Matt Carruthers Revival Era - Game 1
The Gull Strip
Reserve Cup Final Win
Ashfield Dynamo 1982
JVH <3
John Van Hoek - Naming of the JVH Stand
State Cup Final & The Red Wall
State Cup Final Squad - Bayswater 1 - 0 Ashfield FT
The John Van Hoek Medal
Club History
Ashfield Sports Club began life in 1970 as Ashfield Dynamo Soccer Club and started with juniors only. The club entered a senior team into the semi-professional competition in 1976, joining the Second Division (then known as Division Three). John Van Hoek was the coach, who would later become an Ashfield legend.
Ashfield found the going though in it's first three years, finishing last in 1976 and 1977, and second last in 1978. Due to the formation of a Fourth Division, the club were relegated.
Most of the 1980's was a struggle for Ashfield Dynamo, staying in the old Fourth Division for most of the decade. However, things were slowly on the improve as the 1990's approached. In 1988, the club won the old Fourth Division and were promoted to what today would be known as the Second Division.
The club finished 8th in 1989, 5th in 1990, followed by another 8th place finish in 1991. The game was in turmoil during that summer, with two associations at war on who controlled the game in Western Australia. This was to Ashfield's benefit, who joined the new Professional Soccer League in 1992, and were placed into the First Division. This would be the first time the club competed in the top two tiers, and they haven't been out of the top two divisions since. Ashfield finished 9th in it's first season in Division One under new coach Gerry Wardle.
1993 was a big year for the club. After much deliberation and heartache, the name "Dynamo" was dropped from the club's title. It was also the first time that the main pitch was enclosed at Ashfield Reserve with a surrounding fence, and floodlights were erected. A new grandstand was soon to follow. In 1996, Ashfield decided to form a partnership with Bunbury United. Eyebrows were raised when the "merged" club was announced, but it proved to be an initial success, with the new Ashfield/Bunbury becoming a force in Division One, finishing 5th in 1996, 3rd in 1997 and champions and promotion in 1998.
1999 would see top flight football at Ashfield Reserve for the first time ever, however it was a struggle, with Ashfield/Bunbury finishing 10th in it's first year before being relegated after the 2000 season.
In 2001, the partnership was dropped with Bunbury United, and the club once again became known as Ashfield. Under Tom Kilkelly the club won Division One and were back in the Premier League. However, once again the club struggled in the top flight and were relegated back to the First Division.
Since 2003, the club have remained in Division One, but have had many ups and downs since. In 2005, the club escaped relegation to the Amateur League due to a last minute equaliser by Gosnells City against Kingsway Olympic. After this scare, changes were made. Salv Todaro became the new coach, who brought in many new players, with the Reds finishing runners-up in both 2006 and 2007.
A loss of many players put Ashfield on the brink of going down again in 2008, with the club finishing last and in the relegation position. However, Ashfied were saved from amateur football by the decision of Amateur Champions Fremantle United (now Fremantle City). Fremantle were expected by many to take the offer of promotion, however after various meetings they ended up declining the chance to play in the semi-professional competition for now.
Since 2011, under coaches Matt Carruthers, Paul Dundo and Matt Wardle, Ashfield have been a team that troubled most and would consistently finish in the top half of the league, with runners-up positions in 2014 and 2015. Only in 2018 did they finish as low as 8th. 2013 would also be treasured most by the Ashfield faithful, when the club made it all the way to the cup final, before losing out to Bayswater City 1-0 at Litis Stadium.
SEMI-PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE HONOURS (Using current divisional names)
First Division winners - 1998 (Ashfield/Bunbury)
First Division winners - 2001 (Ashfield)
First Division runners-up - 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015
Third Division winners - 1988
Cup runners-up - 2013
Night Series Lower Division winners - 2007
Night Series Lower Division runners-up - 2010