Western Knights - History

History

Western Knights Soccer Club was established by Croatian immigrants in the state of Western Australia under the name of Metropolitan in 1968. Two years later in 1970 under their new name of North Perth Croatia they were promoted from the Third Division to the Second Division. Throughout the years following, Croatia went up and down from Second Division to First Division.

With the moving from division to division also came the moving from different home grounds over the years. Wellington Square in East Perth, Velodrome in Mount Hawthorn and Perry Lakes Stadium were all homes to North Perth Croatia over those years.

In 1994, the club was forced by the then sport governing bodies to remove all ethnic references from their name, so the club changed their name from North Perth Croatia to Western Knights and in 1995, the club returned to the state's premier league and have been their ever since.

1998 proved to be the most successful year in the club's history so far, the Knights take home the Premier League Minor Premiership, the Championship Final Series Grand Final for the first time in their history and the West Ham Cup.

Paul Cooke became the first ever player in the history of the club to capture the Premier League's major player award, the Gold Medal in 2006.

2007 saw the club's Under 18's side were rewarded after a fantastic season by taking out the League championship, this being the first time in the club's history that the Under 18's had won a major trophy.

The club also took part in the 33rd Annual Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament held in Western Australia after North Perth Croatia last hosted the weekend long tournament back in 1979.

2008 marked the 40th anniversary since the club's establishment and was celebrated with the League and Reserves taking out the Soccer Pools Cup.

The club claimed back to back minor premierships in 2009 and 2010 after finishing the home and away seasons on top of the league table while David Micevski became the second Western Knights player to claim the Premier League major player award, the Gold Medal in 2009.

Arguably the most successful player to have ever played for North Perth Croatia/Western Knights is Robbie Dunn. Upon leaving North Perth Croatia he went onto establish a fine career in the National Soccer League with West Adelaide, Preston Makedonia and Melbourne Croatia and earn himself 38 international caps for the Australian Socceroos.

Other players from the Western Knights that have come through the ranks of the club and made their mark in the National Soccer League or A-League include Vladimir Beretovac, Tommi Tomich, Craig Deans, Andrija Jukic, Anthony Skorich and David Micevski.

Today, the Western Knights are one of the most successful and respected clubs competing in the Football West Premier League.