Altona Magic SC

Altona Magic
Full name Altona Magic Soccer Club
Nickname(s) Magic, Vardar, Gate
Founded 1968
Ground Paisley Park Soccer Complex,
Altona North, Victoria
Capacity 5,000
Chairman Igor Georgieski
Coach Goran Lozanovski
League NPL Victoria 2
2018 1st in NPL 2 (Promoted to NPL )

Altona Magic Soccer Club is a soccer team based in Altona North, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1968, Magic plays out of Paisley Park Soccer Complex. In 2019, Altona will make a return to the National Premier Leagues Victoria, following successive promotions in 2017 and 2018.

History

Altona Magic Soccer Club located in the west of Melbourne has been playing in the state elite competition the Victorian Premier League since 1989. The club has won 5 championships and produced many Australian internationals. The club colours of red and black signify the famous Macedonian Football Club, FK Vardar Skopje. Since the formation of the football club the Macedonian Community and Macedonian media continue to call the club the Vardar Football Club.

In 1967 a group of Macedonian immigrants passionate about football initiated a meeting in Yarraville with the idea of forming a football team and by 1968 the team was registered as the Kingsville Soccer Club. The team played at Wembley Park, Yarraville (1968 to 1974) in the Victorian lower amateur leagues.

In 1975 the Kingsville Soccer Club committee successfully acquired debt riddled German backed club Central Altona, with the successful acquisition the club shifted to Gray Reserve, Williamstown and played in the Victorian Provisional League Division 1 (1975 to 1979).

In 1979 the club's desire to compete in the higher divisions of Victoria arrived with the amalgamation of first division strugglers Keilor City (German backed). The amalgamation brought the club to Division One and with a large membership base the club successfully negotiating with the Altona City Council to tenant the Paisley Park Soccer Complex, a master facility of its time and the current home of the club.

The club renamed itself to Altona Gate Soccer Club in 1980 and for next 8 years competed in the Victorian Division 1 League. In 1988 the first success was achieved, the club won promotion to the State League (VPL) by finishing League Runners-Up.

By 1996 the club incorporated the name Altona Magic Soccer Club, this was at time when Soccer Australia (now Football Federation Australia) encouraged all clubs to remove all ethnic affiliated names and logo’s from all clubs across Australia.

The most successful period in the club’s history was in the 1990s, Altona won 3 consecutive VPL championships in 1995, 96 and 97. The club added two more championship trophies in 2008 and 2009, this confirmed the club's position as one of the most successful clubs in Victorian Football.

In 2010, after a horrific season in the Victorian Premier League, Altona Magic were relegated to the Victorian State League Division 1. The 2011 season became the first time since 1988 that Altona was to compete below the top tier of football in Victoria.

Magic spent seasons 2011–2013 in the Victorian State League Division 1 finishing mid-table each time, which was the second tier at the time. In 2014, following the introduction of the National Premier Leagues Victoria, which Vardar was not accepted in to, the club then competed in the regionalised Victorian State League Division 1 North-West, the new third tier of football in Victoria. In 2014 and 2015, the club again finished mid-table on both occasions.

Led by the likes of Jon Mcshane, Adamson Ajayi and Jason Hayne, Altona Magic took out the State League 1 North-West title in 2016, topping the table all year long.[1] Magic then took out the overall State League 1 championship, defeating State League 1 South-East title holders Mornington SC.

After the 2016 title-winning season, Altona Magic confirmed its ambition to join the National Premier Leagues Victoria. It appointed Goran Lozanovski as senior head coach, replacing the incumbent Vlado Tortevski, and signed the likes of Amadu Koroma from South Melbourne, Joey Franjić from Hume City, Greg Lombardo from Northcote City and Michael Stark from Port Melbourne.[2] The club was successful in going back-to-back in 2017, winning the State League 1 title and gaining promotion into the NPL 2, the state's second tier domestic league.

In the off-season, Magic signed Bentleigh Greens championship winning duo Troy Ruthven and Ben Litfin, Green Gully's Rani Dowisha, Pascoe Vale's Mark Pistininzi and Heidelberg United's Jordan Wilkes. The signings, all of whom played in Victoria's top tier the season prior, signalled Magic's intent for the 2018 season. On 11 August 2018, in the club's 50th year of existence, Altona won the NPL2 West championship with three games to spare, following a 2-0 win over Brunswick City SC. Magic led the competition for the large majority of the season and finished 11 points clear at the top of the table.[3]

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Australia MF Ben Litfin
Australia DF Daniel Mitwali
Australia DF John Stojcevski
Australia DF Lirim Elmazi
Australia FW Melvin Beckett
Australia GK Rani Dowisha
Australia MF Troy Ruthven
Australia MF James Mcgarry
England FW Jon Mcshane
Australia DF Jordan Wilkes
Australia MF Marino Gasparis
No. Position Player
Australia DF Mark Pistininzi
Australia FW Ben Clarke
Australia DF Darcy Zerafa
Australia MF David Trajanoski
Australia GK Michael Stark
Australia MF Bobby Vidanoski
Australia GK Johnathan Harboglou
Australia DF Robert Naumoski
Australia FW Robert Stambolziev
Canada FW Daniel Kuczyński

Current Women's Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
2 Australia DF Marcela Martinez
3 Australia FW Erica Mae Aggett
4 Australia MF Briarne Cuerden
5 Australia DF Kimberly Santos
6 Australia FW Gabriella Panagiotou
7 Australia MF Jessica Kantarovski (VC)
8 Australia DF Kimka Bosnjak
9 Australia MF Maya Popplewell
10 Australia FW Stephanie Pasceri
No. Position Player
11 United States MF Ashley Ledoux
12 Australia DF Chrissy Tzagarakis
13 Australia MF Jess Cvetkovska (C)
14 Australia FW Stephanie Kourakis
17 England MF Emily Bowden
18 Australia FW Natasha Kikidis
19 Australia MF Jenna Hanley
22 Australia FW Marthese Zahra
23 Bosnia and Herzegovina FW Jasmina Pezic

Honours

  • Victorian Premier League Champions 1995, 1996, 1997, 2008, 2009
  • Victorian Premier League Runners Up 2004, 2006
  • Victorian Premier League Finalists 1994, 1998, 2003, 2005
  • National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 West Champions 2018
  • Victorian State League Division 1 Champions 2016, 2017
  • Victorian State League Division 1 Runners Up 1988
  • Dockerty Cup Runners Up 1989

Individual honours

VPL Player of the Year

  • 1997 – George Jolevski
  • 2001 – Zoran Todorovski
  • 2004 – Doug Mladenovic
  • 2006 – Sash Becvinovski

Bill Fleming Medal

  • 1997 – George Jolevski

VPL Coach of the Year

  • 1995 – Ian Dobson
  • 1996 – Gary Cole

VPL Top Goalscorer Award

  • 1998 – Sash Becvinovski
  • 2006 – Sash Becvinovski

VPL Goalkeeper of the Year

  • 1997 – Darren McGrath

Jimmy Rooney Medal

  • 1995 – Chris Emsovski
  • 1996 – Darren McGrath
  • 1997 – Savva Rusmir
  • 2004 – Levent Osman
  • 2009 – Kliment Taseski

References

  1. ↑ http://www.starweekly.com.au/sports/altona-magic-kings-jungle/pub/maribyrnong_hobsons_bay/
  2. ↑ Lim, Jordan. "Lozanovski to coach Altona, another NPL player signs". The Corner Flag. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "Star Weekly | Top-flight bound Altona Magic wrap up title with three games to spare - Star Weekly". www.starweekly.com.au. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
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