tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37824157691841175442024-03-14T23:00:08.574+11:00Neos OsmosIan Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.comBlogger466125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-72875554576467843172023-04-01T09:17:00.001+11:002023-04-02T15:07:16.470+10:00Soccer Honour Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXetDdEqI8Cemzkp2qiW5ZkmdXuy4RwtpzfhRNJC2lkNYoZkizqG9BXFpJS7dzi5x3Q-qRrWIxjMLofdwpF1Ghu3I-6Udvf728n0ep0Q0hyphenhyphenDYAipZ9AsGdJ4gOLbRwkO-FXthuOuuf8k/s1600/merewether+1914+Roll+of+Honour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="656" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXetDdEqI8Cemzkp2qiW5ZkmdXuy4RwtpzfhRNJC2lkNYoZkizqG9BXFpJS7dzi5x3Q-qRrWIxjMLofdwpF1Ghu3I-6Udvf728n0ep0Q0hyphenhyphenDYAipZ9AsGdJ4gOLbRwkO-FXthuOuuf8k/s400/merewether+1914+Roll+of+Honour.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The discovery of the photograph of the 1917 Merewether Advance Honour Board in Newcastle (right) jogs my memory that other First World War soccer honour boards were created around Australia. Several members of soccer twitter searched for and reminded me about them also. It seems that we have a list of six known boards at the moment.<br />
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<div>
I suspect that there would have been many other honour rolls produced by soccer clubs around Australia and New Zealand, but here are the six we know about (plus a Second World War bonus at the bottom of the article).</div>
<ol>
<li>Merewether (<a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140974789">76 names</a> in 1918)</li>
<li>Adelaide Locomotive (<a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/59910972">30 names</a> in 1916)</li>
<li>Granville Association (<a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/86076189">over 60 names</a> in 1916)</li>
<li>Pyrmont (<a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/168501394">70 names</a> in 1918, with more to be added)</li>
<li>Toowoomba (<a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20357405">140 names</a> in 1919)</li>
<li>WA (<a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/210252038">over 400 names</a> in 1922)</li>
</ol>
<div>
Unfortunately, the <a href="https://placesofpride.awm.gov.au/">Places of Pride</a> web site listing such boards has no record of them. And lest we start to generate a conspiracy about the deliberate marginalisation of soccer, only four Australian rules boards are mentioned while the rugby codes have but one each. Given that hundreds of football clubs across codes contributed thousands of players to the war effort this is a major problem. Is it an oversight in the way we memorialise footballing soldiers or does the responsibility lie with the sporting clubs themselves? Soccer is notorious in the way it shelves and discards its own history. Maybe the other codes have similar tendencies.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the near future I will investigate the whereabouts of each of the boards and the existence of others. So far, <a href="https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6385107/football-historian-hunting-for-lost-merewether-honour-roll/">attempts to uncover the Merewether Board</a> have been fruitless. I won't hold my breath but you never know.<br />
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<i><b><br />NB. Here's a very specific <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131980480">one from WW2</a> "bearing the names of members of the South Australian Postal Institute Junior Soccer Club who have enlisted".</b></i></div>
Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-71997030926558251592023-03-14T06:37:00.007+11:002023-03-14T16:18:33.841+11:00Adelaide Soccer Enlistments 1916<p>S<span style="font-size: medium;">ome useful stats from the Adelaide <i>Advertiser</i>, Wednesday 7 June 1916, page 8</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">43 members of the South Adelaide Club enlisted.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Estimated that of 340 soccer players in Adelaide, 230 enlisted</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">consciousness of what other codes doing and saying</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/6458656"><span style="font-size: medium;">THE CALL TO ARMS.</span></a></p><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">[...]</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">"SOCCER" FOOTBALLERS AND THE WAR.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr. Harold Pearce, hon. secretary South Adelaide British Football Club, writes: '"Will you kindly publish the enclosed list of players of the club who have enlisted. It has been said in various parts of the city that British Association footballers have not done their share in the cause of the Empire in this time of war, hence this letter to contradict such false statements. Our association here in Adelaide had a membership of 340 members in the season of 1914; of that number 230 have enlisted.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In 1915 matches were played, and this year no games have been arranged whatever." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The enclosed list is as follows: N.W. Taylor, J.C. McMasters, S.C. McMasters, W.G. Marsh, B. Witton, E. G. Wright, J. McDonald, J.F. McDonald, A.A. Wallace, G. Burberry, G. Edwards, T. Shirlock, H. Cole, C. Cole, G. Davis, W. Slaughter, A Godleman, F. McEwin, W. Birken, G. Bates, H. McKay, H. Tucker, A. Linsden, T. Cotton, J. Graham, J. Perry, C. Casseboum, C. Warrington, P. Finlay, P Yules, L. Limb, W. Morton, A.E. Phillips, J. Phillips, M. Richardson, H. Long, E. Long, F. Causer, F. Gregory, C. Brown, J. Murdock, F. Draper, H. Pearce.</span></p></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-56558641538056603472023-03-09T11:11:00.000+11:002023-03-09T11:11:15.570+11:00Fremantle Caledonians<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="From https://www.facebook.com/profile/100056650463643/search/?q=soccer%20anzacs">This is a fb post from the Bassendean Caledonians FC facebook page</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">LEST WE FORGET...</span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Our Callies ANZACS</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The club was founded on 11 February 1913 as the Caledonian Soccer Club by members of the Fremantle Caledonian Society. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>World War I</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The tragedy of the First World War interrupted the formative years of the club. Most of the Caledonian soccer team's players and officials enlisted in the Australian Forces in the 1914–18 War. They were J. Anderson, J. Cowan, A. Marr, F. Beisley, R. Dewar, J. McFarlane, C. Braidwood, J. Durward, D. McKinnon, A. Brown, W. Earnshaw, R. McKinnon, G. Brown, J. Gourley, A. McPherson, D. Cameron, C. Grieve, C. Monteath, J. Chalmers, D. Henry, D. Reid, W. Chalmers, R. Leonard, J. Simpson, A. Cowan, F. Lyon, J. Thompson.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, the West Australian of 14 May 1915 mentions a Callies player, Wilkie, as ‘being in Khaki’, and later references were made by Alec Marr to ‘wee McGregor’ serving at the front. Another Caledonian official, J. H. Campbell may be John Hollis Campbell who embarked with the 11th Battalion on 15 June 1917, while Archibald Cameron of High Street, Fremantle who served with the 27th Battalion may be the A. Cameron who was one of Callies’ original players. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Amongst all these players and officials a group of 14 were guests of the Fremantle Caledonian Society at a farewell function in the Caledonian Hall at the end of the 1915 season. When the Society organised a welcome home function for the Caledonian recruits four years later only five of the 14 attended, the rest having been killed, wounded or otherwise traumatised by the conflict. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The extent of the Caledonian sacrifice to the Australian War effort can be seen in that all but five of the regular first team players in this squad made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the First World War. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The Caledonian players killed in action were ‘Barney’ Cowan, ‘Barney’ Henry, ‘Dickie’ Leonard, Dave McKinnon, Jamie Simpson, Frank Lyon, William Chalmers MM and Charlie Monteath. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REST IN PEACE....</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">From https://www.facebook.com/profile/100056650463643/search/?q=soccer%20anzacs</div></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-28039549990069154952022-08-31T13:08:00.006+10:002022-08-31T13:12:01.069+10:00England v Scotland, Melbourne Style, 1909<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">This is a nice report in the Melbourne <i>Herald </i>on Friday 13 August 1909, p3. It gives a picture of a buoyant game ready to progress. It also contains a preview of the first Dockerty Cup final.</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">BRITISH ASSOCIATION GAME.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">(By "JACKEROO.")</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>Last Saturday was a "red letter" day tor the British Football Association or Victoria. A large crowd of enthusiastic supporters assembled at Middle Park to witness a match between English and Scotch players, members </span><span>of this association. The selection committees carefully chose their representative elevens, and it was generally voted one of the best games of soccer yet seen in Melbourne. Before the match, the Scotch players and supporters were already proclaiming victory, but, let me here tell you. that England won comparatively easy by three goals to two. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Scotland kicked off against a strong wind, but the English halves securing, put their forwards on the attack, the English left wing very early in the game giving the Scottish defence a taste of their good quality. Cumming and Baird were defending well, however, and relieved their goal. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Scotch forwards then made tracks for the English goal, but did not become dangerous the English halves (Ladkin, Evans, and Bird) holding them fairly easy. Ladkin, playing half-back for England, was feeding the wing cleverly, and the persistent attack of Greves and Hutton had its reward at last, for after nice play by these two, Appleby, at centre, received a pass, and scored first goal for England. This livened up the Scots, and their forwards now became more prominent, but could not beat the English halves. It must not be forgotten that Scotland were playing against the wind, therefore most of the play was in their own half. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">At last the Scotch left wing, playing nicely together, became persistent, and Hall securing near the centre, made a good run. When tackled he passed to Fletcher, who sent in a nice centre, which Hall secured and equalised the scores with a clever shot. The play of the English forwards in this half was very ragged. They indulged in too much passing instead of making for goal when they had a strong wind behind them. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Half-time arrived with the score one goal each. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">It was thought that the English defence would be in for a hot time during the second half, Scotland having the wind in their favor. Scotland early made an attack on the English goal, and, having awarded a very doubtful penalty, Menzies scored for Scotland with a good shot, The English forwards were now rearranged. Brown going from inside right to centre and Appleby taking Brown's position. From this change England benefited greatly, for Greves, Hutton, and Brown, all club mates, combined nicely, and gave the spec-tators a splendid display ot tip-top football, and it is to these players that England mainly owe their victory. Menzies, at centre-half was working hard for Scotland, feeding his forwards well, of whom Hall was the only one to trouble the English defence, where Elliott was playing a masterful game at back. The attack being again taken up by Eng-land, Greves secured near the half-way line, and running along his wing put in a marvellous centre. The ball, keeping high, just went under the crossbar, giving Baird, the Scots' goalie, no chance. Thus the score was once more equal, being two goals each. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">From this to the end England had most of the game, their halves easily keeping in check the Scottish attack. England attacked strongly, and after a hot scrimmage in front of the Scottish goal, a penalty was given against Menzies, but from the resultant kick Elliott, the English captain, shot wide. Not to be denied, however, the English forwards again attacked, and Brown scored with a nice shot. Time shortly afterwards arrived, with England winners by three goals to two. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">England's team, all round, played consistently and generally seemed to hold the Scots fairly easy. The Scotch team did not play the game that was expected of them, their for-wards, with the exception of Hall, not being able to get the better of the English halves. Mr Palmer refereed the game, and had the assistance of Mr S. H. Thomas (England) and Mr Middleton (Scotland) on the lines. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">To show how soccer football is finding its way over the globe, it is interesting to note that Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur re-cently made a very successful tour of the Argentine. These teams played a match at Buenos Ayres before a crowd of over 20,000 spectators, Aston Villa winning by two goals to one. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>The game has taken such a hold in America that next football season the American association is sending a team to England, and an International match has been arranged. The American team will be comp</span><span>osed of American-born players, and fixtures have already been arranged with Notts. Forest, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers, Leeds City and other leading English clubs. The New York "Herald" of May 23 gives a lengthy report of the final for the American Association Cup. between Brooklyn and the Yonkers (New York). The match attracted 15,000 spectators, Brooklyn winning by four goals to one. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Tomorrow the "Coop" final is to be played (how these words stirs an Englishman's heart). The competing teams are Carlton and St. Kilda. The East Melbourne ground has been engaged, and the match commences at 3 o'clock. Mr Palmer has been appointed referee, and Mr Jackson (Fitzroy) and Mr Fraser (Melbourne) have been chosen as linesmen. This match should prove a great go, an both teams are in good form and have been doing good training work.