Dynamo Sparta F.C.: Difference between revisions
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== Stadium == | == Stadium == | ||
The club plays its home games at '''Sherryfield Road''' (more commonly known as '''Sherryfield''') and has done so since the start of season 42 in Oceania. Sherryfield was constructed midway through 2013 in preparation for the clubs revival in December of the same year, and will only house 12,000 spectators for the first few seasons of the clubs third era. There has been speculation that Sparta will look to expand its stadium so to house its once, and yet again, large group of loyal supporters. | |||
The club trains at the new Cannedia Park facilities which houses gymnasiums, ice and heat baths, modern technological football facilities, as well as an inflatable dome training field. | |||
Through the clubs first era '''Souvlaki Stadium''' was the home to Sparta, and reached a maximum capacity of 40,000 seats in its lifetime. It formerly went under the names of ''Crapena Arena'' (during the Super Duds XI period) and ''TVGH Stadium'' (during the TAS/VIC Greek heroes period). It boasted one of the best turfs in the Victorian region. The stadium had four stands, coloured seats and roofs to match the team colours, and four distinctive light towers in each corner of the stadium. The Spartan Army positioned themselves at the bottom tier of the northern Florian Gunn Stand during home matches. (named after former goalkeeper Florian Gunn). The eastern stand was named the ''Sebastian Ocampo Wing'' after the famous winger, the southern stand was known as the ''Franklin Giannopoulos End'' after the legendary striker, and the western stand was named after ''Jokitalo Wing'' after club champion Mikko Jokitalo. | |||
[[Image:Dsfcstadium.PNG|thumb|right|200px|The old Souvlaki Stadium]] | |||
During the clubs very brief second era, the team moved to a makeshift field which had hops to have a proper stadium built upon it. They had named it ''Mikko Jokitalo Park'' which didn't last long once the club folded for a second time. To not dishonour club legend Mikko Jokitalo by tearing down the small park in his name, it is expected for the club to name a section of Sherryfield after the fullback once it is expanded upon. | |||
== Sponsors == | == Sponsors == | ||
Revision as of 09:59, 18 December 2013
| Dynamo Sparta (423759) | |
| |
| Full name: | Dynamo Sparta Football Club |
| Nicknames: | Sparta |
| Country: | |
| Founded: | 2008 as Super Dud XI |
| League: | V.16: 22 VI.897: 23-30 V.80: 31 V.36: 38 VI.6: 42 |
| Location: | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Fan Club: | The Spartan Army |
| Management | |
|---|---|
| Owner: | Jordan Kounelis |
| Chairman: | Jordan Kounelis |
| Manager: | Jordan1 |
| Coach: | |
| Stadium | |
| Sherryfield Road (12,000 seats) | |
| Cannedia Park (300 seats) | |
| Colours | |
| Primary: | Navy Blue & Gold |
| Secondary: | White & Navy Blue |
| Trophies | |
| League: | 3 |
| Oceania Cup: | 0 |
| OWAAT Cup: | 0 |
| Hattrick Masters: | 0 |
| Golden Ball: | 6 |
| Golden Boots: | 5 |
| Kits | |
| |
Dynamo Sparta Football Club (often simply known as Sparta) are a Hattrick football club based in the city Melbourne, Australia and compete under the Oceanian flag. Sparta have been one of Oceania's most historically rich and loyally supported clubs, despite suffering several hardships in more recent times. They play in series VI.6 and have won 3 league championships.
Sparta were founded in 2008 and were the first of the Kew High group to participate in competitive Hattrick. They won their first trophy in their inaugural season of competition (Oceanian season 23) but were not promoted due to falling behind the promotion boundary. After a downfall period in the seasons following, Sparta hit great heights in season 30 earning promotion to division V and claiming their second trophy.
Dynamo Sparta have had two stadiums throughout their history; the first being Crapena Arena, which was renamed Souvlaki Stadium at it's reconstruction to a 40,000 seat capacity. Since the club folded in 2010, Souvlaki Stadium was knocked down; but at the revival of the club at the end of 2013 a new stadium was built to signify new beginnings for the club, and the club thus moved to Sherryfield Road.
