Macarthur Rams FC
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| Full name | Macarthur Rams Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Rams | ||
| Founded | 1984; 33 years ago | ||
| Ground | Lynwood Park | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 (550 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Michael Giusti | ||
| Manager | Brett Hewit | ||
| League | NSW League One | ||
| 2024 | 14th of 16 | ||
| Website | http://www.macarthurrams.com.au/ | ||
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Macarthur Rams Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The club compete in Football NSW League 2 Men's, the fourth tier of the Australian football league system and the third tier of the Football NSW league system.[1] The club's home ground is the 3,000 capacity Lynwood Park, located in St. Helens Park.[2] Founded in 1984, the 'Rams' serve as the premier football club within the Macarthur region, and operate as Macarthur's highest-ranked club outside of the A-League Men competition. The Rams also have a corresponding women's club who compete in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women's competition.[3]
History
Early Years
In 1987, Campbelltown City Soccer Club and Campbelltown Districts Soccer Club joined the Macarthur Districts Soccer Football Association (now Macarthur Football Association), the governing body of football in Macarthur, forming Campbelltown City and Districts Soccer Club, opening the possibility for negotiations between the federation club of the area and the MDSFA. This led to an agreement between the MDSFA and Campbelltown City and Districts Soccer Club on the change in colours of both uniforms. The Association colours were changed to grey tops, maroon shorts and maroon socks.
During the 1991 season, the Campbelltown City and Districts Soccer Club approached the MDSFA to discuss the transfer of their Federation team to the control of the Association. Upon reaching agreement the Association approached the NSW Soccer federation to ratify the agreement. From the 1992 season, the Macarthur Rams became the federation team representing the Association, boosting the profile of football in the Macarthur area.
2008-2012: Pre-NPL Era
In the 2008 season, Macarthur Rams began competing in the NSW Premier League which in 2013 became National Premier Leagues NSW, commonly referred to as 'NPL 1'.
In 2009, the club began competing in the NSW Super League, which in 2022 became Football NSW League 1 Men's due to a Football NSW league system restructure after being under the NSW NPL as 'NPL 2'.[4]
2013-2019: NPL 2 Years
In 2013, Football NSW League structure fell under the National Premier Leagues, leading the Rams to compete in NPL NSW 2, maintaining the status of their league at second highest in NSW.
In 2014, Macarthur Rams won the NPL NSW 2 championship, defeating former National Soccer League club Parramatta FC at Gabbie Stadium in Seven Hills.[5] Following their championship winning season, they finished 9th of 12.[6]
The Rams then went on to finish 8th of 14 in the 2016 season, competing against the de facto reserve teams of A-League Men clubs Western Sydney Wanderers, Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners, as well as former NSL powerhouses Marconi Stallions and St George FC. They defeated the eventual premiers Sydney FC in a 4-2 win at Lynwood Park.[7]
In the 2017 season, the Rams finished 13th in the league, despite defeating Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners, even defeating the latter on both home and away occasions.[8] This season was followed by a 12th-placed finish, a one-place improvement.[9]
In 2019, the Rams were relegated to the NPL NSW 3, which in 2022 became Football NSW League 2 Men's. This correlated with a 13th placed finish, seeing them relegated with former NSL club Canterbury Bankstown.[10][11]
2020-Present: NPL 3/League 2 Years
Macarthur Rams' first season in NPL 3 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic in NSW. Before the season's cancellation, the Rams finished 10th of 12.[12]
The 2021 season would see a top 8 placement needed to secure promotion back to NPL 2, due to a restructuring of the Football NSW league system which was speculated to see the four NPL NSW leagues divide into three 16-team leagues. This speculation was backed as Football NSW restructured the 'Youth Leagues' to fit this format.[13]
2021 also saw changes within the club, with long-serving chairman Gordon Sneddon resigning. It was announced on May 21st that the vacant position was filled by Macarthur Football Association club Oran Park Rovers' chairman, Michael Giusti.[14] In a period of change, it was announced that the Rams had parted ways with head coach Jason Breton. The position was then appointed to NPL 2 club Blacktown Spartans' former head coach and former Futsalroos captain, Brett Hewit.[15]
In a repeat of the year previous, the 2021 season was cancelled, once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] Before the season's cancellation, the Rams finished 8th.[17] Due to the pandemic and the premature cancellation of the 2021 season, the mens' Football NSW league system did not see the anticipated restructure, however NPL 2, NPL 3 and NPL 4 were renamed to League 1, League 2 and League 3 respectively.[13]
On August 5, 2021, the Rams announced the appointment of Blacktown Spartan's former technical director, Paul Bertolissio, as the club's 'Head of Football'.
