Springvale White Eagles FC

Springvale White Eagles

Full name	Springvale White Eagles Football Club
Nickname(s)	Beli Orlovi, Eagles
Founded	1975
Ground	Serbian Sports Centre
Manager	Vlado Tortevski
League	National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 East
NPL1	9th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Springvale White Eagles Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria currently playing in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 East. Predominantly supported by Serbian Australians, they play at the Serbian Sports Centre in Keysborough, Victoria.

They were founded in 1975 and were in the Victorian Premier League from 1997 to 1999, 2007 and 2011.^[1]

History

Springvale White Eagles was formed in 1975 at the Yugoslav Workers Club under the name Springvale United. For the 1995 season they changed their name to Springvale White Eagles.

In 2002 White Eagles got into the State League Cup Final where they lost 4–2 to Westvale. The first half was 1–1 draw with White Eagles Ricky Diaco scoring the first goal from a penalty kick in the 21st minute. The second half saw Westvale scoring 3 more goals giving them a 4–1 lead. Eric Styczen scored a goal for White Eagles in the 91st minute to make the score 4–2.

In June 2007, the coach Leon Gardikiotis resigned less than a month after replacing from Zoran Trajceski.^[2] The club president Zoran Stojanovic also resigned. In 2008, Springvale White Eagles appointed former Frankston Pines coach Stan Webster.

The club was promoted to the Victorian Premier League in 2010, but suffered relegation in their first season in the top flight in 2011.^[3]

In 2012, SWE were relegated from State League 1 after a disastrous season, finishing bottom of the league with just 1 win in 22 league games and a goal difference of −50.^[4] The White Eagles bounced straight back, though, and took out the State League 2 South-East title in 2013, pipping Dandenong City SC by one point.^[5]

National Premier Leagues Victoria (2014-Present)

The club was accepted into the National Premier Leagues Victoria in late 2013 and was placed in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 division for the 2014 season, essentially the new second tier of football in Victoria. The club finished the season in 12th place in the 14 team league, avoiding relegation by virtue of no relegation – promotion between the NPL and State Leagues below.^[6]

In 2015, the NPL 2 was split into an East and West division with the White Eagles competing in the East division in the 2015 season. Springvale endured a tough campaign, winning just four games all year, finishing in 9th place in the East division and 19th place overall in the NPL1 league system.^[7] Late in October 2015, head manager Zlatko Mihajlović resigned from his position, citing poor club finances and lack of ambition as the main reasons behind his decision to depart the club. Mihajlović, a former player and 1999 Bill Fleming medallist, revealed that the club stopped paying wages with twelve games left in the 2014 season and again in the 2015 season with ten games to go.^[8]

On the 26th of November, 2015, they announced Boyan Mitkov as the new senior head coach.^[9] Mitkov was previously the u20s manager at the nearby Dandenong Thunder. Springvale lost key player Šimo Jovanović to Kingston City FC in January 2016 in a big blow to new manager Mitkov. Jovanović had spent his entire career with the White Eagles to date, progressing through the youth system to eventually become the club's captain.^[10] On 12 April 2016, it was announced that senior head coach Boyan Mitkov and his assistant Gus Caminos had resigned from their positions seven rounds into the NPL2 season. Pascoe Vale FC U20s manager and former White Eagles player Nik Kovacevic was announced as the replacement. Mitkov departed with Springvale winless in their first seven league games.^[11] Kovacevic's reign began with an incredible turn of form, the club managing five consecutive wins, propelling itself up the league ladder. The run was halted when the White Eagles came up against Dandenong Thunder, who had won all of its games to date. Thunder won 1–0 through a Faisal Sakhizada header. Springvale brought back former player Vojislav Milojevic in the mid-season transfer window after the player was released by Avondale FC and also added Milan Jovanovic from the South Melbourne FC U20 side.^[12] Springvale finished the season in 6th place in the NPL2 East, its best ever finish in the NPL2 competition.^[13] In November 2016, head coach Kovacevic departed the club to return to Pascoe Vale as a senior assistant coach.^[14]

Springvale White Eagles appointed former Altona Magic coach Vlado Tortevski as their new manager for the 2017 NPL2 season.^[15]

