Dunbar Rovers FC
Full nameDunbar Rovers Football Club
Founded1991 in Sydney, Australia
GroundReg Bartley Oval, NCIE
OwnerCommunity-based club run by a Board of Directors
PresidentEngland Scott Sadler
Head CoachRepublic of Ireland Will Cullen
LeagueNSW State League Division 2 & Eastern Suburbs Football Association
WebsiteClub website

Dunbar Rovers Football Club is an Australian amateur football (soccer) club based in Rushcutters Bay, a suburb of Sydney. They currently play in the Eastern Suburbs Football Association.

History edit

The Club was founded in 1991 with one team and has grown to be one of the leading football clubs in the Eastern Suburbs Football Association (ESFA), now fielding 17 senior teams, two junior teams from Under 6 to Under 10 in Sydney, plus sponsoring four junior teams in Cambodia.

At the highest level, Dunbar First Grade Men's team has won the ESFA Premier League Championship five times since its inception in 2007. The Premier League squad is supported by eight other all age men's teams who compete at various levels in ESFA.

Over the past ten years Dunbar has consistently been prominent at the top of ESFA's women's competition, winning the top grade on numerous occasions and has also been competitive in the older version of the game with our two Over 35 teams and for the first time in 2011, an Over 45 team.

Football Department edit

NSW State League Division 2 Football edit

In 2014 Dunbar Rovers made an application to Football NSW for a license to enter the Men's NSW State League Division 2 for the 2015 season. In its 'Declaration of Leagues' announced on September 29th, Football NSW have granted the club a license to participate in it's State League Competition.[1]. This will require the club to field a First Grade squad, as well as recruit and field a new Under 20s squad. Long time club stalwart Marc Coughlan has been announced as the club's Head of State League Football and current First Grade coach Will Cullen has been confirmed as the First Grade Coach for State League and former First Grade coach Mike Dixon has been confirmed as Under 20s coach [2]. Both of these coaches also happen to be the two ESFA Champion of Champions winning coaches at the club.

ESFA Senior Men's Football edit

Past Seasons edit

2014 edit

In the 2014 winter season Dunbar Rovers fielded senior teams in the following ESFA competitions:

No. Grade Code Coach Matchday 2014 League position
1 Men's Championship First PL Will Cullen Saturday afternoon League Champions
2 Men's Championship Reserves PLR Ger Connolly Saturday afternoon League Champions, Grand Final winners
3 All Age Men's Division 1 AA1 Lee Burney Sunday 2nd, Grand Finalists
4 All Age Men's Division 2 AA2 Wes Fagan Sunday League Champions, Grand Final winners
5 All Age Men's Division 3 AA3 Jim Booth Sunday 2nd, Grand Final winners
6 All Age Men's Division 4 AA4 Dale Quartey Sunday 6th
7 All Age Men's Division 5 AA5S Scott Sadler Saturday 3rd
8 All Age Men's Division 6 AA6 Ali Pavey Sunday 3rd
9 All Age Men's Division 7 AA7 Bas Bolyn Sunday 5th
10 All Age Men's Division 7 AA7S Ben Jackson Saturday 6th
11 All Age Men's Division 8 AA8 Oli Hullett Sunday 5th
12 Men's Over 35 Championship O35A Simon Taggart Sunday League Champions, Grand Final winners
13 Men's Over 35 Division 2 O35B Owen Cousins Sunday League Champions
14 Men's Over 45 Championship O45 Grahame Edwards Sunday 2nd

ESFA Women's Football edit

Past Seasons edit

2014 edit

In the 2014 winter season Dunbar Rovers fielded Women teams in the following ESFA competitions:

No. Grade Code Coach Matchday 2014 League position
1 Women's Championship AAW1 David Buck Sunday League Champions, Grand Final winners
2 All Age Women's Division 3 AAW3 Simon Dunnicliff Sunday 3rd, Grand Finalists
3 All Age Women's Division 4 AAW4 Guy-David Camille Sunday 6th

ESFA Junior Football edit

In the 2014 winter season, Dunbar Rovers fielded the following Junior teams in ESFA competitions:

Age Group Type No. of teams Training Location Game Day
Under 5, 6 & 7 Small-Sided Football (SSF) Hub 29 kids Brazilian Field, Centennial Park Saturday morning
Under 8 Small-Sided Football (SSF) Competition 1 Brazilian Field, Centennial Park Saturday morning
Under 10 Small-Sided Football (SSF) Competition 1 Brazilian Field, Centennial Park Saturday morning

Major Honours edit

NSW Champions of Champions edit

Dunbar Rovers has had at least one senior team representing ESFA at the NSW Champion of Champions tournament every year since 2002.