The 2021 season would also prove to be club stalwart Craig Cooley's last for the club. Cooley is the club's all-time appearance holder with over 350 matches played. His departure marked the end of an 18-year-long era, having joined the club in 2003. In December 2021, the club announced a farewell for him in a friendly against NPL 1 side Northbridge Bulls, the feeder team of A-League Men side Macarthur FC. This, however, was cancelled due to COVID-19 cases within the Northbridge team.
Colours and Badge
Macarthur Rams' primary colour is maroon, often interchanged with purple in kits. Their secondary colour is grey, with their tertiary colour being either white or black. Their logo features a Ram's face and horns, along with purple outlining the letters 'RAMS' in grey. Their previous logo was the face of a Ram, similar to the current Macarthur Football Association logo.[4]
Stadiums
Lynwood Park
Lynwood Park is located in the Campbelltown suburb of St Helens Park, within the Campbelltown City Council. The venue is home to both Macarthur Rams and Macarthur Rams Women's, as well as their Youth and SAP teams. It features a synthetic pitch which was installed in 2016, a main grandstand with undercover seating for 520 spectators, a shelter with some additional seating and standing room, a pavilion and a grass hill. It also features a clubhouse with a bar, a board room and office space for the Macarthur Football Association. The lights are of Football NSW standard and allow for night matches. The complex also includes a further three grass football pitches, with pitches '3' and '4' being exclusively operated by local MFA club Campbelltown Uniting Church. It has an estimated total capacity of 3,000.[2]
Campbelltown Stadium
In the 2008 NSW Premier League season, Macarthur Rams played at largest stadium in South-West Sydney, Campbelltown Stadium, located in the Campbelltown suburb of Leumeah.[18] During the 2010s, the Rams played annual friendlies against A-League clubs Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC at the 20,000 capacity stadium.[19] Campbelltown Stadium is now used as the home ground of A-League Men side Macarthur FC, as well as one of NRL club Wests Tigers home grounds.[18]
Rivalries
Camden Tigers
Macarthur Rams share a rivalry with Football NSW League 3 club Camden Tigers due, to being the only two clubs from Macarthur that compete in the Football NSW league system; often referred to as 'representative' football regarding Youth and SAP age groups.[1] The rivalry is also fuelled by the common players and coaches movement to and from both clubs through Youth and Seniors, as well as the general perception of Rams superiority as they have historically competed in higher leagues. The Rams' status as the association's 'federation team' also pushes this perception.
Due to both clubs' mens' teams not competing in the same league, the rivalry is particularly present in the Youth age groups, as both clubs compete in the Football NSW Boys Youth League 3.[20] The rivalry in the Youth League was pushed as for five fixtures in a row from 2020 to 2021, all the matches had been scheduled and played at Ron Dine Memorial Reserve, the home ground of Camden Tigers. This has meant that Rams have never played Tigers at home, despite being in the same league for two years.[21] This wait will end in the upcoming season, in which they will play the Tigers in round three of Football NSW Boys Youth League 3 on March 5th, 2022.[22]
This rivalry, however, does not transfer to SAP age groups as the clubs do not compete within the same SAP league structure; with Macarthur Rams fielding SAP teams from U9s-U12s, and Camden Tigers fielding MFA administered M-SAP teams as U8s and U9s.
Kit
Macarthur Rams' kits have traditionally been mainly plain maroon, often interchanged with purple. Their kits are currently supplied by Dutch sportswear company Stanno.