Sparta have a loyal and energetic fanbase having boasted some of the best atmospheres in Oceanian football thanks to their Spartan Army fanbase. The club is owned and chaired by media personality Jordan Kounelis.
History
Founding
Dynamo Sparta was founded on the 14th of January, 2008 as Super Dud XI. The team was born at the end of season 23 in a Division V series and were relegated into VI.897 almost instantaneously. Immediately after the relegation the club changed its name to TAS/VIC Greek Heroes and was known as this name for a further year. The TAS/VIC Greek Heroes (or simply TVGH) struggled for several seasons to find their way out of division VI, finishing between 2nd and 4th on multiple occasions. The clubs group of supporters were becoming increasingly frustrated at the teams inability to gain promotion, despite showing promise for several seasons, but falling short on many occasions. Pressure was being applied from fans and sponsors alike, and this pressure eventually culminated into an event known as The Transfer Period.
Rejuvination & "The Transfer Period"
After many seasons of trying to win the VI.897 title and get their way back up to division V the team went under a serious reconstruction period. At the end of the season 26 the club officially changed its name to Dynamo Sparta F.C.. The Transfer Period was a landmark event in the clubs history. The period only lasted for a week yet it had a big influence on the clubs reputation. Several fledgling new clubs made it clear that they were interested in some of Sparta's older, more experienced players who were surplus to requirements at the now renamed Souvlaki Stadium. The clubs board had been pressuring the coaching department to buy new players and sell old ones to help bolster the squad. Manager Jordan1 saw this as a great opportunity to rid the club of it's unwanted players, lighten the heavy load of 37 players as well as inject some flair and youth into the bland squad. A large quantity of players were sold, footballers from countries such as Finland, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands and Germany were all purchased to help inject the squad with international quality and Dynamo were finally left with a comfortable 25 players. In the eyes of the fans, this marked the moment that Dynamo Sparta became a club to contend with.
A New Beginning
"A New Beginning" is the slogan that DSFC will be used at the beginning of season 29. The club beleived that this was the time to rise up. The beleif amongst the team with a refreshed squad, new coach, and a more structured board, Dynamo Sparta only have one direction to head in. Up. The injection of leadership bolstered the spine of the team. The club chairman, owner and manager, Jordan1, came out and said "Now is the time for Sparta to rise up, and we are very serious about winning the league championship. We know we have been talking up promotion for a number of seasons now, but this time we have actually done something about it."
Season 29
Season 29 was a very successful year for the club. The stadium, Souvlaki Stadium, went under a 10,000 seat addition, which has been very successful. The club has around $12m to splash on buying new players, coaches and upgrades. The team got off to a slow start, but eventually went on an amazing winning streak, only to be cut short by the top team on the table, IC FC. The team finished 2nd on the table, 7 points behind first. A lot of people around the club were pleased, and are now aiming for season 30 to bring them promotion.
Mikko Jokitalo had an outstanding season, hitting the first 5-star performance for any player at the club. Fili Rutland was the most consistent striker for the year. Herb Fitzpatrick scored his 50th career goal, and 3 member were inducted into the Hal of Fame; these were former coach Leon Christensen, great leader Timmy Brooker, and legendary wingback Dave Arnull. Brock Bradley is the next in line for Hall of Fame induction.
Colours and Crest
The club's colours have traditionally been navy blue and gold, which symbolise the clubs heritage base of Europe as well as the culture of triumph, respectively. The home strip is navy blue and gold vertical stripes, gold shorts, with gold and navy blue hooped socks. The away strip is white with a diagonal navy blue sash and diagonal stripes, navy blue shorts, and white and navy blue hooped socks.
The club has had one logo under the name Dynamo Sparta, and it was templated from Sparta Prague's logo, with whom they share similar names with. The logo consists of a circle which contains blue and gold stripes and the letters "DS" in black text; this is bordered by a white band that reads "Dynamo Sparta Football Club" in red text within it. The logo also features a skirt underneath split into three section, which simply harbour the clubs colours: navy blue, gold and navy blue again.
Stadium
The club plays its home games at Sherryfield Road (more commonly known as Sherryfield) and has done so since the start of season 42 in Oceania. Sherryfield was constructed midway through 2013 in preparation for the clubs revival in December of the same year, and will only house 12,000 spectators for the first few seasons of the clubs third era. There has been speculation that Sparta will look to expand its stadium so to house its once, and yet again, large group of loyal supporters.
