St George FC, commonly called Saints or Budapest, is a semi-professional Australian

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

club based in the

St George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the R ...

district in the south of Sydney. The club was founded by Hungarian immigrants in 1957 as Budapest Club and by 1965 was renamed to St. George-Budapest Club. One of the top clubs of Australia from the 1960s to the 1980s, St George currently competes in the

National Premier Leagues NSW The National Premier Leagues NSW is a semi-professional soccer competition in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted by Football NSW, one of the two organising bodies in New South Wales (the other being the National Premier L ...

. After playing its youth and senior fixtures at Ilinden Sports Centre between 2018 and 2024, in 2025 St George returned to their original location after

St George Stadium Barton Park Sports Complex was a soccer stadium in Banksia, New South Wales, Australia. History The original St George Soccer Stadium opened in March 1978, with St George playing against South Melbourne in the National Soccer League. The grou ...

was redeveloped into the Barton Park Sports Complex. St George FC Women compete in NSW League One Women's and after playing out of Fraser Park in 2022 and Ilinden Sports Centre in 2023-2024, from 2025 their home ground is also at the Barton Park Sports Complex.

History

The club was formed shortly after the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; ), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by ...

by Hungarian Immigrants and was originally known as Budapest. In the 1960s, led by pioneering soccer administrator Alex Pongrass, it became one of the first ethnic clubs in

NSW New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. T ...

to search for a district to call home and it chose the

district. It later became known as St George-Budapest before shortening its name to St George some years later. They opened a licensed club, named Soccer House, in the suburb of

Mortdale Mortdale is a suburb located in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mortdale is located 20 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George, New South Wales, St George area. Mortda ...

in 1968. In 1969

Frank Arok Ferenc "Frank" Arok ( sr-Cyrl, Ференц Арок, ; 20 January 1932 – 12 January 2021) was a Yugoslavian footballer and coach. Career Arok played for Jedinstvo in Yugoslavia during the 1950s before coaching. In the early 1960s Arok coac ...

, the first full-time coach in Australia was appointed, serving two stints as coach, the last ending in 1983 when he left to coach the Socceroos. In between Arok's two stints as coach,

Rale Rasic Zvonimir "Rale" Rašić OAM (; 26 December 1935 – 8 June 2023) was a Serbian-Australian association football player, coach and media personality. Playing career Born in Dole, Littoral Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Rasic begin his career ...

was coach, coaching the club at the same time as he was coaching the Socceroos. In 1971 the club was invited to an international club tournament in Tokyo, Japan. It won and remained the highest ever international achievement by an Australian club side, until

South Melbourne FC South Melbourne Football Club is an Australian semi-professional Association football, soccer club based in suburb of Albert Park, Victoria, Albert Park, in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The club currently competes in the National P ...

won the 1999 Oceania Club Championship. However this was surpassed by Sydney FC (Oceania champions) when they finished 5th at the FIFA World Club Cup where, before them, South Melbourne had finished 8th and Western Sydney Wanderers (Asian champions) 6th. Such was the dominance of St George in those days that up to 10 players on the national team would be St George players. Five of their players were in the

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

side that started against

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

in the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

that year in

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

, including the vice-captain of the side, the Australian soccer legend

Johnny Warren John Norman Warren, MBE, OAM (17 May 1943 – 6 November 2004) was an Australian soccer player, coach, administrator, writer and broadcaster. He was known as ''Captain Socceroo'' for his passionate work to promote the game in Australia. The a ...

. Another notable player (albeit at a lower level), was football commentator Les Murray. Together with Warren they would become known as "Mr and Mrs Soccer" and would become the faces of soccer in Australia through their commentary work on SBS Television. In 1975 at the urging of some former Hungarian soccer greats and youth coach Bob Szatmari, the meeting determined to establish the Australian

National Soccer League The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its ...

took place at Soccer House with representatives from all founding clubs, including Hakoah Club (later known as ''Eastern Suburbs'' and ''Sydney City'') president and

Westfield Group Westfield Group was an Australian shopping centre company that existed from 1960 to 2014, when it split into two independent companies: Scentre Group, which owns and operates the Australian and New Zealand Westfield shopping centre portfolio; ...

founder and chairman

Frank Lowy Sir Frank P. Lowy ( ; born 22 October 1930) is an Australian people, Australian-Israeli people, Israeli businessman of Jewish Slovak-Hungarian origins and the former long-time chairman of Westfield Corporation, a global shopping centre company ...

