Club History

Glen Waverley Junior Soccer Club was created in 1980. It began as an offshoot of the Mulgrave Soccer Club. The Club's initial purpose was to provide boys from all backgrounds in Glen Waverley aged from U7 - U13 the opportunity to play soccer. An assocation with Highvale Secondary College commenced from the start with the school being used as the Club's training facility. Matches were played at Gladeswood Reserve in Mulgrave. The teams were entered in the Victorian Soccer Federation junior league competition.  

 

After a successful birth the Club set about becoming established in its own right. In 1981 the Club adopted it's own constitution. In the early years the Club fielded 7 teams. At various times there were enough boys for 2 teams in one age group. This prompted issues with grading, a subject that occupied a lot of the committee's time then as it does now. 

 

Another feature of the early years was the club's participation, along with Mulgrave and Waverley City, in an annual tri-angular competition for the Waverley Mayors Shield.

 

In 1989 the club moved it's home base to Wellington Secondary College. Whilst the playing surface was good facilities were sparse to non-existent and the Club was soon appealing to the Council for something better.

 

Despite the difficulties the Club's reputation was such that it was ably filling the demand for the sport in the area. Other clubs in the area were struggling, Mulgrave had folded and in 1991 the Club received a merger proposal from Waverley United. This was rejected on the basis that it would jeopardise the non - ethnic based background of the Club.

 

In 1992 the Club was able to secure tenancy of Larpent Reserve. At last the Club had a home playing base in Glen Waverley itself. For 16 years now the Club has successfully fought its opponents at this fine arena and not so successfully fought the ground's poor drainage.

 

By 1993 the Club had 9 teams in competition from U7 to U14 and had cracked the 100 player mark with 118 players.  The Club was starting to grow steadily as more locals became aware of the world game, by 1995 12 teams were wearing the green and white.

 

In 1997 an affiliation agreement with Old Scotch Waverley (now Eastern Lions) soccer club was signed giving older boys a pathway to continue playing the sport in the local area, albeit with a different club. 

 

As 2000 approached the Club's teams were becoming more successful. Teams won promotion to the Super League competition for the first time and teams were continuing to U16 or even U18 age level. On the back of the continued growth the Club gained use of a second playing ground at Glen Waverley North Reserve. This became the main training venue with the lights at Highvale being relocated there.

 

The new millenium brought unprecedented growth for the game and for the Club.

 

In 2002 the Club first ran a Goalkick program. This proved a great introduction to the sport for players U6 to U10 and directly fed into the continued growth of player numbers at older levels.

 

In 2003 came a revolution - girls! 2 teams the "Coyotes" and the "Firebirds" were entered in competition and proved to be a great success. By 2008 the Club was fielding 6 girls teams from U12 to U16. 

 

In 2005 the Club celebrated 25 years with over 300 players and the first ever venture outside of junior soccer was made with an Over 35s " masters" team.

 

More work was being done off the field. Monash council redeveloped the Glen Waverley North clubrooms. Lack of available council grounds to cope with the growth in player numbers meant the Club had to develop associations with local schools, 2 playing pitches were developed at Wheelers Hill Secondary College and training was happening at Vermont Secondary, Monash Uni and, back where it all began, Highvale Secondary.

 

2007 was a proud year for the Club. The new clubrooms were opened and a mens senior and reserve team were entered in competition. Now at last the Club could provide a continuous pathway for players from U6 to adults.

2008 saw well over 400 players proudly wearing the badge of Glen Waverley Junior Soccer Club. Goodness knows what the founding members would make of it now and one can only wonder what the next 28 years will bring.