Para Hills Knights Soccer Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Para Hills West, a northern suburb of Adelaide. The club was founded on 24 March 1964, joining the Federation in 1966. The club currently plays in National Premier Leagues South Australia, winning promotion to the second tier of Australian soccer in 2023. Originally playing at Nelson Road Reserve in Para Hills, the club has been based out of their current home ground, The Paddocks (currently known as Feel Good Physio Co Stadium for sponsorship reasons), since 1986.

The club has won multiple second division titles, finished runners-up in the first division in 1980 and have reached the final of the Federation Cup on four occasions. Their last piece of silverware came in 2012, when they won the FFSA Premier League title, and were promoted to the first season of the National Premier Leagues. They have played in a national competition on one occasion, in the 1981 NSL Cup, losing 0–3 to NSL side West Adelaide Hellas in their only game.

History

The Para Hills Community Soccer Club was formed by Robert Eldridge, John Eldridge, Chick Harris, John West, Andy Balter and Malcolm Owen on 24 March 1964. The aim of the club being to foster and promote the game of soccer in the Northern Suburbs. The Eldridge brothers were Tottenham Hotspur supporters, so their kit early on was full white. The club set the goal of playing first division soccer within 10 years. In 1965 the club entered a team in the Sunday Industrial League. On 4 April 1965 the club played its first competitive senior game losing 3–1 with Chris Pawley scoring the first goal for the club.

The following year the club entered the South Australian Soccer Federation and once again the first game resulted in a defeat, 2–1 with the first goal in the Federation being scored by Dave Barry. In 1967 the club won its first pieces of silverware, winning the third division, and the Rowely Cup.

In 1976, one year later than the club originally aimed for, Para Hills won promotion to South Australia's first division. Before the start of the 1977 season, the club left its base at Nelson Road to move to new facilities at The Paddocks. The club's first game in the first division was a 4-3 victory against Campbelltown Budapest on the new pitch, the winning goal scored by Harry McDonald. By the third week, the club had achieved its only two wins of the league season, narrowly avoiding relegation.

In Para Hills' fourth year in the top division, they finished runners-up, one point behind Croatia, missing out on top spot after a 1–1 draw with them in the final round. A month later, they won the Coca Cola Challenge Cup after a 3–0 win over Croatia, which was their first major silverware in the club's 17 year history.

Para Hills adopted the Knights moniker for the 1994 season.

Affiliated clubs St Mirren F.C. St Mirren and Para Hills announced a strategic partnership on 8 September 2020. The partnership allows for the exchange of players and coaching staff with a focus on development of young players and coaches. The partnership also allowed the club to recover from financial turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by attracting sponsorship.

In 2021, 18-year-old Lochlan Czapla joined St Mirren's youth setup after spending his teenage years with Para Hills.

Para Hills United SC Para Hills United was founded alongside the Para Hills Community Soccer Club as the Para Hills Junior Soccer Club, and have fielded teams in the Elizabeth & Districts Junior Soccer Association since their formation. The club became an incorporated body on 26 October 1977 and moved to The Paddocks. In 2011, the club was renamed to Para Hills United and fielded a senior side in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League for the first time in their history.

Adelaide Brasfoot Adelaide Brasfoot was founded in 2023 by members of Adelaide's Brazilian population with the support of Para Hills' board members. The club fields a senior and reserves side in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League and utilises Para Hills' home ground.

Players

Current squad

Notable former players

Honours State SA Division One Championship Runner-up (1): 1980 SA Division One Premiership Runner-up (1): 2010 SA Division Two Championship Winners (4): 1976, 1990, 2006, 2012 Runner-up (7): 1975, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2016, 2022, 2023 SA Division Two Premiership Winners (1): 1995 Runner-up (4): 2001, 2004, 2016, 2023 SA Division Three Championship Winners (1): 1967 Federation Cup Runner-up (4): 1982, 1986, 1989, 2012 Second Division Cup Winners (1): 1976 Third Division Cup Winners (1): 1967 Top Four Cup Winners (1): 1980 Runner-up (1): 1984 Night Series Winners (1): 2007

Seasons

Key to league competitions NPL: National Premier Leagues South Australia (since 2013) SL1: State League 1 South Australia (since 2016) Super: Super League (2006–2012) Premier: Premier League (first tier: 1994–2005, second tier: 2006–2012) State: State League (second tier: 1994–2005, third tier:2006–2012) Div 1: Division One (until 1993) Div 2: Division Two (until 1993) Div 3: Division Three (until 1993) SASIL: South Australian Sunday Industrial League

Key to league record Pld: Matches played W: Matches won D: Matches drawn L: Matches lost GF: Goals scored GA: Goals against GD: Goal difference Pts: Points

