Category Archives: Uncategorized

Newcastle Olympic proved much too strong for Adamstown Rosebud, winning 6-2 in Reserve Grade and 4-0 in First Grade in Round 8 of the Northern NSW NPL competition!

In excellent weather conditions Newcastle Olympic commenced proceedings at Darling St Oval on Friday night, after a four-week absence, and were 3-0 up within 23 minutes against second placed Adamstown Rosebud. This is not because the opposition was weak but simply because Olympic were playing their best game of the season. Solid in defence, compact in midfield and lethal in attack, this was the most balanced performance by the team so far and a far cry from the opening two games of the season.

Within the first six minutes of the second half the score increased to 5-0 and the game appeared over as an effective spectacle. Olympic momentarily took their foot off the accelerator while the spectators were probably wondering how First Grade would perform, only to find themselves pegged back to 5-2 by only the 56’ minute!

Olympic took control of the game again, scored another goal in the 73^rd minute to make it 6-2 and played out a professional remaining second half during which their entire bench was used to clock up minutes.

The win propels Olympic to 2^nd place on the ladder, two points behind league leaders Broadmeadow Magic, who also won on the night, and a showdown between 1^st and 2^nd set for next Tuesday night at Magic Park.

First Grade decided to emulate their Reserve Grade counterparts by opening proceedings in the 22^nd minute and reassuring the Darling St Oval faithful with a 2^nd goal in the 39^th minute through a well struck penalty. This was also a tough game in which Olympic were in control but against an opponent who was capable of easily turning the match around at any moment.

In the 61^st minute Olympic increased the score to 3-0 but unlike Reserve Grade remained focused and kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the end. A fourth goal was added in the 86^th minute and another three points were added to their tally.

This win elevates Olympic to equal 3^rd place on the ladder and a showdown against 2^nd placed Edgeworth Eagles in a fortnights time awaits!

Source: Tom Tsamouras

After four away fixtures to Valentine, Maitland, Broadmeadow and Lambton, Newcastle Olympic finally return to Darling St Oval to take on Adamstown Rosebud.

Reserve Grade achieved maximum points in their three away fixtures conceding just the one goal and scoring six! Wins at Valentine 2-1, Maitland 1-0 and Lambton Jaffas 3-0 coupled with a 2-0 home win against Charlestown has brought the side to within 1 point from the top of the league table!

Adamstown Rosebud are equal league leaders with Broadmeadow Magic after defeating the later 2-1. Olympic take on Adamstown at 6.00pm on Friday evening in a game which will decide who will be on top of the league table, given that Olympic also play Broadmeadow Magic the following Tuesday!

Olympics’ strength in this game is their defence, having conceded just 5 goals which is the least amount conceded by any team in the competition, and coming from four consecutive wins. Adamstown on the other hand have conceded 12 but will be confident as they inflicted the first loss on the league leaders in their last outing!

Will Olympic make it five in a row ahead of their clash with Broadmeadow Magic which will determine which team will go into the Easter break at the top of the league or will the Rosebuds be the cause of their third home defeat of the season?

First Grade recorded two wins, a draw and a loss in their four away games. They sit in 5^th place on the table 7 points behind the league leaders and 2 points ahead of sixth placed Adamstown Rosebud! A win on Friday night will draw the team closer to 3^rd spot and create a buffer of 5 points with Adamstown.

Both teams are guilty of leaky defences with Olympic conceding 11 goals in seven games while the Rosebuds have allowed 18! In attack Olympic have scored 15 to Adamstown’s 13 but when they dominate games, such as the one against Broadmeadow Magic, they don’t win!

Olympic need to combine domination of play with not conceding silly goals against the run of play! The game at Darling St Oval kicks off at 8.00pm.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic returned unscathed from their visit to Lambton Jaffas, not conceding even a single goal. Reserve Grade defeated the Jaffas 3-0 while First Grade played out a 0-0 draw!