In addition, Dunbar has the honour of being the only First Grade Men's team from Sydney's Eastern Suburbs to have won the Champion of Champions not once but twice.

On October 24th, 2008 the club defeated Budgewoi FC (Central Coast) in a very tight final, winning 1-0 thanks to a golden goal in extra-time from striker Peter Satos [3].

On October 19th, 2014 Dunbar Men's First Grade defeated Kenthurst (Gladesville Hornsby) 3-2 in the Final [4]

The star in the club's logo signifies the Champion of Champions win - a very special event for everyone connected with the club.

Eastern Suburbs Football Association (ESFA) edit

Grade League Champions Grand Final Winners ESFA Cup Winners
Men's Championship (formerly Premier League) 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 2009, 2014
Women's Championship (formerly AAW1) 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 n/a
Men's Over 35 Championship 2010, 2013, 2014 2013, 2014 n/a
Men's Over 45 Championship 2011 2011 n/a

Other Honours edit

Sydney Metropolitan Cup (Men) Winners, 1999


Cambodian Teams edit

Dunbar Rovers' first official charitable initiative was established in 2008 via a partnership with the Football Project of Starfish Foundation (ISF)[5]

Dunbar supports ISF in Cambodia sponsoring an Under 14 Boys and Under 14 Girls team from Komar Rikreay (KMR) in the Battambang region. KMR provides non-institutional care and community nurturing for former street and trafficked kids.

The support is for the junior football coaching programme aimed at using football to develop a greater sense of confidence, teamwork and hope for these kids. Matches are played against other teams, culminating in a tournament held each March in Phnom Penh.

The programme began two years ago and now provides FIFA accredited coaching twice a week for 450 kids. In the next 2 years, Indochina Starfish is aiming to have 25 squads of boys & girls.

Dunbar committed to an initial three year sponsorship of the teams who are named after the club and wear the same kit. The club has extended this for another 5 seasons. The club's funds go directly towards sponsoring the teams, covering costs such as balls, strips, boots, bibs, cones, coach's fees, transport and field rental. Dunbar's teams have squads of 25 kids although often more participate in each training session.

Notable Players edit

Current edit

  •   Clive Delaney - Former professional with a number of Irish clubs. FAI Cup winner with Derry City.
  •   Craig Mooney - Former professional with League of Ireland clubs UCD and Shelbourne
  •   Paul O'Shaughnessy - Former professional with Bury in the English Championship and League One.
  •   Jonathan Smith - Former semi-professional with Auckland City who represented Oceania at the 2006 FIFA World Club Championships in Tokyo
  •   Sandra Stavrou - Former top grade Women's player in NSW. Voted best player in NSW in 2006.

Former edit

  •   Anthony Flood - Former professional with a number of Irish clubs. League of Ireland Champion in 2013 with St Patricks Athletic.
  •   Thomas Crawley - Former professional for Derry City in the League of Ireland
  •   Gerry Gomez - Former Australian National Soccer League defender with Sydney City, Marconi, APIA, Parramatta Eagles
  •   Anthony LaPaglia - Former Australian National Soccer League goalkeeper with Adelaide City and West Adelaide, former part-owner of Sydney FC and now a famous Hollywood actor
  •   Phillip Muhlbauer - Former Australian National Soccer League defender with Wollongong Wolves

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Dunbar Rovers ready for State League Football". Football NSW. 29 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Dunbar Rovers appoint coaches for 2015 season". Football NSW. 10 October 2014.
  3. ^ "EA SPORTS CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS RESULTS" (PDF). Football NSW.
  4. ^ "2014 ALL AGE MEN CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS". Fox Sport Pulse. 19 October 2014.
  5. ^ "ISF Sponsors and Supporters".

Category:Soccer clubs in Sydney Category:Soccer clubs in New South Wales