Western Pride FC

Full name Western Pride Football Club
Nickname(s) Pride
Founded 2012
Ground Briggs Rd Sporting Complex
Capacity 3,500 approx
Owner Football Ipswich Inc.
Manager Reggie Davani (Men - acting) and Belinda Kitching (Women)
League NPL Queensland
2017 Champions/3rd (Men) and 9th (Women)
Website Club website

Western Pride Football Club is a soccer club based in Ipswich, Queensland. They participate in the Men and Women's NPL Queensland competitions, the 2nd tier of Australian football.[1]

The club was founded in 2012 by a new entity called Football Ipswich, that set up local football clubs to represent the Greater Ipswich Region and surrounding Western Corridor.[2]

Ipswich Council promised in August 2013 to build a 15,000 seat stadium at North Ipswich Oval if a licence for the A-League was secured.[3] The club's local popularity could emulate the success of Sydney-based club Western Sydney Wanderers.[4] Football Federation Australia has identified Ipswich as an expansion area.[5]

Senior Men managers

Period Name
2012–2014 Kasey Wehrman
2015 Karl Dodd
2015–2018 Graham Harvey
2018 Reggie Davani

Senior Women managers

Period Name
2015 Lorena Maggio
2016 Len Manwaring
2017 – Belinda Kitching

Senior Men 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 GK Justin Weier
Australia GK Max Davison
Rwanda DF Jean-Delors Tuyishime
Australia DF Cameron Crestani
New Zealand DF Hayden Mchenery
Australia DF Will McFarlane
Australia MF Jesse Rigby (Captain)
Australia MF Nielen Brown
Australia MF Gabriel Hawash
Australia MF Adam Endean
No. Position Player
Australia MF Alex Parsons
Australia MF Joshua Wilson
Australia MF Jacob Minett
Australia MF Jordan Lambi
South Sudan FW Bonventure Thomas-Remijo
Australia FW Joe Duckworth
Australia FW Mitchell Bird
Australia FW Andy Pengelly
Democratic Republic of the Congo FW Salomon Lukonga

Senior Women 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 GK Holly Van Der Zee
Australia GK Lauren Veeren
Australia DF Lucy Ibell
Australia DF Georgia Crawford
Australia DF Amanda Toby
Australia DF Ashley Commens
Australia DF Sasha Beaumont
Australia DF Nayoka McLennan
Australia DF Tori Hornsveld
No. Position Player
Australia DF Victoria Merrick
Australia MF Georgina Adnum
Australia MF Ashleigh Amadio
Australia MF Zoe Lambi
Australia MF Mackenzie McAvoy
Australia MF Sophie Weatherby
Australia FW Madeline Hartwig
Australia FW Kate Muscat
Australia FW Abby Douglas

Honours

2017: National Premier Leagues Queensland Champions[6]

Competition history (Senior Men)

Season League FFA Cup
Division (Tier) Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Position Queensland Finals NPL Finals
2013 NPL Queensland (2)2263114149−8278thDNQDNQNot yet founded
2014 NPL Queensland (2)2450193973-341512thDNQDNQPreliminary Round 4
2015 NPL Queensland (2)2272133957-182311thDNQDNQPreliminary Round 5
2016 NPL Queensland (2)2266103943-52410thDNQDNQPreliminary Round 5
2017 NPL Queensland (2)221255732746413rdChampionsDNQPreliminary Round 5
2018 NPL Queensland (2)261907963363573rdSemi FinalDNQPreliminary Round 5

Source: [7]

Key: Premiers / Champions Promoted ↑ Relegated ↓

The tier is the level in the Australian soccer league system

Competition history (Senior Women)

Season League
Division (Tier) Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Position Queensland Finals
2014 SEQ Premier League (2)19001918108-90014thDNQ
2015 NPL Queensland (2)2261134294-52198thDNQ
2016 NPL Queensland (2)2052131848-30178thDNQ
2017 NPL Queensland (2)1810171176-65310thDNQ
2018 NPL Queensland (2)26621861110-492011thDNQ

Source: [8]

