History of Abbotsford Juniors Football Club
Abbotsford Juniors Soccer Club held its inaugural meeting on the 26th October, 1965, with Mr Alan Moore the first Club President, Mr Dennis Craig as Club Secretary and Mr Ray Evans as Club Treasurer. The Ladies Auxiliary was established by Mrs Marg Welling, Mrs Babe Young and Mrs Marvis Verity.

The Club started its life in the Western Suburbs Soccer Association’s competition, with the first ever competitive match involving an Under 7 team playing at Campbell Park, kicked off by local Federal member of Parliament, Dr. Malcolm Mackay. The Club played in blue and gold striped shirts, white shorts with blue and gold hooped socks.

Abbotsford Juniors first ever premiership team were the Under 12 team coached by Tom McKain (Senior) and managed by Bill Wardlaw, the brother of Marj Wellings and Babe Young. The team's reward was entry in the state-wide Champion of Champions competition and their Round 1 away match at Condobolin very likely remains to this day the furthest that an Abbotsford Juniors team has ever had to travel for a competitive match. Members of this team went on to become the backbone of the Club’s success in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

With the number of clubs in the Western Suburbs Soccer Association fluctuating year to year, there were a number of short term ‘combined’ competitions held with the Northern Suburbs Soccer Association, before the Western Suburbs ultimately merged with the Canterbury Association in the mid-1970s.

In 1974, the Abbotsford Juniors Club moved to join the NSW Protestant Churches Soccer Football Association which at the time was the largest soccer association in the Southern Hemisphere.  This period saw the Club achieve much success and with Campbell Park levelled and re-surfaced in 1976, the Club went on to win several Premier League and Premier League Reserves Championships and reached the State Cup final in 1981. 

1989 saw the Club join the Canterbury District Soccer Football Association and by 1993, all teams were playing within the Association, where it remains today for competition football.
 
The club was incorporated in 2001 as "Abbotsford Junior Soccer Club" and with a playing base of around 400 players in 2007, the Club changed its name again to “Abbotsford Juniors Football Club”.

The last decade has seen continued growth at the Club with the addition of Lysaght Park as a new home field, welcoming its first female players as part of the introduction by the Canterbury and District Soccer Football Association in 2011.  In 2016 the Club passed a thousand active members for the first time and claimed its first female premiership, won by the Under 14 Division 2 girls team! 

The following year, 2017, was a landmark year with work commencing on the construction of a new Club house at Campbell Park only to be topped by the Club's Under 18 Division 1 team claiming AJFC's maiden Football NSW Champion of Champions title.

Growth and success have continued with the Club maintaining a membership level of over 1,300 members inspite of the COVID-19 disrupted winter seasons in 2020 and 2021.  

Abbotsford Juniors Football Club continues to go from strength to strength today through its family and community friendly football culture linked with a strong focus on the development of its junior players and female football programs.

Abbotsford Juniors Timeline

1965 - Inaugural Club meeting

1966 - The very first Abbotsford Juniors game kicks off on Saturday 16 April 1966 at Campbell Park

1974 - Abbotsford Juniors joins the NSW Protestant Churches Soccer Football Association.

1976 - Campbell Park is closed for levelling and resurfacing and the Abbotsford Juniors All Age team are the Club's first ever Divisional premiers, winning the 18th Division.

1981 - Abbotsford Juniors Division 7 team take the premiership and reach the final of the State Cup (losing 1-0 to Chester Hill)

1991/2 - Abbotsford Juniors win the Premier League Reserve Grade competition and the 1992 State Cup final

1992//3 - Abbotsford Juniors win the Premier League 1st Grade competition

1993 - All Abbotsford Juniors teams join the Canterbury and District Soccer Football Association ("CDSFA")

2001 - The Club incorporated as "Abbotsford Junior Soccer Club"

2007 - AJFC is born as the Club name is changed to "Abbotsford Juniors Football Club"

2011 - Abbotsford Juniors welcomes its first 3 female football teams at the start of female competition football within the Canterbury Association.


2014 - Abbotsford Juniors surpasses 700 registered players for the first time in the Club's history as it welcomes it's first Under 15 Girls and Over 45 Mens teams along with a second Womens Over 30 team to its roster.


2015 - AJFC celebrates its 50th anniversary as Lysaght Park becomes the second home of AJFC competitive football alongside Campbell Park


2016 - The Club reaches a watershed of over 1,000 registered players and the Under 14 Division 2 Girls team becomes the first AJFC Girls/Women's team to win a grand final!


2017 - Work commences on the upgrade of the Club's Campbell Park Club House and the Under 18 Division 1 team take out AJFC's maiden Football NSW Champion of Champions title


2018 - The new Campbell Park Club House is officially opened and the Over 30 Women Division 1 team win AJFC's maiden CDSFA Women's Football premiership


2020 - Lighting is installed at Lysaght Park allowing for mid-week training and the Over 30 Women Division 1 A team take their 3rd consecutive CDSFA Women's Football premiership