Marconi Stallions FC

Marconi Stallions Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in Fairfield, Sydney, New South Wales. The club has been crowned Australian champion four times, a national record it shares with South Melbourne and Sydney City Hakoah.

"Stallions Football Club" redirects here. For United Football League club, see Stallion FC.

Marconi Stallions
Full nameMarconi Stallions Football Club
Nickname(s)The Stallions
Founded1958
GroundMarconi Stadium
Bossley Park, Sydney
New South Wales, Australia
Capacity9,000
ChairmanVince Foti
Head CoachPeter Tsekenis
LeagueNPL NSW
WebsiteClub website

The Stallions are the soccer team of Club Marconi, a social and sporting club founded in 1958 by immigrants from Italy who settled in Sydney's western suburbs.[1] It earned promotion to the top tier of soccer in New South Wales and established itself as one of the strongest clubs in Sydney during the 1970s, before becoming a founding member of the National Soccer League in 1977. Marconi was, along with South Melbourne, one of just two clubs to compete in all 27 seasons of the now-defunct National Soccer League. The club won its first national title in 1979 but the Stallions' heyday came in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when they won a further three NSL titles across six seasons, twice also finishing on top of the ladder as minor premiers.

Marconi has produced at least six former captains of the Australian national team, while former Italian national team striker Christian Vieri came through its junior ranks while his father Roberto lived and played in Sydney.[2] Other Marconi youth products include former Australian winger Harry Kewell, veteran national team goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, ex-Lazio and Fiorentina midfielder Paul Okon, and former Bari striker Frank Farina, who went on to coach the Australian national team.[3]

Marconi currently competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW; the second tier of the game in Australia. Its home games are played at the 9000-capacity Marconi Stadium in the suburb of Bossley Park in Sydney's west; a venue known affectionately by players and fans as the Palace.[4] Over the years, the club has been known as Club Marconi, Marconi-Datsun Leopards, Marconi-Fairfield and Marconi Stallions.

Throughout the club's history, it has been an institution of the Italian community in Sydney, and its playing colours have varied between a light blue azzurro strip in homage to the Italian national team and a combination of green shirt, white shorts, red socks: the colours of the Italian flag.

History

Foundation and early years (1956-1976)

Club Marconi was founded as a bocce club in 1956[5] by 106 members of the Italian community in the western suburbs of Sydney. It is named after the Italian inventor and electrical engineer Guglielmo Marconi, whose wireless company sent the first direct radio message from Great Britain to Australia. It was inaugural president Oscar Michelini who first suggested the name Marconi at the second meeting of the club's provisional committee.[6] A statue of Guglielmo Marconi was donated by the Italian government in 1959 and it remains inside the main foyer of the club, inscribed with the message “Guglielmo Marconi, 1874 – 1937, immortal genius of the Italian nation who first with science’s wonders and spiritual wings linked Australia with the world.”[7]

Italo-Australian artist Guido Zuliani, born in 1927, designed Club Marconi's emblem, which remains in use by the social club today. It incorporates a globe, a boomerang to symbolise Indigenous Australian culture, with the colours of green, white and red to represent the Italian heritage. The emblem is encased by Marconi’s invention of wireless communication, further portrayed as a radio tower.[8] The club's home base in Bossley Park, next to where Marconi Stadium now stands, was offered for $6900 by the brothers Ruben and Provino Sartor, two inaugural members who had visited the Yoogali Club in the rural town of Griffith, New South Wales to learn how the Italian community there had founded their own social organisation.[9]

The soccer club first appeared in 1958 as a youth team, and the first senior side competed in the 1961 NSW amateur championship that it won by 8 points.[10]

The club gradually moved up the ranks in the NSW soccer system, eventually gaining promotion to the NSW 1st Division in 1970. By this point the club had come of age. Marconi became back-to-back champions of the NSW 1st Division in 1972 and 1973, and continued to challenge for honours up until 1976. The next year, 1977, Marconi and 13 other clubs formed the first ever truly national sports competition in Australia, the National Soccer League.

National Soccer League (1977–2004)

In its first season in the NSL in 1977, Marconi finished second on goal difference to Eastern Suburbs (Sydney City). In 1979, Marconi was Australian champions. The club won the NSL Cup in 1980.

