The Manly Vale Football Club is a community of players at all ages and levels. Formed in 1951, the club has grown into over 2000 members joining and is always looking for new players!

History

Back in 1960, Manly Vale was known as Brookvale Soccer Club (which started in 1951). However, after a number of officials and players left to form the Curl Curl Soccer Club, it was discovered that nearly all of the remaining members lived in the Manly Vale area. So for the 1961 season, it was decided to rename the club Manly Vale Soccer Club.

At the commencement of that season, Manly Vale had 12 junior teams, from under 8's to 16's. In that year, there were 68 junior teams in the Manly Warringah District, from seven clubs, namely Manly (19 teams), Dee Why (15), Manly Vale (12), Curl Curl (11), CYPC (5), CEBS (4) and St. Augustines with 2 teams. 

All Association games were played on the Millers grounds No 1 to 6, with the occasional 'away' fixture up on the Manly West ground. This year, as it was back in 1961, most of our home games are played on the David Thomas Reserve, then affectionately known as Millers 4,5 and 6.

Over the years, Manly Vale Soccer Club has gained the reputation for being a family club, with several members of a family serving on the committee and playing as well. In the late sixties, we had the Barnes Family who had 4 sons playing, with father Jack as Gear Steward and mother Lois as President of the Ladies Committee.

The Wainwright family had a large influence on the club, with father Ted a coach for several years and 4 brothers all playing for the Club. John and Keith were both to have a hand in running the Club, John as President and Keith as Premier League Coach and still an active player and coach to this day.

In 1978, when Manly Vale won the MWSA Premier League, there were two sets of brothers playing first grade - Paul, Mike and Sean Hennessy, and Alf and Dudley Smuts. Others that came to mind are the Smith Brothers - Mark, Joe, Pete and Jim, and the Greco family, with Casper and Ossie both playing for Manly Vale All Age teams. Ossie is still on the Club's Social Committee, and Casper was the longest serving coach at Manly Vale. Casper's better half, Connie, has served as Sub-junior and Junior registrar, as well as long serving Canteen Manager.

Another family that has put a great deal of time into the Club is the Sestanovich clan. Three boys - John, Michael (currently coaching the AL/1 squad and looking for promotion back to Premier League) and Frank, whilst three of the family have also been President at one stage or another - Father Tony, mother Velma and Michael.

In 1970, the MWSA decided to have a gala day procession through Manly to celebrate the anniversary of Captain Cook's arrival, and clubs were asked to arrange floats for the procession. The Manly Vale Club decided to build a giant football boot from newspaper and cardboard atop a trailer which was towed behind a maroon and white Holden. With one of the players inside the boot and a banner with the message "Cook sets sail for Manly Vale", the procession began at Queenscliff through Manly to Millers Reserve. Manly Vale won second prize for its float!

In 1980, the Manly Vale Club set some sort of record by having its Under 17 team win the State Cup in the Under 18 competition. In 1981, they were to win the competition again as an Under 18 team.

An outstanding player of that era was Ian Gray, who went on to play for Marconi, London club Arsenal, and represented Australia at youth and senior levels. Ian retired in 1995 as Squad Captain.