Gymea United Football Club (GUFC) is an amateur, not for profit organisation run by volunteers. For many years, GUFC has been one of many clubs in the Shire promoting amateur football. GUFC encourages male and female participation in adult, youth and kids soccer regardless of age or ability. With a membership of over 1400 members and strong social culture, GUFC has a strong presence in the local community. It is one of the largest amateur football clubs in the Shire.
The success of the GUFC club is owed to many factors including striking the right balance between fun and competitiveness in the organisation and management of teams, the commitment of volunteers, the size of the club, the success of the Sutherland Shire amateur football competition and the assistance of various sponsors and grants.
Some key milestones in our history are set out below:
Fees: joining fee 2/- playing fee 1/- per week per child. Family support fee of 5/-. Uniform was a green t-shirt with white V and stripe sewn on by the committee. Purchased shorts & sox. Season commenced 2nd April. Whistle used for first game pictured above. Three Englishmen (Banks, Bowles & Hewles) coached the teams.
Photo of the first committee is pictured to the right
(photo courtesy of Yvonne Brennan, Ken Williams’ daughter)
Back row: ? ? ? Ron Rich ? Alex Schmierer
Front row: Roy Anderson, Cyril O’Neil, Ken Williams, Stan Ellis, Steve Townsend
1961 Old School of Arts building used as clubhouse. Canteen was a disused Council shed.
1962 First club with floodlights, canteen & clubhouse. Introduced nursery games in conjuction with Kirrawee and Sylvania Heights clubs. Shirts now mainly green with white trim made by committee ladies from bolts of material bought at cost from Thronleys.
1963 First trophy awarded to the 12B team for Association Most Improved. Weekly newsletter printed.
1964 Club became an independent soccer club and was re-named Gymea Junior Soccer Club.
1965 Permission for one year from Council for canteen on Gymea Oval. Est. cost of building one 1000 pounds. Gymea Oval first to be given five year tenure from Parks & Playgrounds (Council). Ron Rich made the first Life Member.
1966 Cyril O’Neill awarded second Life Membership. Caringbah Rangers ran nursery knockout comp.
1967 Name changed to Gymea United Junior Soccer Club. Constitution amended.
1968 Stan & Ruby Ellis stood as guarantors for new building project. Final cost $857.21. Opened 21st April.
1969 Change of shirt and socks. 527 members. Committee set up. 5512 players in the Shire. Fees are paid in instalments, orange wedges given to all players at half time (these were continued into the 1980’s.) Shirts supplied by Club until 1981. Best & fairest players selected after each game by three persons on pre-printed cards.
Information very sparse during the 1970’s. Minute books etc. not available.
1975 Women’s soccer launched by the Ellis family.
1976 New strip. 31 teams. Chief Coach Andy Babar. Won first Champion of Champions trophy for the U17’s team.
1977 The 21A’s won another Champion of Champions trophy. Greg & Shirley Harris & Ada Smith were made Life Members. Maureen Hibbins was producing the weekly newsletter. Ladies help to type information on to “skins” and they are printed by a Gestetner machine. Teams then rostered to collate and put into pigeon holes in Ground Control office. One per family.
1978 Alan McAlpine & Max Cameron made Life Members.
1979 Senior Coach – Graham Upton. Donated Giant of Year trophy. First recipient Ada Smith. Terry Hibbins becomes Hon. Secretary. Life Memberships to Ken Landsberry & Bev Nelson.
1980 Oval lighting upgraded at a cost of $3000. A senior ladies and also an intermediate ladies teams.
1981 Julie Dolan & Toni McMahon selected in the Australian team. Under 8 competition became 7-a-side under amended rules. Introduced the purchase of own shirts as well as shorts & socks. Point score board donated by Chris Wrightson. Senior ladies were minor premiers & premiers.
1983 45 teams with 518 players. 8700 players in Shire.
1984 25th Anniversary Gala Day was held Sunday 10th June with a dinner Sat 16th June. Rooball begins for U6 and U7 teams who played under different colours.
1985 First Year Book printed and given to all families. There were 24 under 6 teams with a hosted team from San Jose. 21A runners-up in Robertson Cup.
1986 Established a Premier League team coached by Peter Sarikakis.
1987 Over 35 competition begins. Gymea are inaugural premiers. Lost 1st game 1-7 to Como after going 1 up after 5 mins!. Played Como (Minor Premiers) in Grand Final this time getting the better of them!!. Premier League squad PL1 & PL2 with 28 players and coached by Stewart Teal. 15A’s went undefeated for the entire season with a final goal tally for the season of 81 for 5 against. Stan Ellis (jun) and David Gibson became the first players to complete 25 yrs service.
1989 The three Teal brothers played together in AL2 team
1990 Hollywood comes to Gymea. Another international game. Against USA Eagles Under 14’s from California vs Combined Under 14 Gymea team. Home side won 4-3. Team billeted.
Ref. Wayne Teal, linesmen Andrew Hattersley & Troy Brennan. Fri. 27th July.
1991 New strip designed by Scott Golland (winner of competition). Work on new Community Hall and facilities commence.
1992 Upgraded facilities & new Community Hall opened 17th October by Councillor Ian Swords.
1994 Rob Glass passed away 27th March – Member 24 yrs, President 15 years. No 1 field back in action. Finals & Grand finals held at Gymea.
