KICKOFF 2021 - ROUND 14 INAUGURAL FESTIVAL OF FOOTBALL SPECIAL EDITION AUSTRALIA’S MOST FAMOUS CLUB EVER! LAMBERT SUNDAY PARK 30TH MAY STADIUM 5.15PM MEN’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Australia’s most famous football Club Australia’s most famous football club ... The Club that has had the most players signed, The Club that has had the most Socceroos, National scouted, and recruited, from any National Premier team players, and Socceroo Captains, of any other League Club, in Australia - in essence APIA Club, in the nation - ever. Leichhardt Tigers, has produced the most players APIA is officially, the highest ranked National to be acquired and signed into the A-League, since Premier League 1 Club, in the Country. the A-League’s memorable, inception. The 1987, Championship National League, all First-ever Club, in 2019 / 2020 to be the Number 1 conquering, winning APIA squad, all of which Club, in all sections: Men’s National Premier League today, are legends of the game, and remain the 1, Women and Girls Premier League 1, Boys Youth Invincibles, of Australian Football history, a feat that League, and Skills Acquisition Program. This feat is is unlikely to be surpassed, in our lifetime. unlikely to be ever repeated, and again, we humbly A 33-year extraordinary record, that remains intact suggest, in our lifetime. until this day with the longest unbeaten streak, in a We are heading towards A-League status, and there National Competition, proper. is no doubt, that the Club, will establish ourselves, The Club that has produced Australia’s, greatest and raise to the very top, and the pinnacle of ever footballer, Joe Marston, the very first Australian Australian Football, and eventually cement itself, to play in a FA Cup Final, the first Australian to play and be ingrained and entrenched, in the highest professionally in the top tier, being the English Premier League. Football competition in our World-famous Country - Australia’s A-League Football Competition. The A-League, Grand Final, Player Of The Match, is awarded and named after, in honour of Joe Marston, Lambert Park, has for the past 66 years, been a annually. facility, for everyone. Proud Major Sponsor of the APIA Leichhardt Tigers Football Club for the past 27 consecutive years 2 #NPLNSW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Australia’s most famous football Club It has not been, and has never been, and will never APIA Leichhardt Tigers Football Club, is held in be, for an elite few. It has been made available to such high esteem, so much admired, cherished all and sundry, as we, the Club, are a community and loved, such a community pillar, and fabric of leader, so we must lead, and ensure that Boys and our society, such a significant focus, for thousands Girls, from three years of age, up to Under 18s, at of peoples’ daily lives, the Club’s administrators, community grassroots level, Elite Boys and Girls, when they meet newly registered players, whether Elite Women and Men, wishing and desire, to play they are Juniors or Seniors, their parents, their or participate in the World Game, have been given grandparents, their relatives, their supporters complete access to this facility, right up until today, and friends, the respect shown towards, all our this is what this Club, is all about. Club Directors, Convenors, Coaches, Managers Lambert Park in 2014, underwent an extraordinary, and support staff, all are genuinely, sincerely, and $3.5m upgrade, $2.2m, was kindly funded by the deeply shocked, by all of this. NSW Government and Clubs NSW. This respect and admiration, is solely contributed, The Club and private benefactors, and other to the Club’s brand, the name, the Club culture, sources, in cash, contra, and in-kind, contributed a the history, and, of course, the game itself. It is further $1.4m. amazing, and simply staggering, to understand and The Clubs’ importance, history, tradition, heritage, comprehend, the importance of the Club, within and widespread community benefits, in providing our society. a sporting environment, for young Australians’, THE INNER WEST OF SYDNEY COMMUNITY and the youth of the Inner West, and further afield, PEOPLE’S CLUB. was acknowledged by the record funding, that was granted to a community, Football Club in Australia. ALLIANCE PARTNERS NPLNSW.COM.AU 3 CLUB DIRECTORY Infoline 0484 002 000 / W: apiatigers.com / E: [email protected] / F: APIA Leichhardt FC BOARD OF MANAGEMENT RACITI Tony PRESIDENT KADAYIFCI Bill SECRETARY PRIMERANO Frank TREASURER CUTRUPI Michael DIRECTOR DI MENTO Aldo DIRECTOR LA IANCA Joe DIRECTOR MAROCCHI David DIRECTOR MELLINO John DIRECTOR MUSTICA Frank DIRECTOR RACITI Mario DIRECTOR RIZZO Nick DIRECTOR CONVENORS MCCOLL Billy Head of Football CIOLINO Vince Youth Boys BOFFA Lina Youth Boys GARUFI Joe Convenor (SAP) ADMINISTRATION SCARSELLETTA Pia Seniors FATHERS Andrew 365 Soccer Sixes GULLOTTA Nicholas Head of Communications CLUB MERCHANDISE SUPPORTERS’ OUTLET MANDAGLIO Andrew Lambert Park DIAKOS Alec Lambert Park Proud Major Sponsor of the APIA