Divisional History

Achievements

League

Cup

Victorian Premier League

• Highest finish: 6th in 1997
• Season Appearances: 5 Seasons
• Greatest home win: 8–2 against Melton Reds in 1997
• Greatest away win: 6–0 against Westvale in 1999

Club Top Goal Scorers

• 2015 – Hernan de Rito – 6
• 2014 – Vojislav Milojević – ?
• 2013 – Stephane Leblond – 14
• 2011 – Goran Zoric – 8
• 2010 – Nenad Pavasovic – 8
• 2009 – Zoran Vukas – 6
• 2008 – Grujo Mrdić – 7
• 2007 – Goran Zorić – 5
• 2006 – Nikolaos Papadopoulos – 11
• 2005 – Sastre Teyedor Juan – 11
• 2004 – Zlatko Mihajlović – 9
• 2003 – Ricky Diaco – 12
• 2002 – Eric Styczen – 9
• 2001 – Nebojsa Kozlica – 6
• 2000 – Eric Styczen – 6
• 1999 – Zlatko Mihajlović – 10
• 1998 – Sasha Nikolić – 4
• 1997 – Danny Gnjidić – 14
• 1996 – Zlatko Mihajlović – 16
• 1995 – Micheal Michalakopoulos – 14
• 1994 – Zlatko Mihajlović – 7
• 1993 – Zlatko MIhaljović – 11
• 1992 – Zlatko Mihaljović – 12
• 1991 – Kerezovic – 9

International players

Australia U-20

• Miloš Lujić

Australia U-17

• Miloš Lujić

Individual awards

Bill Fleming Medal – Media voted VPL Player of the Year

• 1999 – Zlatko Mihajlović

Rivalries

Melbourne Knights

This was a short rivalry because Springvale White Eagles were relegated at the end of the 2007 season. SWE have been promoted to the Victorian Premier League and will face Melbourne Knights in the 2011 season.

Head-to-Head

• Games: 4
• White Eagles wins: 0
• Knights wins: 3
• Draws: 1
• White Eagles goals: 3
• Knights goals: 12

St Albans Saints

These 2 clubs first met in the Victorian Premier league on March 22, 1997. The game was played in the Serbian Sports Centre where White Eagles recorded a 3–1 win. In that match St Albans took the lead in the 43 minute with a goal by Idriz Pelja. White Eagles Jim Gacovski leveled the score in the 83rd minute. Anthony Burlak scored in the 89th minute and Nick Kovacevic in the 90th minute to give White Eagles a memrable 3–1 victory.

Head-to-Head VPL and VIC Division 1 (from 1997 to present)^[16]

• Games: 22
• White Eagles wins: 6
• St Albans wins: 8
• Draws: 8
• White Eagles goals: 33
• St Albans goals: 42

Stadium

White Eagles play at the Serbian Sports Centre (Srpski Sportski Centar).

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player Nebojsa Vujic Žarko Milojevic Slavisa Saric Stojan Milojevic Simo Jovanovic Sebastian Lecaros Camposano Hernan De Rito Dejan Erakovic Kelesto Mthembu Scott Millar

No. Position Player Jordan Ballerini Marcus Holmes Milan Jovanovic Vedran Tomic Anthony Selemidis Jeremy Sandoval Trent Hansen Ricardo Teixeira Ryan Babare Edmon Benjamin

Squad correct as per August 2015.

References

External links

• Official website
• Football Federation Victoria Official website
• Serbian Sports Centre – Official Website

Soccer in Australia
Football Federation Australia
National teams	Men's Men's U-23 Men's U-20 Men's U-17 Men's Beach Men's Paralympic Women's Women's U-20 Women's U-17
Current competitions	A-League Youth League W-League National Premier Leagues FFA Cup FFA State Institute Challenge Kanga Cup
Defunct competitions	National Soccer League NSL Cup National Youth League (1984–2004) Women's National Soccer League Australia Cup
Lists	Clubs Venues (stadiums by capacity) Champions
Other	League system Professional Footballers Australia Football Hall of Fame Women's soccer in Australia