Manly United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. The club competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW and their home ground is Cromer Park, in the suburb of Dee Why, approximately 15 minutes away from Manly.

Quick Facts Full name, Nickname(s) ...
Manly United
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Full nameManly United Football Club
Nickname(s)Manly
Founded2004[1]
GroundCromer Park
Capacity5,000
ChairmanRay Fanning
CoachPatrick Zwaanswijk
LeagueNPL NSW
20249th of 16
Websitehttp://www.manlyunitedfc.com.au/
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Its main grandstand is named after former Socceroo captain Lucas Neill, who played for the club as a junior before playing overseas at Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United.

Manly United Football Club Ltd. was officially formed in 2004 by the Manly Warringah Soccer Association.[1] However, there have been many representative teams competing for the association prior to this date. Notably, the previous club was called Manly Warringah Dolphins, that formed from the merger of Manly-North Shore United and Warringah Freshwater at the close of the 1991 NSW Division 1 season for the start of the upcoming 1992 NSW Super League season.[2]

History

Neerlandia / Manly Warringah

A Dutch club called Neerlandia competed in the 1959 Sydney Federation Division Two, won the premiership and gained entry into the Sydney Federation Division One for 1960.[3]

The club changed its name to Manly Warringah from 1960. The side had spent 14 seasons throughout the New South Wales top flight in 1960, 1968, and from 1976 to 1987 before being relegated to Division Two. With the club struggling, it merged with North Shore United in 1991.[4] North Shore United itself was a merger of two clubs Ku-Ring-Gai and North Sydney-Artarmon (for the 1989 season).[5] The Manly-North Shore United merger dissolved after the 1991 NSW Division One season, with Manly merging with Warringah Freshwater.[2] North Shore United would continue to send representative teams to tournaments as Ku-Ring-Gai Districts.

Warringah Freshwater

Warringah Narrabeen (and from 1986 Warringah Freshwater) was a club that had competed throughout the early 1980s in NSW Division Two, even winning the title in 1983.[6] With promotion in 1984 to NSW Division One, the club maintained mid-lower half of the table across their eight-year sojourn in the top flight. Their highest place finish was 5th, achieved in 1991 before merging with Manly for the newly revamped "NSW Super League" in 1992.

Manly Warringah Dolphins

The merger of Manly-North Shore United and Warringah Freshwater created the Manly Warringah Dolphins at the close of the 1991 NSW Division 1 season for the start of the upcoming NSW Super League season.[2] The club had gained promotion into the NSW Premier League for the start of the 2004–05 season. At the time, the club was operating solely as a representative branch for the Manly Warringah Soccer Association (MWSA). However, it was a requirement from Soccer NSW that all Federation Clubs be a separate incorporated body and so Manly United Football Club Ltd. was formed.[1]

Manly United (2004–present)

Manly United have competed in the NSW Tier 1 since 2004–05 when they were elevated to the NSW Premier League after winning the Super League Division. Manly United is considered an important side in the NSWPL, as it is based on a geographical area, rather than founded by a single ethnic group like some other ex-NSL clubs.

The original Logo of the renamed Manly United Football Club in 2004 was a collective of an Osprey sea bird, a Football & a Dolphin joined as one, these three icons represent the local MWFA Association (Osprey), a Football & Manly Warringah Dolphins (Dolphin). The Club again changed its logo in 2016 to reflect the evolution of Manly United Football Club and its ownership and association with Manly Warringah Football Association. [7]

The club is the representative arm of the Manly Warringah Football Association (MWFA), the largest community Football Association in Australia with more than 20,000 players.

Divisional History

Manly Warringah Dolphins

Lucas Neill Scholarship and Medal

Between 2006 and 2012 ex-Manly junior Lucas Neill helped provide opportunities for up and coming footballers from his junior club.[8] Each year the scholarship was awarded to a different young player from Manly to trial in Europe.

More information Year, Recipient ...
YearRecipient
2006Chris Payne
2007Simon Beer
2008Joey Gibbs
2009Leigh Egger
2010Tonu Liiband
2011Jack Green
2012Thomas Manos
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Due to a number of factors including difficulty getting clubs in Europe to provide the opportunity for the players, the scheme was discontinued as Lucas and his advisors looked for a different way to reward the junior players from his junior club.

In 2014 the scholarship was re-branded the Lucas Neill Medal and was extended to include ALL junior members of the club, it was determined that there should be two medals awarded each year, in recognition of the advancements in ladies football. The medal is made from Sterling silver and is laser engraved on the front with a photograph of Lucas when he first became captain of Australia in 2007.

More information Year, Male Recipient ...
Year Male Recipient Female Recipient
2014 Jake Hollman Remy Siemsen
2015 Tom Fay Remy Siemsen
2016 Ben Koop Ruby Whitaker
2017 Harry McCarthy Holly Newman
2018 Jordan Devries Kahli Johnson
2019 Yannis Frerck Kahli Johnson
2020 Eric Sequeira Hailey Chappelow
2021 Toby Bakewell Valentina Bradley
2022 Jasper Chipman Alice Thompson
2023 Jasper Swadling Sienna Dale
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Current Men's squad

As of February 2024[9]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...
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Current Women's squad

As of July 2020.[citation needed]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...
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Men's Seasons

More information Season, League ...
Season League Waratah Cup FFA Cup Top scorer
Div Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos Finals Player(s) Goals
2004–05NSW Premier League2277833292811th4R
2006NSW Premier League188463124285th4R
2007NSW Premier League188462621284thPFRU
2008NSW Premier League2212374221394thSF4R
2009NSW Premier League2210753322375thSFRU
2010NSW Premier League2274112431259thQF
2011NSW Premier League228773337316thW
2012NSW Premier League22651126332310th3R
2013NPL NSW226883435268th4R
2014NPL NSW22731231462410thRUR32
2015NPL NSW2283113938278th6R
2016NPL NSW2212735826433rdSFRUR32
2017NPL NSW2213364736424thW4R
2018NPL NSW227783332288th5R
2019NPL NSW 2275102534269thSFR16
2020NPL NSW 113351418128thcancelled
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  = Premiers (premiership positions) or Champions (finals series)
  = Runners-up (premiership or finals series)
PR = Preliminary Round
1R, 2R, 3R...7R = 1st Round, 2nd Round, 3rd Round...7th Round
R32 = Round of 32
R16 = Round of 16
QF = Quarter-final
SF = Semi-final
EF = Elimination Final
PF = Preliminary Final
PO = Playoff Final

Men's Honours

Men's Club Champions (1): 2016
Champions (1): 2017
Runners Up (1): 2022
Champions (1): 2011
Runners-up (4): 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016

Manly Warringah Dolphins (1992–2004)

Premiers (1): 1995
Runners-Up (1): 1992
Champions (1): 1995,
Runners-Up (0):
Premiers (1): 2004
Runners-Up (1): 2002
Champions (1): 2001
Runners-Up (2): 1994, 2004

References

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