Falcons 2000 Soccer Club (formerly Morwell Falcons, Gippsland Falcons and Eastern Pride) is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in the regional Victorian city of Morwell in Latrobe Valley, Gippsland. The club currently participates in the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, currently rated as a Tier 9 league.
As Morwell Falcons, the club achieved the rare feat of promotion to Tier 1 status in the Australian National Soccer League from what is described now as the Tier 9 Latrobe Valley Soccer League, via promotions in the Australian Association Football pyramid between 1973 and 1992 when promotion to the highest tier was available.
Origins Originally Founded in 1961 by the local Latrobe Valley Italian-Indigenous Community. Known as Morwell Falcons starting 1964 due to a sponsorship arrangement with Ford Motor Company. The club participated in the Latrobe Valley Soccer League between 1961 and 1973. Then the Victorian State League Football System at all levels between 1974 and 1992. Morwell Falcons were admitted to the National Soccer League in 1992-93 where it competed until folding after relegation in 2000–01. It was re-established as Falcons 2000 SC Inc in 2001. Since its inception the club has played under multiple names. Including Morwell Falcons, then Gippsland Falcons SC, before folding under the name Eastern Pride in 2001. The club bears its present name Falcons 2000 after its financial re-establishment
The Falcons were one of the most successful clubs in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Gippsland is all of South-East Victoria and some surrounding areas, approximately the same size as Switzerland. Morwell Falcons were Champions of the Victorian State League on two occasions, winning the State League Championship and League Finals Cup double in 1984 and 1989, and the Statewide Dockerty Cup in 1994.
Morwell Falcons were the only club based in regional Victoria to have participated at National Soccer League level before the NSL disbanded in 2003–04. The NSL was replaced with the A-League Men in 2005–06, making the new Tier 1 exclusively for licensed teams only, with no promotion and relegation.
Morwell Falcons major difficulty was the location of Latrobe City Stadium at Crinigan Road, Morwell. The stadium itself was too far distant from Morwell Train Station for any serious attendance by public transport users who would have walked to the stadium from the train station. The club attracted competitive and sustainable attendances relatively speaking compared to other clubs, and had a large local following when in the National Soccer League via people watching the Australian National television coverage, including highlights and live games, on SBS. The club was also featured in the sports sections of the local newspapers. That included the Latrobe Valley Express, delivered free to every household in the Latrobe City Council area (where applicable).
From the Bottom Tier of the Victorian State League to the National Soccer League Morwell entered the Victorian State League System in Tier 7 in 1974, after winning the Latrobe Valley Soccer League Championship for the second time in 3 years.
Victorian Provisional League The Falcons were an instant success in the 7th Tier Victorian Provisional League, winning two consecutive Championships in 1974 and 1975, making it 4 championships in 5 seasons. The team was finally promoted to the Tier 6 Victorian Metropolitan Soccer League Division 4 after a runner-up finish in its third season in the Victorian Provisional League in 1976. 1974 Victorian Provisional League Table (Tier 7) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Morwell Falcons (C) 22 15 3 4 60 27 33 33 Champions 2 Geelong 22 14 4 4 62 28 34 32 3 Fawkner 22 14 4 4 62 28 34 32 4 Werribee 22 15 2 5 46 29 17 32
1975 Victorian Provisional League Table (Tier 7) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Morwell Falcons (C) 22 16 4 2 71 19 52 36 Champions 2 Fawkner 22 17 2 3 70 37 33 36 3 Geelong 22 12 5 5 50 36 14 29 4 Werribee 22 10 4 8 48 29 19 24
1976 Victorian Provisional League Table (Tier 7) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Geelong (C) 22 13 6 3 69 24 45 32 Champions 2 Morwell Falcons (P) 22 14 3 5 80 31 49 31 Promoted3 Fawkner 22 14 3 5 45 23 22 31 4 Frankston 22 11 8 3 56 35 21 30
Victorian Metropolitan Leagues Morwell Falcons were promoted in the Victorian State League part of the "Pyramid" 5 times in 6 years between 1976 and 1981. The Falcons first 4 seasons (of 5) in the Victorian Metropolitan Football League system produced a worst season finish of 3rd. The Falcons progressed from the Tier 6 Victorian Metropolitan Football League Division 4, to the Tier 3 Victorian Metropolitan Football League Division 1, via 3 Runners-Up promotions in 4 seasons. 1977 Victorian Metropolitan League Division 4 (Tier 6) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Doncaster (C) 22 18 3 1 59 20 39 39 Champions 2 Morwell Falcons (P) 22 17 0 5 67 22 45 34 Promoted3 Sandringham 22 14 2 6 52 33 19 30 4 Clayton 22 9 6 7 41 35 6 24
1979 Victorian Metropolitan League Division 3 (Tier 5) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Park Rangers (C) 22 17 3 2 63 22 41 37 Champions 2 Morwell Falcons (P) 22 15 3 4 51 20 31 33 Promoted3 Fawkner 22 12 4 6 46 27 19 28 4 Cloburg 22 9 6 7 42 39 3 24
1980 Victorian Metropolitan League Division 2 (Tier 4) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Park Rangers (C) 22 16 4 2 43 15 28 36 Champions 2 Morwell Falcons (P) 22 15 3 4 58 24 34 33 Promoted3 Knox City 22 9 7 6 31 29 2 25 4 Heidelberg United 22 8 6 8 34 30 4 22
1981 was the Falcons only season competing in the Victorian Metropolitan Football League Division 1. The team finished 9th, but was promoted to the Tier 2 Victorian State League regardless, due to a restructuring of the league system.