1995 14A’s were runners-up in State Cup and Champion of Champions (after penalty shoot-out). Gymea won Association Qantas Cup (best club in open age divisions) for first time. Video Ezy & McDonalds MOM awards distributed each week to junior teams
1996 All Age Men win Champion of Champions trophy vs Milperra Lions. Head Coach & Grading committee set up. 15A team compete in South Pacific junior soccer Challenge in Fiji.
1997 16A’s win Champion of Champions trophy again, 21B’s are runners-up in Robertson Cup
1998 Lou McCrohon passed away 29th October. Trophy in his honour now awarded to PL1’s players’ player.
1999 21A’s win Robertson Cup. Justin McClelland (21A) wins 6th consecutive A grade premiership.
2000 21A’s are Champion of Champions. Membership numbers had now grown to 62 teams with 830 players.
2001 Awarded Association Harrie Dening Cup (All age teams 1-3). Fielded two PL1 teams. JW14A & JW15A -First female teams to win premierships (&/or minor premierships) since 1981.
2002 Harrie Dening Cup won again. 17A’s & JW16 are Champion of Champions. Gary Landsberry coached 5 teams with three minor premierships.
2003 35A’s runners-up in State Cup. Used Port Hacking High School as second ground. 75 teams (3rd largest in Shire)
2004 JW14A State Cup runners-up. Three teams in AL1 comp. Two played Grand Final, won by AL1/1’s.
2005 Awarded Association Harrie Dening Cup (All age teams 1-3) again. Teal Family establishes the Titans FC – a club for children & young adults with special needs. Gymea United SC assisted by hosting the season, culminating in a trophy presentation and bbq. GUFC supplies referees to Titans games for many years to come.
2006 357 Rooballers & 214 players in female teams. 90 teams with almost 1200 players. GUFC’s first 3 year Strategic Plan
2007 Change of name to Gymea United Football Club & change of uniform (white shirts). JW18A/2’s win State Cup. Won Harrie Dening Cup for fourth time.
2008 Introduction of Coaching Academy. Small-sided football begins. GUFC goes ‘on line’ through the efforts of Shannon Dixon – new website, SMS system and E newsletter (The Gymea Striker)
2009 21B & 35A runners-up in Robertson & State Cups. Lighting upgrade for GBO1 completed providing the facility for night games
2012 JW16A’s won Premiership, State Cup and runners up in the state Champion of Champions competition. GUFC receives two prestigious Association trophies, one for the champion junior women club and one for the champion senior women club! Online registration commences. GUFC now has 116 teams, 1349 players. Zeljko Kalac (Socceroos & AC Milan goal keeper) holds clinic at GBO. GUFC Life Member, Harry Johnston passes away.
2013 Work commences on viewing platform. David Gibson celebrates 50 years of playing football for GUFC. GUFC Life Member, Brian Ward, passes away.
2014 36 semi final teams. Awarded Sue Holloway Memorial Cup – Junior Womens Champion Cup. 15A semi finalists in Champion of Champions. Completion of viewing platform and undercover area. Hosted home ground semi for our AL1 minor premiers to the biggest crowd ever at the home of Soccer. AL1s go on to be crowned 2014 premiers. GUFC President, David Johnson, joins SSFA executive.
2015 Teams train & play weekend’s on synthetic turf at Kareela 2. Ellis Ward Ladies Pavilion completed. Website and The Gymea Striker upgraded for viewing on smartphones. U18A/1 win State Cup
2016 Giant’s mascot relaunched. 18A/2 win u17 State Cup. GUFC largest club in SSFA, 1672 players and 138 teams.
2017 GUFC pilot SSFA’s Shared Services administration service.
2018 W16A/1 win State Cup. Asian Cup Legacy Fund grant of $110,000 awarded to GUFC for clubhouse extension. Record 40 teams play in semi finals. Life Memberships were awarded to Lisa Brown, Cherie Donoghue, Mark Hildebrandt, and Anthony Severino.
2019 GUFC celebrated its 60th Year Anniversary. All members receive a complimentary commemorative training shirt to mark the milestone. GUFC sponsor the Sutherland Titans FC, Titan of the Year Award, with a trophy to be named the ‘Teal Cup’ and a small gift. Congratulations to the very first winner, Zac Mckenzie. Michael Blumor receives SSFA Merit Award. Lisa Brown awarded by SSFA the inaugural Bill Charlton Fair Play Perpetual Trophy.
2020 Covid 19 cancels all football in Australia until 1 July. Training and games return, albeit with many restrictions. 12 rounds of football are played, with no finals series. First past the post are the premiers in each grade for competition teams.
2021 Season commences on 10 April but unfortunately after 11 rounds of football all community sport is officially cancelled on 30 July after weeks of lockdowns. Again, first past the post are the premiers in each grade for competition teams.
2022 After two years of Covid 19 delays to the SSFA competition, season 2022 start is delayed after weeks of torrential rain. SSFA introduces Shire Premier League competition. GUFC enter teams in both Premier League Men’s and Premier League Women’s (two teams) competition with a new SPL home & away kit. WSPL/1 team runners up in inaugural SPL year after penalty shootout. Finals series played after two years of cancellations. Junior and Senior Presentations return for all members to enjoy.
2023 1538 registered players, making up 131 teams. Celebrated another successful year in the Shire Premier League with 3 of our 4 teams making finals. After three shortened seasons due to Covid 19 and weather, our Saturday teams played the full 18 rounds, whilst the Sunday teams only had one washed out round.