LOCAL LIFE
BLACKTOWN ’ S FINEST SPORTING CLUBS by John McDonald
If you were to offer a conventional description of Blacktown City Football Club , it would go like this :
‘ It is a semi-professional football club founded in 1953 , competing in the National Premier League NSW , with its home ground at Landen Stadium in Seven Hills .’
The club was originally formed as Toongabbie Soccer Club and changed its
The great English champion , Sir Bobby Charlton finished his illustrious career with his swansong with a guest appearance with Blacktown City FC . He is displaying aloft his 1966 World Cup trophy to his adoring Manchester United fans . name to Blacktown City in 1979 . It fields teams in the men ’ s Premier League NSW ( first grade and under 20s ); Football NSW League One Women ’ s ( firsts and under20s ); Football NSW Boys ’ Youth League One ( under 13s , under 14s , under 15s , under 16s , under 18s ) and Football NSW Girls ’ Youth League Two ( under 14s , under 15s , under 16s , under 18s ).
It also participates in the Football NSW Skill Acquisition Programme ( mixed under 9s , under 10s , under 11s , under 12s ).
Yes , so far , so conventional .
Blacktown ’ s record since its Toongabbie beginnings is also that of a conventionally successful club — a record to be envied .
It has been NSW League premiers multiple times and won the double in 2007 , winning both the premiership and , despite being down to 10 men at 1 – 1 , defeating Bankstown City 3 – 1 to claim the championship . It has also won the former Waratah and Ampol Cup / Johnny Warren Cups multiple times .
The team was known as Blacktown City Demons and was owned by The Demons Sports
Club until 2009 , when the club went into liquidation . On 2 August 2017 , Blacktown City defeated Central Coast Mariners in the round of 32 of the FFA Cup , becoming the fifth state-level side in FFA Cup history to defeat A-League opposition .
Blacktown then defeated APIA Leichhardt in the round of 16 before being eliminated in the quarter finals by Western Sydney Wanderers on penalties .
This equalled their cup finish from the previous year when they lost to Sydney FC in the quarter finals .
Yes , a conventional record of a successful club that has built up from humble beginnings . However , this is where the club surpasses convention and establishes itself as one of Blacktown ’ s finest institutions .
The following former Blacktown players have either represented their nation or progressed their careers by playing or coaching in the A-League : Australia - Aaron Mooy ( 57 national caps ) - Robbie Slater ( 44 national caps ) - Darren Stewart ( 3 national caps ) - Jason van Blerk ( 33 national caps ) - Gary van Egmond ( 15 national caps , coach Newcastle Jets ) - Charlie Yankos ( 49 national caps ) - Adam Biddle ( Sydney FC , 14 games ) - Scott Jamieson ( 4 national caps ) - Zlatko Arambasic ( 1992 Olympic
Games ) - Chad Gibson ( Brisbane Roar captain ) - Tyler Simpson ( Brisbane Roar , Perth
Glory )
- Joel Chianese ( Sydney FC , Perth
Glory ) - Sean Rooney ( Newcastle Jets ) - Travis Major ( Roundglass Punjab ) - Matthew Ryan ( current Socceroo ) - Bernie Ibini ( 2 national caps ) - Adam Berry ( Central Coast
Mariners ) - Jacob Poscoliero ( Central Coast
Mariners , Perth Glory ) - Kearyn Baccus ( Melbourne City ,
Macarthur FC ) - Mitchell Mallia ( Sydney FC , Perth
Glory ) - Keanu Baccus ( Western Sydney
Wanderers )
Peru - Bruno Salas
Scotland - Brian O ’ Donnell - Lawrie McKinna ( Central Coast
Mariners manager ) England
- Bobby Charlton ( World Cup winner , 106 national caps , Manchester United )
- Kevin Keegan ( 63 national caps , England manager , various EPL clubs as player and manager )
It is an unmatched record , often associated with clubs like APIA Leichhardt or Marconi — names forever linked to their national origins where football dominates , and with the growth of the game in Australia .
Not with Blacktown , a district outsiders might assume is a rugby league heartland ! Blacktown ’ s
8 ISSUE 48 // MARCH 2025 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT