George Tsamouras Football Journey

The two Newcastle Olympic Men’s teams go into the final round of the 2026 NPL competition of Northern NSW Football targeting objectives on the opposite end of their respective points table! The 2025 Minor Premiers in Reserve Grade are within a whisker of retaining their crown. All they need in the final round is a win against Jaffas and for Valentine to have a draw or a loss against Weston! First Grade on the other hand need a win to avoid coming second last and being involved in a play-off to continue in the same competition next season!

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade began the season with 7 wins from as many matches! Then their rhythm was broken by the introduction of First Grade players who needed playing minutes! Whilst this is a common event, the majority of these First Grade players were of average ability and most of them are no longer at the club!

Despite this the team turned things round and returned to their winning ways. Just as it looked like they would continue from where they left off, their coach was asked to assist with first grade and their assistant coach went overseas!

The team returned to their winning ways and in the space of seven days won three matches, scoring 15 goals and conceding none! After collecting the scalp of league leaders Valantine Phoenix 3-2 in the last game of the season at Darling St Oval they are now ready to take on Lambton Jaffas. The requirement here is a win and for Valentine to draw or lose their match against Weston!

If both win, Valentine collect the Minor Premiership and Olympic 2^nd spot! This will then bring Cooks Hill to Darling St Oval as the first match in the play-offs for the 2026 Grand Final.

Kick off at Arthur Eden Oval at 12:00 pm on Sunday 16^th August 2026

Newcastle Olympic First Grade travel to Arthur Eden Oval to secure the 3 points and their position in the NPL competition for next season. Lambton Jaffas are only 1 point ahead of Olympic and they will be seeking to do the same! Charlestown Azzurri have come last and thereby already been relegated. Lambton Jaffas, Newcastle Olympic, Adamstown Rosebud and Kahibah are the four teams who could end up second last which will lead to a play-off for survival or demotion!

To say that Newcastle Olympic First Grade have had a disastrous year would be an understatement. Last week in the 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Valentine, they were poor. If a similar performance is played out at Lambton Jaffas it will be very hard for them to come away with any points. A great deal will be determined by how each team adapts the conditions of the game.

Kick off at Arthur Eden Oval at 2:00 pm on Sunday 16^th August 2026.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade proved too strong for the league leaders Valentine Phoenix and have moved to within 2 points with one game left while First Grade lost 2-1 and will be contesting their survival in the last game of the season against Lambton Jaffas FC.

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade resembled a gun whose ammunition was left on the bench at the start of the match against Valentine FC! As a result they spent an entire half without their customary lion’s share of possession which in turn caused them to have less shots on goal. In fact, the first visible shot on goal didn’t come until the 39^th minute!

Valentine were gifted the first goal in the 13^th minute when during a routine back pass the Olympic goalkeeper was caught in possession after he tried to dribble the ball out of trouble! Following this, the absence of a defensive midfield player on the field enabled Valentine to string passes at will and to put Olympics’ defence under undue pressure.

The second goal which came in the 22^nd minute highlighted exactly this when Valentine was able to thread a number of passes which ripped apart a stretched Olympic defence for a 2-0 scoreline! Valentine were 2-0 up and enjoying possession against a team which would otherwise not have given them so much time and space on the ball.

The first clear goal scoring opportunity didn’t arrive for Olympic until the 39^th minute when Jess Fitzgerald fired over the crossbar from a free kick outside the box. In the 44^th minute it was the turn of Lucas Walshe who placed a simple tap in on the wrong side of the post.

At half time the league leaders Valentine were 2-0 up in a balanced game during which they were enjoying space and time on the ball. Olympic must have remembered the ammunition they left on the bench during the first half and loaded the gun with Oli Steinerts and George Tsamouras from the 46^th minute.

