Perth Voice Interactive

Bayswater City Soccer Club hopes to break a 40-year hoodoo when it faces Stirling Lions in the premier league grand final on Saturday.

Bayswater versus Stirling—could this be an omen for the looming council mergers?

Baysy last reached the final in 1972—losing to East Fremantle—but a series of brilliant displays this season has got it within touching distance of the trophy again.

The team secured a final berth by beating Stirling Lions in the major semi-final two weeks ago.

“We got the boys in four weeks early for pre-season training,” says coach Chris Coyne, a former Perth Glory and Dundee defender.

“I think it has made a huge difference to our fitness and if you look back at our games, we have scored a lot of winning goals with three or four minutes to go, when other teams have started to flag.

“We maybe don’t have a stand-out player like some of the other teams, but we have a great team spirit and never-say-die mentality—it has served us well.”

The part-timers are a motley bunch that includes gas fitters, delivery men and a Brazilian carpenter.

Bayswater councillor Mike Anderton—a long- suffering Liverpool fan and Baysy supporter—says the boys can lift the trophy.

“I’m confident the team can break the long drought,” he says.

“It would be an amazing achievement for a club that is regarded, by some, as one of the smaller outfits in the league.”

BSC formed in 1980 when Lathlain Meazza and Rosemount Juventus merged, and enjoys fervent support from the local Italian community.

Mr Coyne says they will try win the final in style and play the “beautiful game” as it was intended.

“Stirling will try and kick us off the park, but we’re going to pass it around and try and play some football.”

The final kicks off at 3pm on Saturday at Litis Stadium

by STEPHEN POLLOCK