Doesn’t it strike you as odd that this soccer field runs east to west? Welcome to Lambert Park. It is the home of APIA Leichhardt. This detail makes Lambert Park a bit peculiar. Most fields run north to south.
Lambert Park has been APIA Leichhardt’s home since the club’s start. The club loves football. They aim to build community around the game. APIA Leichhardt is in Sydney’s inner west. The location is Leichhardt. Lambert Park sits near Norton Street’s dining spots.
Leichhardt has culture and history. Balmain and Drummoyne are nearby. People enjoy visiting and living here.
Lambert Park can hold about 7,000 people. There are 2,000 seats. Two main stands sit on each side of the field. The southern stand has dressing rooms. It also has a social club with game views. You’ll find press and media facilities there too. The northern stand is long. It seats about 1,200 people in eight rows. This stand fills up for New South Wales Premier League games. Attendances range from 800 to 3,000 people.
The western and eastern ends have hills. They bring the ground capacity to about 6,000.
In 1979, APIA joined the National Soccer League. That was Australia’s top soccer league since 1977. APIA won the national title in 1987. They were six points ahead of Preston Makedonia. Rale Rasic coached them. Charlie Yankos and Peter Katholos were famous players.
In 1988, APIA won the National Soccer League Cup. By 1992, financial issues hit APIA Leichhardt. The club restructured. It played at the state level as the Tigers.
In 2011, Barry O’Farrell promised upgrades to Lambert Park. He was the NSW Liberal Party leader then. The upgrade cost was $2.2 million. It included a new synthetic field. They installed a new fence. A new clubhouse was built. It had bigger dressing rooms.
The upgrades finished on March 22, 2014. They unveiled them at a derby match. It was between APIA Leichhardt and Marconi Stallions. The total spend was over $3.5 million. Private investment boosted the government funding.
In 2017, APIA won the National Premier Leagues NSW premiership. But they lost the grand final to Manly United FC. APIA also reached the 2017 Waratah Cup final. They lost to Hakoah Sydney City East FC. APIA won the 2018 Waratah Cup. On August 21, 2018, APIA beat Melbourne Victory FC in the FFA Cup. They were the seventh state-league team to beat a top-tier team. It was called a big upset.
APIA Leichhardt has various teams. These include senior teams and youth teams. They compete in different leagues. The club also has women’s teams. APIA aims to provide opportunities for players. They want them to achieve their football dreams.
Lambert Park stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of soccer in Leichhardt. Its east-west orientation and rich history make it a unique and cherished venue for players and fans alike.