</span></span> </p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Carlton earned their position in the final by beating Melbourne, four goals to nil, and Fitzroy, eight goals to nil, and with an undefeated certificate in the League games, their chance looks good. St. Kilda worked their way into the final by defeating Williamstown, five goals to two and Prahran. eight goals to two, Also finishing second to Carlton in the League chart. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">It may be said for St. Kilda that their team has become much stronger this last few weeks, owing to finding new blood, so intending visitors to this match should not be disappointed jn witnessing a ding-dong battle.</span></span> </p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">St. Kilda team will be selected from Dolan, Fletcher, Cartwright, Dockerty, Evans (capt.), Collins, Greysmith, Vass, Hodgkinson, Brown, Hutton, Greves.</span></span> </p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Carlton will be selected from Baird, Menzies (capt.), Cumming (2), Spence, M'Millan, Williamson, Matthews, Hall, Halley, Terrier, Wardrop, Black, Campbell, Walters and Begg.</span></span></p></div></blockquote>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-3197228359201207742022-08-29T15:55:00.002+10:002022-09-13T14:55:01.259+10:00Soccer in Victoria: English Game Has Rapid Rise<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Another Victorian state-of-play piece, this time in the <i>Herald</i>, Saturday 27 May 1922, page 5. Interesting for a number of reasons, especially the elision of 1. the original attempt to establish the game in the 1880s and 2. the Scottish aspect of the contemporary renaissance of the game in Victoria. Other points of note are the rapid expansion of the game and an early consciousness of the problem of enclosed grounds.</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Soccer in Victoria</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>English Game Has Rapid Rise</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">By "SALATIS"</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">For the average Victorian there is only one game of football, and that is the great Australian game. In that we are conservative. Nevertheless, soccer, the popular game of the United </span><span style="font-family: times;">Kingdom, is establishing itself on a firm footing in this State, though, of course, there is no likelihood of it ever becoming a rival of the Australian game.</span> </span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The existence of the imported game in Melbourne rests mainly on the support accorded it by a staunch follow ing of men from England. That following is gradually growing in strength as every liner brings its fresh batch of new Australians.</span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">On the other hand, soccer is a serious rival to that other great English game, Rugby football. Many persons are convinced that Rugby football is a dying sport. Evidence of this, it is claimed, has become apparent in New South Wales, and to a greater extent in Queensland, where soccer is speedily ousting its rival. New South Wales alone boasts a playing personnel of 6000 soccer footballers, while in the United Kingdom in 1914 there were </span><span style="font-family: times;">16,000 soccer teams, as compare!! with only 1100 Rugby teams, and the contrast is even greater today. In Victoria Rugby football has had little or no success, while soccer has managed to cling on for 14 years, and is stronger today than ever it was. Its history is interesting.</span></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">800 PLAYERS</span></h3></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">In 1908 a small group of English enthusiasts, among whom were Messrs. H. J. Dockerty, W. E. Cumraings. E. Harvey, and E. C. Crawford, held a conference. These men could never reconcile themselves to our form of football, and they launched the ambitious but seemingly hopeless project of establishing soccer in Victoria. How they succeeded may be gauged from the fact that a small band of 60 followers has grown into 14 metro</span><span style="font-family: times;">politan clubs with a playing personnel of 600 and 2000 supporters. The com bination is known as the Victorian Amateur British Football Association, of which Dockerty is now president, Cummings secretary, and Harvey treasurer. Crawford was a former secretary, and he worked strenuously in the effort to raise soccer to its present status.</span></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Though the standard is not as high, the conditions under which soccer is played in Victoria are similar to those influencing the game in. Great Britain. Even an international flavor is introduced by a yearly match between English and Scottish players, while this season will, in addition, wit ness the innovation of an all-Australian team playing a match against a combination composed of Welsh players.</span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">From this it will be gathered that </span><span style="font-family: times;">the game has managed to lure a sprinkling of Victorians. To further intensify the interest in soccer there are the usual cup ties, which bear the name of Dockerty, in honor of the president, and the trophies consist of cups for senior, second grade, and junior divisions, and a handsome shield for the premier team of the Association.</span></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">OPEN AND FAST</span></h3></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3n88Sz51f0jOXpbMWYniaM9xJDUleSp4nGb-zuS2y2Oft3-CvdfVUqy75WSbBokw4GWULWi2bwlnDOaTnEe-2FoBEmrJWDTMVUVK0Q2LwAdgZ-WvmKTV80dbBY1sxbNx78MC4YlnP-REFnQhQaL3mi-wPYRKJVuCMjUWvho-Pgkm_OZE_VJeR5qM/s418/Harry%20Dockerty%201922.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="141" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3n88Sz51f0jOXpbMWYniaM9xJDUleSp4nGb-zuS2y2Oft3-CvdfVUqy75WSbBokw4GWULWi2bwlnDOaTnEe-2FoBEmrJWDTMVUVK0Q2LwAdgZ-WvmKTV80dbBY1sxbNx78MC4YlnP-REFnQhQaL3mi-wPYRKJVuCMjUWvho-Pgkm_OZE_VJeR5qM/w216-h640/Harry%20Dockerty%201922.jpg" width="216" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">Mr Dockerty has been resident in Victoria for a number of years, and, being an ardent lover of football in any shape or form, he did not neglect to study our own game. He admires it, but prefers soccer, because he says it is more easily followed, there being only eleven men to a side. Furthermore, he claims that soccer is fast and opon, and leaves nothing to be desired from an onlooker's point of view when good players are seen In action in a "passing rush" and exercising that attractive head and foot work which is so distinctive from the Australian hand system.</span> </span><p></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">An English team may visit Australia in 1923. That is the accomplishment which Mr Dockerty and his soccer colleagues all over Australia are aiming at, and they are confident that it will be realised. The matter is in the hands of a Commonwealth council, of which Mr Dockerty is also president, and which is representative of soccer players in all States. The most im portant factor — finance — has been thrashed out, and Victoria's contribution to the general fund is a minimum of £750. This sum it is proposed to raise by the debenture system.</span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">ENCLOSED GROUNDS SOUGHT</span></h3></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The lack of enclosed grounds is a sore point with the Soccer Association, for the "gate" means much to the success of any sport. However, during the proposed English visit it is likely that one of the metropolitan cricket grounds will be secured. The itinerary of the English team will have to be so arranged that the matches do not clash with our own games.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><br /></p></div></blockquote><div class="zone"></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-89991695740368812672022-08-27T15:37:00.006+10:002022-08-29T17:33:01.110+10:00The Real Game of Football<p><span style="font-size: large;">This is an extensive piece written by leading Melbourne player, George Raitt (<i>Sporting Globe</i>, Saturday 23 June 1923, page 6). It has a number of features/claims, including: the brief suggestion that soccer's first Melbourne collapse was due to internal problems; his recollections of pre-war football and the English/Scottish nexus; Carlton effectively a Scots team in 1909; his own personal biography; the snapshot of P. Hamilton (born in Australia but who learned the game in Scotland); and a terrific sequence of photos of George playing the game.</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184809155">"Soccer—the Real Game of Football," — and its Prospects </a></span></h2></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Specially Written for "The Sporting Globe" by George Raitt</span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Do you wonder that I should be still enthusiastic about the game of soccer when I was born and bred in the home of the game. I have been playing all my life and I will go on playing the great game of pure football until I am not physically able to take any further active part. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Soccer is claimed—and in my opinion rightly so—as the game of football. After having played it for many years and having seen the other codes of football played, I am still as keen as ever on my chosen code. With its open and fast exchanges it stands out as a game of skill and as scoring is difficult compared with other codes, it tends to keep the contest even throughout. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Starting in the Old Land many years ago soccer has spread to many parts of the globe. And now it is played in every country and is increasing in popularity. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">VICTORIAN PIONEERS </span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">In Victoria the game was played in the 80s but owing to internal trouble was allowed to lapse. In 1907 a few gentlemen headed by H. J. Dockerty again set the ball rolling. For that season practice games were played and during the summer months arrangements were made to start a competition. A strong committee was formed to carry out arrangements including H. J. Dockerty, L. Harvey, J. Holland, L. Fifer, H. Miller, T. Evans, A. Philips, E. Fraser and W. A. Cumming. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">The season opened with six clubs — Carlton, St. Kilda, Prahran, Melbourne, Fitzroy and Williamstown and after a good seasons play Carlton carried off all the trophies — a feat they repeated the following year, when South Melbourne had joined up with the association. In 1910 the season opened with nine clubs — Burns, Melbourne, Thistle, Yarraville and in addition four junior clubs were formed. The number of clubs has increased since then until now there are 18 clubs in Melbourne and districts, who place 28 teams in the field each Saturday. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">In addition to these, four clubs from the schools competed for the Navy Cup. In the country there are four clubs at Alexandra, three in Bendigo and district, and teams at Wonthaggi and club Point. To provide for these clubs, the association runs the following competitions — The Dockerty Cup competition which is open to all clubs in Victoria and is played on the knock-out principle. The four League Trophies are competed for by clubs in Melbourne and districts. The Reserve Cup is open to all reserve teams. Alexandra District Cup competed for by clubs in that district. The Navy Cup is confined to Technical schools. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>The management of these competitions is in the hands of a committee of delegates from the clubs, while the general management of the association is carried on by an elected council over which H. J. Dockerty, the president of the association presides, F. Harvey, treasurer and W. A. </span><span>Cumming hon secretary are also among the officials of the game and to the work of these officials the game owes much of its success. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">PROMINENT PLAYERS </span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Among the players who have helped to place the game on its present footing are P. Hamilton at present is a member of the Footscray team. Australian-born this player went to Scotland and reached the first class in football. Returning to Australia he has since both taken part in matches with credit to himself and his club. Another player who has left his mark on the game here is "Dave'" M. Millar. In my opinion he is the finest player we have had here. During seasons 1909-13 he delighted the </span><span>followers of the game with his clever play. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">With the Victorian team in Sydney in 1914 he was the stand-out of a great side and even to this day his play is the talk of soccer people in New South Wales. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Among some of the other players who have stood out from the general men are Menzies, a great "back" ; Ruddiman, centre half. The Carlton team was, in my opinion, the best we have had here and in regard to this?? an interesting story is told. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">CARLTON'S FORMATION </span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>One of the players just, arrived from Scotland happened to be chatting about the game. Hearing a voice </span><span>from over the Border holding forth on Soccer, he challenged him to meet a team he would pick to play in the Carlton Gardens. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Scot was told it could not be arranged but if he had any players they could get games with the Carlton Club to which the other belonged. A meeting was called, and Scotty gathered his clan of 16 members to attend. When the meeting ended it was found that the Scots had taken charge of everything except the secretary's office which had been given to the Englishman to keep him quiet. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>On the field they carried out their policy, and took charge to such an extent that for two seasons they went undefeated, and remained so until the Burns Club, led by the same Scot who </span><span>had gathered them for Carlton, defeated them in the opening game of the third season. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">ADVANTAGES OF SOCCER </span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Soccer as a game of football is one in which you play football or ball with the foot only. Unlike other codes the hands are not used to any extent Only two players the goalkeepers are allowed to handle the ball while in play. It is a game in which brute force is not allowed. With its eleven players a side, and a referee in complete charge of the game. It is clean, open and fast, and as the rules are definite on all points of the game, it is easily followed, and understood. