Broadbeach United SC
| Full name | Broadbeach United Soccer Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Broadie, The Dolphins, "The Tank" (ground nickname) |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Ground | Nikiforides Family Park, Chelsea Avenue |
| Capacity | 2,000 approx. |
| Chairman | Michael Doyle |
| Manager | Lee Vernon |
| League | Gold Coast Soccer |
| Website | Club home page |
Broadbeach United Soccer Club are an Australian soccer club from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is a club which was founded in 1962. The club's home ground is at Chelsea Avenue in the suburb of Broadbeach. The club competes in the Gold Coast Premier League, where it has been one of the leading sides for the past few decades.
History
The Broadbeach juniors were founded in 1970 with the S.S.B juniors disbanding when John Stainsby left Broadbeach Oval to form the Musgrave Soccer Club at Keith Hunt Park. Most of the founders of S.S.B stayed on board with the new club such as David Erwicker, Billy Massa, John Green,Carlo March Shirley Newman, Anne and Archie Shaw. Some stayed for a year or two, before leaving to other clubs. Rini Hendriks came on board with the juniors when his sons came and played for the Broadbeach juniors in 1971. Rini was also Gold Coast United's Brisbane delegate from 1971–79 and then became a Broadbeach United icon for many years. Rini watches his beloved Dolphins still to this day.
Broadbeach seniors were founded in 1980, the year after Gold Coast United folded. With the formation of a new team called Gold Coast City to play in the Brisbane Premier League, and move away from Broadbeach oval, it left the possibility of Broadbeach oval having no senior team. However it was decided by people such as Dave Blake and Eddie Dwight that Broadbeach enter a team in the Gold Coast First Division. Many of its players stayed on from the Gold Coast Dolphins [Gold Coast United's 3rd team which started playing in the inaugural 1976 Gold Coast season].
In its first year, Broadbeach won the treble which included the Presidents Cup, Grand Final, and the Premiership trophy, beginning a wonderful tradition of stability and success. Broadbeach remain the only Gold Coast club not to be relegated. Success has been constant through the years and in 1995, the Broadbeach Dolphins won all 4 trophies on offer in a magnificent season, successive club championships in 1995, 1996 followed, and the Qantas Cup win in 1990 highlighted the dolphins winning culture.
From 2005 to 2015, Broadbeach have won 6 Premierships, 6 Grand Finals and 3 Club Championships in arguably the clubs', and Gold Coast's best era, stamping itself with Palm Beach as the best club in Gold Coast history. In 2014, the clubs four Senior Teams (Premier Firsts, Premier Reserves, Veto Division 2 and Women's Premier) all done the League and Grand Final double, a feat unmatched by any other Gold Coast Club.
Early pioneers of the club such as Dave Blake, Eddie Dwight, Carlo March, Micky Baker, Rini Hendriks, Terry Swift, Steve Bennett, Ronny Bell, Sharon Edwards and many others have started a magnificent history that has lasted for many years. In more modern times, the likes of Pat Hedges, Dave Rea, Mick and Steve Doyle, the Vernon family and the Broadfoot family have kept Broadbeach as a front runner in the modern era.
Players have come and gone and there have been many great players that have played for this famous club including:
Shane Smeltz – AFC Wimbledon (2005–06), Halifax Town (2006–07), New Zealand (National team), Wellington Phoenix, Gold Coast United, Perth Glory, Sydney FC
Danny Milosevic – Leeds United (1999–2004), Celtic (2004)
Des Gallagher – Stevenage Borough FC (1996–2000).
Honours
Premier Firsts –
Grand Final Winners: 1980, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
Premierships: 1980, 1985, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014
F.A. Cup Winners: 1989, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2015
Presidents Cup Winners: 1980, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2005
Qantas Cup Winners: 1990
Premier Reserves –
Grand Final Winners: 1981, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2014
Premierships: 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1998, 2014, 2015
F.A. Cup Winners: 1988 (Only Premier Reserves team to win the competition)
President Cup Winners: 1985, 1989, 1993
Club Championships: 1995, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2013, 2014
Both Broadbeach's Premier Firsts and Premier Reserves hold the record for the highest Grand Final winning scorelines. The First Team defeated Mudgeeraba in the 2014 Grand Final 6–0 at home. Ten years earlier in 2004, the Premier Reserves team defeated then rivals Burleigh Heads, by the same scoreline at Pizzey Park. The Premier Firsts are also the only team in the history of the league to play in seven consecutive Grand Finals (2009–2015), winning five of them.