By Greg Blake
On the morning of March 10, 1990, Jeff Olver, Stuart Cannell, Ange Goutzoulis, Alan Scott and Phil Stubbins were preparing themselves to play their roles in Alexander’s first game of the season, at Ringwood City. Heidelberg United faced life back in the Victorian State League, following relegation from the National Soccer League for a second time the previous year.
On December 30, 1990, that very same champion quintet were members of the Heidelberg starting eleven about to face off against Sydney Croatia at Edensor Park, Sydney. It was round 13 of the second NSL summer season. They drew 1-1. Alexander was back on the national stage.
In this most remarkable of calendar years, for Heidelberg United to get from Ringwood’s Jubilee Park to Edensor Park in NSW required playing an unthinkable 55 games in six different competitions over a span of less that ten months. 294 days, to be precise.
For Phil Stubbins – a key player in both the 1988 and 1990 championship successes – the actual specifics of games and even the exhausting marathon of the 1990 season are a bit of a blur.. Which is fair enough, considering he played in around 220 games over seven years with the club. But listening to him talk about the club and that era is just a joy’
“I remember the celebrations we had though”. he bubbles. “Winning championships bonds people for life and I’ve made some fantastic friends at the club. When we see each other it’s like nothing has changed”.
“That was – and still is – the thing about this club. There’s something special about Heidelberg.that sets it apart. Once you’ve been part of it, you always feel part of it.
“It’s not just me. I’ve run into so many former players over the years who’ve said the same thing. There is just something about the place”. There was certainly something special happening in 1990.
To this very day the late Len McKendry is considered the crown prince of coaches by so very many who played for him, rather than under him. He often considered his return to Heidelberg United and clinching the 1990 State League title before winning promotion back to the NSL via a tense playoff series as his greatest coaching achievement.
Unlike the rock-bottom NSL relegation year of 1987, in the 1989 NSL campaign – under Jim Tansey and then Miron Bleiberg – it was a case of missed it by that much. Just a single point more would have avoided the drop.
At least this time around there was no off-season fire sale, meaning experienced talents like Olver — back from Melbourne Croatia – John Kanesoulis, Garry McDowall, Scott, Stubbins, Goutzioulis, Nick Ousalkis, Peter Bordignon, Jim Tsakiris, Willie Raynes, Willie Herd, Mike Chatzitrifonos and Stuart Stevenson either stayed on or returned to form a formidable basis for a tilt at the Victorian title.
A decade on from coaching Heidelberg to its legendary 1980 grand final triumph against Sydney City, getting McKendry back to Olympic Village was an inspired move. All the building blocks were in place. All that stood in Alexander’s way was the singularly longest Victorian State/Premier League season ever played, a record which stands to this day.
Despite desperate attempts to avoid such – find details of the full dramatic saga on the world wide web – the 1990 league was an 18-team competition, comprising 34 rounds and crammed into a six-month schedule.
If the Warriors could win the first-past-the-post-league (still two points per win) come September 9, it was on to a four-match home and away play-off against the state champions from South Australia and Queensland, the winner of that series promoted back to the national competition.
And those play-off games had to be completed inside a fortnight, with the second NSL summer season due to kick-off on October 6. The task facing McKendry’s part-timers in 1990 seems unreasonable to this very day. But, just maybe, if they could pull it off, that story is worth a chapter all of its own in the club history book
But the longest journey started at Jubilee Park. It didn’t start well. The team that day featured – amongst others – new signing, Stuart Cannell, games record-holder, Olver, Alexander 150-plus games stalwarts, Kanesoulis and Goutzioulis. Stubbins, twice runner-up as an NSL season best, and Scott, whose name is on the trophy for club Players Player of the Year to this day were expected to dominate.
Olver was injured in a collision and out of the game inside the quarter hour. Ringwood City scored twice in the opening 25 minutes and Alexander went down 2-3 against a side destined to end the season 15th on the ladder.
On that same opening Saturday Croydon City beat Brunswick Juventus 1-0 in a critical game. Although we didn’t know it then, the 1990 championship race would become a dog fight between just three clubs, Croydon – guided by an ascendant star of coaching, Ian Dobson – Heidelberg United and Brunswick Juventus.
So concertinaed was the 34-game season, clubs only had two days to re-group before round two, on the Labour Day Monday public holiday. Ex-Sunshine George Cross players, Les Carter and Paul Lewis, were included in the Alexander side to take on Northcote City at home. The alarm bells were already chiming in the distance as Heidelberg again found themselves two goals down, before Goutzioulis pulled one back, before Northcote ran out 3-1 wiinners.
While Croydon were busy compiling six straight wins and nine games undeated to start the season, Heidelberg at last broke through for its first victory in round three, with new faces Lewis and Carter getting the goals for a 2-0 win at Mooroolbark. As uninspired as a round four scoreless draw at Albion was, was the last time Alexander was held to nil for the next 26 games.