and Leslie Szatmari. The competition started in 1977 and St. George-Budapest won the competition in 1983. They played in the league until the 1990/91 season. Since then they have played in state competitions. In 2005 the side was controversially axed from the new look

New South Wales Premier League The National Premier Leagues NSW is a semi-professional soccer competition in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted by Football NSW, one of the two organising bodies in New South Wales (the other being the National Premier L ...

and took legal action against the decision along with the

Bonnyrigg White Eagles Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC is an Australian semi-professional association football, soccer club based in Bonnyrigg, New South Wales, Bonnyrigg, Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, currently playing in the NSW League One. The club was founded in 1968 ...

, but were unsuccessful.

Recent history

In 2012 St George competed in the New South Wales Super League, the second tier of state soccer, finishing seventh out of twelve clubs and missing out on the finals. In 2013, St George were promoted from the NPL NSW Men's 2 after taking out the league championship, finishing seven points ahead of the second placed

Macarthur Rams FC Macarthur Rams Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The club compete in Football NSW League One, situated in the third tier of Australian football. The club's home ground is the 3, ...

. The club also won the Grand Final, beating the Rams in the semi-final 2–1 and then beating

Mounties Wanderers FC Mounties Wanderers FC is a professional soccer club based in Mount Pritchard, New South Wales, Australia. They currently play in the NSW League One (formerly National Premier Leagues NSW 2) competition after being promoted at the conclusion of t ...

3–1 in the final. The joy was not to last long, though, as in 2014, the club was immediately relegated back to the second tier of soccer in NSW. Managing just four wins and four draws in 22 games, St George finished dead last in the top tier. The Saints endured another tough season in 2015, finishing third last in the NPL NSW Men's 2. In 2017 the club played most senior home fixtures out of

Seymour Shaw Park Seymour Shaw Park is a Association football, football (soccer) stadium in Miranda, New South Wales, Australia. It is the current home ground of the Sutherland Sharks Football Club who play in the state league, the NSW Premier League, New South W ...

, also playing one game at

, Fraser Park and Blacktown Football Park. This didn't seem to deter St George as the side finished in 2nd place, losing the semi-final to

Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC The Mount Druitt Town Rangers, or Mt Druitt Rangers, are a soccer club from Mount Druitt in Western Sydney, Australia. The club was incorporated in 1970. The team currently plays in the National Premier Leagues NSW Men's, the highest league in t ...

4–2. Due to the dilapidated state of

, the club played senior fixtures out of

Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre was located on the grounds of ''Barton Park'' in Arncliffe, New South Wales in Australia. It was the home ground of the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club, who played in the New South Wales Super League. A new Ro ...

in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, St George finished in 2nd place in the league and won the NPL NSW 2 grand final, but were not promoted due to the 'Club Championship' ranking which takes into consideration the performance of the U20 and U18 sides. In 2019, St George finished 10th in the 14-team NPL NSW 2 season. During the 2019 season, St George reached the FFA Cup round of 32 after beating clubs such as SD Raiders,

APIA Leichhardt Tigers APIA Leichhardt Football Club, also known simply as APIA (Associazione Poli-sportiva Italo Australiana), is a semi-professional soccer club based in the suburb of Leichhardt, New South Wales, Leichhardt in Sydney, Australia. The club was forme ...

and

Dulwich Hill Dulwich Hill is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 7.5 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Inner West Council. Dulwich Hill stretche ...

, but lost to Sydney United 58 in a 5–3 thriller after two goals from Mushi Kokubo and a stoppage time equaliser. In 2023, St George FC were promoted back into the NSW National Premier League 2024 by finishing 2nd place in League 1, then defeating Mt Druitt Town Rangers in a thrilling play-off series.

Honours

**Champions: 1983 **''Runner-up:'' 1982 *

NSL Cup The National Soccer League Cup (known most commonly as the NSL Cup) was an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic Australian soccer organised by the Australian Soccer Federation between 1977 and 1997. History The NSL Cup was or ...