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>It has also the advantage of being a game in which the small man has nearly as good a chance as the tall </span><span>man. There being no ruck or scrum, in Soccer, the crowding which takes place in other codes is not present and the opportunity for sly or dirty play is not given. Then again, it is the international code. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">OLYMPIC REPRESENTATION </span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>If Australia is ever to be represented in football at the Olympic games, it must be in Soccer, which is the football game played in connection with them. That will take place before many years as in most of the Soccer is going ahead very rapidly. In Victoria there are now teams composed entirely of Australian players. The game here is entirely amateur, and as long it is played as Soccer should be played, it </span><span>will continue to grow in numbers and become a favorite with the Australian public, just as it has done in other parts of the world. </span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Certainly there are many good points in Rugby and the Australian game. The only spoiling feature of Rugby is, I think, the scrum. When I have nothing to do on Saturday I enjoy looking at the Australian game and I must say that there are some spectacular incidents in it. What appealed to me most in the game was the high marking and the pace at which the men travel with a ball which they must bounce. Still I would rather play Soccer. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">POINTS IN THE GAME </span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">One point which the average spectator does not understand is the one of "hands off the ball." Unlike the Australian game, the ball must not not be touched by the hands or arms. therefore when it is in the air we use our heads. Every player with the exception of the goal keeper must be able to head the ball and when this is perfected the average player can use his head as readily as his feet. Dribbling the ball is left almost entirely to the forwards, principally to the inside forwards, who have to take the ball within the danger zone and make the opening for the center forward to go through and score. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">One of the most spectacular points of the game is the shooting for goal. The center forward excels in this department and to be a good center forward one must be a good shot and be able to shoot from any position. This is a position which sometimes is very hard to fill, and which causes the club manager endless worry. He is always on the lookout for a prolific goal-scorer. Though difficult to perform well, punting is left to the backs. They constitute the defence and must be able to punt well to clear their lines and relieve the pressure on the goal. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">RECOLLECTIONS </span></h3></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">My first club of any note was Cambuslang Rangers. I spent two seasons with them. In the second season with them we had a great side and carried everything before us. The trophies we won that year were the Glasgow League, Glasgow Cup, Glasgow Charity Cup and North-Eastern Cup. With one exception the whole of this team played as professionals and some are still playing in first class football, notably Kenny Campbell, who has defended Scotland goal for several seasons in International football. Bob Robertson is still with Bo'ness. John McNaughton with Kilmarnock and my brother Willie is still going strong with King's Park. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">From Cambuslang I went to Huddersfield Town, but after a season and a half there I came to Melbourne in 1913. I thought I had said goodbye to the old game, not knowing that the game was being played here. I soon found out and being Scotch I was soon attached to Melbourne Thistle with which club I have played since. In 1914 we won the League Premiership and shared the Dockerty Cup with N and D United after two draw games. The following season we went one better and won both League and Cup. Our game closed down in 1915, and most of our players enlisted. Five paid the supreme sacrifice — J. Traynor, A. Goodson, J. Ross, J. Hogg and W. Brodie. This season we are not doing so well. I think the side can do better before the season closes. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">The fact that the game in Victoria is "not up to much" cannot be denied but when soccer is played well it is "the" game of football. All good things start from small beginnings and I have no doubt that soccer — now one of the least of footy codes in Victoria — will win a worthy place in the years to come.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">HANDS OFF AND HEAD OR FEET ON</span></h3></div><div class="zone"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaH2OXokkTr1cUOLhAafgx3THfeUUXCYNsSqIlohLf59ehCYLGNumhCHxlh0MXHeWWtyc1_DfxwWupxln9h0phrugeksIRon9VCOD2Xb_Fo-GteFkumK9wCr8qYdvPAwxilMy7zR2A0oqJaKbmaN4d_PdAymtHHiOJGxUtqFO8KGJzusT-GjvhL3z/s656/Raitt%20in%20Action%20Sporting%20Globe%20Saturday%2023%20June%201923,%20page%206.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="656" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaH2OXokkTr1cUOLhAafgx3THfeUUXCYNsSqIlohLf59ehCYLGNumhCHxlh0MXHeWWtyc1_DfxwWupxln9h0phrugeksIRon9VCOD2Xb_Fo-GteFkumK9wCr8qYdvPAwxilMy7zR2A0oqJaKbmaN4d_PdAymtHHiOJGxUtqFO8KGJzusT-GjvhL3z/w640-h304/Raitt%20in%20Action%20Sporting%20Globe%20Saturday%2023%20June%201923,%20page%206.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">GEORGE RAITT IN ACTION (1) Passing (2) Heading the ball. 3) Shooting for Goal. (4) Punting</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></blockquote><div class="zone" style="text-align: left;"><p></p></div><div class="zone" style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p></div><div class="zone"></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-35091057846284588282022-08-23T16:34:00.003+10:002022-08-25T15:18:53.919+10:00Northumberland and Durham Smoke Night 1922<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Emerald Hill <i>Record </i>(7 October 1922, p2) reported the annual smoke night of Northumberland and Durham United. Some interesting points: </span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">It's a spotted history of the club's 10 years. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The recent death of the inaugural chairman Sam Hartley;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">We learn that Ben Stevens captained the team for the first 9 years; </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">J Lamb was the general dogsbody for the club and a number of others were important to its activities; </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Portable goalposts! I need a description.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Has the epicentre of N. and D. moved away from Footscray (intimated by the function being held in South Melbourne and reported in a local paper)?</span></li></ol><p></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">SOCCER ENTHUSIASTS.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Hold Annual Social.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Northumberland and Durham United British Association Football Club (Soccer) held their annual smoke night on Saturday last in the Concordia Hall, South Melbourne. Mr. Albert N. Gay was the chairman, and referred to the position of the club and hoped that all present would have an enjoyable evening. Musical items </span><span style="font-family: times;">were rendered by Messrs. Bristow, Craig, Davidson, Grieves, Jones, Lamb, and Thornton. The singing of Mr. Bob Davidson was particularly fine, and brought forth numerous encores. The chairman spoke feelingly on the sad loss the club had sustained owing to the death of Mr. Sam Hartley, who had been the chairman of the club since its formation. He felt sure the club as a body would do all in its power to assist Mrs. Hartley in every, possible way.</span></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">Mr. J. Lamb proposed the toast of The Captain and Players, and referred to the pleasure he got, through being connected with the club, every week, although he did have to carry the goal posts and nets and very often had to mark off the ground. However, it was more than pleas</span><span style="font-family: times;">ing to see 'N. and D. receiving such prominence each year.</span> </span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. Ben Stevens (captain) rose to respond amid cries of "Good old Ben!" "Ben the evergreen!" etc., and stated how pleased he was to have the pleasure of responding on behalf of a team which he had captained for the past 10 years with the exception of last season. During those years they had won the League several times and the Dockerty cup twice. Of course, he knew from his long experience that secret of the success of N. and D. was the unanimity between the players and their committee. He could remember when the club first started. He had gone onto the ground with seven or eight men; and often had finished the game with a victory to their credit. (Laughter.) He thanked the committee for their staunch support in the past, and hoped for their continued good service in the future.</span></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">The toast of the committee was proposed by Mr. Grieves, and responded to by Mr. Bentley. Mr M. D. Cunningham, the genial and hard-working honorary secretary, spoke of the progress the club had made. During the three years he had been their secretary they had won the League premiership twice, and the Dockerty cup once, which was by no means a por record. He hoped the club would continue along the track of prosperity, and that next year both the cup and the shield would be on the table at their annual smoke night. (Loud cheers.) —'The Vigilante.'</span></span></p></div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Melbourne <i>Herald </i>(Wednesday 5 July 1922, page 18)</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">HARTLEY. — On the 4th July. 1922, at his residence. 160 Little Buckley street, Footscray (suddenly). Samuel Hartley. (late president of Northumberland and Durham Football Club), dearly loved husband of Elizabeth Hartley, loving brother-in-law of Mrs. Fletcher, William, Isabel, and the late David Jeffrey, aged 54 years. Deeply mourned and sadly missed. </span></p></div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This obituary in the <i>Age </i>(18 May 1936, page 1) references some N and D figures.</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">DARBYSHIRE.—On the 16th May, Henry William, dearly beloved eldest son of William Henry and the late Rebecca Darbyshire, of 23 Garden Vale-road, Caulfield, loving brother of Ernest, Nellie, Marjory, Tina, Stanley, Edith and Rachel. DARBYSHIRE, H. W.— On the 16th May. From him sweet rest, For us just memories. Inserted by his loving father and brother, Stan, DARBYSHIRE.—On the 16th May, Harry, the dearly loved brother of Tina and Wilfred; also loving uncle of Olive, Edna, Lorna, Norman and Jack. Loved ones united. DARBYSHIRE. H. W.-On the 16th May. In silence we remember. —Inserted by living brother, Ern, and Vera. DARBYSHIRE, H. W.— On the 16th May. He giveth his beloved sleep. His tired, weary frame Has found sweet rest at last. —Inserted by his loving sisters, Edie and Rachel. DARBYSHIRE. —On the 16th May, H. W. In mind a silent thought, In heart a secret sorrow. —Marjory and Percy. —Inserted by his loving sister, Marjory, and Percy. DARBYSHIRE, H. W.-On the 16th May. Years fly pas, but his life to us Will always be the sweetest memories. —Inserted by his loving sister, Nellie, and Sid. DARBYSHIRE, H. W.—On the 16th May. in remembrance of my dear brother-in-law Edward Soames; Joyce Soames, Edward Henry Soames. At rest. DARBYSHIRE, H. W.—On the 16th May, in remembrance on behalf of the Northumberland and Durham Soccer Football team, Footscray. A good friend and a great sport. </span></p></blockquote>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-48044116908500608672022-08-16T09:49:00.021+10:002022-08-25T15:22:19.908+10:00Robert Walter Pickersgill, Geordie Joiner.<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">This is the way it goes sometimes:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">1. Up early to watch EPL.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">2. Notice a text from Mav alerting me to a comment on facebook from Alan Pickersgill, to which he had attached this gorgeous photo of a Northumberland and Durham team in 1914. His grandfather Robert Walter Pickersgill is third from the right on the second back row.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFLLCHBJd69nDlHjj0jF9yw-lWyyXJv8vRiOC4lK0SjfNqqGlmhIde50OA8EcABxjKLfbd2WZnDEcRP1EIDY8ou5zk016gmbL7udA5QhR8nTUlZnIFBEPYKVA_W1r3-lU9ptIqtYA5YIiU4PKZuGXzq51_HlHUsLakoX_W5yxAN_IJfqVE-QE_mU2/s802/N%20and%20D%201914%20hi%20res.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="802" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFLLCHBJd69nDlHjj0jF9yw-lWyyXJv8vRiOC4lK0SjfNqqGlmhIde50OA8EcABxjKLfbd2WZnDEcRP1EIDY8ou5zk016gmbL7udA5QhR8nTUlZnIFBEPYKVA_W1r3-lU9ptIqtYA5YIiU4PKZuGXzq51_HlHUsLakoX_W5yxAN_IJfqVE-QE_mU2/w400-h303/N%20and%20D%201914%20hi%20res.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6oaA6onTZkWLhIPlHXeF_eSYLJz5fd4bx1kuu0mMiHstQAGWicfx7h5vPjmqYN_bCvP3G3dnSQnGp31WDcYmycCKB_X3xypvcDYRKv7_7ATTrQ9T5NNxa-m0VziTwV_VtLZN-AZNwXAtn7AVwX2AvQis_nOuVw8tL31rXFV86JV2bdYAp2oCLUF6/s85/pickersgill%201914.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="69" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6oaA6onTZkWLhIPlHXeF_eSYLJz5fd4bx1kuu0mMiHstQAGWicfx7h5vPjmqYN_bCvP3G3dnSQnGp31WDcYmycCKB_X3xypvcDYRKv7_7ATTrQ9T5NNxa-m0VziTwV_VtLZN-AZNwXAtn7AVwX2AvQis_nOuVw8tL31rXFV86JV2bdYAp2oCLUF6/w163-h200/pickersgill%201914.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Pickersgill</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">3. Respond to Alan, who </span><i style="font-family: times;">immediately </i><span style="font-family: times;">proceeds to video call from his home in Gateshead, England. We have a long chat in which (after getting rid of the Mackem/Mag banter/formalities) he reveals the bones of a fantastic story.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">4. Go to Footscray Market (past the car park that once was the site of the Bay View Hotel, which functioned as a dressing room for Northumberland and Durham and most likely in which Robert had prepared for games at Footscray Park), through the market, to take a photo of 13 Paisley St, the site of H.C. Lloyd's Alma Studio, the company that took the team shot.