McKendry’s blend of new and established was falling into place and Garry McDowell’s senior team return lifted everyone. Despite conceding two own goals, Lewis scored again in a 3-2 home win over St Albans. Alexander followed up by beating Altona Gate 2-0 and Lewis fired home a hat-trick in the team’s 6-1 destruction of Box Hill.
But nine rounds in Croydon were still three games clear of Heidelberg – and four clear of juventus – so all eyes turned to round eleven, when the Warriors had the chance to make up critical ground at Croydon Park.
Dobson’s side had lost for the first time at Bulleen just four days before before the Wednesday night meeting with Alexander. It was no-contest. Willie Herd got the opener, with Lewis and Carter following up in a 3-0 Heidelberg win. A stumble at Fawkner three days later kept the Warriors a game behind Croydon, but the building momentum was undeniable.
Led by Lewis – who scored ten times in his first ten games with the club – the Alexander team which struggled to score five times in the opening four games proceeded to score 75 in the next 30 outings. Stubbins, Cannell and Goutzioulis finished the season in double figures as the Bergers offence outshone every other team in the league. And by a decent margin.
Lewis went on to win the 1990 Golden Boot with 21 goals. He was presented with the award on the same night as veteran and former Heidelberg favorite, Claude Luchessi, won the prestigeous Gold Medal.
The Warriors were level on points with Croydon City but had claimed top spot by the time they met Juventus at Middle Park in round 17. McKendry’s lowest point as a coach was likely being let go by Juventus during that club’s NSL relegation year in 1988.
Juventus were just now joining the 1990 title race, with a revival sparked by none other than Terry Hennessey, who had previously built Alexander’s 1988 championship team.
Hennessey had replaced Roberto Vieri a month before his new team – featuring three former Heidelberg players – came from behind to draw a thriller. Lewis put the Warriors ahead out of half time, with future Alexander favorite, Brian McNicol, levelling with just four minutes left .to play.
After falling to Northcote once again two games later McKendry’s team – with the new addition of former Preston favorite, George Slifkas – found its groove and peeled off six straight wins and won ten during an 11 game unbeaten streak. The highlights, probably the 5-0 demolitions of both Thomastown and Mooroolbark, with Stubbins getting a hat-trick against the Barkers.
But Croydon refused to go away and led the ladder by two points going into the return game at Heidelberg in round 28. Dobson’s side was protecting a 1-0 lead into the final 12 minutes of an ultimately memorable game for Alexander fans. McDowell late strike lifted the home side and Stevenson’s double on 83 and 90 minutes was season defining.
There was rarely more than three points between the Bergers, Juve and Croydon in the run to the wire. But Dobson’s team finally faltered at the tail end of a marathon campaign, losing two of their final three. For Hennessey’s resurgent Juventus, even winning eight of their last eleven and their last four in a row wasn’t enough.
In fact Heidelberg clinched their third Victorian State title with a game to play. Stubbins bagged a couple in a 4-1 win over Morwell in round 33, with the result locking both of their rivals out of contention.
Alexander was presented with the championship trophy on the final Sunday of the 1990 season. McKendry’s squad desperately required some rest, with the play-offs for a place back in the national competiton a matter of days way. Nine senior players were rested, leaving Tom Tasevski, Nick Sangas, Eric Vassiliadis, Chris Iliopoulos, Jim Tsakiris, Nick Papadopoulos and Andrew Dimitriou able to say that they were a part of a memorable championship year by playing in that final game.
Visiting Juventus won the game 1-0. Heidelberg won the title with 50 points, with Juve second on 48 and Croydon City finishing third with 47 points.
“As a player I always wanted to be successful and I can recall how right it all felt when I came to the club”, reflected Stubbins, who played a huge part in winning two state titles in his first three years at Alexander.
“We all had a brilliant time here together and the games were great. But it’s not so much about the games, it’s the people. The camaraderie was brilliant and my best stories – the ones I recall to this this day – are more about things that happened off the park.
“I can say for sure that even after all these years Heidelberg United is the club closest to my heart”.
McKendry’s miracle marathon men went on to win the round robin NSL promotion play-off series, which was crammed into the the final weeks of September. Two 4-1 home wins over West Adelaide and Brisbane Lions and a draw in Brisbane proved enough to clinch the series on goal difference over the South Australians.
It was another Alexander championship season, but one the likes of which we will never see witness ever again. For the record, from March 10, 1990 through until December 30, 1990, Heidelberg United Alexander competed in 34 Victorian State League games, two Dockerty Cup games, one Buffalo Gold Cup game, four NSL play-off matches, thirteen National Soccer League games and one NSL knock-out cup matches.
Remarkable!
I often think about an interview I once heard with Ange Postecoglou, when he was managing Glasgow Celtic and talking about their fan base and how they are not just supporters. “This is generational”, he said. “Stories (are) passed down almost like a family heirloom. That this is your football club and nothing changes and nothing is more important- apart from your family – than your football club”.
Warrior Nation!