**''Runner-up:'' 1979 * NSW 1st Division/NPL NSW 1 **Champions: 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1981 **''Runner-up:'' 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1976 **Minor Premiers: 1962, 1972, 1976 * Federation Cup & Waratah Cup **Winners 1964, 1972 **''Runner-up:'' 1966, 1974 * NSW 2nd Division/NPL NSW 2/NSW League One **Champions: 2013, 2018 **Minor Premiers: 2013

Season results

First team squad

Notable players

Manfred Schaefer Manfred Schaefer (12 February 1943 – 28 March 2023) was a German soccer player who played as a defender. At club level he won titles with St. George Budapest. Born in Germany, he represented the Australian national team internationally, pa ...

and

Attila Abonyi Attila Abonyi (16 August 1946 – 6 July 2023) was a soccer manager and player. Born in Hungary, he played for the Australia national team. Abonyi made his senior international debut for Australia in 1967 at age 20, and had earned 61 caps, i ...

were original inductees into the

Football Australia Hall of Fame The aims of the Football Australia Hall of Fame (founded in 1999 as the Soccer Hall of Fame) are to celebrate and highlight the achievements of retired players and other participants who have contributed significantly to the game. These are ma ...

. Later followed

Adrian Alston Adrian Alston (born 6 February 1949) is a former professional soccer player. Born in England, he began his career as a youth player with Preston North End and briefly at non-league Fleetwood before moving to Australia. In Australia, he played f ...

, Doug Utjesenovic,

David Ratcliffe David Ratcliffe (born 9 March 1957) is a former professional footballer. Born in England, he represented Australia at international level. Career Born in Dewsbury, Ratcliffe joined Bradford City as an amateur in July 1972,Frost, p. 405 joini ...

Robbie Slater Robert David Slater (born 22 November 1964) is an Australian former professional soccer player and sports commentator. He played as a midfielder from 1982 until 2001 notably in the Premier League for Blackburn Rovers where he was amongst the t ...

and George Harris. *

(b. 1949), 1969 to 1972 with the club. Stalwart of the 1974 Australian World Cup side. Played 37 matches for Australia scoring 6 goals. *

Osvaldo Ardiles Osvaldo César Ardiles (born 3 August 1952), more commonly known as Ossie Ardiles, is an Argentine football manager, pundit and former player. A competitive and skilled midfielder, Ardiles became a cult hero in England, along with Glenn Hoddl ...

(b. 1952), one match for St George in 1985,St George - Marconi 0-1, 10 June 1985, St. George Stadium, Attendance: 4,380 /
1985 National Soccer League Results / Round Fourteen
', OzFootball.Net loaned from

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

to the club. World Cup winner of 1978. *

(1946-2023), 1969 to 1976 with the club. Stalwart of the 1974 Australian World Cup side. Played 61 matches for Australia scoring 25 goals. * Harry Williams (b. 1951), 1970 to 1977 with the club. First aboriginal playing for Australia. Participant in the 1974 World Cup. Altogether six matches for Australia. *

Chris Cahill Christopher Cahill (born 25 December 1984) is a retired professional footballer. Born in Australia, he represented Samoa at international level. Club career Cahill was born on Christmas Day 1984 in Sydney to a father of Irish descent and a Sa ...

(b. 1984), 2006 to 2012 with the club. Brother of

Australia's Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

all-time top goal scorer

Tim Cahill Timothy Filiga Cahill (; born 6 December 1979) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as an attacking midfielder but also played as a striker on many occasions. A box-to-box midfielder, Cahill became recognised for "hi ...

was born in Sydney but played for

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

15 times and scoring 7 goals. * George Harris (b. 1949), 1968 to 1979 with the club. Played 28 matches for Australia. * Dez Marton (b. 1948), 1982 to 1985 with the club. Top-scorer of the club's golden 1980s era. *

(b. 1957), 1982 to 1986 and 1989 with the club. Played 21 matches for Australia scoring 1 goal. *

(1943-2023), 1963 to 1975 with the club. Stalwart of the 1974 Australian World Cup side. The milkman played 49 matches for Australia scoring 1 goal. *

(b. 1964), 1982 to 1986 with the club. Played 44 matches for Australia scoring 1 goal. *

MBE OAM (1943-2004), 1963 to 1974 with the club. Part of the 1974 Australian World Cup side. Played 42 matches for Australia scoring 7 goals. * Doug Utjesenovic (b. 1946), 1971 to 1980 with the club. Stalwart of the 1974 Australian World Cup side. Played 61 matches for Australia scoring 2 goals.

References

External links

*
OZ Football club page

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint George FC St George FC National Soccer League (Australia) clubs National Premier Leagues clubs Soccer clubs in Sydney Association football clubs established in 1950 1950 establishments in Australia FC Diaspora sports clubs in Australia Hungarian-Australian culture