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="155" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj9reInWk9K-KioClslu3ikXvXf_80NIcqoqXtKwlqQGyQ5tnVSZe7Nykw3ckZXu9DmfEvBpInDcjzBp1hoIKxXmOKo0siVU0YxSlmFnlpXt_nmu58KT1s0rM0x3HC48OfM_0dycxvCU90g6Ql8lEZh3EfWZjNYd1leKdtvPC8mx5pkaxCR-bNzgY/w242-h320/13%20paisley%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="242" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">13 Paisley St, Footscray </span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">Presently aTobacco franchise, <br />the recent tenancy </span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">history of this address is indicated <br />by the </span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">different signage upstairs and down.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="656" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1irl7GJz1dR_ACwph9YuTIld4YsJXTnZEoVyEoSFvCMjLuQ8NMY4NxBJqtIcbPE0XBWeNNYMq-lRDe4VpZ3EX8a9VhYuqlfmzEESdqb93csL6hg2nyWgEGYlJfaMUcrEe0Y2bPVUCi4YD8FrMCwITgrXZWfh_6Fsb8pDTJIv-25Z3RY50zD82wCxl/w320-h293/alma%20studio.jpg" style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" width="320" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj9reInWk9K-KioClslu3ikXvXf_80NIcqoqXtKwlqQGyQ5tnVSZe7Nykw3ckZXu9DmfEvBpInDcjzBp1hoIKxXmOKo0siVU0YxSlmFnlpXt_nmu58KT1s0rM0x3HC48OfM_0dycxvCU90g6Ql8lEZh3EfWZjNYd1leKdtvPC8mx5pkaxCR-bNzgY/s206/13%20paisley%202.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. Have that coffee.</span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Not a bad early morning's research. Reviewing my scribbled notes from my chat with Alan (who I expect will correct me where I'm wrong) I gathered the following.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Walter Robert Pickersgill was born 1 September 1888 and came to Australia on the <i>Ascanius </i>in 1911. He worked in his trade as a joiner in Footscray and played for Northumberland and Durham without seeming a central figure. (Though more to be discerned on that.) He didn't for example play in the final of the Dockerty Cup in 1914. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Robert returned to England in 1919 and promptly married Jane Potts-Mullen (which suggests a degree of premeditation) before returning to Footscray on 15 May 1920. Alan's dad, also Robert Walter Pickersgill, was born in Droop St. Jane was unhappy (Robert less so) and they returned to England after a short while.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Robert sr died in 1952 on the day following Alan's birth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">They seem the facts, but we need now to put meaning them. Robert snr struggled through the depression eking out work on the banks of the Tyne, which probably prevented any consideration of remigrating. Alan says that Robert jr always regretted not having been brought up in Australia and might have returned had the circumstances been right. Robert jr served in WW2 but Robert snr's service record is unclear. (Co-incidentally 2 Pickersgills are on the <a href="https://neososmos.blogspot.com/2019/09/merewether-advnce-roll-of-honour.html">Merewether Advance Roll of Honour</a>.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Alan didn't have anything else from Robert snr's football career, such as possible Dockerty Cup medals, but will now approach his uncle Tom (19 years Robert's junior) to see if he has anything football related.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">A closing point was that the family has kept the Northumberland and Durham team photo on its sideboard through the years. How many such artifacts are spread through the UK? Interesting family memorabilia and Australian soccer history gold.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">This is bitty and scrappy so far but we'll get a good story out of it.</span></p><p><br /></p>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-29536594178407000912022-08-14T08:07:00.002+10:002022-08-14T08:08:48.500+10:00More Fibs for Footy<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Melbourne <i>Sporting Globe</i> (28 February 1953, page 11) published the following letter from George Cathie (the former editor of the <i>Footy Record</i> and <a href="https://neososmos.blogspot.com/2013/03/talking-about-soccer-in-1934-grand.html">serial liar about soccer</a>). In it he claims that there was no sign of soccer in Albert Park in the 1880s and that because the FA had been formed as recently as the 1880s, soccer couldn't have been played here so soon after. (Still mulling over the logic of that one.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In fact, after sporadic organised games and practice matches in 1883 and 1884 in Middle/Albert Park, 1885 sees the game <a href="https://neososmos.blogspot.com/p/victorian-stats-1883.html">firmly established at Middle Park</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Rather than saying "I just hate the stupid game," Cathie's practice is more pernicious. He makes up facts to suit his argument and even more egregiously denies the actual presence of the game in Melbourne. In the pantheon of Melbourne soccer haters this chap is a stand out.</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Soccer in Albert Park</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">G J. Cathie Hawthorn writes:— An article in last Wednesday's "Sporting Globe" by J O Wilshaw headed Soccer in Albert Park, is very much astray in the statement that soccer had its home in Albert Park 70 years ago. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I can well remember that in the 1880's, when the Australian game consisted of 20 players aside it was most difficult for all the local Junior clubs to obtain sufficient grounds for their requirements, and many arguments took place every Saturday afternoon because of the encroachment by older players in planting their small out of bounds flags on areas allotted to their younger rival clubs. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At that period there was not a sign of a soccer club in Albert Park. As a matter of fact it was only a trifle over 70 years ago that the Soccer Football Association was formed in England though games had been played by amateur clubs prior to its formation, so it's hardly likely soccer was played here until many years later. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Incidentally, what has become of all the Junior clubs which had their home grounds in Albert Park 50 years ago? There were no dressing room accommodation in those days—we hung our clothes on the fence along the St. Kilda railway line.</span></p></div></blockquote>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-66381473908847148642022-08-05T13:51:00.002+10:002022-08-25T15:31:28.901+10:001914 Dockerty Cup Final<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The 1914 Dockerty Cup between Northumberland and Durham United and Melbourne Thistle played at Middle Park was a scoreless draw. The replay at the same venue had a similar scoreline even after extra time. A goalless 210 minutes was enough and the decision was made to share the trophy. Harrison in <i>The Winner </i>was not impressed with the games (see below) but I have seen reports that were more glowing. <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10810913"><i>The Argus</i></a> for example.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The following is the report from <i>The Winner</i>, Wednesday 14 October 1914, page 6</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Football</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">SOCCER PLAYING SEASON CONCLUDED UNSATISFACTORY CUP FINAL</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">... THE CONTEST Only a few items occurred in the whole course of the two hours' play to send anyone into ecstasies. I had looked forward to far more scientific play than proved to be the case, and was disappointed. True, cup finals as a rule do not produce the best class of football; the players are far too keen and excited, and Saturday last proved no exception to the general rule. There was one thing, however, that was par ticularly noticeable, and that was that the respective goalkeepers — Robison and Russell-— were in great trim, and in that goal-keeping mood which meant that there would be some difficulty in breaking down their defences. And the two hours' play saw the respective goals intact In fact, if anything averted the defeat of the men of Northumber land and Durham it was the superb defence of Robison, who really effected some wonderful saves. Robison was indeed the hero of the hour, and I have seen players of greater pretensions in English League teams who could not have improved upon his display. There is little further to comment upon. The best of the N. and D. side were Robison and Ben. Stevens. Others I liked were Helas, Longthorne. and C. Weston. On the Thistle side, Russell, in goal, did all that was required of him, and Raitt, Guthrie, Bottomley, Brodie and Ackurof [Acquroff] were always prominent. </span></p></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A month later, the following images and text were published in the Winner, Wednesday 11 November 1914, page 7</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">SOCCER FOOTBALL-JOINT HOLDERS OF DOCKERTY CUP, SEASON 1914.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM UNITED</b></span></p></div></blockquote><div class="zone"></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="651" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnp2TlxghtJiG2BNFIe6LjjM3tKqKxW3dwZ8meJnrREwYSTofOVOOoRhVyaYO2C4jFY6rD3cO35IywHLKAJw-gmwK7O_9Bv8OY05Sn_w760fgINO0Xw1sRNtmFiqbdINheN2VVVYkl8UdXHY32w-TpVDoJH-ZCt_BYs8IxBDd5ztE2QJ-4Ryle5gj/w400-h316/N%20and%20D%201914.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Northumberland and Durham United are a team which will have seriously to be reckoned with, in next season's competitions. The players registered in the ranks of the North of England representatives showed brilliant form in the latter part of the season, and in the final tie of the Dockerty Cup held their own with the Thistle Club, the League premiers. Northumberland and Durham United played 18 games in the League Competition, of which they won seven, lost nine, and two were drawn games. Their best form, however, was shown in the Cup competition, and the players appearing in the: above photograph in the final tie of the Dockerty Cup. are — Robinson, Helas, Longthorpe, Thompson, Stevens, Jefferies, H. Weston, Laycock, C. Weston, Millar, and Marsden.</span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mark Boric's more reliable </i>Victorian Football Statistical History<i> gives: Northumberland and Durham United: J.Robison, E.Helas, R.Longthorpe, J.Thompson, B.Stevens, D.Jefferey, H.Weston, Laycock, C.Weston, R.Millar, H.Marsden.</i><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p></blockquote><div class="zone"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">MELBOURNE THISTLE CLUB (Photos, by E. W. Hicks)</span></b></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="zone"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="640" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGJYkMvsGZWhuRrIeo8rBTl6owVf99J7epuho9X9BJY0dmkO5x73Idp7vTUJs_4ORwJdbPEKKBRprw7O5OW0z_sjgen_OhSI-6XU0nNUW-27E0UaLiQcfkXY1o9PEsECxs6oH2s5e_NomuD3gVBl-FB6n2MUjQJLpDxX5BbfWQM04UFtDP5PAOJKk/w400-h289/Thistle%201914.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Melbourne Thistle Club has a record to be proud of. To win the League Premiership and become joint possessors with Northumberland and Durham United of the Dockerty Challenge Cup in the same season is a great 'honor indeed. The Scots' Club, has only been in existence three seasons, and has in its ranks many players of exceptional merit.In the League season just closed, Thistle played 18 matches, won 11, lost two, and five were drawn. The team scored 34 goals against 12 obtained by their opponents. Thistle headed the League table with 27 points, to their credit, their nearest opponents being the Birmingham team with 24 points. The Scots' representatives figuring in the final the for the Dockerty Challenge Cup, is given in the above photograph, are— Russell, Thompson, Raitt, Noble, Goodson, Benn, Bottomley, Clulow, Guthrie, Sandy, and Brodie. </span></p></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Boric gives: Melbourne Thistle: J.Russell, J.Thompson, G.Raitt, G.Noble, A.Goodson, H.Benn, A.Bottomley, Clulow, J.Guthrie, Sandy, J.Brodie.</span></i></p></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGJYkMvsGZWhuRrIeo8rBTl6owVf99J7epuho9X9BJY0dmkO5x73Idp7vTUJs_4ORwJdbPEKKBRprw7O5OW0z_sjgen_OhSI-6XU0nNUW-27E0UaLiQcfkXY1o9PEsECxs6oH2s5e_NomuD3gVBl-FB6n2MUjQJLpDxX5BbfWQM04UFtDP5PAOJKk/s640/Thistle%201914.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><br /></p>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-79842858504879310382022-08-02T15:05:00.008+10:002022-08-25T15:18:27.504+10:00Formation of Footscray Soccer Clubs<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>The first Footscray British Football Club (FFC) was founded in 1912. It survived for two years until the emergence of two new (and legendary) clubs: Footscray Thistle (FT) and Northumberland and Durham United (</span><span>N&</span>D)<span>. The connections are between the two new clubs and the now defunct FFC remain to be discovered. Also, to what extent did FT dilute the player pool at Melbourne Thistle (MT)? My hypothesis is that N&</span>D (by virtue of their inclusion as a 1st Division team in 1914) was something of a continuation of FFC and that FT (as a 2nd division team) represented something of an A team for MT. I'll need to check the team lists. Let's see how that works out.</span></p><p><span></span><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The following is from the <i>Independent </i>(Footscray), Saturday 13 April 1912, page 2.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A few things to note: the very first team selection, with names and a little about MT Owens. Owens seems a guiding spirit and is secretary and centre-forward. He is the player who moved to Bendigo in 1913 to promote the game there.</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>BRITISH FOOTBALL.</span> </span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A meeting was held last Wednesday evening at Shanahan's Plough Hotel, Barkly-street, for the purpose of forming a British Football Club for Footscray. There was a good attendance present at the meeting. In opening the meeting the chairman, Mr Liverage, said that it was desired to form a club for Footscray. The chairman went on to say that Mr M. T. Owens had put the club into the Victorian Amateurs' British Football Association. Mr M. T. Owens was elect ed secretary and treasurer, and Mr H. Derbyshire assistant secretary, while five non-players were elected for the committee; It was decided not to elect the captain or vice-captain until after the practice matches. A practice match will be held on April 13th prior to the league match. The first League match is against Williamstown, away, April 20th. The secretary states that he has vacan cies for one or two players. </span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Team against Birmingham, Victoria: Goal, A. Liverage; backs, T. Loams and A. Matthews; half-backs, T. Gilmour, W. M. Lurgg and H. Darbyshire; forwards, H. Western, V. Foulds, M. T. Owens, A. Knight and J. Taylor; at Middle Park, kick off 3.30, Saturday April 13th. </span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Club has secured the services of an ex-professional trainer, and has given him the power of taking the players and putting them under special training.