The club trains at the new Cannedia Park facilities which houses gymnasiums, ice and heat baths, modern technological football facilities, as well as an inflatable dome training field.
Through the clubs first era Souvlaki Stadium was the home to Sparta, and reached a maximum capacity of 40,000 seats in its lifetime. It formerly went under the names of Crapena Arena (during the Super Duds XI period) and TVGH Stadium (during the TAS/VIC Greek heroes period). It boasted one of the best turfs in the Victorian region. The stadium had four stands, coloured seats and roofs to match the team colours, and four distinctive light towers in each corner of the stadium. The Spartan Army positioned themselves at the bottom tier of the northern Florian Gunn Stand during home matches. (named after former goalkeeper Florian Gunn). The eastern stand was named the Sebastian Ocampo Wing after the famous winger, the southern stand was known as the Franklin Giannopoulos End after the legendary striker, and the western stand was named after Jokitalo Wing after club champion Mikko Jokitalo.
During the clubs very brief second era, the team moved to a makeshift field which had hops to have a proper stadium built upon it. They had named it Mikko Jokitalo Park which didn't last long once the club folded for a second time. To not dishonour club legend Mikko Jokitalo by tearing down the small park in his name, it is expected for the club to name a section of Sherryfield after the fullback once it is expanded upon.
Sponsors
Dynamo Sparta has two major sponsors, SONY and JICK3. Their kit sponsor and supplier is Nike, and other minor sponsors include CREATIVE, Vodafone, and the Herald Sun. JICK3 is the company created and owned by Jordan Kounelis. JICK3 provide the club with sponsorship money, and having Jordan1 managing, owning and running the club, Dynamo Sparta and JICK3 have a very tight, unbreakable relationship. This, therefore, means that the second major sponsor, SONY, gets the shirt sponsor rights.
| Period | Kit Supplier | Major Sponsor | Shirt Sponsor | Secondary Sponsor | Minor Sponsor | Minor Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-2009 | None | None | SONY | CREATIVE | None | None |
| 2009-present | Nike | JICK3 | SONY | CREATIVE | Vodafone | Herald Sun |
Fan Support
Coming from the city of Melbourne, sports capital of the world, there is no doubting the passion and energy the fan club has. They call themselves "The Gladiators", which has derived from them being part of the "Spartan Army". The Gladiators are the most one-eyed, hardcore fans in any series. During matches, "The Gladiators" will usually bring loud instruments such as drums, horns, trumpets, and tambourines, along with various other instruments, to games to create an awesome atmosphere and intimidate the opposition. The Gladiators always have high hopes for the club, and it won't matter where the team are placed on the table, they will always have hope the team can pull off a victory.
Having made the bottom tier of the Gunn Stand their own, you will always find the near-2000 odd members creating a ruckas on game day. The leader of the Gladiators - the ever friendly Michalis Christopoulos - is always seen with his Hoplite helmet on, and signature bugle being blown into, leading the Gladiators in battle. Just before the kick-off to a home match, he (Michalis) will blow his trumpet and lead the fan club and home fans into a battle cry to pump up the crowd, rev up the team, and create a roaring atmosphere.
Rivalry
Perhaps the strongest rivalry Dynamo Sparta have is that with cross-town rival VS Vlissingen. The teams share a strong, yet special, rivalry because the clubs managers are best of friends, but are very competitive when it comes to the crunch. The Melbourne Hurricanes and Sparta also share a fierce rivalry for the same reason, but the stakes aren't as high when Sparta face the Hurricanes. When Sparta were in VI.897 for the number of season that they were, the Dynamo Sparta vs The Scholars match was always a dubbed the low-level "Victorian Derby".
Players
First-team squad
As of 24 November 2012
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For a list of notable Dynamo Sparta F.C. players, see List of Dynamo Sparta F.C. players
Hall of Fame
The Dynamo Sparta FC Hall of Fame was opened on the 9th of February 2010, when long-time centre back Timmy Brooker was retired into the Hall of Fame, and was the first Hall of Fame inductee. Soon after, legendary coach Leon Christensen, and long-serving fullback Dave Arnull were inducted. The most recent member to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is centre-back Arthur Poore. The Hall of Fame is exclusive to the legends of the club where former players and coaches get inducted into.
