Rockdale City will celebrate the Football NSW Heritage Round looking to arrest a worrying slide of three consecutive defeats when they host Sydney FC on Sunday.
The Suns, unbeaten through the first eight rounds, welcome the young Sky Blues to the Ilinden Sports Centre on the back of a 2-0 reverse against APIA Leichhardt on Sunday which saw them slip to fifth.
Rockdale have done it tough in recent weeks, losing a number of key players to injury and suspension. Player-coach Paul Reid is out with a fractured elbow, while they have lost Nic Petrillo to a season-ending knee injury. Versatile defender Patrick Savor is also injured while Daniel Petkovski is suspended, though Toufic Alamaddene is expected to return to training after an Achilles tendon problem.
Reid told the Leader it was important to acknowledge the club’s fans and former players this weekend.
“It’s always great, the whole concept of it. It’s great to remember our past players,” he said.
“I know they’ll all be at the game and there’ll be a guard of honour. Rockdale is a club with a rich history and it’s always nice to celebrate it. I find with players at Rockdale they stay there for many years and it reflects the type of people [at the club]. I’ve been there five seasons now and I can’t say a bad word about them.
Rockdale is a club with a rich history and it’s always nice to celebrate it.
- Paul Reid
“It’s a really great club with great supporters and board. It’s nice to see familiar faces at home games every week. They turn up and support the team through thick and thin and you get to know them.”
Such is the strength between the club’s team and supporters, a mini-bus full of fans made the journey to Bathurst to watch the club’s FFA Cup victory over the Western NSW Mariners earlier this month. In fact, there were so many fans that some had to ride in the official team bus with the players.
The club was formed in 1969 by a group of Macedonian Australians who gave the team the name “Ilinden” which has special meaning for Macedonians throughout history.
On the field, highlights include grand final wins of different leagues in 1984, 2000 and 2006. Though arguably their most impressive achievement came in 2002 when the club, coached by Mile Todoroski, won the premiership-championship double.
Meanwhile, Rockdale are one game away from the FFA Cup round of 32 after downing Marconi 4-2 last Wednesday night.
The Suns host fellow NPL 1 side Hakoah Sydney City East on May 31 after Hakoah beat Illawarra Premier League side Albion Park White Eagles on penalties.