In January 1939 a group of Jewish immigrants, who had been playing soccer in
Rushcutters Bay each Sunday met to discuss the formation of a soccer club. That meeting resulted in the birth of Sydney Hakoah Football Club. However, it was not until 1954 that Hakoah was admitted to the Southern League, a semi-professional regional league in New South Wales. The team played in distinctive blue and white striped shirts featuring the
Magen David badge. The club was admitted to the newly created first division of the
New South Wales Soccer Federation following the breakaway of a number of clubs from the
FIFA associated
Soccer Association in 1956/57. In
1977, the club's name was changed to Eastern Suburbs Hakoah. They were the winner of the first National League, known as the
National Soccer League. The club's name was again changed to Sydney City in
1978, and the home ground was moved from
Wentworth Park to
ES Marks Field in a successful year for the club.
Eddie Thomson became coach in
1979, and together with manager Andrew Lederer led the club through its final years as Australia's most successful club. The team included future International
Jimmy Cant,
Jim Patikas, striker
Ken Boden and Australia's most successful goal scorer
John Kosmina for the
1980 season. They went on to win the
1981,
1982 and
1983 NSL seasons with Australian International striker
David Mitchell joining the star-studded club. In
1987 Sydney City withdrew mid-season as the most successful club in League history.
NSW State League return Since 1988 Sydney City has competed in the NSW State League North Conference in the NSW State Leagues. In the 2010s, it moved up through the
New South Wales football ranks and have been promoted rapidly. In 2014 Hakoah were in NSW's 3rd division (State League 1) and won the Premiership and Grand Final Championship trophies which culminated in winning the Club Championship crown and gaining promotion to the (national premier leagues NSW2), eventually almost replicating that season in 2015, once again winning promotion, this time into the top tier in NSW. In 2012 they also won the double as State League Division Two Premiers and Grand Final Champions under the Hakoah FC banner playing out of Hensley Athletic Field. They returned to the
National Premier Leagues NSW in the 2016 season, only to be relegated 3 seasons later in 2019. == Seasons ==