The current list of players in the Hall of Fame is here:
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Personnel
For more details on this topic, see List of Dynamo Sparta F.C. personnel

Manager - Jordan1 Oceania
Jordan1 learned about Hattrick through a few friends who work at a Melbourne-based radio station. Jordan received his team on the 14th of January, 2008, and named his first ever squad "Super Dud XI", but after two months, changed the team name to "TAS/VIC Greek Heroes". The youth squad remained as Super Duds Youth Academy, and will remain that way through the next (and last) name name change to "Dynamo Sparta FC". He, along with his team of coaches and trainers, have devloped, bought, and played a wide variety of players from various countries, and training them into the players needed for the team's style of play. Jordan has received his managers licence, and now aims to win the VI.897 league title again, after winning it first in season 23 (34).

Coach - Franck Krauße
Deutschland
Franck Krauße was recruited on 18 November 2012. He is from Hoffenheim, Germany, and is a well rounded coach. As the inaugural coach of the relaunched Dynamo Sparta F.C., Krauße had a lot to manage in his first season.

Assistant Coach - Jared Kellow Oceania
Jared Kellow was the first coach of the relaunched Dynamo Sparta F.C. An attacking coach, he held an interim position for 10 days until the club hired its first full-time coach on, Franck Krauße.
Sparta have a very big board of technical staff for the players, with experience coming from all over the world, helping the manager and coaches improve the playing squad. Past players from the club such as Florian Gunn, Sebastian Ocampo, Omiros Charitopoulos, and Sam Ackroyd have joined the board, and they know how the club functions from being here seasons ago.
Current Technical Staff
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Manager | Jordan Kounelis | |
| Coach (Asst Man.) | Dimitar Zlatanov | |
| Asst. Coach) | Neil Rogers | |
| Asst. Coach | Leon Christensen | |
| Assistant Manager | Peitong Li | |
| Assistant Manager | Hasitha Bandara | Sri Lanka |
| Director of Football | Sebastián Ocampo | |
| Reserves Manager | Arnold Dunn | |
| Academy Director | Clinton Pattison | |
| Cheif Scout | Clifford Scholes | |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Robert Bursian | |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Florian Gunn | |
| Fitness Coach | David Economidis | |
| Chief Psychologist | Sam Ackroyd | |
| Psychologist | Hua Chee-Beng | |
| Psychologist | Omiros Charitopoulos | |
| Physiotherapist | Filippo Bottegal | |
| Physiotherapist | Okhropir Orbelianov | |
| Chief Doctor | Shalva Amilakhori | |
| Doctor | Lukhum Inalipa | |
| Doctor | Joas Chilufya |
Current Board of Directors
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | JICK3 Inc. | |
| Chairman | Jordan Kounelis | |
| Assistant Chairman and Director | Robert Bursian | |
| Social Director | Benjamín Abolafio Martínez | |
| Treasurer and Finance Director | Timo van Willigenburg | |
| Marketing and Media Director | Hematara Velamore | |
| Institutional and Assets Director | Mathieu Endriss | |
| Sports Director | Fritz Eisenberger | |
| Accountant | David Hansson | |
| Accountant | Antonio Mena | |
| Spokesperson | Sten Mån | |
| Spokesperson | Dziam'jan Ivandzikau | |
| Spokesperson | Ivo Colmez | |
| Spokesperson | Ola Häggmo |
Seasons
| Season (Global) | Series | Standing | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA | GD | Points | Cup (Eliminated By) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 (35) | VI.897 | Winner | 11 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 18 | 23 | 35 | Round 2 (Aussie Hip Hop) |
| 24 (36) | VI.897 | 3rd | 7 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 23 | Round 1 (Northern Teritory FC) |
| 25 (37) | VI.897 | 4th | 5 | 3 | 6 | 31 | 30 | 1 | 18 | Round 1 (Chelsea.F.C) |
| 26 (38) | VI.897 | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 3 | 33 | 18 | 15 | 27 | Round 1 (Northland-Over Fifties) |
| 27 (39) | VI.897 | 5th | 5 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 27 | -7 | 17 | Round 2 (Balmain F.C.) |
| 28 (40) | VI.897 | 3rd | 10 | 1 | 3 | 44 | 21 | 23 | 31 | Round 1 (Wombats AFC) |
| 29 (41) | VI.897 | 2nd | 10 | 0 | 4 | 40 | 16 | 24 | 20 | Round 2 (Wilby Wanderers II) |
| 30 (42) | VI.897 | Winner | 13 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 11 | 79 | 40 | Round 3 (Celtic_Springs) |
| 31 (43) | V.80 | 6th | 2 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 31 | -14 | 8 | Round 2 (PimP HoBo) |
| Season (Global) | Series | Standing | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA | GD | Points | Cup (Eliminated By) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 (50)* | VI.36 | Winner | 13 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 7 | 76 | 39 | Round 3 (Hoodmen F.C.) |
*Approximatley half of season 38 was played with an inactive coach/bot.