</span></p></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A bit more on Owens and the visit of the Footscray team to Bendigo in the <i>Bendigo Independent</i>, Friday 23 August 1912, page 3</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">SOCCER.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A reporter yesterday came across one of the Footscray soccer footballers who is going to play in our midst for the purpose of forming a soccer football club for Bendigo next season. His idea is that the Bendigo team is a pretty good team providing they have training. The player in question is thc centre forward of the Footscray club, also the leading goal scorer of the club. He states that the Bendigo public are the best sporting people he has come across. He played soccer in England, Italy, Gibraltar, America, and Australia, and he finds the Bendigonians the best sports he has yet met. When they arranged for the tour to Bendigo they simply meant to go to Bendigo and play the match for the Watson fund. Instead of that they were met at the station by the Bendigo representatives, driven to the club rooms of the Bendigo City Football Club and entertained by the officers of tlic club. The following day, Wednesday, they were again entertained by the Bendigo City Club. At 11 o'clock the players were received by the Mayor (Cr. Ross). Lunch was served out at the Court House Hotel by the officers of the Bendigo Miners Association. At 2 o'clock the players were driven in cabs round the city. All the players of the club were pleased at the way that Cr. Little, of Eaglehawk, has worked for thc Footscray players during their stay in Bendigo. The Footscray player, Owens, who is staying in Bendigo, hopes to have a good team next season in Bendigo, as he will play for Bendigo and will enter the club for the Dougherty Challenge Cup in the Victorian Amateur Association, and hopes to beat his old club (Footscray), when they meet again next season in the Upper Reserve. </span></p></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Independent </i>(Footscray), Saturday 31 January 1914, page 2</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">... According to the secretary, the Footscray Thistle Football Club is made up of "young Scotchmen" who are anxious to excel in the British Association game, and to secure a sphere of operations on the reclaimed area recently acquired by the Council on the other side of the river. It was resolved that the request for ground be acceded to, and that the Surveyor define the area to be granted. There is, it is said, room for plenty more in the same reservation.</span></p></div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Independent (Footscray), Saturday 21 March 1914, page 2</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="zone"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">SOCCER The Footscray District Association Football Club is to be known this year as Northumberland and Durham United, though it is not confined to players from these counties, but is open to all. A hearty welcome will be extended to all who will take an active interest in the game, as players or otherwise. Would-be players and others ire invited to communicate with H. Martin, 214 Nicholson street, Footscray, or to turn up on the ground to morrow (March 21) for a preliminary run with the ball. The ground is at the foot of the Footscray Park, and has been kindly rented to us by the Park Committee. It is also purposed to shortly have a practice match, in which final selections will he made of the first eleven for the opening match. Two teams are entered for the League.</span></p></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Advertiser </i>(Footscray), Saturday 18 April 1914, page 3</span></p><hr /><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">SOCCER. </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Northumberland and Durham United play their first match today when they meet A Birmingham (Victoria) on the local ground. A strong team will take the field and it is hoped a win for the locals will re sult. Owing to certain difficulties N. and D. are somewhat behind with their training but after this week things will run more smoothly. The reserves are to meet Spotswood at Spotswood. Players are still needed and are earnestly asked to communicate with the secretary, R. Martin, 214 Nicholson street, Footscray. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Winner (Melbourne), Wednesday 10 February 1915, page 6</span></p><hr /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">SOCCER</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">N. AND D. UNITED</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The annual report of the Northumberland and Durham United (British Association) Football Club, just presented to the members in annual meeting assembled, is most encouraging.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">New players for next season were announced as follow: — Jos. Grieves, C. Grieves, G. Armstrong, E. Soames, Jas. Ford, W. Kiltie, . R. J. Hall and ^ Wrighton. A vote of condolence was passed to l« Mr G. Swinburne, the club's president, on his recent bereavement off- k ing to the death of his brother. In the course of the evening a presentation was made to Mr Darbyshire, the late secretary, who has been connected with the club since its formation. Mr Darbyshire was the recipient of a fountain pen and handsome pipe. Mr Darbyshire suitably replied, wishing the club success in the future. Officers for season 1915. were elected as follow: — President, Mr G. B Swinburne; chairman of committee, Mr Samuel Hartley; secretary, Mr David Jeffrey; treasurer, Mr John Thompson; assistant secretary, Mr Urban Armstrong; committee, Messrs J. Maskell, R. Meakin, J. Elcoat, T. Easton, and .J. Ketchell; : captain, Mr Ben Stevens; vice-captain, Mr John Robison. Thanks were accorded 'The Winner' for its articles on the game last season.</span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">PRESTON CLUB</span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Preston (soccer) F.C. have decided to give a complimentary benefit, in the form of a picture night, to Mr Matt Lynch, their trainer. Mr Lynch was formerly a Rugby player, and hails from St. Helens, Lancashire, England. </span></p></div></blockquote>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-46387281653329869372022-04-19T17:53:00.002+10:002022-04-19T18:22:48.493+10:00Five Problems with Australian Rules Football<p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Last year John Weldon and I created a podcast called <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/behind-the-play-an-other-history-of-australian-football/id1563324884">Behind the Play</a>. He was the straight guy and I was (something he had called me for years) 'The most hated man in (AR) Football'. We produced some thoughtful discussion I think. My rationale for wanting to undercut the mytholgies of Australian Rules was laid out in the document below, for want of a better title, The Five Problems of Australia Rules Football.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Australian rules is lumbered with five contradictions at its heart. They are so profound and historical that they are obscured from the plain view of aficionados and fans.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First the game is a syncretism of two incompatible modes of football. While the rest of the football word world was busy codifying and arguing between soccer-ish and rugby-ish impulses, Melbourne football decided to amalgamate the two and create an insoluble 160 year old ongoing argument about the holding the ball rule.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Secondly, Australian rules developed and found its basis during a period of Victorian optimism and expansionism. Many Victorians, at this point in its history seemed to believe they were on the road to nationhood. The Victorian Navy, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Victorian National Flag were products of this period. Footy also represented a cultural product of this nascent Victorian nation and so induced and rapidly cemented commitment at political, cultural and ideological levels. It came to represent an expression of Victorian manifest destiny. Its adherents constructed a frontier over which they needed to carry the game to the uncivilised regions of Australia. This frontier still exists in the form of the Barassi line.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thirdly, and this point relates closely to the previous one, the rhetoric of Australian rules shifted from being a Melbourne game to a Victorian game to a National game over the first 50 years. The game’s imperialist urge was submerged in arguments that came to see the game as always having been representative of Australia in its entirety. This desire to capture Australia and in some instances the world stands in contradiction to the fact that even at its highest level the game is still centred emotionally in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. This region is its powerhouse and for many supporters it remains the heart of the game. Interstate teams are welcome to join the Victorian game but they must do so paying respect to the origins. The clash between Collingwood and Port Adelaide over the right to wear black and white illustrates this perfectly. At the heart of the game is the denigration of not only other codes of football but also other places of Australian rules, including the Victorian football Association which represented an outer suburban ring of Melbourne clubs.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Fourthly, and this point is more recent, the game is saddled with the myth of indigenous origins. While the idea that Australian rules sprung out of Marngrook is sustained, it will forever miss vital points of its own development. Certainly indigenous players have influenced the game tremendously. However, they were absent at its origins. The nature of colonial Society at that point forbade their inclusion. If a story is to be told of Aboriginal influence on Australian rules then it is about their initial exclusion through racist attitudes and laws, their parallel development of their own teams and competitions outside of the mainstream and eventual inclusion in the history of Australian rules when they worked, perhaps better, <i>forced </i>their way in. This is much later than the signal dates of 1858 or 1866 or 1877. This argument, it should be noted, does not actually rule out the influence of marngrook, it simply does not recognise it at any purported moment of origin.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Finally, it is not a particularly good game. Though that is merely my opinion. I don't think it's possible to premise football narratives on how good or how bad a particular game is. Yet, many footy supporters and footy historians start their arguments using the idea that football, their football, is the greatest of games. I do not doubt they believe this and are being honest in their assessments. Around the world games have developed in regions which all seem to think that theirs is the greatest of games. Whether it be Manchester, Wigan, Brisbane, Boston, Auckland, Montreal or indeed Melbourne, passion arising from the tremendous support these cultures give to their local game leads supporters to make greatness claims for them. This belief distorts the reality of a game’s values and problems. Australian rules supporters can be left thinking something like “Hey, this is such a great game, why doesn't the rest of Australia or, indeed, the world take it up?” That's a kind of noble ambition I guess. But the bigger problem might be that supporters can be influenced into thinking something like “Hey this is such a great game, why is the game I'm watching right now a bit shit?” Supporters of footy (and all games for that matter) need to realise that the greatness of a game is not so much because of its intrinsic or aesthetic qualities, but is rather generated by the strength of a culture's commitment to it. We all have a game that we look at and think “Well that's boring as batshit,” while supporters of that game obviously believe the opposite. Who is right? Melbourne, despite all my best attempts, is profoundly committed to Australian rules football. The culture highlights the game’s spectacular and beautiful moments as representative; it tries to dismiss the dreary and drab and problematic aspects of the game as other, problems that have been introduced over time because of the failure of someone, somewhere to stay true to the spirit of the game, whatever that means.</span></p>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-35115123614209318342022-04-19T13:04:00.007+10:002022-04-19T13:16:08.007+10:00Weston Tragedies: Daisy and John James <p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder</i>, Tuesday 22 October 1935, page 3</span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Terrible Sequel to Pathetic Tragedy.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">HUSBAND SHOOTS HIMSELF</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">After Wife's Dead Body Recovered. Five Little Orphans.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>ONE OF THE most awful tragedies in the history of the Coalfields occurred yesterday. Following the discovery of the body of poor Mrs. James, three hours later her husband shot himself dead at his father's home in Abermain. The father of John Gwyllian </span><span>James, like the Christian he is, endeavoured to give his bereaved son spiritual comfort, but apparently the heart broken husband had been thrown off his mental balance owing to the tragic death of his wife, to whom he was greatly attached. A further tragedy is that five young children, whose ages range from 18 months to 8 years, are bereft of the love and care of their parents. The whole hearted sympathy of the Coalfields goes out to the two stricken families in their great hour of trial. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On Monday morning, following appeals by the police, the miners of Hebburn No. 1 and 2 and Pelaw Main colliery decided at the pit top to lose a shift, and make a great effort to discover the whereabouts of Mrs. James. Relief workers also joined in, and about 2000 searchers offered their services. A more intense search was conducted from Weston, and at 9.30 a.m. Thomas Street, a relief worker, and Douglas Parker, a Council employee, discovered the missing woman in the bush within fifty yards of a number of houses close to the Weston Soccer ground.