With two goals scored before half time by Kane Treble and Jed Hornery and another in the second half by the former, Reserve Grade defeated a Lambton Jaffas team which put up a bigger fight than the score would indicate. Despite this Olympic took their chances and kept the opposition at bay to record a win that has brought them to within a point from league leaders Broadmeadow Magic and Adamstown Rosebud!

Facing Adamstown this Friday night at Darling St Oval and Broadmeadow Magic away the following week, Reserve Grade could go into the Easter weekend on top of the league! They have been able to achieve this because of four consecutive wins following two losses in the first two games of the season!

First Grade had their hands full against a Jaffas team which had the lion’s share of possession as well as goalscoring opportunities! Despite their low position on the points table Lambton Jaffas were desperate to record their second win of the season and their first at Arthur Edden Oval. Olympic has a similar possession and goal scoring ratio the previous week at Magic Park against Broadmeadow and ended up not collecting a single point. The 0-0 draw earns them 1 point and enables them to hold 5^th spot on the points table.

A win against Adamstown on Friday night at Darling St Oval should distance themselves from their 6^th placed rival as well as increase the possibility of securing 2^nd spot.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

After last week’s gripe with the weather in which Newcastle Olympics’ First Grade team were allowed to play but Reserve Grade wasn’t, fine skies today promise to ensure that both sides take the field at Arthur Edden Oval.

Reserve Grade who have been wrapped up in moth balls since their Round 5 fixture against Maitland will take on a Jaffas side who have won only one game all season! On paper Olympic are favorites to collect the 3 points which will propel them into the top four positions and with the wash out match against Broadmeadow Magic still to be played.

The match at Arthur Edden Oval kicks off at 12:00pm.

First Grade who dominated against Broadmeadow Magic despite their narrow loss take on a Jaffas team which also has won only one match all season and are favourites to collect all 3 points. Jaffas’ match against Weston Bears in round 6 was a wash out and their squad should be fresh. By the same token they have been inactive from playing against another team in that period and this probably negates the freshness! Regardless of the statistics going into this match, Olympic will have to work harder to collect the 3 points and edge closer to the top four while Jaffas will have to work even harder to record their second victory of the season.

The match at Arthur Edden Oval kicks off at 2:00pm.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

The round 5 fixture of the Northern NSW NPL competition between Maitland FC and Newcastle Olympic at Cook Square Park proved too difficult a task for the local Magpies. In the Reserve Grade fixture Newcastle Olympic put the locals to the sword by 1-0 while in First Grade, 5-3, after going behind 3-1 within the first 29 minutes of play!

In heavy and wet conditions, the reserve team of Newcastle Olympic took on a Maitland side that was one of two teams not to have tasted defeat so far this season! This statistic was laid to rest through a late second half goal scored by Oliver Steinerts. The game was entertaining to watch with goal mouth action throughout. Both teams had opportunities to score and win but Olympics’ composure enabled them to record their third consecutive win and place them in a showdown with league leaders Broadmeadow Magic next week.

Midfielder George Tsamouras who returned after a 4 week spell through injury, was able to get through 90’ of play without any issue!

First Grade decided to give the Magpies a 3-1 lead within the first half hour of the match before switching on their motor and making it 3-5 by the 68^th minute!

Goals by Cowburn in the 8’ and McFarlane in the 15’ gave the home team a great start to the game before Nathan Toby for Olympic drew one back in the 16’ minute. No sooner had the smiles disappeared from the faces of the Olympic players, Maitland struck again with McFarlane in the 29’ minute. In the space of two minutes 37’ and 39’, Olympic levelled the score at 3-3 through goals from Toby and Bradbery. The teams went into the half time break locked at 3-3.

The second half commenced with a goal straight from kick off with a goal from Adam Zervas for Newcastle Olympic. Another goal from Bradbery in the 68’ minute brought the score to 3-5 and with the two-goal buffer, Olympic were able to steer themselves to another away victory which secured them 4^th spot on the ladder.                                                  

Source: Tom Tsamouras

The round 5 clash between Maitland FC and Newcastle Olympic at Cook Square Park on Sunday marks the return of midfield player George Tsamouras after an injury sustained in the opening game of the season against Cooks Hill United.

