History
Prouille Football Club was established in 1965, and affiliated with KDSA that year. The purpose of the club was to provide junior soccer for the the students of Prouille School- based in Wahroonga, Sydney. Not much is known or recorded about the first 25 years of the club, outside of KDSA records- so if you wish to provide some information - please email prouille.footballclub@gmail.com
1994-2000
President George Zoratto
In this period the club developed from being a small school club, to a progressive well financed club. George was a football enthusiast- who focussed on coaching and improving playing standards. At the same time with the Support of Sony Music - new uniforms and equipment were purchased. A stable committee led to the club being incorporated in 1995, led by Treasurer Mary Schneider (deceased).
In 1997 Club secretary Chris Goldrick established a Prouille O35 team- that was based mainly on school fathers. Despite losing their first few games- the team "Prouille City" went on to win the Div 2 Grand Final beating North Sydney with a winning goal from Phil Thomson.
The spirit at the Club was very good with some excellent dinner dances, and a hard working team that produced the weekly Newsletter "Soccer Shots"- which was eagerly anticipated by parents and kids alike.
Later in this period the uniform was changed- from the famous "flame shirts and brown shorts" to a smart yellow and black ensemble. A Second O35 team "United" was formed in '98, followed by a third team "Celtic" in '99. The club has put out 3 O35+ teams ever since.
2001
President Peter Von Sperl
2001 saw Prouille take out the KDSA "Club Championship" - a massive achievement. A number of bigger clubs in the area were not happy ! The reason we won was due to some excellent junior results, and Prouille City and Prouille Celtic winning their Premierships in O35s.
2002-2004
President Gavin Andrew
The Club continued to flourish with the club led by the Andrew family, and such stalwarts as Carl David, the Klingbergs and the Fone Family. More Premierships were won - and some great social functions - led by BBQ king Keith Fone took place. Soccer Shots continued to be edited and distributed, mainly due to the work of John Klingberg and Jane Andrew.
2005-2008
President Chris Goldrick
Chris returned to the club Committee after a number of years serving on the KDSA All Age Committee. In this period All Age football continued to grow. A Prouille O30s Womens team was established by Pauline Luttrell mainly Prouille mums .With inspirational coaching from Ali Reza Ehsani - the womens team made the semis 3 years running. At the same time some men who had played as juniors for Prouille put together an AA team- that also performed well. This team was led by Chris David.
In the digitized era producing a weekly newsletter got harder - so "Soccer Shots" was replaced by a club website- including an on- line rego system initiated by Club Registrar Silvio Sella. New black and Gold uniforms were purchased with support from Hunter Hyundai (Alan Crouch), Northpoint Motorbody Repairs (Craig Willis), and Krslovic Homes (Robert Krslovic). The latest Premiership was won in 2007 by the U10s coached by Greg Wade.
The O35s were joined by an O45 team in 2008- led by Reza and the legendary John Kassis. John continued to entertain everyone with his "United Review" at every season ending dinner.
In juniors, changes in the Australian football landscape following the 2006 world Cup- led to the FFA, A League and locally leadership changes at the KDSA. Notably Small Sided Games were introduced, progressively through the age groups from 2008 onwards.
2009-2015
President Michael Trinder
Michael Trinder has now become the second longest serving President after George Zoratto. We don't know much about before George's time Reluctant at first, Michael put his success down to his "delegating' skills. There are too many to mention by name- but recognition must go to Silvio Sella (Registrar), Stephanie Recchia (Secretary), Anthony Ryan (Treasurer), Steve Szafranek (Club Coach) for their great work (and many others) Sponsors were critical to the growth and support of the club- so in addition to Northpoint (Craig Willis) the support of Alto was much welcome. In the last few years number of players increased- with a girls U12 team, continued success for the Womens O35 team and Mens football entering its 18th year. There is a chance of an AA team playing under Prouille colours for the second time in club history. 2014 is another world cup year- with Australia qualified- and another year of progress for Prouille FC.
