Labasa F.C.
Labasa FC is a professional soccer team based in Labasa, Vanua Levu that competes in the premier division of the National Football League. The team is known for showcasing fast paced entertaining soccer with fancy footwork and has always been the crowds favorite.
History
A local football competition was held in Labasa from 1938. The competition included some ethnic Fijian Clubs. Labasa did not join the National Association when it was formed, in 1938, due to the distance of Labasa from the main island of Viti Levu, where all, except one, club was based.
Labasa FC enjoyed one of its historic moments when it defeated the visiting Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly on the teams tour of Fiji 3 goals to 1 at the Subrails Park in 1976.
In 1942, under the Presidency of Harold B. Gibson, a former member of the Legislative Council, Labasa Soccer Association joined the national football body, then known as the Fiji Indian Football Association.
Labasa remained at the periphery of soccer in Fiji, struggling to compete with teams from Viti Levu, until 1969, when it hosted the Inter-District Championship (IDC) for the first time. Soccer suddenly flourished in Labasa and the team was runner-up in the IDC of 1972, 1973 and 1978. Labasa F.C. finally won the IDC for the first time in 1992, repeating the feat two years later in 1994. Labasa soccer team has to rely on its younger players since most of the experienced players are recruited by other districts.