The Men’s reserve Grade clash is scheduled for a 10.00am kick off at Cook Square Park with the Maitland team in 2^nd place on the ladder with three wins and a draw in the opening four games of the season. This should prove to be a tough test for the Olympic team who are in 7^th spot with two wins and two losses. Will Olympic inflict the first defeat of the Magpies on home soil and record their 3^rd consecutive win of the season or will they sustain their 3^rd loss and distance themselves from league leaders Broadmeadow Magic?

One player who will be relishing his return against Maitland will be midfielder George Tsamouras who missed the past three games through injury. He has been back to training over the past two weeks and with additional agility sessions will be available to play on Sunday

First Garde who are slightly higher on the points table, 5^th place, and with one point more, 7 points, look stronger on paper to collect the 3 points from a Maitland team in 10^th place who have managed to win only one game all season! Having rested from a bye in Round 4, Olympic will be trying to capitalize on a Maitland team which was overrun 5-1 by Weston Bears over the weekend! A win for Olympic in the 2.00pm kick off at Cook Square Park will propel them even closer to league leaders Broadmeadow Magic and Charlestown Azzurri while a loss for Maitland will sink them even further to the tail end of the points table.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Following two weeks rest, two x-rays, and numerous visits to team and private physios, George Tsamouras has received the green light for restrictive training two weeks after receiving a knock in Round 1 of the season against Cooks Hill United.

A final x-ray this morning followed by a visit to the team physio has resulted in the 18 year old being able to begin restrictive training during this afternoon’s training. While there is no possibility of playing in Sunday’s match against Charlestown Azzurri, another assessment of his condition on Monday afternoon as well as Thursday afternoon will determine if he can return to normal training next week and a possibility of being available for the match against Valentine.

Source: Tsamouras

After a three-year absence from Newcastle Olympic the debut of George Tsamouras in the club’s senior team was spoiled by injury! Starting the first match of the 2024-25 NPL season of Northern NSW with the reserve team of Newcastle Olympic against Cooks Hill United, the 18 year old Novocastrian was forced to limp off in the 60^th minute with ligament damage to his right ankle!

Having spent two season with the Newcastle Jets Academy and one with the Academy of Super League 2 Greek side ASA Karditsa, in Greece, the player was looking forward to the opening game of the season after working very hard during the pre-season.

In a tight and well contested game in which 5 yellow cards were issued by the referee there were many physical challenges by both teams. The first half belonged to Cooks Hill during which the visitors were able to race to a 2-0 lead and the second half belonged to Olympic who were very unfortunate not to have scored.

During one of the many midfield tussles between two ex-Jets and ex-Olympic players Stanley Manning-Lourey and George Tsamouras, the later received a yellow card for a foul on the former. At the 60^th the exact opposite occurred! There was no malice in the incident, simply hard contested tackling by two players who were cancelling each other out throughout the match!

Following a visit to the hospital after the game which eliminated the possibility of a break or fracture, as well as a visit to the team physio, the diagnosis was ligament damage with a 3-4 week recovery period!

NPL ROUND 1 Results:

Belmont Swansea United FC – Adamstown Rosebud   5-2, Reserves 1-2.

Edgeworth Eagles – Broadmeadow Magic 1-0, Reserves 3-5.

Maitland FC – Valentine 3-3, Reserves 3-2.

Newcastle Olympic – Cooks Hill 4-2, Reserves 0-2

Charlestown Azzurri – Weston Bears 3-1, Reserves 0-7.

Lambton Jaffas – New Lambton FC 2-0, Reserves 3-2.

