Sophie Perri ǀ The Messenger City North

A JUNIOR boys team is set to return to the Adelaide University Soccer Club for the first time in 40 years.

AUSC junior co-ordinator Kevin Holohan said with several soccer clubs around the inner north cutting back on teams, it was time the Blacks reinstated a boys team for under-14s.

“We knew there were a number of local teams like MetroStars and Enfield that were cutting their B teams, only running one team in each age group,” he said.

“So there was an opportunity to capture some of those kids who may have missed out.”

The North Adelaide based club, established in 1935, started its first junior boys team in1968, made up of 15 North Adelaide children including Dom Rinaldo.

The team dropped off in 1971 when Football Federation SA came in and abolished the rule that clubs needed a junior boys team to be promoted to the next division. The club already has a junior girls team, which has been running for 10 years.

Mr Holohan said introducing the boys team was the final step in making the Blacks a true “family club”.

“There are a lot of guys who have been here a long time and have young kids now, so they have the opportunity to have their kids play with them,” he said.

“Parents of daughters who play here would ask, why don’t you start a junior boys team? So as a family you can now have both your son and daughter playing at the club … we’ve already signed up three boys who have sisters here.”

Mr Holohan said it was an “exciting time” for the club.

The Come and Try training session is at The University Ovals, Mackinnon Pde, North Adelaide, Saturday, December 14, 4-5pm. More sessions will run in January. Details: 0425 238 477.

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This article and photo are courtesy of the Messenger City North/ News Ltd. Published 11/13/13