The impact was immediate with Valentine not being able to enjoy the same amount of time and space on the ball! This gave the Olympic boys more possession and the confidence that comes with that. The more the game wore on, the more possession, the greater the aggression and intensity and the greater the composure. Despite being 2-0 down it was Olympic who looked more composed and in control of the game.

The first great chance came when George Tsamouras stole the ball on the right, advanced into the box and cut back a ball which was met by Marchant, who couldn’t keep his shot on target. Moments later Marchant puts a good ball through to Zervas who crosses from the right into the path of Fitzgerald who had no problem tapping the ball into the back of the net. By the 72 minute a poor clearance from the Valentine Keeper resulted in the ball falling on the path of Jesse Fitzgerald who brought the game level at 2-2!

The pressure continued to pile onto Valentine and Olympic could smell another goal. This came in the 80^th minute when the Valentine goalkeeper failed to control a cross by Clifford from the right and Jesse Fitzgerald tapped it in for his third goal of the night!

Olympic won the match 3-2, moved to within 2 points of Valentine and await the results from next week to see where the Premiership will land. Olympic need to win away to Lambton Jaffas and Valentine at home against Weston. Both will be tough matches as Jaffas and Weston will be  trying to secure 5^th spot on the table. If Valentine win they become Minor Premiers. If they draw or lose and Olympic defeat Lambton Jaffas, Olympic become Minor Premiers.

Leading into the playoffs, Cooks Hill have secured 3^rd spot, Broadmeadow Magic 4^th spot and Maitland, Jaffas and Weston will be contesting 5^th spot on the last game of the season.

Newcastle Olympic First Grade lost 2-1 to a hungry Valentine side which secured its place in the NPL for next season after a gutsy display at Darling St Oval. Although the game wasn’t a great spectacle for the neutral observer, the Phoenix played with purpose and had no problem coming away with the 3 points.

From the outset Valentine high pressed Olympic to the point where the boys in blue had difficulty playing out! They marked Olympic off the park, blocked all playing channels and were winning most 50-50 balls. In the 18^th minute they were able to score from a corner kick in which the Valentine attack simply outmuscled Olympics’ defence in the air to score a textbook goal. In the remainder of the half Olympic simply could not build and their only sniff at a possible goal came from dead ball situations.

In the second half Olympic were able to draw level from a free kick from outside the box. Ben Hay sent in the cross and Dominik Brymora caught the Valentine defence napping with a well taken header. No sooner had Olympic smiles settled, Valentine took the lead again in the 74^th minute from a goal, straight from the corner kick!

The loss places Olympic in 9^th position on 21 points and 21 games played while on equal 21 points is Adamstown but with a game in hand! The real danger is Kahibah who are in 11^th spot and on 17 points but with two games in hand!

If Olympic lose away to Lambton Jaffas next week, a lot will depend on the results of Kahibah who play Magic away, Maitland at home and Cooks Hill at home!

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic take on Valentine Phoenix FC in the last game of the season at Darling St Oval. Reserve Grade will be looking to finish the season with a high in preparation for the finals while First Grade will be seeking to ensure that even mathematically, they cannot be relegated.

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade looked like they would run away with the Premiership after 7 rounds into the season but with two games to go, they are only guaranteed a top 3 finish! Valentine lead the competition on 44 points after defeating Adamstown Rosebud 4-0 in a washed-out fixture on Tuesday night. Cooks Hill United are in 2^nd spot on 40 points who also played out a 4-0 win on Tuesday night over Charlestown Azzurri. Newcastle Olympic are on 39 points and in 3^rd position on the table but with a superior goal average to both Valentine and Cooks Hill. Mathematically, all three teams can win the Premiership depending on results in the final two games of the season.

Going into this match, Olympic have won their past three games by 5-0 and look in very good shape to continue causing havoc to whoever they face. Valentine have only lost two games all season and probably relish to test themselves against a powerhouse side that has scored 15 goals in 7 days and conceded none!