Key to cup record Em-dash (—): Did not participate/qualify or cup was not contested Question mark (?): Result unknown W: Winners RU: Runners-up SF: Semi-finals QF: Quarter-finals

SeasonLeagueState CupDivisional CupPre-season CupDivision (Tier)PldWDLGFGAGDPtsPosFinals1965SASIL (-)Record unknown1966Div 3 (3)1811254428+16244throwspan=26FederationR1Rowley?—1967Div 3 (3)2219128022+58391stFederationR3RowleyW—1968Div 2 (2)188463225+7203rdFederationR3JaxenSF—1969Div 2 (2)188462025–5203rdFederationR3Jaxen?—1970Div 2 (2)1881932320176thFederationR2Jaxen?—1971Div 2 (2)187563930+9194thFederationERJohn MartinsQF—1972Div 2 (2)1882826260186thFederationR1John Martins?—1973Div 2 (2)184592632–6138thWillisR1John Martins?—1974Div 2 (2)185762834–6175thWillisR2John Martins?—1975Div 2 (2)1810443018+12242ndWillisR2John Martins?—1976Div 2 (2)1812423517+18281stWillisR2John MartinsW—1977Div 1 (2)1826101939–20109thWillisQF——1978Div 1 (2)184771723–6158thFederationQF——1979Div 1 (2)185642723+4166thFederationR3——1980Div 1 (2)188733821+17232ndFederationR3Coca-ColaWAmpol8th1981Div 1 (2)187472826+2185thFederation?—Ampol6th1982Div 1 (2)188643421+10224thFederationRUCoca-ColaSFAmpol8th1983Div 1 (2)188642919+10224thP.G.H.QFCoca-ColaSFAmpol7th1984Div 1 (2)2211473325+8264thP.G.H.R2Coca-ColaRUAmpol?1985Div 1 (2)2284103538–3207thP.G.H.SF—Ampol?1986Div 1 (2)228593133–2217thP.G.H.RU—?1987Div 1 (2)229493223+9226thP.G.H.QF—?1988Div 1 (2)226882330–7208thP.G.H.QF—?1989Div 1 (2)2237121834–161311thP.G.H.RU—?1990Div 2 (3)1811432810+18261stP.G.H.QF——1991Div 1 (2)2211473831+7263rdP.G.H.QFCoca-Cola?Ampol (Mar.)?1992Div 1 (2)184951320–7177th—FederationR2—?1993Div 1 (2)185582029–91510th—FederationQF—?1994State (3)188462821+7205thPFDairy ValeR2——1995State (3)2015234221+21471stRUDairy Vale?——1996State (3)2214357030+40454thPFMutual Community?——1997State (3)2210394348–5336th—Mutual CommunityQF——1998State (3)2210393837+1336thRUMutual CommunityR2——1999Premier (2)2245132645–191711th—West EndR1——2000State (3)2211564927+22384thEFWest EndR1——2001State (3)2215345021+29482ndRUWest EndR1——2002Premier (2)2266102653–27249th—West EndR1—Night Series16th2003Premier (2)2253143147–161811th—FederationR1——2004State (3)2216065926+33482ndPFFederationR1——2005State (2)2211476439+25374thEFFederationR2——2006Premier (3)1814315619+37451strowspan=3FederationR2—Errea4th2007Super (2)187383237–5246thBest PaversR3—ErreaQFFairmont HomesW2008Super (2)188462825+3284thEFBest PaversR2—Best PointWFairmont Homes5th2009Super (2)185852528–3237th—Top CornerR2—Fairmont Homes4th2010Super (2)189542819+9322ndSFFederationQF—Pre-seasonRU2011Super (2)1834111231–19139th—Coca-ColaR1—Carlsberg20th2012Premier (3)1810443319+14341stCoca-ColaRU—Carlsberg9th2013NPL (2)26105114745+2359th—Coca-ColaQF——2014NPL (2)2692153455–21299th—Coca-ColaQF——2015NPL (2)2635183056–261414th—FederationQF——2016SL1 (3)2213453327+6432ndRUFederationR1——2017NPL (2)22110112836–8335thEFFederationQF——2018NPL (2)2281132738–11258th—FederationR1——2019NPL (2)227783134–3289th—FederationR3——2020NPL (2)2232171842–241112th————2021SL1 (3)229852117+4355thEFFederationR2——2022SL1 (3)2212463528+7404thRUFederationR1——2023SL1 (3)2213185342+11402ndRUFederationR1——2024NPL (2)226793340–72510th—FederationR2——2025NPL (2)2265113756–192310th—FederationR2——

References