The club said the formation of Riverside Olympic FC was intended to allow every player to develop to their highest potential, young or old, male or female.

After 12 months of deliberations, both clubs came to the decision to combine resources and remove duplication. The new combined club will provide a clear football pathway from under-six players through to senior men’s and women’s teams.

The club was founded in 1967 and initially based at Kings Meadows High School and then Ravenswood Recreation Ground, before moving to Windsor Park. The junior club, formed in the 1980s as an amalgamation of teams from Riverside and Trevallyn primary schools, won the Northern Tasmanian Junior Soccer Association club of the year in 2015 and 2016. 

The two clubs had 550 players this season aged from four to 50-plus.

Incoming president Stuart McCarron thanked members of both ROSC and ROJSC for recognising the potential of coming together. 

Secretary Crystal Neep added: “We are excited to see the evolution and result from pulling together two strong organisational cultures to provide a new framework for developing football at every level at Riverside and in the West Tamar region.”

Olympic is seeking a licence for the NPL state league and women’s super league from 2019. The club will take to the field in its 50th year with Lynden Prince as senior men’s coach, Nick Rawlinson as senior women’s coach and Alan Eadie as technical director.