Launceston City Football Club (formerly Launceston Juventus) is an Australian association football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. The club competes in the state's top tier, NPL Tasmania, administered by Football Tasmania. Founded in 1958 by members of Launceston's Italian community, many of whom migrated after World War II, the club fields senior men's, women's and junior teams.
The club has operated a junior program since 1984. Following a policy to remove ethnic names from Australian club football in the late 1990s, the junior arm competed as the Westside Devils Junior Soccer Club from 1998 to 2016, later as Launceston City Devils, and amalgamated with the senior club in 2019 to compete under the Launceston City name. The program fields teams from Under-5 to Under-16.
Launceston City also runs girls' and women's programs across multiple age groups, including a senior women's team that has won fourteen Northern Premier League titles. The women's first team went unbeaten in five consecutive league seasons from 2004 to 2008.
History City was particularly dominant in the 1960s, when they won every season except 1964. Although Northern Tasmania's most successful club with 19 Northern titles, they have failed to repeat their dominance of the 60s. The club uses the colours of Juventus and has links to the club. Prior to the cessation of ethnic affiliations by Australian football clubs in 1997, Launceston City were known as Launceston Juventus.
In 1978 Launceston Juventus relocated from their home ground at Brooks High School to Buckby Motors Park located in Prospect Vale next to the Australian Italian Club where the club is still playing home games till this day. TassieCare Park has two playing grounds, fully functional floodlights for night games, clubrooms and changerooms.
Launceston City fields teams in the National Premier League Tasmania NPL, the second tier of Australian football, Northern Championship, Northern League 1, Under 18's and competes in the Northern Women's Championship Team this makes up over 100 senior registered players.
With regard to youth and juniors as of 2024, the club has nearly 600 players, compromising of 58 junior teams and over 100 enrolments in the clubs 'Juventus Academy'.
Since 2018, a video of former goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos kicking the ball away prior to an opposition striker taking a penalty has been a regular viral video on social media. The move, designed to throw his opponent off balance psychologically just prior to taking the kick, resulted in Giantsopoulos being issued a yellow card, but the penalty went ahead. Giantsopoulos saved the goal.
Club Crest Since Launceston City (Juventus) was founded in 1958 there has been four recorded club crests throughout the years.
First logo on record The first ever recorded club crest since Launceston City's (Juventus) beginning in 1958 was this crest. Featuring the club's Italian heritage, resolve for success and the Launceston's coat of arms down the bottom of the crest. Which features with the two Tasmanian Tiger's holding the gold of the shield which refers to the early history of gold-mining in nearby hills. The blue represents the junction of the North and South Esk rivers where the city (symbolised by the gold central disc) was founded and the Tamar River flowing north to the Bass Strait. The club crest still features prominently outside the Launceston City change rooms to this day which was painted by former President and Secretary Frank Stolp.
1980's
In the 1980s the club committee led by president and life member Ross Wesson formed a new design of the Launceston City (Juventus) club crest highlighting the club's relations to the club's Italian relations Juventus FC with the black and white stripes as seen on the club's home kits, the crest was used up until the early 2000s. The crest could be seen around Launceston in the form of stickers on motor vehicles and in the way of a keyring.
2008 to 2018
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, the club began its fifth decade with a new logo created by David Jordaan. This logo pays homage to the Italian heritage and was the first to feature a soccer ball in the centre of the crest as well as a ribbon at the base of the crest that marked its establishment of 1958.
2018 to Current
Designed by Nathan Fellows of Freestyle FX Signs the design features a wreath to commemorate the clubs 60th year and is the current crest of Launceston City Football Club
Seasons Men
SeasonLeagueCup CompetitionsName (national level)1PositionTasmanian Finals2NPL FinalsStatewide CupNorthern CupFFA Cup1958North Premier League (2) —DNQDid not existDid not existQuarter-finalsDid not exist1959North Premier League (2)212100134——421stRunners-upDid not existDid not existWinnersDid not exist1960North Premier League (2) 1stRunners-upDid not existDid not existWinnersDid not exist1961North Premier League (2)181800———361stWinnersDid not existDid not existWinnersDid not exist1962North Premier League (2) 1stSemi-finalsDid not existDid not existDid not exist1963North Premier League (2) 1stWinnersDid not existSemi-finalsRunners-upDid not exist1964North Premier League (2) 2ndDNQDid not existRunners-upSemi-finalsDid not exist1965North Premier League (2)12120077968241stRunners-upDid not existSemi-finalsWinnersDid not exist1966North Premier League (2) 1stRunners-upDid not existWinnersWinnersDid not exist1967North Premier League (2) 2ndDNQDid not existSemi-finalsRunners-upDid not exist1968North Premier League (2) 1stRunners-upDid not existSemi-finalsWinnersDid not exist1969North Premier League (2)181800861274361stRunners-upDid not existSemi-finalsDid not exist1970North Premier League (2)181116631944234thDNQDid not exist—3Runners-upDid not