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">John Gwyllian James (32), husband of Daisey James (28) had participated in the search since his wife was reported missing on Friday morning. Charles James, father of the dead woman, was at the hospital on Monday morning, and was making an appeal by 'phone to Mr. Baddeley to request the Premier to make a 'plane available to assist in the search. 'I am unemployed,' said Mr. James, and spent all the money I had in chartering a 'plane on Saturday for four hours. I considered my daughter, the mother of five children, was just a great an asset to Australia as some of the other un fortunate missing people in whose search the Government spent large sums of money.' </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Before he could receive a reply, the ambulance had arrived with the body of his daughter. 'She is dead,' said Mr. James. 'I can tell that. Otherwise those men would be running over to congratulate me.' Inspector Noble identified the body. Having heard that his son-in-law had threatened to take his life, in the event of his wife being found dead, Mr. C James hastened to Abermain, and collected the five little children— Margaret, Beatrice, John, Bryn, and Allan. They were taken to his home, and instructions were given that they were not to be allowed out of sight, and on no account to be left alone. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The husband of the dead woman went to his father's house at Abermain. Both family names are James, and the deceased couple were cousins. The police had been informed that John James had threatened to take his life, and was in possession of a revolver. Sergeant Whitechurch went to the residence, and whilst extending sympathy to the bereaved husband, surreptitiously placed his hands over his body in a search for a possible hidden weapon. It was apparent that James was not carrying a weapon on him. The father of John James was endeavouring to comfort his son, and to point out to him what a wrong it would be to take his own life. When Sergeant Whitechurch (said to James, 'I have heard you are threatening to take your life, Jack?' he replied, 'If I had wished to do that, there is lysol in the house, and I could have taken that.' His attitude partly allayed the fears of those present. James then made a cigarette, and asked what time it was. Sergeant Whitechurch told him it was a quarter to one. James then walked behind a partition, and the Sergeant decided to follow him. Just as the Sergeant got within six paces of him, James, with one movement, pulled a revolver from under a cushion, and shot himself in the forehead, dying shortly after. The spring forward of Sergeant Whitechurch was just too late to prevent the second tragedy in the family.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Whilst their parents were being prepared for burial, the little sons of the deceased couple were playing, unconscious of the terrible tragedy that had entered their young lives. There is a tremendous wave of sympathy for both families of the deceased, who are highly respected throughout the Coalfields. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>The mysterious disappearance of Mrs. Daisy James from the Kurri </span><span>Hospital in the early hours of Friday morning gave an opportunity for the residents of the Coalfields to show their splendid spirit of sympathy. Hundreds of citizens gave up their pay week-end holiday in an effort to find the missing woman. At three o'clock on Friday morning the night sister discovered that Mrs. James, aged 28, was missing from her bed, and after it was ascertained that she was not in the building, the alarm was at once raised, and a search commenced. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The police quickly got into action, and at commenced, under the leadership of daybreak an organised search was Sergeant Wood, of Kurri. When the news became broadcast, many of the relief workers in the district left work, and joined in the search. As the miners left the various collieries, further search parties were organised. Superintendent White, of the North Eastern Division, was notified at Newcastle, and he immediately made arrangements for a black tracker from Bulga to join in the search. The thick scrub was searched for many miles, and was kept up whilst there was a ray of daylight. Appeals were made in all the Coalfields districts for volunteers to assist on Saturday, and many appeared at the various centres to assist the police in their arduous task. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Two parties left Kearsley on Saturday to search for the missing woman, Mrs. James. One party was in charge of Constable Hollis, and the other party was the 1st Kearsley Scouts, in charge of Scoutmaster G. Whitfield and Mr. G. Jeffery. One party searched from Kearsley through the scrub to Weston, and the ether party searched the scrub from Kearsley to Hebburn No. 2. Another party left Kearsley on Sunday morning, in charge of Forrest Ranger Wilson and Scoutmaster G. Whitfield, and searched the scrub from Kearsley to Tomalpin, and from there through the scrub to Weston, but found no trace of the missing woman. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mrs. James had left the institution apparently only clad in her night attire, with one shoe. Owing to the hard nature of the soil, and its dry ness, the trackers were unable to find any footprints. What appeared to be a print was seen at the foot of Tumble Bee. This, it was thought, pointed to the direction of Abermain. The direction was followed for several miles through the thick bush, without result. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">An aeroplane was requisitioned on Saturday, but the thick ti-tree scrub militated against clear observation. Every water-hole in the vicinity was searched, and the colliery dams dragged. Footsore and weary, the splendid band of searchers returned after sundown to their starting points, with not a clue to report. Arrangements were made that in the event of Mrs. James being found, the colliery whistle should be sounded to recall the searchers, who were spread over a wide tract of country. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Despite heavy rain all day Sunday, the search was maintained, and air though the searchers were soon drenched to the skin, the search was unabated. Dragging operations were again carried out on Sunday, and at sundown the discouraged searchers returned home worn out and with the opinion that little hope could be entertained of finding the missing woman alive. Again on Monday the search was continued with zeal. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>A few months ago Mrs. James was </span><span>seriously injured in a motor smash. With her father-in-law, Charles James, of Abermain, she was tra velling in a car from Singleton to Abermain. Coming along the Allan dale Road, Cessnock, they suddenly came to a barrier where the bridge was being rebuilt It was too late to stop the car, and it crashed over to the concrete bed below, a distance of about twelve feet. Mrs. James suffered head injuries as a result of this accident, and had been in bad health since.</span></span></p></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-2760506724749930932022-04-19T11:47:00.002+10:002022-04-19T13:19:37.803+10:00Weston Tragedies: Rex Stevenson<p></p><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">ACCIDENTALLY SHOT DEAD</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xPHtdzYppe5z_4sHtCTk_2aRCrVh6BCErE1LrDF-7m2GC10U_pemrFd_krBFui-FItABhQBYpwcN3KgEBvvr0TGRrAbOFF2niCfcZqiwJXi9raedknO3DBKPq6bc6-dWYNTH0ZRUuC9a9RVOBhU1U16QKWowJocvroY_Ji_uipSasu7oHUQxlmsP/s960/from%20Duncan%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="534" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xPHtdzYppe5z_4sHtCTk_2aRCrVh6BCErE1LrDF-7m2GC10U_pemrFd_krBFui-FItABhQBYpwcN3KgEBvvr0TGRrAbOFF2niCfcZqiwJXi9raedknO3DBKPq6bc6-dWYNTH0ZRUuC9a9RVOBhU1U16QKWowJocvroY_Ji_uipSasu7oHUQxlmsP/w223-h400/from%20Duncan%202.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weston's 1936 State League Cup</td></tr></tbody></table>Rex Stevenson. 23, who had been one of the Weston State League Soccer Club's forwards since 1935, was accidentally shot dead at Lemon Tree, Port Stephens, on Saturday. A rabbit shooting party of which Stevenson was a member was returning to its motor launch, and Stevenson at the rear was handing shot guns down a steep slope. A double barrelled gun which, he put down stock first struck a rock and went off, and Stevenson who received the full charge in his chest, died almost immediately. The funeral at Cessnock was attended by representatives of all Northern State League Soccer Clubs., Stevenson, who lived at Church Street, Cessnock, was a miner employed at the Ellington Colliery, In 1936, when Weston, despite the absence of three key players in New Zealand, for an important section of the season, won the New South Wales Soccer double, State premiership and State Cup, nothing in soccer distinction seemed beyond Stevenson's reach. Fast, elusive and an accurate kick, he was an admirable type of forward to finish off the work of a constructive halfback line and with added experience and polish he seemed likely to go far in representative company. </span></p><p><span>From </span><span><i>Raymond Terrace Examiner and Lower Hunter and Port Stephens Advertiser</i>, Thursday 6 October 1938, page 3</span></p></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-89147491066213293652022-04-15T12:10:00.004+10:002022-04-15T12:12:22.188+10:00Weston Tragedies<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This feels like a kind of starting point.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">George Kennedy, the Weston Soccer Club's trainer, was killed by a fall of stone in Hebburn Colliery yesterday. The deceased had been a popular member and player of the Weston Club for some years, and took over the duties of trainer upon the death of Hicks. The accident following upon those of W., Lambert, W. Hicks, and Peter Coppock, all of whom have been killed within the past two years, hits the Weston Club hard. In consequence of the fatality, the match which was to have been played at Weston tomorrow between Weston and West Wallsend has been abandoned.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>This article in the </span><span><i>Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate</i> (Friday 7 September 1923, page 2) underlines the extent to which Weston Bears has its share of tragedy as well as glory in its annals. Sid Grant puts the matter eloquently when he claims the club's "glorious cavalcade of triumphs has been punctuated with tragic occurrences which have struck at intervals to bring the club to its knees."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Every sporting Club has its go-to stories of pain and despair but what is it about Weston that means it has a little more than its fair share? Rotten luck is one answer but </span><span>perhaps the tragedies and their reporting and memorialisation are a measure of the club's standing in the Coalfields. Grant writes of the death of Bill Lambert in a fall of coal at Hebburn No. 1: </span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A pall of sadness spread right across the soccer firmament. The funeral cortege was one of the biggest seen in the North since Les Darcy died and was buried at East Maitland.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Soccer was a big deal in the region at that time and the death of a great club's best player and captain was a major public event.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This also makes me wonder whether the tragic history of Weston has given the club senses of history, importance and belonging not shared by many other Australian soccer clubs. Events that have caused repeated public memorialisation have in effect forced Weston into public historical consciousness in a way that Western United (for example) can only dream of. And while it seems from here (Melbourne) that Weston might be but a memory, I'm not sure that that is the case in its hearth.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'd be interested in responses to this idea. Feel free to leave a message in the comments.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><br /><p></p>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-16955421579846360832022-04-14T09:07:00.003+10:002022-04-14T09:07:19.203+10:00SAPPER H. HUMPHREYS<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZATYCeSm19NhI5aCN80PTvr0LNMu7EwP-0i2u8bY6k4Qbk4_yODJIQ1OR0ccV58oFroVVZnvpxZwkndHAxAHOBWCCK7UA6PoJwFzNXLtgDXTkD5T4zH9CgQJIE8ru2e8RQPBmbn5ALjYSwp4y7NzElvkrAqWK8aCOmkfVKVgPI7AuPaWTf-3MrNLT" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="336" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZATYCeSm19NhI5aCN80PTvr0LNMu7EwP-0i2u8bY6k4Qbk4_yODJIQ1OR0ccV58oFroVVZnvpxZwkndHAxAHOBWCCK7UA6PoJwFzNXLtgDXTkD5T4zH9CgQJIE8ru2e8RQPBmbn5ALjYSwp4y7NzElvkrAqWK8aCOmkfVKVgPI7AuPaWTf-3MrNLT=w352-h640" width="352" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Herald (Melbourne), Saturday 20 May 1916, page 1</span><p></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">SOCCER PLAYER KILLED</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">News has been received that Sapper H. Humphreys, well known as a playing member of the St. Kilda and Preston British Association (Soccer) Football Clubs, has been killed in action in France. He was largely responsible for the success of the Preston team in its cup-winning year. When war broke out he went to England, and joined the Yorkshire Engineers.</span></p></div><div class="zone"></div><div class="zone"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-87399716529171873972022-04-14T08:35:00.002+10:002022-04-14T08:45:12.395+10:00SOCCER AND WAR<p><span style="font-size: large;">CORPORAL H. TRAYNOR</span></p><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Victorian Soccer (British Association amateur football) is paying its toll in this greatest of all wars, writes Mr J. W. Harrison. Some hundreds of players are on the honor roll of the Australian Expeditionary Force. But it is with regret that I have to announce the death on active service of another soldier-footballer — H. Traynor, the well-known Soccerite of the Preston team, and latterly of the Melbourne Thistle Club. It seems to be only the other day that the writer had an interesting conversation with Corporal Traynor on sportsmen and war, in which he spoke earnestly on what he considered to be one's duty to King and country. Traynor was one of the most versatile players in the ranks of the Victorian Amateur British Football Association. </span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">PRIVATE WELCH </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sympathy is also being expressed in local football circles at the bereavement of Mr Matt. Welch, the trainer of the Preston Soccer Club, who has lost his son — a mere youth— in the fighting line. