At the beginning of 1973, there were two soccer clubs operating in the Albury-Wodonga area, Albury United and the Wodonga Falcons. Both clubs had senior men’s and under 16 boys’ teams playing in the North Eastern Victoria Soccer League, which was based in the region surrounding the Victorian town of Shepparton.

In late February of 1973 at the AGM of Albury United, Bill Luders, who had only just moved to Albury, was disappointed to discover that there was only one junior soccer team in the whole of Albury. After this meeting, he was approached by Hans Laramee and Mike Smith about starting a local soccer competition. Both men were aware of some discontent among players due to the travel involved in the north eastern league, and there was also great interest in expanding junior soccer in Albury. They decided to organise a steering committee to look at the possibility of forming a soccer competition to be located in Albury-Wodonga.

The committee included:

  • Mike Smith as chairman,
  • Ian Barker as secretary,
  • Jimmy McKinven as treasurer,
  • Hans Laramee as senior players’ coordinator,
  • Bill Luders as junior players’ coordinator, and;
  • Frank Bannister Snr as referees and judiciary coordinator.

The group met at Hans Laramee’s home each Wednesday night for six weeks and eventually a constitution was written. The group was ready to call a public meeting to launch a new soccer association early in June, 1973. The association was later to become known as the Albury-Wodonga Soccer Association (AWSA).

In late May 1973, an advertisement was placed in the Border Morning Mail calling on all children interested in playing soccer to gather at Melrose Park, Lavington.

It was a pleasant surprise for everyone when 36 children presented at Melrose Park. It was decided to develop a zoning system to form teams and distribute the players evenly across Albury. Children residing in Lavington were to be called Melrose Park Rangers with Hans Laramee in charge. The players residing around North Albury were organised by Frank Bartazzo and attached to his Lavington Soccer Club, which was based at Glen Park. Children living south of North Street were to be looked after by Tony Ratcliffe and Bill Luders and were later to become known as Albury Hotspurs.

Ian Barker, a well known Dean Street pharmacist and generous benefactor of many sports in the Albury area, purchased three sets of t-shirts from a local store which were used as playing strips for the new soccer teams. The only colours available in that quantity of t-shirt were purple, green and orange. The purple shirts were given to the Melrose Park Rangers’ players – explaining the origin of that club’s current colours. Green shirts were allocated to the Lavington players and Hotspurs used the orange shirts but changed from orange to their current gold colour later in that year.

With the success of the junior soccer games each Saturday morning at Melrose Park, there was now the move to start a senior competition. The idea was to develop the senior teams on the junior club structure which was now operating at Melrose Park.

A meeting of members of the south team met at Jim McKinven’s house during June 1973. They decided to adopt the name Albury Hotspurs Soccer Club and to wear gold because it was a colour that was visually very strong and was recognised as the colour of success. Ian Barker seconded a number of players from Albury City Hockey Club to help form the first Hotspurs senior men’s soccer team. Other senior teams formed at this time included Melrose Park Rangers (purple), Lavington (red), Twin City Wanderers (sky blue/maroon) and Albury Rovers (red/black).

In early June 1973, a meeting was held at the Boomerang Hotel and the AWSA was formed, with Albury Hotspurs having a significant presence on the new association through Ian Barker (secretary) Jim McKinven (treasurer) and Bill Luders and Tony Ratcliffe as vice-presidents. The AWSA was to affiliate with New South Wales Amateur Soccer Association later in 1973.

The first senior games in the newly formed AWSA were played on Sunday, 1 July 1973. The competition consisted of the five teams previously named, plus a sixth team known as the Presidents Xl, formed by players unattached to an existing club. This eliminated a bye for the competition. Most games were played at Melrose Park, with some games played at Jelbart Park and also at Aloysius Park later in the year.

The foundation year ended with the AWSA having 64 registered senior players and 35 junior players. The association was to grow extensively in the next few years.

