The Bears will be looking for another strong start to the season after their successful 2018 Heritage Cup win on penalty goals signalled a significant turn around in fortunes.

It will be the Bears first hit out under new coach Kewell Jaliens as he attempts to build on last season’s NPL campaign in which they finished ninth of 11 teams after successive wooden spoons.

In a new format this season the Heritage Cup will be run over three rounds starting this week and finishing with the cup final on Saturday, February 16, at Weston’s Rockwell Automation Park.

There are three pools with the Bears, Merewether Advance and Cessnock City in Pool A: Lake Macquarie City FC, West Wallsend SFC and Minmi Wanderers SC in Pool B: and  Edgeworth FC, New Lambton FC and Wallsend FC in Group C.

The three group winners qualify along with the highest ranked second team for the semi-finals on Tuesday, February 12.

The winners of the two semi-finals advance to the final and the two losers play off for third.

Weston Bears beat Adamstown in Heritage Cup final 

Ampcontrol managing director and CEO Rod Henderson said Ampcontrol were proud to come on board again as sponsors of the 2019 Heritage Cup.

All clubs involved in the competition have been around for at least 100 years with the Minmi Wanderers SC (originally known as Minmi Rangers) - the first football club formed in the Hunter 135 years ago in 1884 joining the competition this year. 

They come into the competition with Merewether Advance SFC whose history dates back to 1894.

Following an evaluation and feedback from participating clubs, this year’s Ampcontrol Heritage Cup tournament will be contested across three consecutive weeks and five match days to reduce the impact on players ahead of their 2019 campaigns.

The Player of the Final of the Ampcontrol Heritage Cup will be awarded the Col “Bunny” Curran Medal. Curran played his first senior football for Adamstown, before going onto make 35 appearances for Australia in 1970 including the 1974 FIFA World Cup campaign.

Curran is also a product of a family with long football playing traditions including his great-great grandfather, James Curran, playing for the Minmi Rangers.

POOL A

Round 1

Weston Workers FC v Merewether Advance SFC at Rockwell Automation Park, Weston, Sunday, Februray 3 at 6.30pm 

Cessnock City bye

Round 2

Merewether Advance SFC v Cessnock City FC at Turner Park, Cessnock, Tuesday, February 5 at 8pm

Weston bye

Round 3

Cessnock City FC v Weston Workers FC Turner Park, Cessnock, Saturday, February 8 at 6.30pm

Merewether Advance bye