The club history of Abbotsford Juniors Soccer Club starts almost 60 years ago. It held its inaugural meeting on the 26th October, 1965, with Mr Alan Moore the first Club President, Mr Dennis Craig as Club Secretary and Mr Ray Evans as Club Treasurer. The Ladies Auxiliary was established by Mrs Marg Welling, Mrs Babe Young, and Mrs Marvis Verity.
The Club started its life in the Western Suburbs Soccer Association Competition, with the first ever competitive match involving an Under 7 team playing at Campbell Park, kicked off by the local Federal member of Parliament, Dr. Malcolm Mackay. The Club played in blue and gold striped shirts, white shorts with blue and gold hooped socks.
Abbotsford Juniors first ever premiership team were the Under 12 team coached by Tom McKain (Senior) and managed by Bill Wardlaw, the brother of Marj Wellings and Babe Young. The team’s reward was entry in the state-wide Champion of Champions competition and their Round 1 away match at Condobolin very likely remains to this day the furthest that an Abbotsford Juniors team has ever had to travel for a competitive match. Members of this team went on to become the backbone of the Club’s success in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
With the number of clubs in the Western Suburbs Soccer Association fluctuating year to year, there were a number of short term ‘combined’ competitions held with the Northern Suburbs Soccer Association, before the Western Suburbs ultimately merged with the Canterbury Association in the mid-1970s.
In 1974, the Abbotsford Juniors Club moved to join the NSW Protestant Churches Soccer Football Association which at the time was the largest soccer association in the Southern Hemisphere. This period saw the Club achieve much success and with Campbell Park leveled and re-surfaced in 1976, the Club went on to win several Premier League and Premier League Reserves Championships and reached the State Cup final in 1981. Records of the Club’s achievements during this period can be accessed here.
1989 saw the Club join the Canterbury District Soccer Football Association and by 1993, all teams were playing within the Association, where it remains today for competition football.
The Club was incorporated in 2001 as “Abbotsford Junior Soccer Club” and with a playing base of around 400 players in 2007, the Club changed to its current name, “Abbotsford Juniors Football Club”.
The last decade of club history has seen continued growth at the Abbotsford Juniors with the addition of Lysaght Park as a new home field, welcoming its first female players as part of the introduction by the Canterbury and District Soccer Football Association in 2011. In 2016 the Club passed a thousand active members for the first time and claimed its first female premiership, won by the Under 14 Division 2 girls team!
The following year, 2017, was a landmark year with work commencing on the construction of a new Club house at Campbell Park only to be topped by the AJFC Under 18 Division 1 team claiming the Club’s maiden Football NSW Champion of Champions title.
Growth and success have continued with the Club maintaining a membership level of over 1,300 members despite the COVID-19 disrupted winter seasons in 2020 and 2021. The return of finals football in the Association’s Centenary year of 2022 saw AJFC achieve a new Club record of 10 Championships and 7 Minor Premierships.
Abbotsford Juniors Football Club today continues to go from strength to strength. With its continued focus on a family and community friendly football culture linked with a strong focus on the development of its junior players and female football programs, the Club now boasts in excess of 1,500 members and over 1,300 players.
The Abbotsford Juniors Club History
1965
Inaugural Club Meeting
1966
The very first Abbotsford Juniors game kicks off on Saturday 16 April at Campbell Park
1974
Abbotsford Juniors joins the NSW Protestant Churches Soccer Football Association.
1976
Campbell Park is closed for leveling and resurfacing and the Abbotsford Juniors All Age team are the Club’s first ever Divisional premiers, winning the 18th Division.
1981
Abbotsford Juniors Division 7 team take the premiership and reach the final of the State Cup (losing 1-0 to Chester Hill)
1991 – 1992
Abbotsford Juniors win the Premier League Reserve Grade competition and the 1992 State Cup final
1992 – 1993
Abbotsford Juniors win the Premier League 1st Grade competition
1993
All Abbotsford Juniors teams join the Canterbury and District Soccer Football Association (CDSFA)
2001
The Club incorporated as “Abbotsford Junior Soccer Club”
2007
AJFC is born as the Club name is changed to “Abbotsford Juniors Football Club”
2011
Club history made as Abbotsford Juniors welcomes its first 3 female football teams with the start of female competition football within the Canterbury Association.
2014
Abbotsford Juniors surpasses 700 registered players for the first time in the Club’s history as it welcomes it’s first Under 15 Girls and Over 45 Mens teams along with a second Womens Over 30 team to its roster.
2015
AJFC celebrates its club history at its 50th anniversary celebration as Lysaght Park becomes the second home of AJFC competitive football alongside Campbell Park
2016
The Club reaches a watershed of over 1,000 registered players and the Under 14 Division 2 Girls team becomes the first AJFC female team to win a grand final!
2017
Work commences on the upgrade of the AJFC’s Campbell Park Club House and the Under 18 Division 1 team take out the Club’s maiden Football NSW Champion of Champions title
2018
The new Campbell Park Club House is officially opened and the AJFC Over 30 Women Division 1 team win the Club’s maiden CDSFA Women’s Football Premiership
2019
Lights are installed at Lysaght Park allowing for mid-week training for the first time and the Over 30 Women Division 1 A team take their 3rd consecutive Women’s Football premiership
2021
AJFC’s Over 35 Women Division 1 Team “The Wolves” collect their 5th consecutive Women’s Football premiership title.
2022
The post-COVID resumption of competition football sees Abbotsford Juniors host its first ever Friday night game under lights and AJFC achieve a new record with teams winning 10 Championships and 7 Premierships
2023
The Club reaches a new membership record for the Winter Season with over 1,300 players and registered 1,500 members and our Under 14 Boys Division 1 team claim their 4th consecutive Football Premiership
2024
Abbotsford Juniors fields 2 teams in each of the Under 19 Girls, All Age Women and Over 35 Women for the first time in the Club’s history. AJFC teams claim 6 Minor Premierships and 6 Championships for the 2024 Winter season.