History
For your light entertainment, the Club's 50th Anniversary DVD, 'The Road to Ryde Panthers'. Please click on the link. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/BsfsfXJxT3w
The RYDE PANTHERS FOOTBALL CLUB INC is one of the foremost traditional football clubs in the North West Sydney Football association. We foster sportsmanship, development of young men and women, and the will to win, whilst still enjoying the game of soccer.
The original club was known as MARSFIELD SOCCER CLUB, and was formed in 1958 by Charlie Follington and Ted Cooper. Each of whom had 3 sons - they were the basis for the first competitive teams.
By the mid 1960's the number of teams had increased, and the club entered into the NSW Federation competition. The Federation insisted on a district name - hence RYDE DISTRICT SOCCER CLUB.
The club leased from Ryde Council its own playing area - ELS Hall Sportsground, situated in Kent Road, North Ryde.
The club leased from Ryde Council its own playing area - ELS Hall Sportsground, situated in Kent Road, North Ryde.
The old canteen, change rooms, amenities and clubroom facilities, were built in 1971-72, by volunteers from the club. The building was named "T.B. COOPER PAVILION" dedicated to one of the co-founders who had been appointed club coach in May 1972.
This Clubhouse as we knew it, was demolished in late 2009 in order to make way for a new state of the art sports complex. In 2011, the new building, known as the RCSC – Ryde Community and Sports Centre houses the RPFC Lock up and Canteen once Season begins. The facility replaced the old amenities on Council owned land adjacent to the car park and baseball field at ELS Hall Park (Kent Road, Ryde). The centre provides a 2,000 sqm multi-purpose hall for indoor sports, stage productions, presentations and ceremonies as well as a commercially fitted canteen, change rooms and amenities. Details from - Ryde City Council Website-
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The Association teams continued playing as Marsfield, whilst the Federation teams played as Ryde District.
Club members decided to unite the Association and Federation teams under one name, and in 1977 permission was sought from Gladesville-Hornsby to change the name from Marsfield to Ryde District.
Ryde RSL objected on the grounds of their legal name Ryde District RSL. So our emblem was included in our title.
In the early years the district population grew and the club prospered, never fielding less than 20 teams each year in the Gladesville-Hornsby Association, ranging from Under 6's to All Age Div 1.
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In 2020, the North West Sydney Football Association was borne, uniting the former Gladesville Hornsby annd NWSWF Associations. As a result, both men's and women's football are now played under the one banner, NWSF.
Women’s teams have been a part of the club since 1977.
2009, saw us celebrating 50 years as a club and with soccer changing to football in Australia, the name of the club was changed to RYDE PANTHERS FOOTBALL CLUB. The club also changed from a company to an incorporated association.
The club colours are kingfisher blue shirts with black trim, black shorts with kingfisher blue trim, and blue socks with black Panthers.
The club emblem is a Crested Shield with a Panther leaping across a soccer ball. The club name surrounds the soccer ball.
This carved Panther was recently reunited with the Club courtesy of Al Ward who played for the Panthers in 1959/60. His father, PJ Ward, a former club secretary. Originally jet black, it has faded over the years. The Panther in flight as seen here can be seen on our club emblem.