Key: Premiers / Champions Promoted ↑ Relegated ↓

The tier is the level in the Australian soccer league system

Background

Before World War II, Ipswich had been an important region for Australian football, with a number of Australia national soccer team representatives hailing from the region, including the Socceroos' first captain Alex Gibb.[9]

Ipswich clubs Dinmore Bushrats, Bundamba Rovers, Blackstone Rangers and St Helens won 19 Brisbane Premierships between 1920 and 1957. However, ethnic community clubs formed after World War II migration brought professionalism to club football, drawing players from Ipswich to Brisbane, seeing the fortunes of Ipswich clubs wane.[10] Ipswich would see a brief return to dominance in the mid-1980s when Ipswich United (1985 Premiership/Championship double) and Coalstars SC (1986 Championship) saw the last time the region won a Men's title in the highest division.[11]

Ipswich continued to produce international and professional footballers, but the rate slowed dramatically. Most recently Coalstars SC produced Australia women's national soccer team FIFA Women's World Cup players Belinda Kitching and Bryony Duus, Socceroo Neil Kilkenny,[12] and Everton F.C., Stoke City F.C. and Crewe Alexandra F.C. goalkeeper Jason Kearton.

Western Pride was created in 2012 when a group of Ipswich football identities and local clubs Ipswich Knights FC, Western Spirit FC, Ipswich City FC, Springfield United and Colleges United formed Football Ipswich with a view of creating a club to meet the entry requirements to the then Australian Premier League (now National Premier Leagues Queensland).[13]

Western Pride was created to provide a more professional pathway for Ipswich youngsters within the city, having seen many young Ipswich players move to successful Brisbane clubs such as Olympic FC and Queensland Lions FC.

History

Pride's inaugural men's player/coach was former Socceroo Kasey Wehrman who led the team from 2012 until his resignation in July 2014 to return to Norway.[14]

In October 2014, former A-League player Karl Dodd accepted the position of Head Coach of the Western Pride FC Senior Men's Team in the National Premier League (Qld). Former Matilda Karla Reuter signed on as Assistant Manager of the Men's team.

Dodd led the team to an impressive start to the season, however in June 2015 he was recruited by Brisbane Roar FC to take up a position as the High Performance Manager.[15]

Dodd was replaced by former Whitsunday Miners FC coach Graham Harvey.[16]

Pride had a Women's team in the local Brisbane leagues since its inception, but gained a licence to the new newly formed NPL Queensland competition which commenced in 2015. Pride appointed player/coach Lorena Maggio, who had been a W-League player with Adelaide United FC (W-League). The team finished 8th in the inaugural NPL Queensland Women's competition, after which Maggio returned to Adelaide United.

In 18 May 2016 Pride Men played the New Zealand national football team at Briggs Rd Sporting Complex as part of the visitors preparations for the OFC Nations Cup.

New Zealand prevailed 2–0 in front of a crowd of 1,200 fans.[17][18]

Pride Men signed Papua New Guinea international Nigel Dabingyaba late in the season, who became the first current international to play in the NPL Queensland competition.

Two of Pride's 2016 squad were signed by Brisbane Roar's Youth team. Hayden Mchenery signed mid-season after 12 months at Pride where he rebuilt his career after suffering osteitis pubis.[19] Joe Duckworth signed at the end of the season after top scoring for Pride with 11 goals in 21 appearances.[20]

2017 season

Former Australia women's national soccer team goalkeeper and Ipswich player Belinda Kitching was appointed manager of the Senior Women side during the off-season.[21]

Kitching was joined by her former Ipswich and international teammate Bryony Duus who took up the role of U17 manager and assistant coach to the Senior Women's squad.[22]

Former player Harrison Sawyer re-signed for the Men's side after stints at A-League sides Brisbane Roar and Newcastle United Jets. He scored four hat-tricks in five games, and 15 goals in his 7 games back with the club before returning to professional football in the Philippines.[23]

In the final round of the regular season Pride Men secured a historic 3rd-placed finish and a first-ever club finals series following a run of 9 straight victories.[24] Pride won the right to host the Grand Final after defeating Gold Coast City FC 3-0 in the semi-final, and seeing Premiers Brisbane Strikers lose to 4th place Moreton Bay United FC in the other semi.

