Nickname(s) Eagles, Melita Chairman Matt Kennerson Website Club home page Founded 1952 | Ground Capacity 10,000 Head Coach Franco Cosentino Home ground Melita Stadium | |
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Full name Parramatta Football Club League National Premier Leagues NSW | ||
Parramatta Football Club, commonly known as Parramatta Melita Eagles or just Melita, are an Australian soccer club based in South Granville, New South Wales. The club was established by Maltese migrants in 1956 and played several seasons in the National Soccer League winning the NSL Cup twice in 1990/1991 and 1993/1994 and later the New South Wales Premier League which the club has won in various forms on six occasions 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2001/2002. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW.
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History
The Eagles were formed in 1956 as the Melita Eagles by Maltese Immigrants after the amalgamation of 2 Maltese clubs, the Malta Eagles and the Melita Soccer Club. In 1962 they changed their name to Melita Eagles-Newtown.
Melita Eagles have their origins in the Maltese community and stretch back to the formation of the original NSW Federation of Soccer Clubs in 1957. Along with higher profile clubs like Prague, Hakoah, APIA Leichhardt, St George, Pan-Hellenic and others they were part of the original breakaway movement which was the death of the old NSW Soccer Football Association in January 1957.
Due to various levels of mismanagement at the club it was demoted at the end of 2006. With backing from NSW Police Citizens Youth Club it evolved into PCYC Parramatta Eagles, competing in the New South Wales Winter Super League and Super Youth League from the 2007 season.
The club played in the NSW Super League until and including 2010, when it was sold to the Granville & Districts Soccer Football Association (GDSFA). After several years of rebuilding, the First Grade team finished as 2010 Premiers and, as a result, the club became eligible for promotion to Premier League, an opportunity that was too good to let slip. The 2011 season was played under the slightly changed name, Parramatta FC (nickname the Eagles).
Even though the Parramatta FC First Grade team finished at the bottom of the NSW Premier League ladder in 2011, strong performances by the Under 20 and Under 18 teams ensured that the club remained eligible to play Premier League for 2012. As an Association-owned 'State League' club, a clear pathway for the 13,000 GDSFA players was established.