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">ANOTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another side of ,the picture is the return of Lance-Corporal Bert. Knight (Engineer Corps) to Melbourne. Mr Knight, who prior to enlisting was the chairman of the Management Committee of the Preston F.C, has been invalided after active service in Egypt and France. He called to see me at this office a few days ago, looking bronzed and well, but told me that his fighting days were over owing to a bad leg. Mr Knight, who came from Lancashire on his emigration to Victoria, saw service in the South African War, and may truly claim to have done his due share for King and country.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">MR, H. C. DOCKERTY </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another interesting item is that Mr H. C. Dockerty, a well-known Collins street business man and president of the Victorian Amateur British Foot ball Association, has followed the ex ample of his fellow-Soccerites by enlisting, and is now in camp preparatory to joining his fellow field-sportsmen in the danger zone. Truly, there is no lack of patriotism in the ranks of Victorian Soccer, and when the honor roll is finally completed it will be in keeping with the traditions of the especial winter sport.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Winner (Melbourne), Wednesday 15 November 1916, page 8</span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-1291778906610935742022-04-14T08:18:00.000+10:002022-04-14T08:18:03.211+10:00GUNNER W. BROWNING.<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">GUNNER W. BROWNING.</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="da13q" data-offset-key="9giic-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9giic-0-0" style="overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><div class="zone" style="color: black; white-space: normal;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Gunner William H. Browning resided at 3 Whitehall st., Footscray, until he enlisted in April, 1916, with 120th Howitzer Battery. He reached England in Dec. 1916; France in Feb. 1917, and joined the 50th Battery. On 11th October, 1917, he was killed in action. Gunner Browning was 21 years of age and a Scotchman by birth, having come to Australia 4 years ago. Prior to enlistment he was employed at the Government Dock Yards, Williams town. He was a leading player with the Footscray Thistle Soccer Club and an international player of note.</span></p></div></div></div></blockquote><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="da13q" data-offset-key="9giic-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9giic-0-0" style="overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><div class="zone" style="color: black; white-space: normal;"><p><span style="color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Advertiser (Footscray), Saturday 3 November 1917, page 3</span></span></p></div></div></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-86504905310715389282022-03-23T18:12:00.002+11:002022-03-23T18:15:26.482+11:00 Well, it’s in the paper! <p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newspaper records of soccer and Rugby League in Newcastle in the 1920s</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-692f7253-7fff-984a-708e-e9727ec2f8a7"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This research idea is based on the hypothesis that soccer in Australia achieved a level of popularity and growth in the 1920s that is often overlooked. In some areas of Australia, particularly Newcastle, the game may indeed have been the dominant code for well over a decade, if not even longer.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guided by this assumption, I searched Trove to ascertain the extent to which soccer achieved substantial recognition in a variety of local media. My first search was ‘soccer’ in the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Morning Herald</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which was a present term in over 4500 items (articles, lists and advertising) in the newspaper during the 1920s. During the same period ‘Rugby League’ was present in 2400 items. A similar comparison in the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Illawarra mercury</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> revealed 1470 soccer items as against 693 for Rugby League. The Brisbane </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Telegraph </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">revealed numbers that were roughly equal (over 9000 each) during that decade. Surprisingly, the Ipswich newspaper recorded 4000 Rugby League items to soccer’s 3000–the 1927 split seemingly having a retarding influence on soccer numbers at the end of the decade. Despite the Ipswich result, this data largely aligned with my original assertion that soccer was a dominant code in Newcastle and elsewhere in the 1920s. The Brisbane and Ipswich figures indicate a code that is equally dominant with Rugby League. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A number of questions arise from these observations. </span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How useful are the search terms?</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do the Trove searches find substantial and relevant items?</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How reliable is the newspaper content?</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the correlation between newspaper content and cultural reality?</span></p></li></ol><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are the terms ‘soccer’ and ‘Rugby League’ useful catch-all terms in the newspapers? Are they inclusive enough to capture all relevant items while excluding irrelevancies. Will they capture enough of the data to make the statistics accurate? My sense is that they are adequate; however, I need to pay attention to alternate terms: ‘BA rules’, ‘Association football’ for soccer, and ‘league football’ for Rugby League. Though again, I suspect these factors are not enough to skew the data.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can I trust that the Trove searches find substantial items? Or do a great proportion of them represent incidental references? A brief perusal of the hits suggests that most items have a direct and substantial reference to the game under search. It seems that in the Newcastle papers, lists and advertising make up approximately one third of the total items. For soccer, the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Sun </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">includes 3500 articles, 1200 lists, 600 advertisements while for Rugby League the figures are 2100 articles, 520 lists, 330 advertisements. A similar spread exists in the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Herald</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Maitland Daily Mercury</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> yields for soccer: 1000 articles, 276 lists, 83 advertisements; and for Rugby League 1350 articles, 241 lists, 153 advertisements. In the Maitland figures, lists and advertising make up approximately a quarter of the total items.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sporting representation in three Newcastle region newspapers in the 1920s</span></p></li></ol><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 2.25pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="233"></col><col width="146"></col><col width="80"></col><col width="65"></col><col width="54"></col><col width="56"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newspaper</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sport</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">articles</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lists</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ads</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">total</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Morning Herald</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">soccer</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3082</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">898</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">536</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4516</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rugby League</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1654</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">287</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">442</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2383</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Sun</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">soccer</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3500</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1200</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">600</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5300</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rugby League</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2100</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">520</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">330</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2950</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Maitland Daily Mercury</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">soccer</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1000</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">276</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">83</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1359</span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 0pt;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rugby League</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1350</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">241</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">153</span></p></td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1pt; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left: solid #000000 1pt; border-right: solid #000000 1pt; border-style: solid; border-top: solid #000000 1pt; border-width: 1pt; overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1744</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><br /><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are the newspapers chosen representative of actual numbers or do their editorial policies hold a distorting bias? For example, the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Sun</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> during the period had over 5000 items that referred to soccer and 3000 that referred to Rugby League–a similar difference to the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Herald</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maitland Daily Mercury</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, however, had more references to Rugby League over soccer (1750 to 1350). This latter figure may represent a regional preference for Rugby League or it may itself represent bias towards Rugby League. My sense is that the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Morning Herald</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Sun</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as the main newspapers of Newcastle at that time are likely representative. Because the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sun </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">contains most items relating to each code</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will provisionally establish it as the more significant reporter for the whole region. </span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can a correlation be assumed between representation in the newspaper and 1) what is actually happening in a sports culture and 2) the extent to which a regional culture accepts a game as its own? This is a general/theoretical question that applies to all locales and cultures that are represented by a newspaper.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Notes for later work</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cumberland Argus: soccer 2000 Rugby League half that</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sydney Morning Herald: rugby combined 9000 soccer 1500</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Referee newspaper: RL 300</span></p></li></ul></span>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-27498867412993132482021-07-08T11:42:00.000+10:002022-03-23T12:27:08.990+11:00100 Years Ago Today, July 8 1921<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Queensland Times (Ipswich), Wednesday 6 July 1921, page 6</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">LINKS WITH THE PAST. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Compiled from files of the "Queensland Times," of 25 years ago, 1896.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">British Association Football--Ipswich Rovers trounced the Bundanba Rangers by 1 goal to nil, P. Levesey refereeing; and the Brisbane Thistles were beaten, on the Pineapple ground South Brisbane, by the Second Bush Rats by 4 goals to 3. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Armidale Chronicle, Wednesday 6 July 1921, page 3</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">SOCCER Armidale City met the renowned Cessnock team (Newcastle) on Saturday last, giving one of the finest exhibitions of football played at home this season, the home team leading by one goal to nil ten minutes from time. Constant practice told its tale, and Newcastle led by three goals to one on the final whistle. The teams were:—</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Armidale City.—A. Woodcock, W. Gill, A. Ridley, C. Lesnic F. W. Mil ner (capl.), Dr. Austin, W. Leach, R. Woodcock, .1. M'Avoy, and II. Bishop.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Newcastle.—G. Wells, G. Williams, Li. Buskins, G. Nixon, G. Runncx (cap tain), D. Harden, C.'Williams, G. Roe, •T. Shang, D. Leonard, and II. Wil liams.