggregate Score:

Round 3, 2009 VPL
Preston Lions 1-7 South Melbourne
(SMFC Goals: Goran Zoric x4, Steve O’Dor, Joseph Youssef, Danni Radojicic)
Venue: Connor Reserve. Attendance: 1,000.

Southern Division Preliminary Final, 1985 NSL
Preston Lions 4-4 South Melbourne
After extra time. Preston through on penalties 5-4.
(SMFC Goals: Charlie Egan x3, Doug Brown)
Venue: Olympic Park. Attendance: 9,000.

Thursday, 11 June 2009 12:18 PM

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Wednesday, 3 June 2009 4:40 PM

By John Kyrou

Veteran South Melbourne FC defender Con Blatsis has announced his retirement from football after yet another cruel injury set-back. Despite having his career at lakeside being ravaged by injuries, Blatsis still managed to enjoy many honours wearing the blue and white of South Melbourne.

Blatsis was brought to the club by Frank Arok at the beginning of 1995 and made his debut in the 0-2 win over Port Melbourne in round three of the Docherty Cup. He retained his place in the side as South beat the Melbourne Knights 3-1 in the final, Blatsis’ first trophy as a South player.

The young defender made his National Soccer League debut for the club in the 3-0 loss against the Brisbane Strikers at Suncorp Stadium in round 10 of 1995/96. Unfortunately for Blatsis, a nightmare debut was made worse when referee Simon Micallef sent him off ten minutes before the end of the match. South failed to make the finals in the league but the team won the NSL Cup, with Blatsis playing in the Cup final.

From there, Blatsis cemented his spot in the senior side and figured prominently in season 1996/97 and in the championship-winning season of 1997/98. In 1998/99, he suffered a lengthy injury and missed the majority of the season. However, Blatsis recovered and convinced coach Ange Postecoglou to award him a starting berth in the side that went on to beat Sydney United 3-2 and secure back-to-back NSL championships.

Blatsis remained at the club for the 1999/00 season and was part of the squad that took its place at the inaugural FIFA World Club Championships in Rio de Janeiro. Blatsis and the rest of the South defence did an admirable job defending against the likes of Vasco da Gama’s Romario, Juninho and Edmundo and Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Andy Cole.

After the thrill of competing against the world’s best in that tournament, Blatsis decided to venture overseas after the 1999/00 NSL season concluded. Stints followed at Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Colchester United in England and Kocaelispor in Turkey. Blatsis has indicated that a highlight of his when playing overseas was playing at Derby with former Italian international Fabrizio Ravanelli.

At the beginning of 2005, 27-year-old Blatsis decided to return back to Melbourne to play for his beloved South Melbourne FC, now competing in the Victorian Premier League under Blatsis’ former team-mate John Anastasiadis. Anastasiadis signed him for his experience and leadership. Following a mass exodus of players after the demise of the NSL, Anastasiadis was forced to sign young promising players and a player of the Blatsis’ quality was invaluable for his young squad.

Blatsis featured in 15 games for South in 2005 but broke down with injury late in the season. He managed 11 matches in 2006 but broke down in the 3-0 win over Green Gully in the Elimination Final at Bob Jane Stadium. Despite the set-back, he was still there supporting his teammates as South secured its eighth state league title with a 1-0 victory over Altona in the Grand Final.

Blatsis has attempted to get his body right to play ever since. In the past few seasons he has assisted the club in sales, helping to promote South Melbourne FC to the football community. This season he managed to play in the Under 21s however recently he broke down with injury again and therefore was forced to retire from playing.

Con Blatsis may not have played as many matches for South Melbourne FC as he would have liked due to injury; however he can be proud of stamping his mark at the club by being involved in Victorian and Australian championships, as well as representing the club on the world stage. His decision to rejoin South when the club was on its knees (2005) and for working to promote the club in the sales department shows the immense devotion and loyalty he possesses for the Blues.South Melbourne FC players, coaches, staff, board members and supporters congratulate Con on his football career and wishes him all the best in his retirement.

Con Blatsis – SMFC Statistics:

• DOB 6th July 1977
• Debut v Port Melbourne (Docherty Cup r3 @ Anderson Reserve, 0-2 win)
• NSL debut v Brisbane Strikers (round 10 @ Suncorp Stadium, 3-0 loss)
• Member of the 1995 Docherty Cup championship team
• Member of the 1995/96 NSL Cup championship team
• Member of the 1997/98 NSL championship team
• Member of the 1998/99 NSL championship team
• Member of the 1999 Oceania championship team
• Squad member of the 2000 World Club Championship team
• Squad member of the 2006 VPL championship team

Season Breakdowns

League:
1995/96 – 19 games (17 starts, 2 subs), 1 goal
1996/97 – 23 games (23 starts, 0 subs), 2 goals
1997/98 – 23 games (23 starts, 0 subs), 1 goal
1998/99 – 7 games (6 starts, 1 sub)
1999/00 – 24 games (24 starts, 0 subs), 1 goal
2005 – 15 games (15 starts, 0 subs)
2006 – 11 games (11 starts, 0 subs)
2007 – 0 games (0 starts, 0 subs)
2008 – 0 games (0 starts, 0 subs)
2009 – 0 games (0 starts, 0 subs)
Total – 122 games (119 starts, 3 subs), 5 goals

Cups:
1995 Docherty Cup – 4 games (4 starts, 0 subs)
1996 Docherty Cup – 0 games (0 starts, 0 subs)
1995/96 NSL Cup – 4 games (4 starts, 0 subs)
1996/97 NSL Cup – 2 games (2 starts, 0 subs)
2000 FIFA World Club Cup – 3 games (3 starts, 0 subs)
Total – 13 games (13 starts, 0 subs)

Overall Total: 135 games (132 starts, 3 subs), 5 goals