Italo Stars make long-awaitedreturn to soccer competition

THE Italo Stars are set to make their long-awaited return to the Football Far North Coast competition after nearly three years.

The north Lismore-based soccer club has had a horror run with the floods in 2022 and ongoing issues with its club facilities.

The Stars will move to Riverview Park and hope to field men’s teams in the lower divisions along with a women’s side.

It will likely be two teams somewhere between third and fifth grade for the men.

The club was hit hard with multiple floods and its merger with Sydney-based Club Marconi after financial struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Club president Ben Perry said it was now or never for the playing group to return to the competition.

“All we had left after the floods was a set of goalposts,” he said.

“We ended up playing again that season, but there were all sorts of problems with asbestos at the facility and it was unsafe for us to run the club.

“It has kept us out for two years and we feel now is the right time to come back in some capacity.

“We’re not looking to set the world on fire in the premier division, but we’ll be competitive with whatever grade we end up in.”

The Northern Rivers Hotel has come on board as the major sponsor, but the club still needs additional support to purchase new equipment and uniforms.

The ground change will help the club keep its roots in north Lismore, with its 60-year anniversary next year.

Perry said the plan over the next few years is to rebuild with the aim of bringing back juniors.

“We’re lucky that a lot of our senior players didn’t go over to other clubs,” he said.

“This is basically happening because the playing group wanted to get back together and to make sure we don’t lose that history and sense of community.”

Perry said the club was thankful for Lismore City Council and the little athletics club for allowing it to share the facilities at Riverview Park.

The club will return to training and hold a muster night for anyone interested in playing at the grounds on Tuesday, February 11.