2016-2017
President Piers Graham
After 2 years as VP, Piers Graham stepped up to take off where Michael Trinder left. With the committee of Eddie Lee (VP), Katrina Nicholson (Secretary), Pat Burton (Registrar), Silvio Sella (gear Steward) and Mark Floresta (Treasurer), Piers wasted no time in promoting the club and game within the community. Within 1 year we saw our Men’s team grow to unprecedented 4 teams. Plus, the women’s team made the count 5 adult teams in the NSFA. Whilst bigger clubs struggled to retain numbers Prouille remained a club with strength and depth. Taking out the Men’s 045’s 2nd division competition in 2016. The Junior teams enjoyed fantastic seasons thanks to the continuing support of Alto Motor Group, Northpoint body smash repairs and That Barber shop in Wahroonga. Along with our ongoing sponsorship and new fund-raising initiatives, the club kept building funds remaining in a robust financial position. Sadly, early in 2017 we lost a valued member of the Prouille coaching staff. This led to the introduction of the Brent Kelly memorial shield, that began recognising the clubs best and fairest junior player in Brent’s memory. With NSFA, becoming ever more professional in its approach and 2019 being a world cup year Prouille is set for exciting times ahead.
2018-Present
President Eddy Lee
Taking the baton from Piers, Eddy Lee assumed the presidency in the early days of December 2017. A combination of old and new faces emerged in the 2018 Executive Committee: Alex Gibbs (Vice President), Penny Webb (Secretary), Katharina Nicholson (Registrar) and Mark Floresta (Treasurer). With new initiatives and media savvy prowness, Eddy and team continue the Prouille FC grand tradition and march on...
In 2018, Prouille FC had a solid season. The stand out performance came from the U13Bs, who were runners up in their final’s series. This followed a strong fourth finish in the regular competition. The AA women’s team battled hard all season and were delighted to secure one win. The O35 men’s teams secured solid mid table positions. Playing in O45 Division 2 was a battle for the “oldies” with both teams working hard for results in a strong division. The O45 first team were another to be delighted when they got their one win of the season. All in all, the club had 186 registered players and put out 15 teams in 2018.
The club was certainly on the move results wise in 2019. It was sad to see the WAA team fold after valiant efforts by the players and the coaching team of Michael Trinder followed by Steve Darwell. In Junior football the U12As and U16As put in strong performances in the Super League. The U12As were also runners up in the final’s series. In Men’s football both O35 teams put in solid mid table performances. The O45s had moved to Division 3. First grade became Premiers, and the “Golden Oldies” were third in their division, and secured a grand final game—a draw- but unfortunately lost the penalty shoot-out- exciting. With the loss of the women’s team 171 players registered across 14 teams.
Eddy and the team continued their strong leadership in the first season to be affected by the Covid outbreak. The 2020 season was delayed and shortened, but it ran successfully from July to October. The really exciting news was that Women’s football was back with the return of an O35s team. They did well with a couple of wins, plenty of draws and a solid mid table finish. In Junior football the U13As and U15A’s both finished third in their very competitive divisions. There was no finals football due to the shortened season. In Men’s football the O35s had a stellar season, with Prouille Premiers in Division 5 and runners up by a point in Division 6. Player numbers were on the rise with 200 registered players across 15 teams. Given, at one point, it was possible the whole season could have been cancelled, the 2020 season was a big success. This was reflected at the end of season Awards presentation. This included the continuation of the Brent Kelly and Charlie Deguara awards. In addition, Chris Goldrick was made the inaugural Prouille FC “Life Member” for his continuous involvement and contribution to the club since 1994. Chris very much appreciated receipt of this award.
After the disrupted season 2020 - season 2021 kicked off on schedule with high expectations. Registrations numbers for the club were up 11% with 224 registered players across 16 teams.
Unfortunately the season was abandoned in June due to Covid.
A number of Prouille FC teams were having very strong seasons. The quality U16s were running second in the Super League, with a game in hand on the leaders, a great effort in the premier division in that age group. In the womens O35/4, Prouille were in top place, playing some great football and attracting a large supporter group to every game. The focussed Men's O35/5 were also top of their division, undefeated all season.
At the end of the year the club gathered for a very enjoyable presentation day, with everyone looking forward to a successful and hopefully undisrupted 2022 season.
Prouille FC Season 2022
Following the pandemic, Season 2022 was characterised by- Rain! Despite this, games were completed and great performances for Prouille FC were achieved.
With the continued leadership of Eddy Lee, supported by an outstanding committee, the club continued to prosper. A record 253 players were registered with the club in 2022 – a fantastic achievement. This led to the club receiving the NSFA “Retention” Award- in recognition of this.
