Scotch College

Soccer

Season 2008

Soccer is one of the most popular winter sports at Scotch with over 350 boys playing in 25 teams from year 7 through to year 12. The season runs from the start of term 2 through to mid-August in term 3. Scotch is a keen participant in the inter-school sporting activities organised by the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS).

Facilities include two soccer ovals – the McKendrick Oval and Melville Lower West. The adjacent off-campus ovals at Smith Reserve are also used to accommodate the large number of games played each week.

The boys train twice a week, with years 7 & 8 generally training on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until 4.45pm and years 9-12 generally training Mondays and Wednesdays after school. The APS Interschool Competition schedules games on Saturday mornings, and the fixture is published on the preceding Friday.

The coaching team includes both teachers and ‘Old Boys’, all of whom are accredited coaches, not to mention passionate soccer enthusiasts. The coaches provide an engaging summary of each week’s game, which can be found each Wednesday throughout the season under Match Reports. Boys displaying a high potential to represent Scotch at the first XI level, have the opportunity to train with the Development Squad, which endeavours to provide the boys with additional skills training opportunities.

The APS provides results for the inter-school Firsts competition. The APS Ladder is updated each week, generally on a Wednesday. Aside from the APS competition, there are three special events in the soccer calendar, the Rose and Thistle Cup (Scotch vs Melbourne Grammar), The John Roe Shield (Scotch vs St Peters College in Adelaide) and The Pelman Cup (Scotch vs The Peninsula School).

The Rose & Thistle Cup

The Rose and Thistle Cup was introduced in 2008 and is the start of a new tradition between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College. When the two Firsts soccer teams meet during the APS season, they will be playing for the Rose and Thistle Cup. The Rose and Thistle Cup (Rose - of England, MGS and Thistle - of Scotland, Scotch) represents the character of both schools and its intention is to further develop the bond between the two schools and to increase the profile of the sport in line with its increasing popularity within both communities.

The John Roe Shield

The John Roe Shield is played against St Peter’s College in Adelaide. Each year the Firsts from each College meet to play for the John Roe Shield, alternating between Melbourne and Adelaide. Scotch currently hold the Shield, and will be travelling to Adelaide to defend it on 26-28 July.

The Pelman Cup

Scotch also plays The Peninsula School once a year at the conclusion of the APS season for The Pelman Cup. The Cup is named after a Scotch teacher, who introduced soccer as a winter sport to Scotch in the 1970s. He later moved to The Peninsula School where he also introduced the sport. The two schools have since played for The Pelman Cup. Prior to last year, Scotch had held the Cup for seven consecutive years.

Leadership Team

Parents Auxilliary (PASS)

Soccer is proudly supported by a dedicated parents’ auxiliary PASS, which hosts a number of events during the season and encourages parents to become active in supporting their son’s winter sport.

Coaches & Training Schedule