Souths United FC

Souths United Football Club is an Australian football (soccer) club based in Runcorn, a southern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed in 1962, and currently competes in the Brisbane Premier League.[1] In May 2017, Football Queensland announced Souths United FC were among the 14 clubs accepted to form the Football Queensland Premier League for its initial season in 2018.[2]

Souths United Football Club
Full nameSouths United Football Club
Nickname(s)Souths
Founded1962
GroundWakerley Park
ChairmanTracey Confessore
LeagueFQPL
202010th
WebsiteClub website

History

The club was formed as South Coast United Soccer Club in 1962. The grounds that were to become the club's headquarters were provided by the Brisbane City Council in the early 1960s, originally consisting of an overgrown farm plot. This wasteland of jungle weeds and bulrushes was cleared by the club's founding members and became the Runcorn Reserve, later renamed Wakerley Park in the mid 1970s. The club's emerald green and white hooped colours originated in this early stage in the club's history, being adopted after receiving two strips of the kit used by a neighbouring local club Celtic United, and have remained with the club ever since.[1][3]

South Coast United joined senior competition entering the third tier of Brisbane soccer in the 1964 season.[4] The club absorbed the Triangles Soccer Club in the mid 1960s contributing to a rapid expansion in its playing numbers.[1] This increased participation led to a third place finish in 1967, then promotion to Division 2 the following season.[4]

The club changed its name to Souths United at the end of the 1972 season. After relegation to Division 3 in 1974, the club won its first senior grade premiership in 1975 and returned to Division 2 after a single season. With the formation of the Queensland State League in 1979, South United played two seasons in Division 1, but after relegation in last place in 1980 the club remained at the second or third tier of Brisbane soccer for the next two decades. In 1981 South United's Division 1 team finished 5th in the Brisbane First Division.[5] One highlight from this era was winning the Division 1 South premiership in 1999, however the club was not promoted to the Brisbane Premier League.[4]

In 2002 Souths United achieved a long sought after goal, achieving promotion to the Brisbane Premier League for the first time.[1] The club finished second in Division 1[6] then won a promotion/relegation play-off 3–2 against Eastern Suburbs over two legs.[7] Souths United remained in the BPL for ten seasons with its best results occurring between 2005 and 2008 when it just missed the finals series finishing fifth in 2005 and sixth in the following three seasons.[8] In 2007 South United achieved its best cup run, progressing to the final of Brisbane Premier Cup which it lost 2–1 to Pine Rivers United.[9]

Souths United fell two divisions to Capital League 2 after being relegated in 2012 and 2014, but bounced back to win successive promotions in 2015 and 2016 to return to the BPL for the 2017 season. This period included a 3–0 grand final victory over Western Spirit to win the 2015 Capital League 2 championship.[10] Souths United bolstered its squad for the 2017 BPL campaign by signing former Socceroo Jon McKain.[11]

In May 2017, Football Queensland announced Souths United FC were among the 14 clubs accepted to form the Football Queensland Premier League for its initial season in 2018.[2]

As of the 2020 season, the club currently competes in the Football Queensland Premier League for men, National Premier Leagues Queensland for junior boys and the National Premier League Women's for women and junior girls. The club also fields male and female teams for seniors and juniors in divisional competitions along with Miniroos teams.

Recent seasons
Season League FFA Cup
Division (Tier) Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Position Finals Series
2008Brisbane Premier League (3)2294938326316thDNQNot yet founded
2009Brisbane Premier League (3)2493123447−13308thDNQ
2010Brisbane Premier League (3)2683154251−9279thDNQ
2011Brisbane Premier League (3)2682164066−262612thDNQ
2012Brisbane Premier League (3)26112423119−96414th ↓DNQ
2013 Capital League 1 (4)2273123132−1249thDNQ
2014 Capital League 1 (4)2234151649−331312th ↓DNQPreliminary Round 1
2015 Capital League 2 (5)221813952570551st ↑ChampionsPreliminary Round 3
2016 Capital League 1 (4)221453662838471st ↑Preliminary FinalPreliminary Round 4
2017 Brisbane Premier League (3)2285945414298thDNQPreliminary Round 5
2018 Football Queensland Premier League (3) 24 13 5 6 66 36 30 44 4th Semi Final Preliminary Round 5
2019 Football Queensland Premier League (3) 18 4 0 13 29 59 -30 13 8th DNQ Preliminary Round 4

Source:[4]

Key: Premiers / Champions Promoted ↑ Relegated ↓

The tier is the level in the Australian soccer league system

Honours

Due to frequent restructures and re-classifications of divisions in Brisbane football, the club's first team honours below are listed by tier in the Brisbane football pyramid.

Tier 2

  • Brisbane Division 1 South – Premiers 1999
  • Capital League 1 – Premiers 2016

Tier 3

  • Brisbane Division 3 – Premiers 1975
  • Capital League 2 – Premiers and Champions 2015

References
  1. "Club History". Souths United official website. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  2. "Football Queensland Unveils Clubs For New Two-Tiered State Competition". Football Queensland website. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  3. "Club Strip". Souths United official website. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  4. "Souths United FC". Brisbane Football (Soccer) Tables. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  5. "Club History | Souths United Football Club". southsunited.org.au. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  6. "Brisbane Division One 2002 Fixtures/Results". socceraust.co.uk website. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  7. "Brisbane Promotion/Relegation Playoffs 2002". socceraust.co.uk website. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  8. "Brisbane Premier League Tables 1983 to 2017 (2005 season)". Brisbane Football (Soccer) Tables. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  9. "Brisbane Premier Cup 2007 Fixtures/Results". socceraust.co.uk website. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  10. "Brisbane Capital League Division Two 2015". socceraust.co.uk website. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  11. Brayden Heslehurst (22 December 2016). "Souths United make presence felt with signing of former Socceroos player Jon McKain". Quest Newspapers.
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