Between 1971 and 1980 the Morwell Falcons finished no lower than 3rd in 10 consecutive seasons in 5 divisions. Results included 9 seasons in the top 2, 4 Championships, and 5 Runners-Up finishes (4 resulting in promotion). It included 3 Championships in a row in 1973-74-75. The team achieved promotion to the next Tier 5 times in 8 season during this period.
Victorian State League 1982 to 1992
The team fared well in its first season at Tier 2 State League level, finishing a very creditable 4th in the League Championship in 1982. The Falcons went on to finish Runner-Up in the State League Finals Cup in its first season in Tier 2, losing to Green Gully in the Final.
In its 3rd season in 1984 the Falcons won the League Championship and League (Finals) Cup Double, the teams first State League Championship. It was the first time a Latrobe Valley-Gippsland based team had won the State League Championship since Yallourn in 1951. Jim Maclean won the Rothman's Medal for Victorian State League Player of the Year. See the only goal in the State League (Finals) Cup Final. See the presentation to Morwell Falcons.
The Falcons were offered the opportunity to apply to join the Tier 1 National Soccer League, but declined the offer. If Morwell Falcons had entered the NSL for the 1984–85 season, it would have been from "Non-League" (now Tier 9) Latrobe Valley Soccer League to Tier 1 National Soccer League via 7 promotions in 12 seasons.
1984 Victorian State League (Tier 2) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Morwell Falcons (C) (F) 26 16 8 2 49 15 34 40 Champions, Finals Cup Winners3 Maribyrnong 26 15 7 4 64 37 27 37 3 Fawkner 26 15 6 5 61 35 26 36 4 Box Hill 26 11 9 6 44 32 12 31
In 1985 the Falcons achieved a Runners-Up finish in both the League Championship and State League (Finals) Cup, following on from the double the previous season. The Falcons qualified for a 3rd State League (Finals) Cup Final in 4 years in 1985. Morwell repeated the successes of 1984 in 1989, again winning the Championship and League (Finals) Cup double. See an image of the president and manager with the Victorian State League (Finals) Cup Trophy here.
1989 Victorian State League (Tier 2) Pos Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts Result1 Morwell Falcons (C) (F) 30 18 9 3 61 23 38 45 Champions, Finals Cup Winners3 Brunswick Juventus 30 18 8 4 52 20 32 44 3 Croydon City 30 18 5 7 47 17 30 41 4 St Albans 30 15 9 6 41 23 18 39
In 1991 the Falcons finished the newly renamed Victorian Premier League Season in 3rd. When APIA Leichhardt were relegated back to New South Wales State League at the end of the 1991-92 NSL Season due to financial difficulties, the Falcons were offered promotion to the Tier 1 National Soccer League, and accepted. Morwell Falcons finished 8th in the clubs last season in the Tier 2 Victorian State League Winter season in 1992, and moved directly into the 1992-93 NSL Summer Season.
The promotion to the Tier 1 National Soccer League completed a 20-year rise from the Latrobe Valley Soccer League through Tiers 7 to 2 of the Victorian State League, and final promotion to Tier 1, the NSL. Morwell Falcons were in the Tier 2 Victorian State League top division for 11 seasons.
National Soccer League
Morwell Falcons were admitted to the then National Soccer League for the 1992–93 season, the 4th NSL season with a Summer schedule. It meant that the Falcons had to complete the 26-game 1992 Victorian State League season, then move into the 26-game Summer NSL Season in the same year, after a break of just over 6 weeks. Morwell Falcons last game in the Victorian Premier League was in Round 26 on Sunday August 23, 1992. The Falcons drew 1–1 with Brunswick Juventus in Morwell.
National Soccer League Inaugural Game: Round 1 1992-93 Season
NSL Round 1
The tired looking Falcons finishing 12th in the inaugural season in Tier 1.
What followed was a disappointing listed finish of 7th in 1993–94. Morwell missed out on Final 6 qualification via a series of bizarre refereeing decisions, which resulted in the Falcons finishing 7th and missing the playoffs. The new Di Fabrizio stand on the outer side of Falcons Park was opened before the Round 18 home game against South Melbourne. See a short television news feature on the stand opening here. The game drew a record crowd of well over 4 times the number of seats available at the venue of 8,256. Morwell's season finished with 3 wins in a row, including a 3–2 away win against Marconi Fairfield in Sydney who qualified for the playoffs in 4th, and a 4–3 away win over 1st placed Melbourne Knights at Somers St Stadium, Melbourne. Morwell had the 7th highest average home attendance (of 14 teams) in the league.
Morwell went on to win the statewide Dockerty Cup in 1994 with a win over Melbourne Zebras in the final 2–1. Morwell Falcons became the first Gippsland based team to win the Dockerty Cup since Wonthaggi Magpies in 1931. The Dockerty Cup was open to all teams based in the state of Victoria. As an NSL team the Falcons entered the competition in the Quarter Final stage and had wins over Frankston Pines, South Melbourne, and Melbourne Zebras to win the tournament.
1994 Dockerty Cup
Quarter Final
Semi Final
Final
Morwell Falcons: Jason Dastey, Gary Upton, Claudio Canosa, Steve Douglas, Shaun Parton, Marcus Stergiopoulos, Sonny Sevin, John Waddell, Brian Bothwell, Carlo Villani, Lachlan Armstrong. Coach: Bobby McLachlan
Finals 1994-95