Northern Spirit Football Club was a football (soccer) club based in North Sydney, Australia. Northern Spirit entered the National Soccer League in the 1998-99 season. Its founding was inspired in part by the success Perth Glory was enjoying as a mainstream club (as opposed to the league's mainstay European migrant founded clubs), as well as an opportunity to tap into the previously unrepresented northern suburbs of Sydney.
On the field, the club had early success in the National Soccer League, reaching the finals in its first attempt, but the next two seasons were not nearly as successful, the club finishing 13th in both of them. The club recovered somewhat to finish mid-table in its last 3 seasons, but only managed to make the finals once more, in 2002/03.
Northern Spirit's home games were played at North Sydney Oval and their first league home game (against Sydney Olympic FC) attracted a then Australian club football record crowd (for a non finals match) of 18,985 a record which stood until 2005 when it was broken by Queensland Roar crowd of 20,725 (a record subsequently broken by other games). In the club's final season, Chairman Antonio Gelonesi decided to move the club to Pittwater Park, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. The decision was motivated mainly by money, with North Sydney Oval not drawing enough people to make a profit.
After enduring financial problems for much of its existence, the club folded after the 2003/2004 NSL season. The club was owned by Rangers FC for a small period of time who temporarily changed the club's home colours to their own royal blue. The club now is named Spirit FC who play in the NSW Super League. Their home ground is located at Christie Park, North Ryde. The club is linked with A-League side Central Coast Mariners.