Pride defeated Moreton Bay 2-1 in the Grand Final at Briggs Rd in front of a crowd of 3383. Goals from Cameron Crestani and a last minute Dylan Wenzel-Halls free-kick gave Pride its first major trophy.[25]

Two weeks earlier Pride's U18 Boys won the Premiership - the club's first competition win at any level in its five-year history.[26]

Pride Women finished second-last after a string of injuries deprived the team of many of its experienced players. A decision was taken to promote U17 players with a view to giving them experience ahead of the 2018 season.[27]

2018 season

Striker Dylan Wenzel-Halls scored 23 goals in 11 appearances, before being signed by Brisbane Roar on a professional contract.[28][29]

Coach Graham Harvey lead Pride to 2nd in the table by Round 16, before departing to take up a professional contact in Hong Kong.[30]

Notable players

  • List of current and former players who played professionally or have represented their nation at senior level.
Australia
Papua New Guinea
A-League
W-League
Kuwaiti Premier League
  • Liberia Emile Damey

References

  1. ↑ Grams, Jacob (3 October 2012). "Brisbane City, Brisbane Strikers and Moreton Bay United granted APL licences". Courier-Mail. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Lems, David (23 October 2012). "New APL club keen to work with others next season". Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Now the A-League has Ipswich as its goal". qt.com.au. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Big hopes for bringing A-League to Ipswich". Queensland Times. qt.com.au. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Gould, Joel (17 August 2013). "Now the A-League has Ipswich as its goal". The Gladstone Observer. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Pride Seal First Silverware After Late Late Winner - Football Queensland - NPL - SportsTG". SportsTG. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  7. ↑ "Western Pride FC". Brisbane Football (Soccer) Tables. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Western Pride FC - First grade women's season results". Brisbane Football (Soccer) Tables. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Pramberg, Bernie (29 January 2015). "Spencer Kitching looks back on playing for Australia and how the game has changed in Queensland". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Brisbane Football (Soccer) Tables". www.elitetograssroots.net/. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  11. ↑ Lems, David. "31 years on, Ipswich eyes historic grand final feat". Queensland Times. Retrieved 2017-09-02.
  12. ↑ "Neil Kilkenny: 'Everyone said we'd lose at United. I knew we had a chance'". The Independent. 2010-01-23. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  13. ↑ Lems, David. "How Ipswich created a successful football franchise". Queensland Times. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  14. ↑ Lems, David (15 July 2014). "Wehrman to end two-year association with Western Pride". Warwick Daily News. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  15. ↑ http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-9385-0-0-0&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=35176606
  16. ↑ http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=9385-9385-0-0-0&sID=269940&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=35341629
  17. ↑ "All Whites beat Western Pride 2–0". New Zealand Football. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  18. ↑ "Preparing to face the best". Queensland Times. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  19. ↑ "Promising Pride player joins Roar". The Queensland Times.
  20. ↑ Lems, David. "Joe snapped up by Roar after success at Pride". Ripley Today.
  21. ↑ "Ex-Matilda To Guide Pride Women". NPL Queensland. Football Queensland.
  22. ↑ McKenzie, Garry. "Former Aussie player boosts Pride coaching ranks". The Queensland Times. APN.
  23. ↑ "Player Statistics for Harrison Sawyer". SportsTG. SportsTG. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  24. ↑ Lems, David. "Joe's fabulous five, now it's a shot at finals". Queensland Times. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  25. ↑ Lems, David. "HISTORIC WIN: Massive sporting celebration erupts in Ipswich". Queensland Times. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  26. ↑ Lems, David. "From easybeats to premiers: Teenage duo shares in glory". The Queensland Times. News Corporation. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  27. ↑ "Pride's punishing pre-season to bolster women's program". Queensland Times. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
  28. ↑ "Dylan Wenzel-Halls - Player Statistics". SportsTG. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
  29. ↑ "Roar sign prolific NPL young gun". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
  30. ↑ Lems, David. "Top footy coach lured to Hong Kong league". The Queensland Times. News Corp. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
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