Although this match doesn’t decide the title on it’s own, winning both remaining two games is of paramount importance to both teams for the title as well as maintaining their momentum leading into the finals.

Kick-off is scheduled for 12:00pm on Saturday 8^th August 2026 at Darling St Oval.

Newcastle Olympic First Grade would be eager to put this season behind them after securing 3 points and ensuring that even mathematically, they cannot be demoted! They are 4 points clear from second last Kahibah FC and if they pick up 3 points against Valentine, the result away to Jaffas in the last game of the season has no bearing on their survival!

Kick-off is scheduled for 2:00pm on Saturday 8^th August 2026 at Darling St Oval.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade continued their final run towards the 2026 NPL Premiership of Northern NSW with a triumphant 5-0 demolition of Charlestown Azzurri. This is the teams third match in seven days and the third win by the same score! They have scored 15 goals against Belmont, Edgeworth and Charlestown and not conceded any!

Charlestown were competitive for about 20 minutes but once Olympic got their noses ahead by 2-0, Azzurri gave them time and space to carve them up like slicing a melon!

The first goal came in the 13^th minute when dead ball specialist George Tsamouras floated in a pin-point accurate free kick from outside the box and onto the heads of an armada of Olympic players queuing up to score. By the 21^st minute a great steal of the ball by Liam Craig in the midfield and an ensuing attack resulted in an Azzurri defender scoring an own goal in his attempt to clear the ball!

In their quest to peg a goal back Azzurri opened-up play and in doing so enabled Olympic complete control of possession and domination of play. Olympic stroked the ball around and launched attacks at will. Despite this, the scoreline remained 2-0 until half time.

By the 58^th minute the game was effectively over as a contest with Olympic bagging their third goal through Blake Clifton from a Nikolai Zervas assist. In the 77^th minute an Azzurri defender was caught in possession and dispossessed of the ball. The ensuing one-two between Steinerts and Fitzgerald resulted in the later scoring another goal, his seventh in a week! By the 85^th minute it was Steinert’s turn who struck a thunderous shot from outside the box to record the final 5-0 score line.

After this result Valentine continue to head the points table on 43 points from 19 matches, Olympic are in 2^nd spot on 41 from 20 matches and Cooks Hill in 3^rd spot on 37 points from 18 matches.

Valentine play Adamstown away on the 1^st August, Olympic away on the 8^th August and Weston at home on 16^th August!

Olympic play Valentine at home on 8^th August and Jaffas away on the 16^th of August.

Cooks Hill have Broadmeadow Magic at home on the 31^st July, Azzurri at home on 4^th of August, Adamstown away on the 8^th of August and Kahibah away on the 16^th of August.

Mathematically any one of these three teams can win the Premieship but Valentine and Olympic look to be the favourites.

If Valentine lose or draw against Adamstown on 1^st August, the competition is wide open and the clash between Olympic and Valentine at Darling St Oval in the second last game of the season will have a big bearing as to where the 2026 Premiership will go.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade are three games away from winning the 2026 NPL Premiership of Northern NSW Football. If achieved, this will be the second Premiership in a row by this squad of players!

The team made a flying start to the season winning 7 games from as many matches before being held to a 0-0 draw by Adamstown. There then followed a period during which they lost three consecutive matches, 1-0 to Edgeworth, 2-1 to Valentine and 4-3 to Lambton Jaffas! One of the contributing factors were changes to their line up from having to accommodate first grade players with playing minutes!

Despite this, the boys bounced back and returned to their winning ways!

Their next set back was a loss of momentum due to constant washed out matches and the departure of their coach to first grade! Two further consecutive defeats followed but the Olympic spirit bounced back!

In the space of a week the team defeated Belmont 5-0 and followed this with another 5-0 away win to Edgeworth!

Three games from the finish and Olympic sit in 2^nd place 5 points behind league leaders Valentine! Tonight they face Charlestown Azzurri at the LMRFF in a wash out fixture which has been postponed twice so far. A win tonight will bring them within 2 points of Valentine and a huge showdown with the Phoenix on Saturday 8^th August at Darling St Oval!