On 13th October 2021, the club revealed their new kits for the upcoming 2022 season. The kits would see a new design, with the home kit featuring grey vertical stripes on a maroon shirt, and the away kit featuring black vertical stripes on a white shirt; a switch from the traditional plain maroon.[23]
| Period | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (back) | Away shirt sponsor (back) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) | Shorts sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Guardian Venue Management | - | - | - | - |
| 2021 | Guardian Venue Management | - | - | - | - |
| 2022- | Crystele Homes | Abruzzo Ceramics | Shafer Auto | New Age Veneers | Rams Home Loans |
Players
Current Squad
2021 NPL 3 Men’s Squad' Updated 26 June 2021. [24] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable Players
- Mark Symington - Current Macarthur Rams and former Australia National Futsal Team player
- Kosta Barbarouses - Current Sydney FC A-League and New Zealand National Team player
- Jake McGing - Current Macarthur FC A-League player
- Steven Old - Current East Kilbride and former New Zealand National Team player
- Brett Emerton - Former Blackburn Rovers Premier League and Australia National Team player
- Paul Reid - Former Brighton & Hove Albion Championship player
- Dion Valle - Former Colo Colo Primera División of Chile player
- Glen Trifiro - Former Central Coast Mariners A-League player
- Cole Tinkler - Former New Zealand Knights A-League player
- Matt Thompson - Former A-League player
- Michael Brown - Former Feyenoord Eredivise player
- Roy Bell - Former New Zealand Knights A-League player
- Ben Willard - Former Sydney Olympic NSL player
- Trevor Whiddett - Former Wollongong Wolves NSL player
- Michael West - Former Parramatta Power NSL player
- Brian Vanega - Former Blacktown City NSL player
- Stewart Van Bentum - Former Bankstown City NSL player
- Zvonko Usljebrka - Former Sydney United NSL player
- Christian Cevenini - Former Sydney United NSL player
- James Aschner - Former Sydney United NSL player
- Richard Lloyd - Former Wollongong Wolves NSL player
- Graeme Goodfellow - Former Wollongong Wolves NSL player
- Danial Cummins - Former Wollongong Wolves NSL player
- Chad Bishop - Former Wollongong Wolves NSL player
- Shane Crampton - Former Perth Glory NSL player
- Steven Baveas - Former NWS Spirit NSL player
- Luke Tomich - Former NSL player
- Kain Rastall - Former NSL player
- Tim Parker - Former NSL player
- Jason Connolly - Former NSL player
- Martin Bourke - Former NSL player
- Scott Baillie - Former NSL player
- Robert Angievski - Former NSL player
- Chris Gómez - Former Persepam Madura United Liga 1 player
Junior Football
Macarthur Rams field junior teams from the age groups of U9s to U18s, in alignment with the Football NSW league structures. These teams compete in the Football NSW Skills Aquisition Program (SAP) and the Football NSW Boys Youth League 3.[13] All age groups and teams play at Lynwood Park.
Alongside their own junior teams, the Rams have a sister program ran by the Macarthur Football Association to help source players and maintain a football pathway. These teams operate under the name 'Macarthur Football Association', commonly referred to as 'MFA' or 'Macarthur FA'. MFA teams also compete in SAP, but youth teams (U13s, U14s, U15s and U16s) compete in the Football NSW administered Association Youth League (AYL), located fourth in the Football NSW boys youth system, one tier below Rams youth. The AYL competition consists of teams representing their respective regional association, and cannot be promoted or relegated. MFA teams, however, are not directly related to Rams, rather they act as a sister program.[25]
SAP
The Rams' U9s, U10s, U11s and U12s teams compete in the Football NSW Skills Aquisition Program (SAP) competition; the highest tier and only competition in that age range under Football NSW jurisdiction. Results are not counted in SAP, so teams are unable to be promoted or relegated.[26] Their SAP technical director is former Premier League and Socceroos player, Brett Emerton.
Youth
The Rams' U13s, U14s, U15s, U16s and U18s teams compete in the Football NSW Boys Youth League 3 competition; the third highest tier competition in that age range under Football NSW jurisdiction.[citation needed] Youth teams are able to be promoted or relegated, via the Football NSW 'Club Championship' system, in which points across all age groups (excluding U13s) are added together and presented on a table alongside all other clubs within the league.[27]
Club Officials
Board of Directors
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Michael Giusti |
| Member | Lisa Shell |
| Member | Les Cox |
| Member | Daniel Lettieri |
| Member | Matt Spalding |
| Seniors' Convener | Brevis Ashton |
| Youth Convener | Kate McLaren |
| SAP Convener | Aimee Perfrement |
Coaching and Medical Staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Brett Hewit |
| Head of Football | Paul Bertolissio |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Elvis DeMarchi |
| Strength and Conditioning Coach | James Kermond |
| Physiotherapist | Brad Donnelly |
Honours
League
- Football NSW League 1
- Winners (1): 2014
External links
References
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Campbelltown Stadium". AU Stadiums.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SYDNEY FC CONFIRM MACARTHUR RAMS FRIENDLY". Sydney FC. Jun 24, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "FOOTBALL NSW BOYS YOUTH LEAGUE THREE". Football NSW.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SEASON FIXTURE : MACARTHUR RAMS FC (U15 - NPL 2 NSW YOUTH - 2.2 2021)". Gameday.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Fixtures". dribl.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Macarthur Rams". Instagram. Oct 13, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Statistics for Macarthur Rams FC playing in 1st - NPL 3 NSW Men's 2021". Gameday. Football NSW. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "ASSOCIATION YOUTH LEAGUE". Football NSW.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SKILL ACQUISITION PROGRAM". Football NSW.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP – FOOTBALL NSW BOYS YOUTH LEAGUE THREE". Football NSW.
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