Nickname(s) Comets Chairman Jim Tsouvalas Home ground SA Athletics Stadium | Ground Capacity 9,000 Manager Theo Tsounis Founded 1994 | |
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Full name Adelaide Comets Football Club 2013 NPL South Australia, 12th Leagues FFSA Super League, National Premier Leagues South Australia Profiles | ||
The Adelaide Comets FC are a soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club competes in the National Premier Leagues South Australia. They are based in Adelaide's western suburb of Mile End and play home games at Santos Stadium.
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History
The Adelaide Comets Football Club was formed in 1994 and were known as the Adelaide Raiders Soccer Club who competed in the SAASL (South Australian Amateur Soccer League). To avoid confusion with another local soccer club which plays under the name of "Raiders", the playing name was changed to Adelaide Comets in 2001 when the club first fielded junior teams.
As Adelaide Raiders, the club won the South Australia Amateur Soccer League SAASL Saturday Division 2 Championship in its inaugural year and gained promotion to the SAASL Saturday Division 1 competition. In 1997, they established themselves as the states premier Amateur League side becoming Champions in Saturday's Division 1 Competition. In 2001, the club registered 5 teams in the South Australian Soccer Federation's (SASF) Junior Premier League.
Achieving this goal was the catalyst for the club changing its name to Adelaide Comets, to avoid confusion with Adelaide Raiders (Formerly Adelaide Croatia Raiders). During this time, the clubs senior team continued to enjoy success in the SAASL winning consecutive Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. This ongoing success at the highest level of amateur competition generated the push for a move to a higher league for the Adelaide Comets. The club made several attempts over a number of years to find a place for itself within the SASF competition with no success.
Finally, with the implementation of a new governing body for the sport in South Australia, Adelaide Comets entered the newly formed State League in 2006 under the banner of the Football Federation South Australia (FFSA).
The club now boasts one of the largest junior based clubs in South Australia with 370 junior players, along with three SAASL Amateur men's teams, FFSA Open Age Women's and a respected seniors squad who after gaining promotion through the FFSA State and Premier League competitions now competes in the states top division of football, The FFSA Super League. Thus totalling an impressive number of nearly 500 registered players across the club.
Promotion
In 2005 the club had been introduced into the newly formed FFSA State League moving on from the SAASL into the FFSA. Year 2007 saw The Comets gain promotion to the FFSA Premier League the second tier of South Australian football, after winning the State League Title within two seasons. Remarkably in 2008 The Comets were heading for promotion to the Super League but by only winning 1 out of their last 7 games they finished the season 3rd. In just their first season in the Premier League after coming to close to making the states first division, The Comets set their sights on becoming a Super League side. The Comets had a slow start to the year in 2009 but ended up finishing 4th by winning their last 7 out of 8 games and qualified into the top 5 finals competition. They then beat Croydon Kings 2–1 in the elimination final, only to lose against Cumberland United. The following year in 2010 would see the side yet again narrowly miss promotion after a defeat to Croydon in a winner gets promoted thriller.
In 2011 after years of coming agonizingly close The Comets had secured promotion after a stunning come from behind 2–1 victory over contenders Enfield City Falcons on the last day of regular season at Rushworth Reserve, clinching the Premier League Title. Lifting the club for its first time into the highest state-level association football competition, The FFSA Super League.
Club honours
2012 FFSA Carlsberg Cup Champions
2011 South Australian Premier League Title, Under-19's Premier League Finals Champions
2007 South Australian State League Champions, Reserves State League Champions
2003 South Australian Amateur League Division 1, Champions
2002 South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Champions & South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Reserves Champions
2001 South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Champions & South Australian Women's Soccer Association Division 4 Champions
1998 Veterans, Division 2 Champions
1997 South Australian Amateur League Division 1 Champions
1994 South Australian Amateur League Division 2 Champions