A win at Darling St Oval will put them 1 point ahead and all that will be required in the last game of the season is an away victory to Lambton Jaffas!

The match between Newcastle Olympic and Charlestown Azzurri kicks off tonight at 18:15 at the LMRFF.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade crushed Edgeworth Eagles 5-0 while First grade were defeated by 2-0!

After the 5-0 flogging of Belmont midweek, Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade dished out the same punishment to Edgeworth Eagles, avenging the 1-0 loss at Darling St Oval earlier in the season. As the scoreline would indicate, Olympic dominated play and at times provided an exhibition in technique. Edgeworth were competitive in the opening 15 minutes of each half by maintaining a physical presence but after that it was all Olympic!

Proceedings began in the 17^th minute when a well worked move involving Clifford, Tsamouras, Paksec, Petersen and Fitzgerald resulted in the later finding time and space to line up a shot and force the Edgeworth goalkeeper to retrieve the ball from the back of his net!

By the 24^th minute a nice through ball to Fitzgerald by Paksec resulted in the ball rebounding from the Edgeworth goalkeeper and the Olympic No 9 had no problem scoring his second of the night and 6^th goal of the week!

The third goal which came in the 37^th minute was an absolute gem by the Olympic goalkeeper, Bowen Stubbs! After receiving the ball, the Olympic keeper looked up and put a through ball to River Petersen who was lurking unmarked and upon receiving the ball had only the Edgeworth goalkeeper to beat! This goal showed vision and technique of a team which was light years ahead of it’s opponent.

Olympic had a back four defence which was solid and flawless. In the midfield, pit bulls Liam Craig and George Tsamouras tackled and distributed balls all day ensuring their team had the lions share of possession. Up front, Fitzgerald was deadly, scoring 6 goals in two matches, while River Petersen teased and tormented opponents with his technique and dribbling skills. The rest of the players were the nuts and bolts of a well-oiled machine.

The second half was just as entertaining as the first half. Oliver Steinerts added the 4^th goal in the 67^th minute and Lucas Walsh the 5^th just before full time to complete a great afternoon for the boys in blue.

Following this win, Olympic are left with Charlestown Azzurri to play on Tuesday night at the LMRFF, Valentine at home and Lambton Jaffas away in the last game of the season. A win in all three of these games guarantees them the Premiership!

Newcastle Olympic First Grade came close against Edgeworth Eagles but it was not meant to be. The necessity to win to secure a top five finish enabled the home team to record a 2-0 victory.

Playing their first competitive match in three weeks, Edgeworth took the lead in the 18^th minute with a header by Aaron Niyonkuru. Olympic reacted with a number of opportunities that lacked the finishing touch.

In the second half the game opened up with both teams playing attacking football. Olympic created some chances but again poor finishing prevented them from scoring. What Olympic was unable to do, Edgeworth was able in the 74^th minute through Goodman who beat two defenders and even the Olympic goalkeeper to record the final 2-0 scoreline.

This result allows Edgeworth to reclaim 5^th spot on the points table while it means Olympic require a win from their last two matches against Valentine and Lambton Jaffas to avoid the relegation zone.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic triumphed 5-0 and 5-2 in Round 19 of the 2026 NPL competition of Northen NSW Football. Reserve Grade had no problem collecting the three points and moved into 2^nd spot on the table. First Grade also collected three points and this should ensure they avoid relegation over the remaining three games.

Playing at the LMRFF on Tuesday night, Olympic took on a Belmont team which was happy to give them space and time on the ball! This fact didn’t take long to provide Olympic with dividends with Jess Fitzgerald receiving a cross in the 3^rd minute and guiding the ball past the Belmont keeper for a 1-0 lead.