The inaugural winners of AWSC competitions held in its first year in 1973 included:

  • Minor premiers: Albury Rovers
  • Grand final winner: Lavington SC
  • Grand final runners up: Melrose Park Rangers
  • Runner up: Melrose Park Rangers

Past Committee Members

President – Greg Scott
Secretary – Karen Rannie-Milne
Treasurer – Nigel Semmens
Registrar – Gary Holt
Recorder – Tony Cigana
High Performance – Belinda Mathews
Resources – Vacant
Football Operations – Nico Mathews

Administrator- Bree Kusic

President – Greg Scott
Secretary – Jacqui Hawkins / Tony Cigana
Treasurer – Darin Fitzsimmons
Registrar – Gary Holt
Recorder – Tony Cigana
High Performance – Belinda Mathews
Resources – Karen Rannie-Milne
Football Operations – Nico Mathews

Administrator- Lachlan Simpkin

President – Mark Leman
Secretary – Belinda Westerlo
Treasurer – Gregg Scott
Registrar – Gary Holt
Recorder – Tony Cigana
High Performance – Belinda Mathews
Resources – Karen Rannie-Milne
Football Operations – Nico Mathews

Administrator – Lucille Brown

President – Mark Leman
Secretary – Gary Holt
Treasurer – Gregg Scott
Registrar – Kara Newman
Recorder – Tony Cigana
Development Officer –
High Performance – Belinda Mathews
Resources – Karen Rannie-Milne
Football Operations – Nico Mathews

President – Mark Leman
Secretary – Gary Holt
Treasurer – Greg Scott
Registrar – Kara Newman
Recorder – Tony Cigana
High Performance – Belinda Mathews
Resources – Karen Rannie-Milne
Business Operations – Chris Stern
Football Operations – Nico Mathews

Development Officer – Sam Gray

President – Mark Leman
Vice President Business Operations – Chris Stern
Secretary – Chris Pidd
Treasurer – Rad Sredojevic
Registrar – Belinda Martin
Recorder – Tony Cigana
Vice President Football Operations – Nico Mathews
Vice President External Operations – Vacant
Vice President Resources – Vacant
Vice President High Performance – Simon Randall
MPIO – Vacant

President – Mark Leman
Vice President Business Operations – Chris Pidd
Secretary – Kiera Hayes
Treasurer – Rad Sredojevic
Registrar – Belinda Martin
Recorder – Tony Cigana
Vice President Football Operations – Nico Mathews
Vice President External Operations – Vacant
Vice President Resources – Vacant
Vice President High Performance – Simon Randall
MPIO -Fiona Smith

President – Jacqui Finlay / Simon Randall
Secretary – Kiera Hayes
Treasurer – Rad Sredojevic
Registrar – Belinda Martin
Recorder – Tony Cigana
Vice President Football Operations – Nico Mathews
Vice President Resources – Ian Belgre
Vice President High Performance – Simon Randall
MPIO – Fiona Smith

President – Jacqui Finlay
Vice President Business Operations – Damian Morrison
Secretary – Kiera Hayes
Treasurer – Rad Sredojevic
Registrar – Chelsea Nhansana
Recorder – Kerryn Anderson
Vice President Football Operations – John Mahoney
Vice President External Operations – Damian Morrison
Vice President Resources – Vacant
Vice President High Performance – Simon Randall

President – Craig McDonald
Vice President Business Operations – Garry Brew
Secretary – Kiera Hayes
Treasurer – Rad Sredojevic
Registrar – Marie Brew
Recorder – Marie Brew
Vice President Football Operations – John Mahoney
Vice President External Operations – Leonie Yates
Vice President Resources – Vacant
Vice President High Performance – Gemma Noordewier

President – Colin Johnson
Secretary – Garry Brew
Registrar – Kiera Hayes
Vice President Resources – Sharyn Ryan
Vice President Business Operations – Craig McDonald
Treasurer – Marie Brew
Recorder – Kiera Hayes
Vice President External Operations – Leonie Yates

President – Colin Johnson
Vice President – Garry Brew
Secretary – Mario Mangion
Treasurer – Marie Brew
Registrar – Alison Koschel
Recorder – Sharyn Ryan
Vice President Football Operations – Rick Koschel
Vice President High Performance – Mark Leman
Member Protection Information Officer – Louise Scheidl
Minute Secretary – Stephen Hayes
Vice President Business Operations – VACANT
Vice President External Operations – VACANT
Vice President Resources – VACANT
Disciplinary Administrator – Tony Barlow

President – Craig McDonald
Vice President – Jason Fitzpatrick
Secretary – Garry Brew
Treasurer – Marie Brew
Registrar – Alison Koschel
Recorder – Mario Mangion
Vice President Football Operations – Rick Koschel
Vice President Business Operations – Robert Brown
Vice President High Performance – Dave Smith
Vice President External Operations – Neal Kelly
Vice President Resources – Vacant
Disciplinary Officer – Tony Barlow

