A special group of more than 20 players from the National Soccer League who donned the red and yellow for Preston Lions FC throughout the 1990s were honoured at half-time during Sunday's Round 5 clash against Canberra Croatia FC.
A relatively busy BT Connor Reserve packed in 4,111 football fans on a cool and cloudy Sunday lunchtime, which was a cagey 0-0 stalemate, leaving Group C’s 2nd qualification position wide open for three teams to take this upcoming round.
Club President David Cvetcovski said honouring the contributions of players from the past remains an important part of the club’s fabric.
“These guys are Preston Lion legends,” Cvetcovski said.
“They will always be a part of our heartbeat.”
Former PLFC fullback George Jolevski featured more than 100 times for the Lions in the National Soccer League across his first four-year stint with the club in the late 1980s.
Jolevksi reflected on his favourite memory from those days, which was hearing his father’s voice from the stands.
“All I could hear while I playing, was my dad’s voice urging me to go harder, faster, and better,” Jolevski said.
“I normally played on the left, so he’d always be watching from either side.
“In those days, if you heard from your old man, you pretty much did whatever he said.”
Preston has long been famous as a club unapologetically proud of its ancestry, history, and deep community connection.
The Markovski name is proof of that legacy.
Former club player and manager John Markovski represented the Lions as a left-attacking midfielder - a position now filled by his son, Jonas.
The former NSL-winning manager said his fondest memory with the club came from the success he guided them to in the early 2000s.
“We had a good team, and obviously when I finished and won a championship there as a coach in 2002, then the minor premiership in 2003, that was something special,” Markovski said.
Full List of National Soccer League legends honoured:
- George Petrov
- Warren Spink
- Goran Lozanovski
- Rob Markovac
- Joe Markovac
- Rob Spasevski
- Rob Stojcevski
- Zok Ilioski
- George Campbell
- Andrew Zinni
- Billy Piculovski
- George Jolevski
- Vasko Trpcevski
- Nick Cukuleski
- Zoran Trajceski
- Michael Branov
- Lube Petrovski
- Chris Emsovski
- Billy Murray
- John Markovski
- Zlate Illievski
- Rob Runje
- Nick Georgopoulos
- Lori Ristevski
A major clash now awaits the Lions next week against already-qualified Avondale FC, away from home at Avenger Park.