Olympic stroked the ball between their back four and their two defensive midfield players effortlessly and by the 7^th minute the marking was so poor that Jess Fitzgerald decided to line up a shot from outside the eighteen-yard box! The ball was struck with such venom that the Belmont keeper couldn’t even get a hand to it before picking it up from the back of his net!

With a 2-0 lead Olympic were in total control of possession and dictated the tempo of the game. Belmont sustained wave upon wave of Olympic attacks and were able to keep the scoreline at 2-0 either through their woodwork or defensive heroics by their goalkeeper! By the 30^th minute the game was over as a contest when midfielder George Tsamouras entered the eighteen-yard box, beet a number of players and sent in a low cross to Jess Fitzgerald who controlled the ball and put it past the helpless Belmont goalkeeper to record 3-0!

A fourth goal by the same player was added before halftime and with a 4-0 lead at the break, it was all just a formality. Oliver Steinerts made his return from injury midway through the second half and added Olympics’ 5^th goal of the night which resulted in them frog-leaping Cooks Hill on the points table into 2^nd spot. League leaders Valentine are 5 points clear but Olympic have a game in hand against Charlestown and host them at Darling St Oval in the second last game of the season!

Newcastle Olympic first grade faced Belmont a day later at Darling St Oval and with a line up both on the field as well as the bench, of essentially players who had come up through the Olympic ranks. After their heroic display against Broadmeadow Magic Olympic looked sharp, were first to the ball, and were winning most of the 50-50 challenges!

Despite the domination in play, some poor marking inside the box led to Belmont taking the lead in the 8^th minute through Andrew McGee! By the 16^th minute a shot by Bradbery from a corner deflected off a Belmont defender to bring the game level to 1-1. By the 24^th minute a poorly cleared corner kick by Olympic resulted in a Belmont defender heading the ball into his own net for an Olympic 2-1 lead!

Olympic continued to control the game but it wasn’t until the 40^th minute when Ben Hays sent in a cheeky lob to increase the score to 3-1 that victory began to smile towards Olympic. In stoppage time Olympic were able to increase the score to 4-1 when a cross from the right was not cleared by the keeper and a Belmont defender put it into his own net after trying to avoid the pressure from Kyle Bradbery.

In the second half Belmont were able to pull a goal back to 4-2 through Cy Goodwin in the 56^th minute but another own goal in the 75^th minute ensured Olympic came away with a 5-2 win and all smiles. Although this doesn’t secure Olympics’ position mathematically, three more points in their remaining games against Edgeworth, Valentine and Lambton Jaffas will ensure they will there again next season!

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic visited Magic Park and was unable to come away with any points, losing 2-1 in both Reserve and First Grade!

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade went into this match knowing that 3 points was of paramount importance if they were to sustain pressure on the other two teams fighting for Premiership honours, Valentine FC and Cooks Hill. In slippery and cold conditions they began the match well with Jess Fitzgerald catching a defender in possession of the ball and being able to lob the keeper to open the score line 1-0.

Just before half time Broadmeadow Magic were able to equalise after Olympic failed to mark adequately from a corner kick! This was uncharacteristic of the team but given the lack of competitive matches due to programming and wet weather, hardly surprising!

In the second half a lucky bounce of the ball from a cross from the right set up a Broadmeadow forward perfectly who had no problem increasing the score-line to 2-1! Olympic chased the game until the very end but to no avail.

They appeared to lack the spark and intensity we are accustomed to seeing. Indeed, this match resembled a trial game at the start of the season than a competition match. This is what happens due to a prolonged period of competitive games due to scheduling and wet weather.

First Grade began the match with much promise with Jye Rodway scoring in the opening minute for the visitors. Ben Diamond levelled the score in the 32^nd and J. Cresnar put Magic in front 2-1 by the 42^nd minute.

