Soccer in Footscray

Herald (Melbourne), Saturday 30 March 1912, page 7
BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL,
A meeting was held at the Plough Hotel, Footscray, on Wednesday night for the purpose of forming a football club to play under British Association rules. Mr Cottrall, chairman, said that the acting secretary and Messrs Derbyshire and Salome[Slomes/Soames] had worked hard to get the club going, and it was now entered for the Victoria Amateur British Association competition. On April 6 a match would be played against Williamstown and the season would commence on April 27.
On the opening game of the season they lost 7-1 to W-Y.
The next game was played against "Brunswick on their own ground, at top of Barkly street."
Off to Bendigo win 2-1
Footscray Thistle formed 1914; Footscray change their name to N & D.

The war intervenes and soccer effectively stops.

Resumes after the war with Footscray Thistle taking up the mantle of the primary Footscray team for a good while. Last we hear of them is in 1940 and they don't seem to survive ww2.

Footscray United?? Described as "late N and D" in 1927.

Footscray City starts as Bradford Cotton Mills in 1946 and changes to Footscray City -- in 1950 becomes Footscray Capri 1958 based at Henry Turner and sugar works

JUST begins in 1950 but takes on Capri's mantle in 1963.


Grounds in Footscray region referenced over time in the newspapers

• West Footscray ground ("a few minutes walk from that station") 1912
• Ammunition flat 1913, 1915, 1947 (near the boat sheds)
• West Melbourne Swamp (sporting portion) 1914
• River bank 1914
• (Below) Footscray Park 1914, 1950, 1952
• Other side of the river 1914
• Henry Turner Reserve 1951-1956 (and probably further)
• Sugar works 1922-1960
• Spotswood ground 1913, 1914, 1928
• Yarraville ground 1913, 1922
• Mowling’s flat 1914-15
• Seddon 1914
• Wembley Park 1927
• The Footscray Ground at Yarraville 1928, 1934, 1936
• The Footscray Ground on Williamstown Road 1932
• New Ground, foot of Napier St 1939
• Edwards Reserve 1950