Ahead of the 1981 National Soccer League season, Marconi signed a sponsorship deal with car manufacturer Datsun under which the club were known as Marconi-Datsun Leopards.[11][12]

What is generally described as the club's "golden era" started in the late 1980s, when some of the finest players in Australia made their way to what was then known as "the Palace". The club made three consecutive Grand Final appearances in 1988, 1989 and 1989–90, winning the 1988 and 1989 Grand Finals, but lost the 1989–90 decider. Marconi were also minor premiers in 1989 and 1989–90, and won the 1992–93 Grand Final.

In 1995–96 under former Socceroo Manfred Schaefer, Marconi won another Minor Premiership, finishing one point ahead of Melbourne Knights and Sydney Olympic. In the finals series, Marconi made it to yet another Grand Final, this time going down 2–1 to Melbourne Knights at Olympic Park in Melbourne.

Marconi made the finals for the next five years in a row, before experiencing two poor seasons. In 2003–04, the final NSL season, Marconi again made the Finals, but the 1995–96 minor premiership ended up being the final trophy win during the club's time in the NSL.

NSW Premier League/National Premier Leagues NSW 1 (2004–2015)

After the 2003–04 NSL season the competition was ceased. Marconi entered the NSW Premier League for the 2004–05 season. Between 2004 and 2011 in the NSW Premier League the club had mixed results, with their best season in 2009 when they finished second.[13]

In 2012 the club rebounded and the Marconi Stallions were the Champions of the NSW Premier League.[14] After a third placed league finish, Marconi beat Sydney Olympic 2–0 in the Qualifying Final, then lost to Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC 2–0 in the Major Semi-Final. In the Preliminary Final they faced Blacktown City Demons who led 2–1 at half time, but Marconi scored 3 unanswered goals in the second half to win 4–2. In the Grand Final, they came up against the minor premiers and favourites Bonnyrigg at their ground. Bonnyrigg had won the league by 15 points and had already beaten Marconi in the finals series, but Marconi won the Championship with two second half goals to win 2–0.[15]

In late 2013 the Marconi Stallions were accepted into the newly formed National Premier Leagues NSW. The NPL NSW replaced the previous NSW Premier League. In their first season in the NPL NSW in 2014, Marconi finished in 8th place in the 12-team division.

Relegation and Promotion (2015–2017)

Marconi was relegated to the NPL NSW 2 on 16 August 2015, after enduring the worst season in its history. The Stallions earned just seven points all season and, after a mass player exodus, ended the season with ten consecutive defeats.[16]

The Stallions began their rebuilding campaign in October 2015 with the aim of getting straight back in the top state division. They signed former A-League players Sean Rooney, Mirjan Pavlović and Marko Ješić.[17] Marconi qualified for the 2016 FFA Cup[18] and drew Victorian side Hume City in the Round of 32.[19] Marconi sacked head coach Jeff Suzor in mid-July 2016.[20] Marconi were defeated by Hume City despite taking the lead in the first half of extra time, as Hume managed a 117th-minute equaliser and then won the clash on penalties.[21] Marconi finished the NPL 2 season in 4th place, failing to achieve its target of promotion, despite Rooney, Pavlovic and Jesic scoring 51 goals between them.[22]

In September 2017, Marconi won the NPL NSW 2 Grand Final, having already won the premiership by 18 points, and returned to the New South Wales top flight.[23] Sean Rooney won the league golden boot with 27 goals.[24] In January 2018 Marconi signed AFC Champions League-winning midfielder Mateo Poljak.[25] The Stallions finished in 6th place in its first season back in the top-flight.[26]

Marconi won the 2019 Waratah Cup, defeating Sydney United 58 FC 2-1.[27]

Current squad

First-team

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 Nenad Vekic
2 DF  AUS Marc Warren
3 DF  AUS Liam Youlley
4 DF  AUS Troy Danaskos
6 MF  AUS Sean O'Connell
7 FW  AUS Mirjan Pavlović
8 FW  AUS Sean Rooney
9 FW  AUS Charles Mendy
10 FW  AUS Marko Jesic
11 MF  AUS Judah Cleur
12 FW  AUS James Andrew
No. Pos. Nation Player
13 MF  AUS Luke Gearin
14 DF  AUS Peter Pelekanos
16 MF  AUS Hassan Jalloh
17 MF  AUS Theo Kofinas
18 MF  AUS Peter Triantis
19 MF  AUS Eros Bergamin
21 GK  AUS Kristian Sekutkoski
22 DF  AUS Brandon Vella
23 DF  TLS Chris Nunes
24 DF  AUS Yianni Nicolaou

Source: Westfield FFA Cup squads named for opening night

Rivalries

Sydney Olympic

Marconi vs Olympic has always been one of the biggest rivalries in Australian soccer, constantly involved in big and important matches multiplied by the fact that both clubs were backed by large migrant populations of Italians (Marconi) and Greeks (Olympic).