On the field, the biggest achievement (and arguably the biggest in the history of the club) saw the Prouille FC U17s win Football NSW “Champion of Champions”. During the season this talented group played in the U18 “Super League”, finishing a creditable 2 nd . However, because of their young age – they qualified to play U17’s in the “Champion of Champions”. In a memorable final at ValentinesPark – a Golden Goal winner saw our team take out the title.
In Men’s O35/4- Prouille FC won their title in a competitive division. Our other teams all had good seasons. In juniors our G06 and 07 teams were in a new competition, that continued the growth of girl’s football. Little did we know what was coming in 2023 – with the “Matildas Effect” In November 2022- the O35s/O45s celebrated 25 years of Prouille senior Football with a dinner at Gordon Golf Club. This coincided with a World Cup fixture between Australia and Tunisia- that was screened – and we won! At the dinner Andrew McCallum was deservedly awarded “Life Membership” for Prouille FC. This follows the award of the first life membership to Chris Goldrick in 2020. Andrew has been a club stalwart- and was a foundation O35s player in 1997. Since then, he has not missed a season and continues to play for Prouille O45s. He has played, coached, reffed, lead training- year in year out with unfailing enthusiasm. Well-deserved recognition.
Prouille FC Season 2023
Season 2023 was the first uninterrupted season for four years! Everyone appreciated that.. Eddy Lee continued as President supported by an excellent Committee- plus Coordinators, volunteers and sponsors. Prouille joined a number of NSFA initiatives- including XLR8, providing skill development for young players, with official coaches. As the season progressed, the Women’s world cup took place in OZ/NZ and Prouille players were able to get involved as ball girls and boys. The competition, and the mesmerising impact of the Matildas massively raised the interest in girls/women’s football, and football generally. Prouille was no exception- with significant growth in female participation. The Women’s O35s- Puma’s exemplified all of this. They had a strong season-and ending up playing a grand final at Parklands. A large and loud crowd came to provide support. There was no win – but a great day was had by all.
Other teams also fared well- The U12 (mixed) Pythons came second in their division and the O35 men’s second in Division 3. At the end of season NSFA awards the club secured the district “Retention” Award with 250 players. The real highlight was the NSFA “President’s” award presented to Gemma Comanos. This was in recognition of Gemma’s contribution to Prouille FC, and also across the NSFA. A more enthusiastic person you could not find! Well Done..
1994-2000
President George Zoratto
In this period the club developed from being a small school club, to a progressive well financed club. George was a football enthusiast- who focussed on coaching and improving playing standards. At the same time with the Support of Sony Music - new uniforms and equipment were purchased. A stable committee led to the club being incorporated in 1995, led by Treasurer Mary Schneider (deceased).
In 1997 Club secretary Chris Goldrick established a Prouille O35 team- that was based mainly on school fathers. Despite losing their first few games- the team "Prouille City" went on to win the Div 2 Grand Final beating North Sydney with a winning goal from Phil Thomson.
The spirit at the Club was very good with some excellent dinner dances, and a hard working team that produced the weekly Newsletter "Soccer Shots"- which was eagerly anticipated by parents and kids alike.
Later in this period the uniform was changed- from the famous "flame shirts and brown shorts" to a smart yellow and black ensemble. A Second O35 team "United" was formed in '98, followed by a third team "Celtic" in '99. The club has put out 3 O35+ teams ever since.
2001
President Peter Von Sperl
2001 saw Prouille take out the KDSA "Club Championship" - a massive achievement. A number of bigger clubs in the area were not happy ! The reason we won was due to some excellent junior results, and Prouille City and Prouille Celtic winning their Premierships in O35s.
2002-2004
President Gavin Andrew
The Club continued to flourish with the club led by the Andrew family, and such stalwarts as Carl David, the Klingbergs and the Fone Family. More Premierships were won - and some great social functions - led by BBQ king Keith Fone took place. Soccer Shots continued to be edited and distributed, mainly due to the work of John Klingberg and Jane Andrew.
2005-2008
President Chris Goldrick
Chris returned to the club Committee after a number of years serving on the KDSA All Age Committee. In this period All Age football continued to grow. A Prouille O30s Womens team was established by Pauline Luttrell mainly Prouille mums .With inspirational coaching from Ali Reza Ehsani - the womens team made the semis 3 years running. At the same time some men who had played as juniors for Prouille put together an AA team- that also performed well. This team was led by Chris David.
