Adelaide Comets FC

The Adelaide Comets FC are a soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club competes in the National Premier Leagues South Australia. They are based in Adelaide's western suburb of Mile End and play home games at Santos Stadium.

Adelaide Comets
Full nameAdelaide Comets Football Club
Nickname(s)Comets
GroundSantos Stadium
Capacity9,000
ChairmanJim Tsouvalas
ManagerBarney Smith
LeagueNPL South Australia
2018NPL South Australia, 4th of 12
WebsiteClub website

History

The Adelaide Comets Football Club was formed in 1994 and were known as the Adelaide Raiders Soccer Club who competed in the SAASL (South Australian Amateur Soccer League). To avoid confusion with another local soccer club which plays under the name of "Raiders", the playing name was changed to Adelaide Comets in 2001 when the club first fielded junior teams.

As Adelaide Raiders, the club won the South Australia Amateur Soccer League SAASL Saturday Division 2 Championship in its inaugural year and gained promotion to the SAASL Saturday Division 1 competition. In 1997, they established themselves as the states premier Amateur League side becoming Champions in Saturday's Division 1 Competition. In 2001, the club registered 5 teams in the South Australian Soccer Federation's (SASF) Junior Premier League.

Achieving this goal was the catalyst for the club changing its name to Adelaide Comets, to avoid confusion with Adelaide Raiders (Formerly Adelaide Croatia Raiders). During this time, the club's senior team continued to enjoy success in the SAASL winning consecutive Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. This ongoing success at the highest level of amateur competition generated the push for a move to a higher league for the Adelaide Comets. The club made several attempts over a number of years to find a place for itself within the SASF competition with no success.

Finally, with the implementation of a new governing body for the sport in South Australia, Adelaide Comets entered the newly formed State League in 2006 under the banner of the Football Federation South Australia (FFSA).

The club now boasts one of the largest junior based clubs in South Australia with 370 junior players, along with three SAASL Amateur men's teams, FFSA Open Age Women's and a respected seniors squad who after gaining promotion through the FFSA State and Premier League competitions now competes in the states top division of football, The FFSA Super League. Thus totalling an impressive number of nearly 500 registered players across the club.

Comets advanced to the final of the 2018 FFSA Federation Cup by defeating Cumberland United 3-2 in the Semi Final.[1] They defeated Croydon Kings in the 2018 FFSA Federation Cup final awarding them a spot in the Round of 32 of the 2018 FFA Cup.[2] On July 25, 2018 they defeated Football West State League 1 side Gwelup Croatia advancing to the round of 16 of the 2018 FFA Cup.[3]

Promotion

In 2005 the club had been introduced into the newly formed FFSA State League moving on from the SAASL into the FFSA. Year 2007 saw The Comets gain promotion to the FFSA Premier League the second tier of South Australian football, after winning the State League Title within two seasons. Remarkably in 2008 The Comets were heading for promotion to the Super League but by only winning 1 out of their last 7 games they finished the season 3rd. In just their first season in the Premier League after coming to close to making the states first division, The Comets set their sights on becoming a Super League side. The Comets had a slow start to the year in 2009 but ended up finishing 4th by winning their last 7 out of 8 games and qualified into the top 5 finals competition. They then beat Croydon Kings 2–1 in the elimination final, only to lose against Cumberland United. The following year in 2010 would see the side yet again narrowly miss promotion after a defeat to Croydon in a winner gets promoted thriller.

In 2011 after years of coming agonizingly close The Comets had secured promotion after a stunning come from behind 2–1 victory over contenders Enfield City Falcons on the last day of regular season at Rushworth Reserve, clinching the Premier League Title. Lifting the club for its first time into the highest state-level association football competition, The FFSA Super League.

Players

Current squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  AUS Julian Torresan
2 DF  AUS Harry Keramidas
4 DF  AUS Tom Dittmar
5 DF  AUS Adam Le Cornu
6 MF  AUS Jack Bladen
7 FW  AUS Tete Yengi
8 MF  AUS Ryan Yates
9 FW  AUS Andreas Weins
10 MF  AUS Anthony Mavrolambados
11 MF  AUS Jayden Lobasso
14 MF  AUS Nathan Andijanto
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 FW  AUS Ninko Beric
21 DF  AUS Rastko Ljujic
22 MF  AUS Allan Welsh (c)
23 DF  AUS Scott Nagel
31 GK  AUS Daniel Vaughan

Club honours

2018 FFSA Federation Cup Winners

2012 FFSA Carlsberg Cup Champions

2011 South Australian Premier League Title, Under-19's Premier League Finals Champions

2007 South Australian State League Champions, Reserves State League Champions

2003 South Australian Amateur League Division 1, Champions

2002 South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Champions & South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Reserves Champions

2001 South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Champions & South Australian Women's Soccer Association Division 4 Champions

1998 Veterans, Division 2 Champions

1997 South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Champions

1994 South Australian Amateur League Division 2 Champions

References
  1. "Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. "FFA Cup play off in SA goes to Comets". Adelaide Now. The Advertiser. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  3. "Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.

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