Port Adelaide Soccer Club, commonly known as The Pirates, is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in Port Adelaide, South Australia. It competes in the South Australian National Premier Leagues State League 2. 2019 was the Club's first season playing at Taperoo Reserve in Taperoo. The club also fields a reserves, under-18s and collegiate teams. At the Celebration of Football event on Saturday, 12 October 2019. The Club was named Football SA 2019 Club of the Year.
History
The club was founded in 1903 under the name of Port Adelaide British Football Club. They entered the official competition in season 1904. The founders included F.Salmon, G.Haywood, J.Haywood, EP Rowley, F.Meakin and J.McColl. The amalgamation of Port Adelaide and the Cheltenham British Football Club was formalised on Friday 26 March 1914 in the Globe Hotel Port Adelaide. There were elements of the Cheltenham Club who did not agree with the merger and they formed another Cheltenham Club for the 1914 season. The Port Adelaide club's original ground was on a site adjacent to Alberton Oval. In the late 1920s the club moved to a wasteland that became known as John Hart Reserve. At the end of the 1941 season the club went into recess and did not field a team in the local competition until 1944. This was because the club lost so many members and players to the war effort. In 1956 the club merged with Port Thistle S.C which had been known as the Port Presbyterian Thistle S.C. Their home ground was Nazar Reserve which was across the road from the Port Adelaide club. The ground was also known as Stevedores Paddock because horses used on the wharves were left in the paddock. The area was notorious for getting flooded every time there was an extra high tide in the Port River. The club played at John Hart Reserve for over 75 years except for a period in 1955 and 1956 when they moved to Allenby Gardens Reserve while John Hart Reserve was being redeveloped. There was also a period in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the club played its home games at the old ICI Oval at Peterhead while using John Hart Reserve for training and amateur games. In 1993 the club merged with the Ukrainian Sports Club Lion to form the Port Adelaide Lion Soccer club currently known as the Pirates. On Tuesday 10 July 2018, life and financial members voted on a motion to change the official name of the club from Port Adelaide Lion Soccer Club Inc. to Port Adelaide Soccer Club Inc. With the move to the brand new facility at Taperoo on the horizon, name simplification was identified as the way to provide clarity of identity to members, external parties as well as current and potential sponsors. A total of 65 votes were received. As per the constitution a two-thirds majority was required in order for the motion to be passed. 49 persons voted in favour of the motion and 16 voted against meaning that the motion was successfully passed. The 'Pirates' nickname was not a part of the motion and remains the moniker of the Club. In a statement from Club officials, the part that the USC Lion name and its people has played in the history of the Club was acknowledged and concluded by stating that "While the Lion name has been removed, the history will never be erased nor the efforts of all parties to keep the club alive be forgotten". On 4 August 2018 after drawing 1-1 against Western Strikers, they finished 11th in the 2018 State League 1 season relegating them to State League 2. The Senior team finished 3rd at the conclusion of the 2019 State League 2 season, however failed to secure promotion back to State League 1 via the Finals Series, losing their Elimination Final match against Adelaide Cobras at Taperoo Reserve on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Off the field, 2019 was a huge success, culminating in the Club being named Football SA 2019 Club of the Year at the Celebration of Football event on Saturday, 12 October 2019. Relocation to Taperoo In September 2018, the Club moved to brand new purpose built facility named Taperoo Reserve in Taperoo. The first event was the Seniors Presentation Night held on Saturday 1 September. On Saturday 8 September at the new facility, The Club's Collegiate team secured promotion from Division 3 to Division 2 in their very season participating in the South Australian Collegiate Soccer League. On Sunday 9 September, an official club open day was held that saw the majority of MiniRoos and Juniors sides play a competitive fixture at Taperoo for the very first time.
Club honours
As Port Adelaide 1st Division Champions: 1911, 1912, 1926, 1927, 1931, 1934 & 1937 2nd Division Champions: 1939, 1948, 1956, 1969, 1979 & 1988 Federation Cup Winners: 1926, 1933, 1934, 1945 & 1979 As USC Lion 1st Division Champions: 1965 2nd Division Champions: 1954 & 1964 Federation Cup Winners: 1956 & 1961 As Port Adelaide Lion/Port Adelaide Pirates Premier League Premiers: 1994 & 1999 NPL State League Champions 2014 Premier League Reserves Devine Homes Final 5 Series Winners 2010 Premier League Reserves Devine Homes Final 5 Series Winners 2009 U/23 State League Champions: 2004 & 2005 U/23 Cup winners: 2004 U/19 Premier League Top 5 Challenge Winners 2008 U/19 Champions: 1995 U/19 State League Champions: 2005 U/18 National Premier Leagues Premiers: 2015 U/18 National Premier Leagues Champions: 2015 Football SA Club of Year: 2019
