| Clubname: | Mount Barker United |
| Fullname: | Mount Barker United Soccer Club |
| Ground: | Summit Sport and Recreation Park |
| Capacity: | 5,000 (270 seated)[1] |
| Chairman: | Darren Miller[2] |
| Manager: | Nigel Gill |
| Website: | mbusc.com.au |
Mount Barker United Soccer Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Mount Barker, South Australia, 33 kilometers east of the Adelaide city centre. The club was founded in 1982, currently playing in State League 2 South Australia, the fourth tier of Australian soccer.[3]
The club is the largest in the Adelaide Hills with teams competing in Junior Competitions the Adelaide Hills Junior Soccer Association, Miniroos, Junior State League and Junior Premier League. Alongside the state League teams the club also competes in the community men’s Collegiate Soccer League and the Football South Australia Community Women’s leagues.
The club joined the Federation in 2016.
| Season | League | Cup | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division (Tier) | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos | Finals | ||||
| 2016 | SL2 (4) | 16 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 54 | –38 | 6 | 9th | — | Federation | Pre | |
| 2017 | SL2 (4) | 22 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 22 | 59 | –37 | 10 | 11th | — | Federation | Pre | |
| 2018 | SL2 (4) | 22 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 18 | 92 | –74 | 5 | 11th | — | Federation | R1 | |
| 2019 | SL2 (4) | 22 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 23 | 89 | –66 | 7 | 12th | — | Federation | R1 | |
| 2020 | SL2 (4) | 22 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 18 | 89 | –71 | 1 | 12th | — | Federation | R2 | |
| 2021 | SL2 (4) | 22 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 13 | 110 | –97 | 1 | 12th | — | — | ||
| 2022 | SL2 (4) | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 29 | 49 | –20 | 17 | 11th | — | Federation | R2 | |
| 2023 | SL2 (4) | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 53 | –33 | 19 | 11th | — | Federation | R1 | |
The club fielded teams in both the Adelaide Hills Junior Soccer Association (AHJSA) and the South Australian Amateur Soccer League (SAASL), with their home ground located at Dunn Park. However, due to the condemnation of the club rooms and toilets by the council, the club initiated a search for a new location. In the early 2000s, the club successfully transitioned to the Anembo Park Sports Park, situated adjacent to the freeway at Mount Barker. This move proved advantageous as the new facility offered additional amenities not available at Dunn Park.
During the initial years at Anembo Park, dedicated volunteers invested considerable time and effort to enhance the facilities. This included installing drainage across the top oval to improve its capacity during the winter season. To facilitate night training, the Mt Barker Council installed two petrol generators with small floodlights on one side of the oval. Although lacking dedicated change rooms, the clubrooms provided a suitable venue for club presentations and gatherings.
Despite the challenges, the club thrived in its junior teams within the AHJSA competition, leveraging the new facilities to expand its team roster. However, the senior men's team experienced more modest success, fluctuating between one and two teams in the SAASL leagues. In 2011, following an invitation from the Collegiate Soccer League (CSL), the club opted to change allegiance, a decision that heralded a new era of competitive success in the senior competitions.
Upon joining the CSL, the club initially fielded three teams in Division 2A, 2B, and 3, achieving victories in Division 2A and 2B. Notably, in their first season, the club secured a commendable 7th place in Division 2A. The following year saw further expansion, with the club fielding four teams and finishing 3rd overall. Subsequent successes led to promotion to Division 1, where the club continued to grow, adding a 5th team in 2013.
A pivotal moment arrived in 2014 when, under the guidance of coach Steve Handley, the club clinched the CSL Cup, triumphing over Unley Rangers 4-2 after extra time in the final. The following years saw continued growth and success, culminating in the decision by the seniors sub-committee in 2016 to apply for a license to join the Football South Australia State League 2 competition, a move that was approved. While the teams continued to train at Anembo Park, matches were played at Cornerstone College.