Northern Fury FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Northern Fury Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Fury |
| Founded | 28 August 2008 |
| Dissolved | 2018 |
| Ground | Townsville Sports Reserve |
| Capacity | 4,000 (seated) 6,500 (total) |
| CEO | Consortium of Local Figures |
| Director | Rabieh Krayem |
| Coach | Paul Roncato |
| League | NPL Queensland |
| 2018 | 13th |
The Northern Fury Football Club was a professional soccer team from Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It started in 2008 and first played in the top Australian league, the A-League, as North Queensland Fury. Sadly, the club had to leave the A-League in 2011 because of money problems.
But the club didn't give up! It started again in 2012 and joined the National Premier League Queensland. In 2017, they changed their name to "North Queensland United." However, the club stopped playing for good at the end of the 2018 Football Queensland season. The team played their home games at the Townsville Sports Reserve.
Contents
History of the Club
How the Club Started
Before the Fury, there was a plan for a team called Northern Thunder FC. This team hoped to join the A-League in 2008. They even had a team badge and colours (red, white, and black). They planned to train at the North Queensland Institute of Sport and play at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
The idea was almost approved, which would have made the league bigger with ten teams. But then, the main person helping with money for the team pulled out in March 2008. This meant the plan for Northern Thunder fell apart. The Football Federation Australia (FFA), which runs soccer in Australia, decided not to let Thunder or another team join that year. They wanted to wait until the 2009–10 season.
By June 2008, many groups wanted to create new A-League teams. Two of these groups were from Townsville. One was led by Milissa Fischer, and the other by Don Matheson. Matheson's idea, which grew from the old Northern Thunder plan, was given a chance by the FFA in July. On August 28, 2008, the team was officially accepted into the A-League.
On November 6, 2008, the team's name was announced: North Queensland Fury FC. Their first uniform, or "kit," was shown in April 2009. It had dark green sleeves and socks, with a white and light green front.
In December 2008, Dean Hassall became the club's CEO. The club also hired Alan McCall, a strength and conditioning coach from the Scottish club Celtic, and Nicholas Deluca as the Football Operations Manager.
Challenges and the First End
On June 7, 2010, František Straka, a coach from the Czech Republic, became the Fury's coach for the 2010–11 A-League season.
The club finished last in the 2010–11 A-League season, winning only 4 out of 30 games. Not many people came to watch their games, with an average of 4,245 fans. This was one of the lowest numbers in A-League history.
The club tried to get money from the community to help with its financial problems. However, the FFA said they would not keep paying for the club's losses.
On March 1, 2011, the club's A-League licence was officially taken away because of money issues. The FFA said the club had not raised enough money to keep going. They felt it was too risky to continue supporting the team.
Starting Again and the Final End
On October 3, 2012, the club was officially started again! It was announced that they would play in the 2013 NPL Queensland Conference. A new group called North Queensland Football took charge. The club decided to keep the old North Queensland Fury logo. On November 12, 2012, they announced that former player Gareth Edds would be both the head coach and a player for the team.
On September 13, 2017, the club said they would change their name from Northern Fury to "North Queensland United." They also changed their team colours to blue, red, and gold, which are traditional football colours for the region.
After the 2018 Football Queensland season, North Queensland United stopped playing for good.
Team Rivalries
Northern Fury had a friendly rivalry with another team from North Queensland, Far North Queensland FC (now called Cairns FC). When these two teams played, they competed for the Frank Farina Cup.
Team Colours and Badge
The original North Queensland Fury team colours were light green, dark green, and white. These colours were chosen to show the beautiful green plants found in northern Queensland. The team badge was shown in 2008. Many fans called the light green colour "tropical green."
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2008–2011
North Queensland Fury -
2013–2017
Northern Fury -
2018
Northern Queensland United
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The North Queensland Fury played their A-League games at Dairy Farmers Stadium. Later, for the NPL Queensland, they played at the Townsville Sports Reserve.
Players Who Played for Their Countries
Some players from Northern Fury also played for their national teams while with the club:
Shane Stefanutto- David Williams
Jeremy Brockie
Eugene Sseppuya
Team Managers
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
 Ian Ferguson |
Jul 2009 | Jun 2010 |
 František Straka |
Jul 2010 | Mar 2011 |
| Gareth Edds |
Nov 2012 | Aug 2013 |
| Ian Ferguson |
Oct 2013 | Feb 2017 |
| Paul Roncato |
Feb 2017 | Dec 2017 |
How the Team Did Each Season
This table shows how Northern Fury (and later North Queensland United) did in different soccer competitions each year.
| Competition | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-League | 7th | 11th | Did Not Play | ||||||
| NPL Queensland | Did Not Play | 7th | 11th | 8th | 12th | 8th | 13th | ||
| FFA Cup | Competition Not Held | Fifth Round | Sixth Round | Sixth Round | Sixth Round | Sixth Round | |||
Awards and Trophies
Smaller Trophies
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Queensland Nickel Cup
- Won in 2009/10 against Gold Coast United.
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Chief Minister's Cup
- Won in 2009 (3–2 against Adelaide United in Darwin).
Team Records
Here are some of the Northern Fury's best and worst records:
- Biggest win: 8–0 against SWQ Thunder (at home), March 16, 2014
- Biggest loss: 1–8 against Adelaide United (away), January 21, 2011
- Most fans at a league game: 8,897 against Sydney FC, August 8, 2009
- Fewest fans at a league game: 600 against Olympic FC, July 27, 2013
- Longest winning streak: 3 games (June 29, 2013 – July 13, 2013)
- Longest time without losing: 6 games (June 9, 2013 – July 13, 2013)
- Longest losing streak: 14 games (August 22, 2015 – June 4, 2016)
- Longest time without winning: 23 games (August 22, 2015 – the end of the club)
- Most goals by one player in a game: 4 goals by Gareth Edds against Olympic FC (July 27, 2013) and Braedyn Crowley against SWQ Thunder (March 16, 2014)
- Most goals by one player in a season: 17 goals by Braedyn Crowley in 2014
- Most assists (passes leading to goals) in a season: 13 assists by Reyze Kelly in 2013
Note: From 2013 onwards, the Fury played in smaller stadiums that could only hold about 3,000 people.
Player Appearances
These are the players who played the most games for the club:
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Player Goals
These are the players who scored the most goals for the club:
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See also
In Spanish: Northern Fury Football Club para niños
- List of North Queensland Fury FC players
