Virtus Soccer Club
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| Full name | Virtus Soccer Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Northern Demons |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Ground | Byrne Park |
| Capacity | 6000 |
| Chairman | Steve Gadaleta |
| Manager | Andrew McMillan |
| League | Football Federation of South Australia (FFSA) State League |
| 2014 | State League, 4th |
Virtus Soccer Club, playing in modern times as the Northern Demons is a soccer club from Port Pirie, South Australia. Northern Demons play in the Football Federation of South Australia (FFSA) State League. Their home ground is Byrne Park, situated on Magor Road, Port Pirie. Together with their three senior teams (Seniors, Reserves and Under 18s), the club has an Under 12,14, and 15 team competing in the Football Federation of South Australia Junior Premier League. Their cross-town rivals are the Savoy Soccer Club, formerly known as Port Pirie City, who play in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League (SAASL).
The Virtus Soccer Club was founded in 1951 by a group of predominantly Italian immigrants from the coastal city of Molfetta in southern Italy. In the aftermath of World War II, with Italy gripped by war and poverty, these men and women sought new lives and eventually came to settle in a handful of Australian cities including Port Pirie, South Australia. In the 1930s a fledgling soccer competition operated in the city but it wasn't until 1949 that the first recognised soccer club in Port Pirie, Savoy Soccer Club, was born. Savoy joined two other newly established teams, Central and Wanderers, to form the Port Pirie Soccer Association (PPSA) on 12 June 1949.
Whereas Central and Wanderers were composed mainly of English, Scottish and Australian locals, Savoy was the 'Italian' team and was the popular choice for the city's Italian immigrants looking for a game. Savoy's burgeoning popularity saw numbers swell to unmanageable numbers and many players frequently missed out as a result. Nepotism also played a part, with a select number of Italian families running the club and favouring their own relatives and friends. A group of fringe players would often meet at a club on Florence Street in the Port Pirie CBD after work and discuss soccer. One day the club owner suggested the players form their own team to compete against Savoy. The fringe players like the idea and between May and September 1950 held meetings to discuss forming the new team. A foundation committee was formed comrpised of Nicolo ‘Nick’ Gaudio (Committee Man), Nick Tattoli (President), Domenic Caputo (Treasurer), Carlo Rafanelli (Secretary), Morrie Pasculli and Joe Mezzini as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively, and Dino Funda as Selector/Manager.
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