Cairnlea FC
| Full name | Cairnlea FC |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Army, The Reds |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Ground | Cairnlea Park |
| Capacity | 1000 |
| President |
 Jenk Kulac |
| Coach |
 Kevin Theuma |
| Assistant Coach |
 Zeki Inanir
|
| League | Victorian State League Division 2 N/W |
| Website | Club home page |
[[Cairnlea FC is a football (soccer) club based in Cairnlea, Victoria, Australia. The club was formerly known as the Albion Rovers Soccer Club which was formed by the amalgamation of Royal Park Soccer Club and Albion Rovers Soccer Club in 1982. Since this time, the club has enjoyed success playing at the highest levels in Victorian football including finals campaigns in the Victorian Premier League (VPL), a host of Victorian State League titles and many League Cups. A combined five league titles between the Men and Women's team have given the club the most successful record of any Turkish backed club in Australian history. Currently the club's Senior Men team play in the Victorian State League Division 2 N/W competition.
Royal Park Soccer club was first formed in 1969 by the members of the Cyprus Turkish Association which consisted of first and second generation Turkish Cypriots. Some members of the association suggested that efforts towards other projects such as building a new Mosque was more beneficial for the Turkish community before the establishment of a sporting club. However, after much deliberation the association decided that a sports and recreation club would not only provide an opportunity to engage the Turkish Cypriot community, but a better means of migrating its people into the Australian community – hence the club was born.
An initial sum of $500 was allocated towards the establishment costs of the Soccer club. The money allocated went towards purchasing essentials such as soccer balls, netting for the goals and other necessities. The first initial matches were organised friendly games against other nationality clubs. These games were played in Carlton at Princess Park on the famous Ground Number 6 and the majority of the players from Royal Park came from the Cyprus Turkish Association. The team was also known to have a few skillful players of Albanian background. Royal Park Soccer Club joined the Victorian Amateur Soccer Federation entering at the lowest division in the season of 1969. A one dollar fee was charged to the players per game to cover their insurance and other playing costs. The team would travel as far as rural Mornington, Victoria to officially complete against other clubs.
The following year, Royal Park Soccer Club began to attract the interest of the new immigrants from Turkey. The club decided to register several experienced immigrant players who had played professionally in the Turkish Football leagues in hope that the experience would bring much improved team performances. At the end of the season Royal Park achieved promotion much to the delight of the Turkish Cypriot community. The level of community support for the team could be measured by the increased number of spectator cars parked around the ground, beeping horns, flashing lights and cheering the team on match days.
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