President – Craig McDonald
Vice President – Stephen Hayes
Secretary – Karryn Bradbury
Treasurer – Jacqui Finlay
Vice President Coaches – Wayne Fraser
Vice President Reps – Neal Kelly
Vice President Women – Dave Smith
Vice President Development – Wayne Fraser
Registrar – Garry Brew
Recorder – Marie Brew
Disciplinary Officer – Tony Barlow

President – Craig McDonald

Secretary – Karryn Bradbury
Treasurer – Jacqui Finlay

President – Stephen Hayes

Secretary – Jenny Barlow
Treasurer – Jacqui Finlay

President – Stephen Hayes
Vice President (Senior) – Frank Bonacci
Secretary – Jenny Barlow
Treasurer – Jacqui Finlay
Vice President (Development) – Mark Leman
Vice President (Coaches) – Criag McDonald
Vice President (reps) – Sue Rixon
Vice President (Ladies) – Wil Mollisson
Registrar – Garry Brew
Recorder – Marie Brew
Disciplinary Officer – Toni Barlow
Riverina Development Officer – Tim Wilson

President Secretary Treasurer
1973 Mike Smith Ian Barker Jim McKinven
1974 Tony Ratcliffe Ian Barker
1975 Tony Ratcliffe Ian Barker Mike Smith
1976 Tony Ratcliffe Ian Barker Mike Smith
1977 Tony Ratcliffe Ian Barker Brian Harbick
1978 Tony Ratcliffe Ian Barker Michael Gibb
1979 Tony Ratcliffe Ian Barker Ron Stolk
1980 Bill Graham Ian Barker Manfred Batasek
1981 Bill Graham Ian Barker Manfred Batasek
1982 Gene Lydick Ian Barker Manfred Batasek
1983 Gene Lydick Ian Barker Fred Morse
1984 John King Ian Barker/Jill King Fred Morse
1985 John King Fred Morse Fred Morse
1986 John King Fred Morse Fred Morse
1987 John King Fred Morse Fred Morse
1988 John Milton Fred Morse Frank Martin
1989 John Milton Fred Morse Fred Morse
1990 Chris Davis Fred Morse Jeanie Bridgman
1991 Chris Davis Fred Morse Jeanie Bridgman
1992 John Milton Fred Morse Jeanie Bridgman
1993 John Milton Fred Morse Jeanie Bridgman
1994 John Milton Fred Morse Jeanie Bridgman
1995 John Milton Fred Morse Jeanie Bridgman
1996 Mike Randall John Nemeth Grahame Gowland
1997 Mike Randall John Nemeth Grahame Gowland
1998
1999
2000 John Nemeth Tony Vukasinovic
2001 John Nemeth Tony Vukasinovic Jacqui Finlay
2002 John Nemeth Tony Vukasinovic Jacqui Finlay
2003 Steve Hayes Jenny Barlow Jacqui Finlay
2004 Steve Hayes Jenny Barlow Rad Sredojevic
2005 Steve Hayes Jenny Barlow Rad Sredojovic
2006 Steve Hayes Jenny Barlow Rad Sredojovic

AWFA Life Members

Ian Barker (Deceased)
Tony Barlow
Ian Belgre
Frank Bonacci
Marie Brew
June Duell (Deceased)
Wayne Fraser
John King (Deceased)
Rick Martin

John Milton
Vince Pica
Tony Ratcliffe (Deceased)
Brian Schreiber
Harry Wright
Jenny Barlow
Carla Bau
Franco Bertazzo
Garry Brew

Ron Cotterill (Deceased)
Jacqui Finlay
Stephen Hayes
Mark Leman
Cobb Millyn (Deceased)
Fred Morse
David Pye
Sue Rixon
Carlo Villani
Tony Cigana

Update February 2023

AWFA Hall of Fame

Archie Thompson

Josh Kennedy

Stephen Hayes

Wayne Fraser

Mark Leman

Sal Verde

Ian Belgre

David Pye

Vince Pica

Bill Luders

Hans Laramee

Nick Andronicos

Carlo Villani

Cobb Millyn

Franco Bertazzo

Ivan Janissen

Jennifer Barlow

Amy Chapman

Sheena Storrie

Sam Sgarioto

Scott Kidd

John De Luca

Tony Barlow

Angela Iannotta

Update February 2023