NewsCook Street United is proud to announce that, beginning with the 2024/25 season, Fernwood Football Club will be joining the Cook Street organization, marking an important moment for two clubs with shared values, deep community roots, and a belief that football is strongest when it is built for the long term.
Founded in 2020, Cook Street United is still a relatively young club by VISL standards. In just a few seasons, it has grown into a stable, competitive, and well-run organization, known for its culture, administration, and commitment to doing things the right way, both on and off the pitch. Fernwood, by contrast, carries a much longer and richer history, stretching back to the mid-2000s and encompassing a variety of identities over the years, including Fernwood Town, Fernwood City, Fernwood Knights, and Fernwood United, as well as women’s football in LIWSA.
This announcement represents a merger of ambition and legacy: a historic club finding a sustainable future under the Cook Street umbrella, while retaining the spirit, colours, and community that make Fernwood what it is.
Better together
During the 2023/24 season, Fernwood operated three teams: Fernwood United in Division 4, Fernwood Dragons in Masters A, and Fernwood Zgodans in Masters C. Moving forward, Fernwood’s competitive focus will centre on two Masters teams within Cook Street United:
- Cook Street Fernwood, competing in VISL Masters A
- Cook Street Zgoda, competing in VISL Masters C
These teams will continue to wear their traditional colours and maintain their distinct identities, while benefiting from the structure, support, and long-term planning of the Cook Street organization. Integration will be deliberate and consultative, with player input at every stage. At the end of the season, Fernwood players will be surveyed to assess whether the integration has been successful and whether it should continue, with a clear option to step back if it does not meet expectations.
Honouring legacy
Fernwood’s history includes moments at the very top of the VISL pyramid. Fernwood Town once competed in Division 1, and the club has consistently punched above its weight across eras and divisions. Fernwood also shares a proud competitive milestone with Cook Street United: both clubs have lifted the JV Barnes Trophy, Fernwood in 2019 and Cook Street in 2021.
Adding further depth to the story is Zgoda, a Polish-rooted team whose history predates even Fernwood’s. Tracing its origins back well over two decades, Zgoda later gave rise to Zgoda Juniors in the late 2000s. That Juniors side evolved through multiple incarnations, winning Division 4 before transitioning into Masters C in more recent years. Zgoda joined Fernwood during the pandemic, when uncertainty made roster management particularly challenging, and has remained a core part of the Fernwood football family ever since.
Both Fernwood and Zgoda bring history, resilience, and community into the Cook Street structure: qualities that cannot be manufactured and must be respected.
One Club, Four Teams
With this integration, Cook Street United will field four teams across the VISL:
- Cook Street United – Division 3
- Cook Street Soul – Division 4
- Cook Street Fernwood – Masters A
- Cook Street Zgoda – Masters C
This structure creates flexibility and opportunity across age groups and competitive levels. Fernwood’s Masters-focused future allows veteran players to continue playing in an environment designed for them, while also opening pathways for younger Fernwood players into Cook Street’s regular men’s squads. At the same time, some Cook Street players may find a natural home within the Masters teams as their own football journeys evolve.
The goal is not consolidation for its own sake, but reinforcement. That means placing players where they can thrive, contribute, and enjoy the game.
Expanded leadership
Governance of the combined club reflects this shared approach. Fernwood President Stefan Hall will join Cook Street United as a Club Director, working alongside existing directors Joel Windels and George Lucas to guide the club together. Shaun Hubert will join the board as Team Director for Cook Street Fernwood, while Bill Heaton will represent Zgoda.
“This wasn’t about losing Fernwood. It was about protecting it,” said Hall. “Joining Cook Street gives our players stability, support, and a genuinely exciting future, while still respecting the history and culture that brought us here.”
Windels echoed the sentiment: “Cook Street was founded on the idea that football clubs should be built to last. Fernwood and Zgoda bring incredible legacy and community into the club, and together we believe we can build something stronger than any of us could alone.”
Join the journey
This merger is about more than logistics or league placements. It is about culture, continuity, and creating a club that can serve players at every stage of their football lives.
Players interested in joining Cook Street United across any of the teams are encouraged to get in touch via the club’s contact form at cookstreetunited.com/contact. Whether you are looking for competition, community, or simply a place that feels like home, Cook Street United is growing and would love to have you.