Leichhardt Tigers Football Club for the past 27 consecutive years 4 #NPLNSW PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE On behalf of the Board of Management, I would like to welcome Leah Blaymey - currently the Young Matilda’s Coach. the Directors, Coaches, Convenors, Players and Sponsors of Sports Commentators Simon Hill, Lucy Zelic and Mark Bosnich. Sydney Olympic FC here today, in what, undoubtedly, will be At the time of writing, Lucy Zelic and Mark Bosnich confirmed the biggest crowd attendance in NSW National Premier League their attendance, but are subject to their working commitments, history, for this magnificent Festival of Football. via A-League Match Scheduling. I would like to personally thank, Sydney Olympic FC, for their Andy Paschalidis, the Chairman of the Heartbeat of Football. support and contribution, to this our Inaugural Event, which Stuart Montgomery, National Premier League 1 Standing will undoubtedly grow and thrive into an Annual Event. Sydney Committee Vice Chairman. Olympic FC will be reciprocating the Festival of Football at their home ground, Belmore Sports Ground, in 2022. George and Matthew Khoury of GM Architects, who are the architects, and who have designed our World Class Plans for our As you will note today, with the huge and magnificent attendance, pending and proposed $35M Upgrade. that this Event has been warmly embraced by the Football Community, and clearly demonstrates that a high-level Football And Match Officials for the Legends game: Event, can, and will, attract solid match attendances, ensuring Con Diomis (FIFA Referee) Clubs participating in the pending B-League, and APIA will be Robert Colombo (Assessor) one of the Inaugural B-League Clubs, can produce a product, that Sandro Perticarini (Assistant Referee) will be supported by the Football, loving public. Jim Nicolaou (Assistant Referee) It is quite obvious, that a number of key Club personnel have had Emmanuel Loupis (the 4th Official) a significant input and contribution, to have created this packed Our valued NPL Men’s 1 Sponsors: capacity crowd, and record at that, for an NPL 1 Competition Our Event Caterer, Sponsor Aldo Di Mento, of Premium Glass Match. NSW Pty Ltd. Apart from the myriad of administration staff, the various Our 27 consecutive years Major Sponsor Wests Ashfield Leagues Club’s arms and section Convenors’ valuable and significant Vice President Tony Andreacchio and Directors Dennis Burgess contribution, in particular our long serving Administrator, 24 and Vince Tropiano, and representing Director Julie Romero, long suffering consecutive years, Pia Scarselletta, our Club’s Group Gaming Executive David Walsh and his lovely wife. entire Board of Management’s significant support, but I need Allied Partners: CIM (Confederation Italians in the World), Desane to make special mention of Matteo Maiorana, Head of our Group Holdings Ltd. Peter Ayers of ISKRA Air Conditioning and exciting Women and Girls’ Program, and our Head of Football Terry Leckie of Shades of Italy. Billy McColl, and our Under 20s Coach, Anthony Mazza, who over a period of three months or so, have contributed on a daily Our Women’s Major Sponsors: basis 24/7, to ensure that this Festival of Football Event, would Paramount Law, Cubic, IT on Cloud, Boutique Residential, IGS, be a resounding and unparalleled success. I would also like to Ben Ingham, Nugan Estate, AUDI Five Dock and Strive Fitness. acknowledge Angela Dorrian today’s Event Organiser, and Event And of course, all our valued allied partners and loyal sponsors Ambassador Elia Santoro. whether it be Ground Signage, First Grade Player sponsorship, In particular, I would like to highlight the creation of our and the contra contributions from our army of supporters, that magnificent and stunning, Merchandise Supporters Outlet, sustain our Club through thick and thin, year in and year out. A which is a first of its kind in Australia, but extraordinary in its heartfelt thank you to ALL - we just could not do it, without your presentation, and sits proud within our unique, and boutique financial support. Stadium Complex, with our Complex located a mere 6.5km from I would also like to acknowledge all our legendary players, just too the World’s greatest City and CBD, Sydney. many to name....and Rale, of course. Rale Rasic, our Invincibles Now, I would now like to formerly welcome our Special Guests Coach, who created the 1987 Invincibles team, by being the here today: Coach of the only team in a National Competition proper, to The Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian’s Representative, the Hon remain undefeated throughout the entire season, a feat that will Scott Farlow, Member of the Legislative Council and Parliamentary not be achieved again, nor be repeated in our lifetime. Secretary to the Treasurer and for COVID Recovery. In closing, our team, after a mighty shaky start to the Season, is Directors of Football Federation Australia, Stefan Kamasz, and starting to climb the table towards the top, a position we have Joseph Carrozzi.