| Season (Global) | Series | Standing | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA | GD | Points | Cup (Eliminated By) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 (54) | VI.6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Honours
Club Honours
- Winners: (2) VI.897 (Season 23, 30), VI.36 (38)
- Runners-Up: (2) VI.897 (Season 26, 29)
- Winners: Nil
- Runners-Up: Nil
- Winners: Nil
- Runners-Up: Nil
- Winners: Nil
- Runners-Up: Nil
Individual Honours
- Winners: Herb Fitzpatrick (Season 23), Mikko Jokitalo (24, 25, 26, 29), Fili Rutland (30)
- Runners-Up: Fili Rutland (Season 23, 24, 25, 26), Herb Fitzpatrick (24, 25, 26), Dave Arnull and Brock Bradley (24), Mattias Håkansson (30)
- Winners: Oscar Gianotta (Season 23 with 8 goals), Fili Rutland (24 with 9), Herb Fitzpatrick (25 with 10, 26 with 8), Franklin Giannopoulos (30 with 18)
- Runners-Up: Franklin Giannopoulos (29 with 11), Fili Rutland (30 with 14)
- Note: The Golden Ball award goes by the highest number of stars. If there is a multiple number of players with the same amount of stars, then the winner is decided by the highest TSI. The winning player must've played a minimum of 5 matches, this does not count for runner-up.
Statistics and Records
For more details on this topic, see Dynamo Sparta F.C. records.
Franklin Giannopoulos holds the record for Sparta appearances, having played 147 first-team matches from 2008 onwards. His 150th cap will be a great occasion. Centre-half Arthur Poore comes second, having played 143 times. The record for a goalkeeper is held by Boris Arce, with 133 appearances.
Herb Fitzpatrick is the club's top goalscorer with 50 goals in all competitions from 2008 and onwards. Fili Rutland's total of 43 comes in second, with Giannopoulos coming in 3rd with a total of 35. Sparta's record home attendance is 30,000 exactly, at the Souvlaki Stadium.
Achievements
Team
| Date | Achievement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 14-01-2008 | Pulled a youth player | 10 |
| 14-01-2008 | Team was ranked amongst the top 3000 | 25 |
| 19-01-2008 | Bought player | 10 |
| 29-02-2008 | Player's skill increased | 10 |
| 15-04-2008 | Sold player | 10 |
| 02-10-2008 | Fan club size exceeded 1000 members | 5 |
| 07-03-2009 | Cash is king | 15 |
| 05-05-2009 | Sold a youth player | 10 |
| 09-07-2009 | Sold a rebought youth player. | 10 |
| 09-02-2010 | Promoted a player to Hall of Fame | 15 |
Match
| Date | Achievement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 16-01-2008 | Home-grown lineup | 25 |
| 23-01-2008 | Team reached more than 20 stars in a match | 5 |
| 13-02-2008 | Played international friendly match | 10 |
| 16-08-2009 | Team reached an average match rating of weak. | 5 |
Manager
| Date | Achievement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 06-06-2009 | Wrote a forum post | 10 |
| 10-06-2009 | Wrote a press announcement | 10 |
Flag Collection
Hosted Countries
Visited Countries
External Links
Official Websites:
Dynamo Sparta FC - Hattrick



