Established – 1954 (as APIA) and 1993 (as APIA Leichhardt Tigers Junior Football Club)
Home grounds – Algie Park, Balmain Rd, Ashfield Park, Lambert Park and Leichhardt Oval
Current members – 391
Notable members – Terry Butler (Australian Representative), Joe Marston (Australian representative), Ernie Campbell (Australian Representative), Johnny Watkiss (Australian Representative), Jimmy Patikis (Australian Representative).
APIA was formed in 1954 under the stewardship of Jim Bayutti and in its first few years it was a member of the CDSFA before the senior team moved into the State League. With Junior teams still competing in the CDSFA.
In 1967 Tony Raciti became the president/chair of the Senior and Junior clubs and still holds the position today a remarkable 45 years of commitment.
Due to changes instituted by the football governing authorities senior teams competing in National/State leagues were required to establish separate entities if they had junior teams competing in District Association competitions.
This lead to the formation of the APIA-Leichhardt Tigers Junior Football Club – which is still the younger brother of APIA FC. A club which continued the APIA tradition of success and developing players
ALTJC is an inter-generational club with today a number of fathers, sons and daughters playing together. It has also produced through its ranks to the APIA senior team a number of Socceroos since its inception, not to mention the most number of national team captains for a club side.
More broadly, ALTJC is a multicultural club, reflecting the cultural diversity of Sydney’s inner west, particularly cherishing its Leichhardt Italian heritage.
ALTJC offers a unique football environment for young aspiring football enthusiasts, from the ripe young age of three years old, all the way up to over-45 and All Age men and women, competing in CDSFA competitions.
The club is built around family values and promotes recreational and sporting wellbeing through football.
APIA Leichhardt FC launched its inaugural 365 Soccer Sixes Competition in conjunction with Football NSW in September 2014 and the competition has grown from strength to strength, offering six-a-side fun for juniors (boys and girls aged 6 to 16); All Age Mens (multiple divisions); over-35 and over-45, All Age Mixed, All Age Women and over-30 Women.
APIA Leichhardt’s SAP (Skills Acquisition Program) was developed to provide a clear, professionally delivered development pathway for young footballers. The club currently has six teams, two teams in each of the under-9, under-10 and under-11 age groups, participating in the program.
The club is also immensely proud of its links to successful big brother, APIA Leichhardt Football Club. In the 1960s, APIA became the foremost soccer club in Australia and won the Premiership in NSW in 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1975. At the times, this was the highest level standard of competition played, in the absence of a national competition.
Between 1966 and 1974 APIA also won three times the State Cup of NSW, then named the Ampol Cup. In 1987, APIA was crowned champion of the National Soccer League, with all players in the championship winning squad becoming legends of the game, and nicknamed “The Invincibles” of Australian football.
