| In 1978 the BAYSIDE SOCCER LEAGUE was formed SKYE seniors became inaugural members of this league. Matches were played at SKYE RESERVE, hence taking the title SKYE as the club name. With the club colours being GREEN, the shorts were WHITE, and the socks WHITE also with bands of EMERALD and ROYAL BLUE. Skye had a good first year with finishing 3rd on the ladder, losing the Semi Final of the Cup Navy 4-1 and having the Top goal scorer MIKE PARRY for the league. 1979 saw a junior section formed and entered into the
VSF competition, due to the BAYSIDE LEAGUE being considered a rebel league
(it is still not affiliated to the now renamed VFF), the Junior section
played as SKYE ROVERS It became apparent that some accommodation was needed at BALLARTO ROAD, MIKE PARRY managed to purchase an on site A V JENNINGS hut as a temporary measure, CRANBOURNE COUNCIL began building official dressing rooms later that season, these would be shared by CRICKET, TENNIS and of course SOCCER. During the next two years the growth of the Juniors exploded, SKYE RESERVE was a natural bush setting reserve and just couldn’t cope with so many boys & girls playing soccer. 1980 to date was our best season with us finishing 1st on the table and again we won the 3MP Cup beating the NAVY 2-1 and you guessed it MIKE PARRY again won the top goal scoring award. 1981 saw the new clubrooms completed which was gratifying,
rooms now to change in and a canteen. FRANKSTON CITY who played at McCLELLAND DRIVE a short distance away, fell victim to money problems and were forced to withdraw from the VICTORIAN STATE LEAGUE. Another BAYSIDE Team with the novel name CARRUM COWBOYS kept soccer going at the complex, however the committee of SKYE considered that perhaps McCLELLAND DRIVE could be just what it needed to accommodate its huge junior strength In 1982 the 1st XI finished 3rd and the 2nd XI 3rd with MIKE PARRY again winning the Top Goal Scorers award with 27 goals 1983 saw the 1st XI and 2nd XI finishing 4th and the 1sts making the Quarter Finals only to lose 2-1 to PARKBOURNE. It became a tangled web, FRANKSTON COUNCIL was approached sympathetic to SKYE’s needs, however CARRUM COWBOYS under the leadership of JOHN (SMUDGER) SMITH would not give away McCLELLAND DRIVE without a fight. In 1984 on the field the 1st XI finished 7th and the 2nd XI finished 5th. In 1985 we finished 8th in the League. At the same time the committee was having talks with CARRUM COWBOYS due to our Juniors outgrowing BALLARTO ROAD, a compromise was reached whereby some of SKYE ROVER’s juniors would play matches at McCLELLAND DRIVE, despite the fact that we spent over $1000 making a new pitch for the Under 7's and 8's. FRANKSTON COUNCIL still sympathetic to SKYE’s needs gave the club a completely new Reserve at ROBINSONS ROAD, the Juniors would have a new home when it was completed. Later in the year JOHN SMITH approached SKYE asking would they be prepared to withdraw from the BAYSIDE LEAGUE and go into the VSF PROVISIONAL LEAGUE playing all home games at McClelland Drive. There was a great danger that the magnificent complex at McCLELLAND DRIVE could have been lost to soccer, CARRUM COWBOYS had done a great job in keeping soccer going there but money became a big issue. The two parties came together and agreed in the interest of the round ball sport to leave the BAYSIDE competition. So in 1986 we joined the VICTORIAN SOCCER FEDERATION, in PROVISIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 4 it was not the best of starts with us losing our first game 6-1 against LALOR we finished the season in 11th spot with the Reserves in 6th. 1987 was a similar season with the First finishing in 10th spot and the Reserves nearly snatching the title but finishing in 2nd spot. In 1988 we joined with DINGLEY UNITED to form DINGLEY/SKYE UNITED and at the same time jumped to the PROVISIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 2 with us finishing in 11th position and the Reserves 4th spot DINGLEY/SKYE UNITED started off 1989 by becoming FRANKSTON UNITED a change brought on by structural change within the Club coupled with the acceptance of us being part of the CITY OF FRANKSTON, we finished in 12th spot and the Reserves 8th spot. 1990 under the watchful eyes of MIKE BEVIS as coach saw our best year to date in the VSF with the First XI squad finishing in 2nd spot only 1 point behind SOUTH SPRINGVALE and the Reserves in 4th spot. During the 1991 the team was promoted to PROVISIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 1 and the Seniors took advantage of the floodlights at ROBBINSON's ROAD playing friendlies against other clubs in the area, with the First XI finishing 3rd and the Reserves 4th. The 1992 season saw the First XI and Reserve XI finishing in 4th place On the field in 1993 the First XI finished 3rd and the Reserve XI brought home the First VSF LEAGUE TITLE winning the competition on goal difference from EAST GEELONG During the latter part of 1993 FRANKSTON UNITED Seniors and Juniors began regular talks with near neighbours KARINGAL. KARINGAL had played in the VSF for many years and were presently playing in State League Division 4. Their home ground was BALLAM PARK and under local council rules was considered a public park, the playing arena could not be enclosed by a fence, and each home match saw it roped off to comply with the VSF. No matter what KARINGAL did the realisation was that they had to move to gain better soccer. An approach was made to FRANKSTON UNITED considering
the excellent facilities they had, both Clubs saw a need to develop soccer
further on the PENINSULA, each Club had reached a point in time where
a merger was the most sensible idea. A meeting of all supporters was called and the resolution
of an amalgamation was passed. The name of FRANKSTON STRIKERS was taken,
FRANKSTON and KARINGAL Juniors would relocate from ROBINSON’s Road. 1994 saw the birth of FRANKSTON STRIKERS. |