OVERVIEW
Cronulla RSL Football Club traces its origins to its initial establishment as the Cronulla RSL Soccer Youth Club, inaugurating its inaugural team in 1960. By 1961, the club boasted seven teams, ranging from under 8 to under 14, actively participating under the RSL banner.
Initially, Woolooware Oval served as the club's first home ground, which was shared with the Cronulla Seagulls. Later, the RSL Soccer Youth Club secured their dedicated ground at Captain Cook after the closure and partial filling of the tip located at the end of Gannons Road. During the transformative period of 1967-72, the club undertook significant infrastructure development at the grounds. This included the installation of essential amenities like water supply, power poles with floodlights, and the introduction of turf sourced from creek beds, complemented by kikuyu runners sourced from members' own lawns. Club stalwarts such as Alf Uptin, Fred Glover, Michael Byrne, John Cuciti, and Barry Milton dedicated countless hours to the maintenance and development of the ovals.
In the mid-1990s, the club relocated once more, transitioning from the Captain Cook playing fields across Captain Cook Drive to Solander. Initially, this ground was shared with Caringbah Rangers.
In contrast to its early years, soccer at Cronulla RSL Football Club has evolved into a familial endeavor, with parents and children actively participating within the same club. Notably, recent and present executives of the Soccer Club—Keith Ward, Ian Browne, Michael Dutton, Wendy Bailey, Kevin Wright, Elizabeth Gawthorne, Stuart Sutherland, and Rod Kelloway—contribute not only through their children's involvement but also as players themselves, or by serving on the committee.