exist1971North Premier League (2)181620701456341stRunners-upDid not exist—Runners-upDid not exist1972North Premier League (2)2218221073374381stRunners-upDid not existSemi-finalsDid not exist1973North Premier League (2)201604682444322ndDNQDid not existRound of 16WinnersDid not exist1974North Premier League (2)221534612734333rdDNQDid not existQuarter-finalsDid not existDid not exist1975North Premier League (2)221732842064371stRunners-upDid not existQuarter-finalsDid not existDid not exist1976North Premier League (2)181413512130291stRunners-upDid not existWinnersDid not existDid not exist1977North Premier League (2)181044552431243rdDNQDid not existRunners-upDid not existDid not exist1978State League (2)1873830255176thNot heldDid not existRound of 16Did not existDid not exist1979State League (2)188372528−3195thNot heldDid not existRound of 16Did not existDid not exist1980State League (2)1862102132−11147thNot heldDid not existSemi-finalsDid not existDid not exist1981State League (2)181440531538322ndNot heldDid not existQuarter-finalsDid not existDid not exist1982North Premier League (2)211443662541322ndDNQDid not existSemi-finalsDid not existDid not exist1983North Premier League (2)18747443014185thDNQDid not existRound of 16Did not existDid not exist1984North Premier League (2)208482641−15203rdDNQDid not existQuarter-finalsDid not existDid not exist1985North Premier League (2)1894532248225thDNQDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist1986North Premier League (2)181404601347283rdDNQDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist1987North Premier League (2)181224472720262ndDNQDid not existSemi-finalsDid not existDid not exist1988State League (2)1894540319313rdNot heldDid not exist—Did not existDid not exist1989State League (2)18954392118324thNot heldDid not exist—Did not existDid not exist1990State League (2)231175442618404thNot heldDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist1991State League (2)161024362412323rdNot heldDid not existWinnersDid not existDid not exist1992State League (2)218493033−3285thNot heldDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist1993State League (2)144372432−8157thNot heldDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist1994State League (2)16934352411302ndNot heldDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist1995State League (2)281918834835582ndNot heldDid not exist—Did not existDid not exist1996State League (2)188373031−1275thNot heldDid not existSemi-finalsDid not existDid not exist1997State League (2)188284647−1265thNot heldDid not existRunners-upDid not existDid not exist1998State League (2)18954513714323rdNot heldDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist1999State League (2)161123431825352ndNot heldDid not existNot heldDid not existDid not exist2000North Premier League (2)201541801961492ndNot heldDid not existQuarter-finalsDid not existDid not exist2001North Premier League (2)181620591247501stRunners-upDid not existQuarter-finalsDid not existDid not exist2002North Premier League (2)161222571641382ndDNQDid not existRunners-upDid not existDid not exist2003North Premier League (2)151131491930362ndDNQDid not existSemi-finalsDid not existDid not exist2004North Premier League (2)161240451332402ndDNQDid not existWinnersDid not existDid not exist2005North Premier League (2)161411571443431stRunners-upDid not existRunners-upDid not existDid not exist2006North Premier League (2)16943432023312ndDNQDid not existRunners-upDid not existDid not exist2007North Premier League (2)1681734259254thDNQDid not existWinnersDid not existDid not exist2008North Premier League (2)164482835−7167thDNQDid not existRound of 16Did not existDid not exist2009North Premier League (2)1622121742−2588thDNQDid not existFirst roundDid not existDid not exist2010North Premier League (2)1622123551−1688thDNQDid not existFirst roundDid not existDid not exist2011North Premier League (2)164482633−7167thDNQDid not existFirst roundDid not existDid not exist2012North Premier League (2)165382240−18186thDNQDid not existRound of 16Did not existDid not exist2013Victory League (2)421012013115−10218thDNQDNQRound of 16Did not existDid not exist2014Victory League (2)2131172986−57108thDNQDNQQuarter-finalsDid not existDNQ2015Victory League (2)2173113951−12245thQuarter-finalsDNQQuarter-finalsDid not existDNQ2016NPL Tasmania (2)42172122458−34235thQuarter-finalsDNQRound of 16Did not existDNQ2017NPL Tasmania (2)2153132558−33186thQuarter-finalsDNQSemi-finalsDid not existDNQ2018NPL Tasmania (2)211146563224374thNot heldDNQSemi-finalsDid not existDNQ2019NPL Tasmania (2)2474143851−13257thNot heldDNQRound of 16Did not existDNQ2020NPL Tasmania (2)41411121332-1948th Not heldCancelledSemi-finalsDid not existCancelled2021NPL Tasmania (2)2171132648−22225thNot heldNot heldSemi-finalsDid not existDNQ2022NPL Tasmania (2)2192103144−13295thNot heldNot heldRound of 16Did not existDNQ2023NPL Tasmania (2)2183102634−8276thNot heldDNQQuarter-finalsDid not existDNQ2024NPL Tasmania (2)2194838344315thNot heldNot heldQuarter-finalsDid not existDNQ2025NPL Tasmania (2)211623822260502ndNot heldNot heldSemi-finalsDid not existDNQ2026NPL Tasmania (2)18101740364314thSemi-finalsNot heldRound of 16Did not existDNQ Notes Up to and including 1987, a win was worth 2 points; from 1988 onward, 3 points. No Tasmanian finals or playoffs were held in 1978–81 and 1988–99 (State League era), or in 2000 (State League in recess; competition reverted to North and South Premier Leagues). The Statewide Cup was introduced in 1963, shifted to regional knockout competitions in 1970–71, then reverted to a statewide format from 1972 onward. The statewide top tier was branded the Victory League (2013–2015) and has been NPL Tasmania (2016–present); both are the State League. Shortened season due to COVID-19
Women