UNIVERSITY of PRETORIA

Name: UNIVERSITY of PRETORIA                                                                             

Nickname: ‘Amatuks’

Club colours: White and Red

Home Venue: Tuks Stadium

Formed: 2003

Website: www.amatuks.co.za

Head Coach: Tlisane Motaung

CLUB HISTORY

Football (soccer) was one of the first sports practised at the Transvaal University College (TUC) as early as 1908.  By 1911 however, the team “seemed to have died out.”

Almost 42 years later, in 1953, the team was revived with Prof H.W.J. Wijnholds as the Honorary President.  A few months after its formation, the team participated in the annual inter-university soccer tournament finished third. Two years later in 1956, UP won the Annual Inter-university tournament and received the Malcolm Taylor trophy. In 1958, the club performed well enough to gain promotion into the 1^st League.  By 1961 the club comprised of four teams as interest in football grew. 

The club was promoted to the Northern Transvaal Reserve League in 1962.  In the same year, the 1^st team finished 2^nd in the South African Universities (SAU) tournament, and in the process beat their arch rival, Wits by a score of 7 goals to 1.  Two years later, the 1^st team repeated its achievement of 1956 by winning the University championship.  Six of its players were included in the SAU team, and no less than seven players in the Northern Transvaal team.  Tukkies football continued its excellent achievements in 1965 and ended third in the Transvaal league, the highest position among all the Pretoria teams. 

By 1968 residence teams competed against each other. Towards the end of the 1960s Tukkies football experienced a crisis due to lack of floodlighting at the cricket oval where matches were played.   A residence league was formed in 1975.  9 teams entered. The 1^st team came second at the 1975 SAU tournament and contributed players to the SAU team on a regular basis. 

By 1978 Tukkies was the only Pretoria amateur club that had a team in the Transvaal First League defending its status in the local league beating Sparta convincingly. The high level of play continued in 1979, 1980 and 1981 which was exceptional for Tukkies football. In 1982 three Tukkies students represented their provinces in football with one selected to the SAU team.

As of 1999, the club took a different and more professional outlook when football became one of the 10 Priority Sports at UP and the 1^st full time coach was appointed.

2000  The club grew to 6 teams that participated in local leagues. In total, 26 residence teams participated in the internal league. A Junior programme with 12 teams participated in the local league.

2001  The Tuks Football Clubhouse was constructed to create a home for the football club.

2002  The senior football team won the provincial league, and the men’s team won the South African Student Sport Union (SASSU) national championship.

2003/04  TS Soccer (Pty) Ltd purchased a 3^rd division team/franchise to herald the formation of the AmaTuks.

2004/05  AmaTuks wins promotion into the National First Division (NFD).

2005/06 11^th in the Mvela Golden League.

2006/07  3^rd in the Mvela Golden League. Beat Winners Park on away goals in semi-finals of Platinum Playoffs, but lose 1 – 3 to Amazulu in final to remain in the NFD.

2007/08  7^th in the Inland Stream of the NFD.

2008/09  3^rd in the Inland Stream of the NFD. Beat Blackburn Rovers 4 – 2 in Rnd 1 of the Nedbank Cup, beat Kaizer Chiefs 4 – 3 in the round of 16, beat Bloemfontein Celtic 1 – 0 in the Quarterfinals, beat Ajax Cape Town 2 – 1 AET in the Semi-finals before losing 0 – 1 to Moroka Swallows in the final.

2009/10  5^th in the Inland Stream of the NFD. Beat Vasco da Gama 5 – 1 in round 1 of the Nedbank Cup, beat Jomo Cosmos 1 – 1 (4-2 Pen) in the round of 16 before losing 1 – 2 to Amazulu in the quarterfinals.

2010/11  3^rd in the Inland Stream of the NFD.

2011/12  Winners of the new single stream NFD and promoted to the PSL. Lost 0 – 1 to Santos in round 1 of the Nedbank Cup.

2012/13  8^th in the PSL. Lost 0 – 1 to Mamelodi Sundowns in round 1 of the Telkom Knockout. Lost 0 – 0 AET (2 - 4 Pen) to Maritzburg United in round 1 of the Nedbank Cup.

2013/14  11^th in the PSL. Lost 0 – 3 to Kaizer Chiefs in the quarterfinals of the MTN 8. Lost 0 – 1 to Moroka Swallows in round 1 of the Telkom Knockout. Lost 0 – 1 to Supersport United in round 1 of the Nedank Cup.

2014/15  13^th in the PSL. Lost 1 – 2 to Mamelodi Sundowns in round 1 of the Telkom Knockout. Beat Moroka Swallows 2 – 1 in round 1 of the Nedbank Cup, but lost 0 – 3 to Bidvest Wits in the round of 16.

2015/16  15^th in the PSL. Finished at the bottom of the Promotional Playoff log without a win and relegated to the NFD. Lost 1 – 2 AET to Orlando Pirates in round 1 of the Telkom Knockout. Beat Polokwane City Rovers 5 – 1  in round 1 of the Nedbank Cup, but lost 3 – 3 AET (2 – 4 Pen) to Supersport United in the round of 16.

2016/17  12^th in the NFD. Lost 1 – 2 to Witbank Spurs in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2017/18  10^th in the NFD. Lost 0 – 3 to Royal Eagles in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup. 

2018/19  14^th in the NFD. Lost 1 – 2 to Maccabi in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2019/20  8^th  in the GAC. Lost 1 – 2 to Jomo Cosmos in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2020/21  12^th  in the GAC. Lost 0 – 1 to Richards Bay FC in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2021/22  2^nd in the GAC. Beat Hungry Lions 2 – 1 in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup, beat Chippa United 2 – 0 in Round one, beat VFA on penalties in the Round of 16, before losing 2 – 3 to Royal AM in the Quarterfinals.

2022/23  8^th  in the MFC. Lost 0 – 1 to Richards Bay FC after extra time in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2023/24  2^nd in the MFC. Beat VFC 1 – 1 AET (13 – 12 Pen) in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup, beat CT Spurs 1 – 0 in Round One, beat Moroka Swallows 2 – 1, before losing 1 – 1 AET (4 – 3 Pen) to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Quarterfinals. Second in the Promotional Playoffs to remain in the MFC.