Past and present Launceston City soccer players
LAUNCESTON City's 1978 team will be feted at the launch of the new statewide soccer competition at Prospect on Saturday.
The opening round of the Victory League comes 35 years after the first statewide league was organised in Tasmania.
``We thought Saturday would be an appropriate day to get the 1978 team back together to recognise the club's first ever involvement in a state competition,'' club spokesman Tony Rossi said.
The club is delighted to have 12 members of the team back together and they include Tony Gibbons who now lives in Sydney.
Gibbons came from England to play with the club and was regarded as one of the best strikers in the competition.
Other members from 1978 who will be attending are Leighton and Jamie Hodge, Ben Colla, Barry Hemsley, Jeff Butler, Vic Beal, Tony Gaffett, Paul Gimpl, Jock Glass, Alex McNeill, Frank Stolp and Peter Mies.
Unfortunately the team captain Tom Strickland passed away two years ago and life member Hans Streit has forwarded his apology as he is presently interstate.
Rossi said that in 1978 the team competed as Launceston Juventus and wore the black and white colours but following the end of ethnic affiliations in 1997 it is now known as Launceston City.
``While the 1978 team didn't achieve all that much success it spawned a lot of men who have gone on to be club life members and present day sponsors,'' he said.
Launceston City was one of eight clubs which was successful in gaining a licence to participate in the new Victory League and it will play its opening game against Northern Rangers in a double-header planned for Mitsubishi Park on Saturday.
Following the official luncheon the action will then get under way with the opening game between Devonport and the Tilford Zebras at 1pm followed by the second game at 3.30pm. Representatives of Football Federation Tasmania and A-League team Melbourne Victory will be guests at the lunch.