Sydney United

Marconi has a rivalry with Sydney United due to the close proximity of the two clubs. Sydney United is located in Edensor Park and play out of King Tomislav Club which is only 1 km south of Club Marconi. The Croatian club have been rivals of the Stallions since 1971 when Marconi were promoted to the State League.

APIA Leichhardt

The Stallions and the Tigers have a friendly rivalry. These two clubs are the two Italian backed clubs in New South Wales. The two clubs compete every season in the Italian Derby.

Honours
  • NSL Champions – 1979, 1988, 1989, 1992–93
  • NSL Minor Premiers – 1989, 1989–90, 1995–96
  • NSL Cup Winners – 1980
  • NSW 1st Division Champions – 1972, 1973, 2012
  • NSW NPL 2 Champions – 2017
  • NSW NPL 2 Premiers – 2017
  • National Youth League Champions: – 1988, 1995–96
  • Brad Maloney won the Johnny Warren Medal while playing for Marconi in the 1998–99 NSL season.

Divisional history
  • 1962–1963 NSW Federation Amateurs
  • 1964–1969 NSW Second Division
  • 1970–1976 NSW First Division
  • 1977–2004 National Soccer League
  • 2004–2015 NSWPL/ NPL NSW 1
  • 2016–2017 NPL NSW 2
  • 2018- NPL NSW 1
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References
  1. "Sixty Years Young". clubmarconi.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  2. "Christian Vieri: made in Australia". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  3. "Marconi Stallions' situation poses the question the FFA must answer". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  4. "Marconi Stallions' situation poses the question the FFA must answer". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  5. Alic, Dijana (3 July 2013). "Shifting Grounds: Identity Politics and Sydney's Ethnic Clubs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  6. "Sixty Years Young". clubmarconi.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  7. "Sixty Years Young". clubmarconi.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  8. "Sixty Years Young". clubmarconi.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  9. "Sixty Years Young". clubmarconi.com.au. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  10. "History of Marconi". www.ozfootball.net. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  11. Curran, Brian (27 February 1981). "Soccer – no-one's poor aunt". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 24. Retrieved 26 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Curran, Brian (29 January 1981). "Marconi seal $250,000 contract with car firm". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 32. Retrieved 26 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Marconi Stallions – PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men's 1". www.nswpl.com.au. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  14. "NSW Premier League 2012 Index". www.socceraust.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  15. "NSW Premier League 2012 – Fixtures/Results". www.socceraust.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  16. "Fixtures/Results – PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men's 1". www.nswpl.com.au. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  17. "Pavlovic, Rooney depart Oakleigh". The Corner Flag. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  18. Stavroulakis, Mark. "NSW spots confirmed for Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32". Westfield FFA Cup. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  19. "Sydney FC to meet Wollongong Wolves in FFA Cup Round of 32". The World Game. SBS. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  20. "FFA Cup shock: opposing coaches axed". FFA Cup. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  21. "Hume City FC v Marconi Stallions FC - FFA Cup Match Centre". theffacup.com.au. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  22. "Competition Stats for 1st - PlayStation 4 NPL 2 NSW Men's". SportsTG. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  23. "Marconi crowned football champions". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  24. "Competition Stats for 1st - PS4 NPL 2 NSW Men's 2017". SportsTG. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  25. "Transfer news: former Wanderers star signs for NPL club Marconi". Hyundai A-League. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  26. "Ladder for 1st - NPL NSW Men's 2018". SportsTG. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  27. "Marconi Stallions crowned 2019 TAFE NSW Waratah Cup Champions". National Premier Leagues NSW Men's 1. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
Preceded by
West Adelaide		 NSL Champions
1979		 Succeeded by
Sydney City
Preceded by
APIA Leichhardt		 NSL Champions
1988–1989		 Succeeded by
Sydney Olympic
Preceded by
Adelaide City		 NSL Champions
1992/93		 Succeeded by
Adelaide City
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