In the digitized era producing a weekly newsletter got harder - so "Soccer Shots" was replaced by a club website- including an on- line rego system initiated by Club Registrar Silvio Sella. New black and Gold uniforms were purchased with support from Hunter Hyundai (Alan Crouch), Northpoint Motorbody Repairs (Craig Willis), and Krslovic Homes (Robert Krslovic). The latest Premiership was won in 2007 by the U10s coached by Greg Wade.
The O35s were joined by an O45 team in 2008- led by Reza and the legendary John Kassis. John continued to entertain everyone with his "United Review" at every season ending dinner.
In juniors, changes in the Australian football landscape following the 2006 world Cup- led to the FFA, A League and locally leadership changes at the KDSA. Notably Small Sided Games were introduced, progressively through the age groups from 2008 onwards.
2009-2015
President Michael Trinder
Michael Trinder has now become the second longest serving President after George Zoratto. We don't know much about before George's time Reluctant at first, Michael put his success down to his "delegating' skills. There are too many to mention by name- but recognition must go to Silvio Sella (Registrar), Stephanie Recchia (Secretary), Anthony Ryan (Treasurer), Steve Szafranek (Club Coach) for their great work (and many others) Sponsors were critical to the growth and support of the club- so in addition to Northpoint (Craig Willis) the support of Alto was much welcome. In the last few years number of players increased- with a girls U12 team, continued success for the Womens O35 team and Mens football entering its 18th year. There is a chance of an AA team playing under Prouille colours for the second time in club history. 2014 is another world cup year- with Australia qualified- and another year of progress for Prouille FC.
2016-2017
President Piers Graham
After 2 years as VP, Piers Graham stepped up to take off where Michael Trinder left. With the committee of Eddie Lee (VP), Katrina Nicholson (Secretary), Pat Burton (Registrar), Silvio Sella (gear Steward) and Mark Floresta (Treasurer), Piers wasted no time in promoting the club and game within the community. Within 1 year we saw our Men’s team grow to unprecedented 4 teams. Plus, the women’s team made the count 5 adult teams in the NSFA. Whilst bigger clubs struggled to retain numbers Prouille remained a club with strength and depth. Taking out the Men’s 045’s 2nd division competition in 2016. The Junior teams enjoyed fantastic seasons thanks to the continuing support of Alto Motor Group, Northpoint body smash repairs and That Barber shop in Wahroonga. Along with our ongoing sponsorship and new fund-raising initiatives, the club kept building funds remaining in a robust financial position. Sadly, early in 2017 we lost a valued member of the Prouille coaching staff. This led to the introduction of the Brent Kelly memorial shield, that began recognising the clubs best and fairest junior player in Brent’s memory. With NSFA, becoming ever more professional in its approach and 2019 being a world cup year Prouille is set for exciting times ahead.
2018-Present
President Eddy Lee
Taking the baton from Piers, Eddy Lee assumed the presidency in the early days of December 2017. A combination of old and new faces emerged in the 2018 Executive Committee: Alex Gibbs (Vice President), Penny Webb (Secretary), Katharina Nicholson (Registrar) and Mark Floresta (Treasurer). With new initiatives and media savvy prowness, Eddy and team continue the Prouille FC grand tradition and march on...
In 2018, Prouille FC had a solid season. The stand out performance came from the U13Bs, who were runners up in their final’s series. This followed a strong fourth finish in the regular competition. The AA women’s team battled hard all season and were delighted to secure one win. The O35 men’s teams secured solid mid table positions. Playing in O45 Division 2 was a battle for the “oldies” with both teams working hard for results in a strong division. The O45 first team were another to be delighted when they got their one win of the season. All in all, the club had 186 registered players and put out 15 teams in 2018.
The club was certainly on the move results wise in 2019. It was sad to see the WAA team fold after valiant efforts by the players and the coaching team of Michael Trinder followed by Steve Darwell. In Junior football the U12As and U16As put in strong performances in the Super League. The U12As were also runners up in the final’s series. In Men’s football both O35 teams put in solid mid table performances. The O45s had moved to Division 3. First grade became Premiers, and the “Golden Oldies” were third in their division, and secured a grand final game—a draw- but unfortunately lost the penalty shoot-out- exciting. With the loss of the women’s team 171 players registered across 14 teams.
