Knights to celebrate 20 years

TWENTY years of the Leongatha Knights Football Club will be celebrated at Leongatha’s Memorial Hall this Saturday night, August 3.

The event will be an opportunity for all members – past and present – to celebrate the achievements of the soccer club and reminisce about past successes.

Tool Shed – a band headed by one of the premiership coaches – will provide the entertainment and there will be games for the whole family to enjoy.

There is plenty for the club to celebrate as it reaches its 20th year.

Membership has grown by 20 per cent in the last year, bouncing back exceptionally from a numbers dive during the pandemic.

When the club first began in 2004, the teams included a mixed gender Senior side, a mixed gender U16 side and a few junior teams.

The club now fields a team in every competition from Seniors to U6s, including Reserve men’s, women’s and the newly formed U13 girls.

The club will be looking back on its first premiership win in 2009, where the women’s team claimed the title, creating a legacy of success for the Knights’ women’s sides.

Individual achievements such as milestone games will be highlighted on the night and there will be a strong focus on celebrating the families who have been involved in growing the club.

The club will take the opportunity to thank Mary Mackillop Catholic Regional College, which has provided a venue for the soccer players since the club’s inception.

The school and the club have worked together to accommodate the growth in soccer, keeping the pitch well maintained and adding a portable as a clubroom in 2010.

More plans to upgrade the facility are in the works to continue to support the growing club.

Players will also be able to reflect on the current season, where the women’s team are on top of the ladder, the men’s side is in the top four and the juniors have been extremely competitive.

“It’s going to be a wonderful night, a lot of fun,” Leongatha Knights’ Bethany Milkins said.

“The growth of our club is a credit to the local people who have been involved and the club members who put in tireless hours to keep the club going.”

Some of the guests will include Eastern Victorian Region MLC Melina Bath and those who were instrumental in the early years, who will be coming back to see their legacy.

“It’s pretty incredible that you can start something and not realise the profound effect it’s going to have,” Bethany said.

Around 250 people are set to attend the event and tickets are still available.

Tickets cost $20 per individual and $60 per family.

The event will kick off at 6.30pm.

To secure your ticket, head to eventcreate.com/e/knightsfc20thanniversary.