Despite all efforts, this scoreline remained until the end. Olympic were defeated but they were competitive until the final whistle.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic are away to Broadmeadow Magic in Round 18 of the 2026 NPL competition of Northern NSW. Reserve Grade will have their hands full against an in form Magic team trying to cement a top 5 position while First Grade will be up against a team looking for their third consecutive Premiership!

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade have not played since the round 17 home defeat to Cooks Hill two weeks ago. The wash out scheduled fixture against Charlestown Azzurri was postponed for a second time due to the poor and wet surface of Darling St Oval.

Olympic occupy 3^rd place on the points table, 2 points behind Cooks Hill and 5 behind Valentine despite leading the competition for most of the season. They won 7 consecutive games but once first grade players began “playing down” the team has only won 3 matches in the past nine games!

Broadmeadow Magic started the season poorly but a late burst of form has brought them to 4^th spot, 4 points behind Olympic. The game at Darling St Oval was a 5-1 thrashing to Olympic but so much has changed since then and Magic will be favorites to collect the 3 points in this match.

Much will depend on the mental preparation of the two teams but with Olympics’ coach joining the roster of first grade and with the assistant coach overseas, the boys in blue will be up against it.

Weather permitting the game is scheduled to kick off on Sunday 12^th July at 5:00pm at Magic Park.

Newcastle Olympic First Grade are ecstatic from winning their first game in months over Charlestown Azzurri by 7-1 and pushing away from the danger zone by 4 points. Despite this the prospect of taking on Magic who are in first place by 5 points from their nearest rival is a huge task.

The difference in strength between the two squads is enormous and Magic is favorite to collect all three points. Having said this, history has shown that when these two teams take the field, points and where they belong on the table means very little. Everything will depend with the mental preparation of each team and how quickly they adapt to the conditions of the match.

Weather permitting the game is scheduled to kick off on Sunday 12^th July at 3:00pm at Magic Park.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic was unable to score against Cooks Hill United in Round 17 of the 2026 NPL competition of Northern NSW Football. Reserve Grade suffered their fourth defeat of the season losing 1-0 and First Grade played out a 0-0 draw.

Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade went into this match as league leaders against the second placed team on the ladder, Cooks Hill United. They began the match well and stroked the ball around with confidence and composure but as the game wore on, they rushed and played long balls. Their strength, crispy passing game from the midfield, was replaced by rushed balls and long passes. Their wingers rarely got round the Cooks Hill full backs to cross the ball and put them under pressure.

Despite this, it was Olympic who came close to scoring when a cross from the right found Jese Fitzgerald in the box and whose effort came back off the woodwork of the Cooks Hill goal. Cooks Hill rarely troubled the Olympic goalie but during a routine back pass in the 31^st minute, Loki Marchant who was “playing down” from first grade, made a horror first touch that enabled Luke Valone to run in at the Olympic keeper and score the only game of the match! Olympics’ only clear chance to score after this was a loud appeal for a hand ball inside the box but the referee didn’t agree.

In the second half Olympic stepped up a gear. They played with greater speed and intensity forcing numerous saves by the Cooks Hill goalie. Cooks Hill tried to slow the game down and chew down the clock. They tried to catch Olympic on the break whenever the home team went forward but to no avail. Despite all efforts by Olympic the score remained 1-0 in favour of Cooks Hill which saw them drop from 1^st spot on the ladder to 3^rd!

They have a chance to regain their spot on Wednesday when they meet Charlestown Azzurri in a wash out game from Round 13.

Newcastle Olympic First Grade went into this game in equal last spot on the ladder and acquiring points was the order of the day. Despite a hard fought game Olympic were unable to score and managed to get 1 point which lifts them from equal last place to 10^th, 1 point away from bottom two Kahibah and Charlestown Azzurri. It also makes them the team with the least wins in the season, only three!

Despite this set back a win against Charlestown on Wednesday night could propel them to 8^th spot on the ladder and hopefully build enough momentum to see them finish mid table!

Source: Tom Tsamouras