In one of the bigger off season moves Fortuna ’60 Soccer Club have secured the services of Luke Cheney as Senior Coach for the 2016/17 seasons. Cheney is a stalwart of the Gippsland soccer scene and comes to Crinigan Road after a stint coaching Morwell Pegasus in the State League Div 1 competition.

In a move that is sure to re-ignite the passions in the traditional rivalry between Fortuna and Churchill, especially as 2016 marks the ten year anniversary of the Lions four- peat league championships of 2003-2006. Cheney admits his move to his formal rival from his GSL days will raise a few eyebrows in local soccer circles. After finishing with Pegasus at the end of the 2015 season Cheney was looking for a new challenge and saw the move to Crinigan Road as an ideal opportunity to return to the GSL were he had a stellar playing career.  He is keen to bring back the passion and hardness that Fortuna were infamous for and is looking forward to working with the existing senior playing group and also attracting some new blood to the Lions Den for 2016. Cheney has also stated that he is excited about developing and integrating some of the talented youth at Fortuna into the senior ranks. Cheney stated, “I want to see the Crinigan Road ground become the Fortress that it once was feared for”

The move to get Cheney to Crinigan Road was instigated by the Fortuna Committee after 2015 Senior Coach-Mauro DeLuca made the difficult decision to step down due to family reasons. After a year of rebuilding under DeLuca the club is keen to push further up the league table in 2016 with a blend of experience and youth. Outgoing President Dion Tanti stated that Cheney was the “dream candidate for the direction the club wants to take” and “we cannot wait to see what Luke can bring to the club in the way of player development”

These sentiments were echoed by incoming 2016 President-Sep DeLuca who played against Cheney during both of their decorated GSL careers. Deluca stated that “Luke is a tough, no compromise competitor who is passionate about the game and has a great coaching experience”, and “we are keen to see this approach reflected in our senior playing group moving forward.”

Fortuna ’60 are keen to hear from any senior players interested in playing in 2016 and enquiries can be directed to Senior Coach-Luke Cheney on 0400 196722 or Club President-Sep Deluca on 0412 052968