Manly United FC

Origins

A Dutch club called Neerlandia competed in the 1959 Sydney Federation Division Two, won the premiership and gained entry into the Sydney Federation Division One for 1960.

The club changed its named to Manly Warringah from 1960 until it merged with North Shore United in 1991. North Shore United itself was a merger of two clubs Ku-Ring-Gai and North Sydney-Artarmon. This merger took place for the 1989 season. The Manly-North Shore United merger dissolved after the 1991 NSW Division One season, with Manly merging with Warringah Freshwater. North Shore United would continue to send representative teams to tournaments as Ku-Ring-Gai Districts.

Warringah Narrabeen (and from 1986 Warringah Freshwater) was a club that had competed throughout the 1980s in Division Two, even winning the title in 1983. About 1986 Hilton Silva, a Brazilian who turned socceroo, played for the side towards the end of his career.

Development

The merger of Manly-North Shore United and Warringah Freshwater created the Manly Warringah Dolphins at the close of the 1991 NSW Division 1 season for the start of the upcoming NSW Super League season. The club changed its name to Manly United in 2004 following the promotion into the NSW Premier League and takeover of the club by the Manly Warringah Football Association. They have competed there since 2004–05 when they were elevated after winning the Super League Division. Manly United is considered an important side in the NSWPL, as it is based on a geographical area, rather than founded by a single ethnic group like some other ex-NSL clubs.

The original Logo of the renamed Manly United Football Club in 2004 was a collective of an Osprey sea bird, a Football & a Dolphin joined as one, these three icons represent the local MWFA Association (Osprey), a Football & Manly Warringah Dolphins (Dolphin). The Club again changed its logo in 2016 to reflect the evolution of Manly United Football Club and its ownership and association with Manly Warringah Football Association.

The club is the representative arm of the Manly Warringah Football Association (MWFA), the second largest community Football Association in Australia.

Divisional History

1992–1996: Super League (NSW Tier 1)

1997–1999: Division One (NSW Tier 2)

2000: Super League (NSW Tier 1)

2001–2004: Winter Super League (NSW Tier 2)

2004–2012: NSW Premier League (NSW Tier 1)

2013–present: National Premier Leagues NSW (NSW Tier 1)

Lucas Neill Scholarship

Since 2006 ex-Manly junior Lucas Neill helped provide opportunities for up and coming footballers from his junior club. Each year the scholarship was awarded to a different young player from Manly to trial in Europe.

Due to a number of factors including difficulty getting clubs in Europe to provide the opportunity for the players, the scheme was discontinued as Lucas and his advisors looked for a different way to reward the junior players from his junior club.

In 2014 the scholarship was re-branded the Lucas Neill Medal and was extended to include ALL junior members of the club, it was determined that there should be two medals awarded each year, in recognition of the advancements in ladies football. The medal is made from Sterling silver and is laser engraved on the front with a photograph of Lucas when he first became captain of Australia in 2007.

Current squad

As of 4 September 2016

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Honours

National Premier Leagues NSW

Premiers (1): 1995 Runners-Up (1): 1992 Men's Club Champions : 2016

National Premier Leagues NSW Grand Finals

Champions (1): 1995 Runners-Up (0):

National Premier Leagues NSW 2

Premiers (1): 2004 Runners-Up (1): 2002

National Premier Leagues NSW 2 Grand Finals

Champions (1): 2001 Runners-Up (2): 1994, 2004

Waratah Cup:

Champions (1): 2011
Runners-up (3): 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016