Full name | ECU Joondalup Soccer Club |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Jacks |
Founded | 1992 |
Ground | ECU Joondalup Football Stadium |
Capacity | 2,500 |
President | Steve Wheatley |
Manager | Dale McCulloch |
League | National Premier Leagues Western Australia |
2016 | 3rd |
The ECU Joondalup Soccer Club (formerly Joondalup City Soccer Club) is an Australian soccer club from Joondalup, Western Australia currently playing in the National Premier Leagues Western Australia.
Their home ground is at the Joondalup campus of Edith Cowan University, which the club is now named after.
The ECU Joondalup Soccer Club was formed in 1992 as Joondalup City Soccer Club and played at the Gumblossom Park in Quinns Rocks. They moved to the Arena Joondalup in 1995 and in their first season in the Semi-pro league finished third in the Professional Soccer Federation of WA third division a great start to top flight football in the state.
In the first season of the Soccer West Coast division one, City continued their charge up the table and won promotion to the Premier League as Champions in 1996. Joondalup City's first season in the top flight was a moderately successful one. They finished in a respectable mid-table position, and improved to third place in 1998.
In 1999 the club changed its name to ECU Joondalup and a successful season saw Paul Simmons side win the clubs first major trophy by taking out the Premier League title. Needing only a draw from the last game of the season to win the Premier League title, Joondalup fall behind to second placed Sorrento, when Kevin Murphy found the back of the net. Joondalup equalised late in the first half when Carl McDarby, who is playing with a broken foot, ran onto a through ball and drove a low shot past goalkeeper Mike Harkness. In the 70th minute a dangerous in-swinging corner from Scott Halpin snuck in at the far post to give ECU Joondalup their first ever Championship after only four seasons in the professional ranks.
Past Coaches of the club were; Paul Simmons from 1992–2002 and in 2004, Stuart Kamaz in 2003, Stuart Currie in 2005. Eric Williams in 2005 and John Brown in 2006 took temporary charge of the side during the season and Willie McNally from 2006–2008, Syd Amphlett from 2008–2011 and Salv Todaro 2011–2013. Half way through the 2013 season, Salv left the club by mutual consent, following a poor run of results which left ECU bottom of the League. He was replaced with club skipper Dale McCulloch who is the current club coach.