APIA Leichhardt

The APIA Leichhardt FC is based in the heartland of Australian Football, Sydney’s inner western suburb of Leichhardt. The club’s home ground, Lambert Park, has been the APIA Leichhardt FC’s home since its inception. Lambert Park is also located within metres of Sydney’s most popular dining spots, the famous Norton Street. Renowned for its restaurants, history and culture, Leichhardt and surrounding suburbs like Balmain, Haberfield and Drummoyne are places where people love to visit and wish to reside.

Founded in 1954 by the burgeoning Italian community of inner western Sydney, with a huge influence from English and Scottish migrants at the time, APIA Leichhardt (as they were known) initially competed in the local Canterbury District competition. With the establishment of the NSW Federation of Soccer Clubs in January 1957, APIA gained themselves a place in the First Division of that fledgling competition.

In 1979 APIA was given access to the National Soccer League, the top tier of Australian soccer since 1977. In 1987 APIA won the national championship, six points ahead of the Preston Makedonia Soccer Club from Melbourne, with then only two points awarded per win. The coach in that season was Rale Rasic. Charlie Yankos and Peter Katholos are probably the best known players from that side. The main cast of that year consisted of Tony Pezzano; Charlie Yankos, Arno Bertogna, Mark Brown, Jean-Paul de Marigny, Peter Tredinnick, Peter Katholos, Edward Lorens, Hilton Phillips, Gary Ward, Rod Brown and Tony Parison. In 1988 APIA won the National Soccer League Cup. By 1992 the APIA Leichhardt was overwhelmed by financial difficulties. The club was somewhat restructured and forthwith played on state level with the moniker “Tigers.”

In 2017, APIA won the National Premier Leagues NSW premiership, but lost the grand final to Manly United FC on penalties. APIA also made the grand final of the 2017 Waratah Cup, but lost 3–1 to Hakoah Sydney City East FC.

In 2018, APIA won the 2018 Waratah Cup. On 21 August 2018, APIA defeated reigning A-League champions Melbourne Victory FC in the Round of 16 of the 2018 FFA Cup, becoming the seventh state-league side to beat a top-tier team in the knockout tournament. The result was billed as one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history.