White Eagle Sports Club History 1961-2022 Contents, Team & Individual Honors & Statistical
Tables
NINETEEN SIXTIES (1960’s)
The White Eagle Sports Club was conceived in 1960, and was formed in 1961 under the auspices of the Polish Association based in New Town. The founding members of the club included Kazik Plachta, Tadeusz Kempa and Jan Zuraszek. The White Eagle Soccer Club was registered in 1962 by the Tasmanian Soccer Association (TSA), to compete in the Metropolitan League Division 2.
The club finished in second place and won its Knockout Cup that same year. The side was coached by Jan Zuraszek, a highly experienced and credentialed player, and he was also club captain. In 1971 Jan Zuraszek (who died in a car crash in Melbourne in 1970) had a perpetual trophy for the Best & Fairest senior player named in his honor.
White Eagle’s first competitive game was against Kingston at the Domain No.2 ground on the 4th of April 1962. The standout performer on the day was Paul Szkudlarek, who notched a hat-trick in a 6-2 win. The majority of Eagles’ games were played at the Domain Crossroads, and this also doubled as their training venue. Occasionally they had the opportunity to play on the Darcy St. ground in South Hobart.
- HIGHLIGHTS
- 1962 – Southern Division 2 – KO Cup Winners
- 1963 – Southern Division 2 – Premiers – (Promoted to Division 1)
- 1966 – Southern Division 2 – KO Cup Winners
- 1967 – Southern Division 2 – Premiers, KO Cup Winners
- 1968 – Southern Division 1 – Grand Final Runners Up, Association Cup & Falkinder Cup Winners
NINETEEN SEVENTIES (1970’s)
- HIGHLIGHTS
- 1974 – Southern Division 1 – Summer Cup Winners
- 1975 – Southern Division 1 Reserves – State Champions
- 1976 – Southern Division 1 – Summer Cup & DJ Motors Cup Winners
- 1977 – State Champions, Summer Cup Winners
- 1978 – State League Premiers
- 1978 – Southern Combined Premiers
NINETEEN EIGHTIES (1980’s)
- HIGHLIGHTS
- 1981 – Southern Division 1 – Premiers
- 1981 – Southern Division 1 Women – Premiers
- 1984 – Southern Division 1 – Premiers
- 1986 – State League South – Premiers
- 1987 – Charity & State-wide Cup Winners
- 1987 – Premier Division South – Premiers
- 1988 – State League Premiers, Cadbury Jubilee Trophy Winners
- 1989 – State League Premiers, Charity & Statewide Cup Winners
NINETEEN NINETIES (1990’s)
- HIGHLIGHTS
- 1990 – State League Premiers, Summer & Charity Cup Winners
- 1991 – State League Premiers, Summer & Charity Cup Winners
- 1992 – Summer Cup Winners
- 1994 – Summer Cup & Cadbury Jubilee Trophy Winners
- 1995 – State League Minor Premiers, Grand Final Winners
- 1996 – State League Minor Premiers, Statewide Cup Winners
- 1997 – State League Minor Premiers, Grand Final, Summer & Statewide Cup Winners
- 1997 – State League Reserves Minor Premiers, Grand Final & Summer Cup Winners
- 1998 – Cadbury Jubilee Trophy Winners
- 1998 – State League Reserves Premiers, Summer Cup & Final Series Winners
TWO THOUSANDS (2000’s)
- HIGHLIGHTS
- 2000 – Southern Conference – Sumer Cup Winners
- 2000 – Southern Conference Reserves – Premiers, Sumer Cup & Final Series Winners
- 2002- Southern Conference Reserves – Premiers
- 2005 -Southern Premier League – Women – Premiers & Summer Cup Winners
- 2006 – Southern Division 1 – Premiers
TWO THOUSAND & TENS (2010’s)
- HIGHLIGHTS
- 2011 – State Championships – Runners Up
- 2018 – Southern Championship 1 – Summer Cup Winners
TWO THOUSAND & TWENTIES (2020’s)
- HIGHLIGHTS
- 2021 – Southern Championship – Premiers, Summer Cup Winners
- 2021 – Southern Championship 1 – Premiers, Summer Cup Winners
- 2022 -Southern Championship – Premiers
- 2022 – Southern Championship 1 – Summer Cup Winners
THE GOLDEN BOOT
MISS WHITE EAGLES
THE GOALKEEPER’S CLUB
Since its inception in the early 60’s, Eagles have been fortunate to have had a host of goalkeepers in their ranks who were also very talented on the field and vice-versa.
THE WHITE EAGLES FAMILY
The success of the Club over the years has been built upon a family type atmosphere that encourages hard work, mutual respect for each other, and a never say die attitude, trademarks of the Polish Community that established the Club in the early 60’s.
When looking back over the history of the Club it is interesting note the “family ties” that keep appearing, some commencing in the early days of the Club’s formation and some that are still continuing to this day. Many of these have played significant roles in the Club’s successes over the years.
TEAM GALLERY OVER THE YEARS
SEASON REVIEW 1968 – FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE SUCCESSES
SEASON REVIEW 1977 – STATE CHAMPIONS
SEASON REVIEW 1978 – STATE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
1977 & 1978 TEAM SHEETS & GAME SUMMARIES
SEASON REVIEW 1986 – STATE LEAGUE SOUTH CHAMPIONS
SEASON REVIEW 1989 – STATE & SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
SEASON REVIEW 1997 – THE GRAND SLAM
SEASON REVIEW 2012 – THE SEASON THAT GOT AWAY
OTHER SPORTS
A brief history of other sports falling under the White Eagle Sports Club banner
THE STORY BEHIND THE POLISH EAGLE
Story history pf the Polish Eagle, “Orzel Bialy”
OTHER GALLERY – IMAGES OVER THE YEARS
60th Anniversary 2021
Guest Speaker – Steve Darby
Steve announcing the Team of the Decade
Closing Words from Steve
Walter Pless interviewing Nathan Pitchford
(Note: this is a powerpoint file converted to a ppxt format. It is quite large to download, but to play it you just need to double-click on the file once it has downloaded . It contains video, audio and images)
60th-anniversary-team-of-the-decade-with-sd
History – Full Document
Steve Darby – Itinerant Coach
Steve Darby who led Eagles to the 1986 Premiership released a book in 2021 covering his travels around the world coaching various teams in numerous countries, and also featured a chapter on his time in Tasmania. He names his best eleven players that he has coached and this list includes an Eagles legend. A great read that is available at Amazon, World of Books and Fishpond.
Steve at South Hobart as Eagles coach, with Eugene Banasik, Franco Previdi and Craig McKenzie, in the days where smoking on the bench was still permitted!
White Eagle Sports Club History 
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