Eddy and the team continued their strong leadership in the first season to be affected by the Covid outbreak. The 2020 season was delayed and shortened, but it ran successfully from July to October. The really exciting news was that Women’s football was back with the return of an O35s team. They did well with a couple of wins, plenty of draws and a solid mid table finish. In Junior football the U13As and U15A’s both finished third in their very competitive divisions. There was no finals football due to the shortened season. In Men’s football the O35s had a stellar season, with Prouille Premiers in Division 5 and runners up by a point in Division 6. Player numbers were on the rise with 200 registered players across 15 teams. Given, at one point, it was possible the whole season could have been cancelled, the 2020 season was a big success. This was reflected at the end of season Awards presentation. This included the continuation of the Brent Kelly and Charlie Deguara awards. In addition, Chris Goldrick was made the inaugural Prouille FC “Life Member” for his continuous involvement and contribution to the club since 1994. Chris very much appreciated receipt of this award.
After the disrupted season 2020 - season 2021 kicked off on schedule with high expectations. Registrations numbers for the club were up 11% with 224 registered players across 16 teams.
Unfortunately the season was abandoned in June due to Covid.
A number of Prouille FC teams were having very strong seasons. The quality U16s were running second in the Super League, with a game in hand on the leaders, a great effort in the premier division in that age group. In the womens O35/4, Prouille were in top place, playing some great football and attracting a large supporter group to every game. The focussed Men's O35/5 were also top of their division, undefeated all season.
At the end of the year the club gathered for a very enjoyable presentation day, with everyone looking forward to a successful and hopefully undisrupted 2022 season.
Prouille FC Season 2022
Following the pandemic, Season 2022 was characterised by- Rain! Despite this, games were completed and great performances for Prouille FC were achieved.
With the continued leadership of Eddy Lee, supported by an outstanding committee, the club continued to prosper. A record 253 players were registered with the club in 2022 – a fantastic achievement. This led to the club receiving the NSFA “Retention” Award- in recognition of this.
On the field, the biggest achievement (and arguably the biggest in the history of the club) saw the Prouille FC U17s win Football NSW “Champion of Champions”. During the season this talented group played in the U18 “Super League”, finishing a creditable 2 nd . However, because of their young age – they qualified to play U17’s in the “Champion of Champions”. In a memorable final at ValentinesPark – a Golden Goal winner saw our team take out the title.
In Men’s O35/4- Prouille FC won their title in a competitive division. Our other teams all had good seasons. In juniors our G06 and 07 teams were in a new competition, that continued the growth of girl’s football. Little did we know what was coming in 2023 – with the “Matildas Effect” In November 2022- the O35s/O45s celebrated 25 years of Prouille senior Football with a dinner at Gordon Golf Club. This coincided with a World Cup fixture between Australia and Tunisia- that was screened – and we won! At the dinner Andrew McCallum was deservedly awarded “Life Membership” for Prouille FC. This follows the award of the first life membership to Chris Goldrick in 2020. Andrew has been a club stalwart- and was a foundation O35s player in 1997. Since then, he has not missed a season and continues to play for Prouille O45s. He has played, coached, reffed, lead training- year in year out with unfailing enthusiasm. Well-deserved recognition.
Prouille FC Season 2023
Season 2023 was the first uninterrupted season for four years! Everyone appreciated that.. Eddy Lee continued as President supported by an excellent Committee- plus Coordinators, volunteers and sponsors. Prouille joined a number of NSFA initiatives- including XLR8, providing skill development for young players, with official coaches. As the season progressed, the Women’s world cup took place in OZ/NZ and Prouille players were able to get involved as ball girls and boys. The competition, and the mesmerising impact of the Matildas massively raised the interest in girls/women’s football, and football generally. Prouille was no exception- with significant growth in female participation. The Women’s O35s- Puma’s exemplified all of this. They had a strong season-and ending up playing a grand final at Parklands. A large and loud crowd came to provide support. There was no win – but a great day was had by all.
Other teams also fared well- The U12 (mixed) Pythons came second in their division and the O35 men’s second in Division 3. At the end of season NSFA awards the club secured the district “Retention” Award with 250 players. The real highlight was the NSFA “President’s” award presented to Gemma Comanos. This was in recognition of Gemma’s contribution to Prouille FC, and also across the NSFA. A more enthusiastic person you could not find! Well Done..
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