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Revision as of 08:32, 17 January 2025 by UpdatingUK (talk | contribs) (←Created page with '{{Short description|Football club in Australia}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Gippsland United | image = | caption = Club emblem | alt = Gippsland United FC Club Emblem | fullname = Gippsland United Soccer Club | nickname = ''Red Devils'' | founded = 1963 | ground = Baxter Park | capacity = 500 | chairman = Peter O'Dea | manager = Lee Hobb...')(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Football club in Australia Football club| Full name | Gippsland United Soccer Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Red Devils |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Ground | Baxter Park |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Chairman | Peter O'Dea |
| Manager | Lee Hobbs |
| League | Victorian State League 1 South-East |
| 2024 | 8th |
| Website | gippslandunitedfc.com |
Gippsland United FC is a soccer club based in Warragul, Victoria, Australia. The club was founded in 1963 and currently competes in Victorian State League 1 South-East.
Since 2018, GUFC have been the highest-ranked club in the Gippsland area, overtaking Morwell Pegasus, who withdrew from Metropolitan competition and returned to the Latrobe Valley Soccer League that same season.
Despite a relatively barren start to their existence, Warragul emerged as a force in the mid-1980s and then claimed LVSL titles in 1998, 1999 and 2001, leading them to join the Victorian State Leagues, where multiple promotions led them to the brink of NPL Victoria.
In November 2022, Warragul United would become Gippsland United following an amalgamation itself Gippsland Football Club and Latrobe Women’s Football Club.
History
Early Years (1963-1982)
While the Latrobe Valley emerged as one of Australian soccer's regional hotbeds in 1950s, West Gippsland was slower to embrace the game. Despite an invitation from the Latrobe Valley Soccer Association to join the inaugural Latrobe Valley Soccer League in 1951, and growing interest from newly settled immigrants from Europe, Warragul's representatives were unable to field a team.
It wasn't until 1963, 12 years years after the formation of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, that Warragul United was born.
Breakthrough title and rise to prominence (1983-2001)
Warragul initially found the standard of the LVSL difficult to compete with but found their feet in the league by the mid-1980s, giving a sign of things to come with their best ever finish - as runner's up - in 1983.
The big breakthrough happened in 1985, when Warragul United were crowned LVSL champions for the first time. Further titles in 1987 and 1990 made up for the disappointment of twice finishing runner-up behind Les Stansbury's famous back-to-back Moe United side in 1988-89.
After four years without a title, Warragul then embarked on a rise that would see them regarded as the league's strongest club, winning LVSL championships in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2001.
Metropolitan period and more success (2002-)
Seeking a higher level of competition, Warragul United moved into the metropolitan leagues but two promotions in three years showed they were vastly superior to the lower Provisional tiers, winning the Provisional League Division Three in 2002 and Provisional League Division Two South-East 2003.
The club spent the next seven years in the Provisional League Division One South-East but eventually claimed the championship in 2012 - and then proceeded to win promotion from the State League Division Three South-East in 2013 before repeating the feat in 2014, finishing as runner's up in State League Division Two South-East.
That brought the club to the State League Division One South-East, where they still play as of 2025, one division below the NPL Victoria leagues.
In October 2019, the popularity of the football in West Gippsland and the major population rise in the area led the club to applying for a NPL Junior licence under name of "Gippsland FC".
Ahead of the 2023 season, Warragul United would evolve into Gippsland United following an amalgamation itself, Gippsland FC and the Morwell-based Latrobe Women’s Football Club.
Club colors and badge
The club plays in red, white and black jerseys.
Stadium
Gippsland United plays its home matches at Baxter Reserve in Warragul, which has a capacity of 500 (with a seating capacity of 100), with junior matches often held at the nearby Geoff Watt Reserve.
To meet Football Victoria's licensing requirements, the club holds some of its National Premier League Junior matches at Falcons Park in Morwell.
Club achievements
- Runner's Up (Promoted) (1): 2014
- Third (Promoted) (1): 2013
- Champions (1): 2012
- Champions (1): 2004
- Champions (1): 2002
- Champions (7): 1985, 1987, 1990, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001
- Battle of Britain Cup
- Champions (3): 1987, 1990, 1999.
Notable former players
Luke O'Dea
Rivalries
As the only club in West Gippsland always in the top division of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, Warragul United often lacked a natural geographical rival - except for the Drouin Dragons, who were rarely as strong as Warragul.
The club's surge to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s was matched by the rise of would-be rivals Moe United and the Traralgon Olympians. From 1975 to 1995, the three clubs claimed a cumulative total of 16 titles. The Morwell-based Fortuna '60 emerged as a genuine challenger to Warragul in the late 1990s, as the two sides dominated the competition.
References
- "2018 Victorian State League Division 1 South-East Table". Football Chaos. 2020-04-05. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "LVSL League Winners". Football Chaos. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "Warragul United First Grade Divisional History".
- "Membership & History".
- "Soccer Notes". Morwell Advertiser. 1951-03-30. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "Soccer". Morwell Advertiser. 1951-05-05. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "Membership & History".
- "LVSL League Winners". Football Chaos. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- Durkin, Liam (2022-06-29). "Celebrations as Moe United turns 70". Latrobe Valley Express. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "LVSL League Winners". Football Chaos. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "Warragul United First Grade Divisional History".
- "Warragul United First Grade Divisional History".
- "Warragul United First Grade Divisional History".
- Arvela, Dylan (2019-10-14). "CGippsland FC declared into NPL". Latrobe Valley Express. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "Membership & History".
- "LVSL League Winners". Football Chaos. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "LVSL Battle of Britain Winners". Football Chaos. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- "LVSL League Winners". Football Chaos. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
External links
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