NPL ROUND 2 Fixtures:

Adamstown Rosebud FC – Valentine FC

Charlestown Azzurri – New Lambton FC

Cooks Hill – Maitland FC

Belmont Swansea United – Edgeworth Eagles

Broadmeadow Magic – Lambton Jaffas

Newcastle Olympic – Weston Bears at Darling St Oval on Sunday 23^rd February 4.30pm

Reserves commence at 2.30pm at the same venue on the same day.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

After trial games against Sydney Olympic, Cooks Hill, Charlestown Azzurri, University of NSW, and Wollongong Olympic, Newcastle Olympic are ready for Round 1 of the NPL competition of Northern NSW.  Bolstered by experienced campaigners such as Roy O’Donovan, Ben Hay and Nathan Tory as well as youth returning to the club like Adam Zervas, George Tsamouras and Oliver Steinerts, expectations are high.

Darling St Oval will be hosting Old Boy’s Day with many faces from the past adding to the excitement of the starting game of the season.

The Newcastle Olympic reserve team will begin proceedings at 4.30pm and First Grade will commence at 6.30pm.

In matches played so far Belmont Swansea Utd defeated Adamstown Rosebud 5-2 and Edgeworth Eagles edged out Broadmeadow Magic 1-0.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Northern NNSW Football announced the fixtures for the 2024-25 NPL Men’s NNSW Premiership which commences on Thursday 13^th February 2015.

Defending double winners Broadmeadow Magic will start their 2025 NPL Men’s NNSW title defences against Edgeworth FC.

Northern NSW Football announced the draw for its 2025 premier competitions on Wednesday, including its top tier men’s competition which will showcase the game with five straight days of matches to open the NPL Men’s NNSW season.

Magic, who downed Edgeworth on penalties following a nail-biting grand final, will travel to Jack McLaughlan Oval to start the new campaign against the Eagles on Friday 14 February. 

NPL Men’s NNSW newest club Belmont Swansea United, who were promoted from HIT106.9 Northern League One, will host the competition opener against Adamstown Rosebud at Blacksmiths Oval on Thursday 13 February. 

Elsewhere in round one, Newcastle Olympic will host Cooks Hill United at Darling Street Oval and Valentine FC will travel to Cooks Square Park to face Maitland FC on Saturday 15 February. Charlestown Azzurri will welcome Weston Bears to Lisle Carr Oval on Sunday 16 February before Lambton Jaffas take on New Lambton FC at Arthur Edden Oval on Monday 17 February. 

Promotion and relegation will return after being reintroduced for the 2024 season. At the end of the 2025 season, the team that finishes 12th in NPL Men’s NNSW will be relegated to HIT106.9 Northern League One, while the team that finishes first in HIT106.9 Northern League One will be promoted to NPL Men’s NNSW. 

The team that finishes 11th in NPL Men’s NNSW will join teams that finish second, third and fourth in HIT106.9 Northern League One in a Promotion/Relegation Play-Off series to determine the 12th team in the NPL Men’s NNSW in 2026. 

Next year will also see the HMRI Charity Shield take place at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Friday 7 February. The one-off match will see the reigning premiers and champions Broadmeadow Magic up against Men’s State Cup winners Lambton Jaffas with proceeds going to the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

The match will be played as a double header alongside the clash between the NPL Women’s champions Charlestown Azzurri and Women’s State Cup winners Newcastle Olympic.

2025 NPL Men’s NNSW Round One Fixtures

Belmont Swansea United v Adamstown Rosebud – Blacksmiths Oval – Thursday 13 February – 7.45pm

Edgeworth FC v Broadmeadow Magic – Jack McLaughlan Oval – Friday 14 February – 8pm

Newcastle Olympic v Cooks Hill United – Darling Street Oval – Saturday 15 February – 6.30pm

Maitland FC v Valentine FC – Cooks Square Oval – Saturday 15 February – 4:30pm

Charlestown Azzurri v Weston Bears – Lisle Carr Oval – Sunday 16 February – 4.30pm

Lambton Jaffas v New Lambton FC – Arthur Edden Oval – Monday 17 February – 6.30pm

All fixtures are subject to change.

Source: https://www.northernnswfootball.com.au/