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. O. V. Williams (President) kicked off for the City, commencing the game al 3.15 p.m. <strike>McAvoy securing passed to Bishop, who centred, G. Williams eofending aldy. Play was transferred into the City territory, a combined movement by Newcastle ending in Shang shooting wide. Con tinued pressure by them resulted in their ciTorls meeting with no success, owing to ihe high standard of the lo cal defence, Milncr, Handley, and C. Lcsnic showing out conspicuously. Milner relieving, sent lo Woodcock, lo McAvoy, to Bishop, who drove a high dropping sliot into goal, which was well cleared by Wells. Play was transferred lo mid-field, where even play look place. Rennex securing, again transferred play into the City's territory, but once again the home defence prevailed, Gill and Ridley proving their stumbling block. Bach side look up the attack, Ihe wing men showing cleverness, their centreing being all that could lie wished, hut weakness of the inside men spoilt their efforts. Half-time arrived with no scores. \</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>On resuming, Newcastle kept up Ihe attack for ten minutes, Milncr re lieving the pressure, sending to Lesnie, to Austin, who, travelling down the wing, centred, and Bishop' securing, opened the scoring with a fast, low drive, giving Wells no possible chance. Even play from the kick-ofT followed, Newcastle having the better - of the exchanges, but could not break through the homo defence. Auslin, Lesnie, and R. Woodcock broke away</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>occasionally,'hut they found lloskins</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>and Rennex hard to beat. A move ment starling from Nixon, to Williams, Lo Roe, lo Lennard, In E. Williams, who centred, and Woodcock, owing to Hie slippery state of the ball, could not hold it, ended in Shang rushing the ball through, equalising for ' New castle. Willi five minutes to go, New castle attacked in earnest, and once again, owing to a misunderstanding be tween (he local hack and goalie, Roe touched the hall past Ihe latter, secur ing the lead 2—1. Willi three minutes to go, Newcastle scored again, Ren</strike></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>ucx securing, and passing to Nixon, to Roe, to C. Williams, who, travelling at top speed, beat Milner and Ridley, sending in a lovely siiol to the riglil side of the goal, high up, giving A. Woodcock no chance, rfliu. !ly after the whistle hlew, leaving Newcastle the winners hy lliree goals to one.</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Newcastle were deserving of their victory, their combination, especially the forwards, being worthy of high est praise in the second half. Up, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">ten minutes from time, Armidale appeared lo he certain winners, but constant playing by the Newcastle team stood them at the finish. No individual play can be quoted of the Newcastleites, combination being their premier excellence.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For Armidale, Rishop's goal was a </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">scorcher, and Handley was the best on field in the defence. R. Woodcock did not play up to his reputation, but G. Uesnie played his best game of the season. Milner, Gill, and Ridley play ed up-to their usual good standard, but A. Woodcock was extremely un fortunate in two goals being scored against liini owing to the slippery na ture of the ground. Dr. Austin play ed an excellent game, whilst his condi tion lasted, hut his final efforts were inclined to lie weak.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Visitors Entertained.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">After the match the Armidale players had dinner with the visiting team, and entertained them later at a smoke concert at the Albion Hotel.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Mayor (Ald. A. Purkiss) presided, and gave the toast of "The King." The Mayor extended a hearty welcome to the visiting team. Soccer, he said, was in its infancy in Armidale, and he did not know much about the game, being more conversant with Rugby. Nevertheless there must be something in Soccer to bring visitors all the way from Cessnock to give Armidale a game. He hoped their slay in Armidale would be a pleasant </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">one.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. F. W. Milner proposed the health of "The Cessnock Soccer Club." The locals were highly delighted and intensely gratified when they heard the Cessnock Club intended to pay a visit to Armidale, simply to give a helping hand to "Soccer" in the country districts. Thcy had travelled at their own expense to push things along in Armidale. No doubt Soccer was making big strides in New South Wales. A lot of Soccer was being played in and around Sydney, and it had got a footing in the country districts. It was being played in Glen Innes, Tenterfield, and the Kentucky Soldiers' Settlement had also a good team. The ladies were taking the game up. He felt sure Soccer was here to stay.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. H. Stevenson replied. Cessnock had been playing Soccer for a number of years. He knew he was expressing the best wishes of the visiting players when he hoped Armidale would develop into a champion Soccer team. He hoped an effort would be made to get the game into the schools, for the boys of to-day were young enough to make the Soccer players of th</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">e future.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. G. Renncx proposed the toast of the Armidale Soccer Club." He, too, would impress the Armidale players with the necessity of getting the school boys to play the game. Cessnock's experience' had been that the schools had taken the game up seriously, and many of their seniors had learnt it in the schools. He had played both the Union and the League game, but for a scientific display they were not to lie compared to Soccer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. O. V. Williams (President) replied on behalf' of the Armidale Soccer Club. He was delighted that the visitors had came along. There had been some talk of postponing the game owing to the wet weather, but, after considering the whole matter, il was decided to let the visitors make the journey. They felt they had met a real good lot of sports, for they had played a nice, clean game, and he thought both sides had enjoyed it. He looked forward to taking an Armidale team to Cessnock, and he was sure the local men would give them a </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">good game.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">During the evening songs were sung by Messrs. W. Gill, P. Woodcock, J. Gardner, .1. Giles, S. Nixon, T. Bishop, S. and C. Leslie, and a recitation given by Mr. F. W. Milner.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On Monday morning the visitors were the guests of the Mayor, who look them for a motor trip round Armidale.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. G. Stevenson, on behalf of the visitors, expressed their indebtedness In the Armidale people for all their </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">kindness.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Armidale Chronicle, Saturday 9 July 1921, page 7</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Armidale City played a return match with the renowned Cessnock team (Newcastle) on Monday last, reversing their defeat of Saturday last. The home team proved victorious by two goals to one. Both teams made a </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">couple of alterations to the sides which played on Saturday. For Armidale, Cameron, S. Lesnie, and Herron replaced Leach, Handley, and Dr. Austin (absent, owing to injuries); for Newcastle, G. Rennex and G. Wells were replaced by S. Williams and D. Pendergast. Mr. Hanks refereed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. O. V. Williams (President of the local Club) again kicked off, towards the grandstand. <strike>S. Williams cleared. Darwell secured, and passed to E. Williams, who made progress to the City's goal. Gill relieved with a powerful kick, and play was transferred to mid-field. Even play followed until Milner, trapping the ball, passed to R. Woodcock, to Herron, to Cameron, who beat his opponents in line style, finishing up his run by centreing accurately, and McAvoy shooting within inches of the post. From the goalkick, E. Williams secured, and, travelling down the wing at top speed, C. Williams missed by yards with his shot at goal. Cameron once more got possession, and, beating the opposition, centred accurately from the corner flag, where bishop, following up, had an easy task in opening the scoring. Both E. and C. Williams, for Newcastle, showed great pace, the former time and again beating S. Lesnie, and leaving him behind. From a good kick by Ridley, Milner passed to R. Woodcock, who sent in a terrific shot from thirty yards out, only to see the</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>ball hit the goal post and bounce back into play. Give-and-take play followed afterwards, but neither side could add to the score. Both defences proved superior to the attack. Half-time arrived with Armidale leading by one goal to nil.</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>On resuming, Armidale took up the attack, and for the first ten minutes overwhelmed the visitors' defence, at tempts being made by R. Woodcock, Milner, Cameron, Bishop, and McAvoy, but Wells proved an adept at dealing with them. Newcastle then took up the offensive, and powerful shots by E. and C. Williams found A. Woodcock on the alert. One save in particular was a masterpiece, Woodcock turning the ball around the goal-post when a score seemed a certainty. Not to be denied, Newcastle continued to press, and C. Williams, securing the ball in mid-field, made a magnificent</strike></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>individual run, beating Milner, Ridley, and Gill, and sending in a terrific</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>shot, gave Woodcock no possible chance, making the scores one goal each. This acted as a tonic to the local team, who tightened up their attack, and several attempts were made to secure the lead again. A shot by Bishop had hard luck to miss by inches. The home forwards were outplaying the visitors, their combination being the best seen this season. Long passing was a feature of the play about this time, and on occasions it found the Newcastleites standing still,</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>owing to the suddenness of transfer of play from one wing to the other. One of these long passes ended in Armidale securing the lead. Milner passed to McAvoy, to Bishop, who, noticing the right wing unmarked, whipped the ball across to Cameron, to Herron, who sent in a perfect centre, and R. Woodcock jumping up, met the ball and headed it through into the top right-hand corner of the net—as pretty a goal as one could wish to see. From this onwards Armidale kept up the pressure, but the visitors defended stubbornly, and no further score was added. The final whistle found Armidlie pressing, and the home team ran out winners by two goals to one.</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>The combination by the local team displayed in the second half was the best produced this season. The long passing game completely beat the visitors' defence, when indulged in. This is a practice the local men should remember. Ridley was unfortunate in receiving a heavy blow in the face during the early part of the game, which affected his play in the first half. Gill was most reliable, playing his soundest game of the season. C. Lesnie and F. W. Milner were beyond comparison, their tackling and clearing being a sight to see. Cameron was a bone of strength in the forwards. The locals are lucky in having secured such a player. R. Woodcock and McAvoy showed up prominently, but should keep up closer to goal when the wing men centre the ball. They give the opposition too many opportunities to clear. Newcastle adopted the same tactics as on Saturday, E. and C. Williams, on their respective wings, showing brilliance, but the inside men did not support them too well. Hoskins experienced bad luck in having his wrist sprained ten minutes before time. He played a sterling</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>game.</strike></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meeting of Committee.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On the day's play Armidale deserved their victory, and were extremely unfortunate to lose on Saturday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Club held its weekly meeting on Tuesday last. Mr. F. W. Milner occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance. It was decided to invite West Wallsend to Armidale at an early date. It was also pleasing to note that the High School had decided to adopt the Soccer code, in view of which the Club is donating a football. On Wednesday, two elevens from the High School participated in a friendly game, which the boys greatly enjoyed. It was decided that should the other schools wish to play Soccer, a member would be in attendance at any time to teach them the rules of the game. After the football meeting the Dance Committee got busy, and completed arrangements for the Soccer dance, which is fixed to take palce on July 12th.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sun (Sydney), Wednesday 6 July 1921, page 4</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">SOCCER</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">GIRLS IN TRAINING</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Chewing Gum and Giggles</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">"What are the red flags for?" asked a big strapping girl, attired in a bathing costume, white shoes and stockings, and gold armlets, at the Went</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">worth Oval last night. "Them's the goals, silly," said an other girl, not quite so big, but similarly attired. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Last night the Sydney Ladies' Soccer Club, held its first try-out with the ball, and a varied assortment of styles in femininity and fashion turned up with enthusiasm. After half an hour on the field they learned to kick the ball in something like the way that it should be kicked— a few stubbed toes soon taught the lesson. There were tall and hefty girls, short und wiry girls, and girls betwixt and, between. Mostly they were clad in bathing costumes, and as it was rather a chilly night the new footballers would have been glad to play even chasings in order to keep warm. A few girls wore shorts and shirts, and one affected a smart black bow-tie at the collar of her silk shirt. A few Woollen jumpers were worn on top of bloomers, and handkerchiefs or bathing cups kept troublesome tresses within bounds. The railings became wardrobes, and here and there a coat or a mackintosh or a fur coat was hooked on top of the fence. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">REPAIRs WHILE YOU WAIT </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">It would seem that girls nowadays are not possessed of good stout shoes, for the Soccer ladies wore slightly light slices with Louis heels. Sensible ones wore boots or sandshoes, but they were in the minority. Before the game was over heels were left in the mud, and later on in the dressing-room there went up a cry: "Has anybody got a hammer?" The Indispensable man produced the necessary Implement and oornrrt reed nailiig shoes and licels to gether, amid chqers. nd all the while the chewing went on— the jaws moved round with un canny precision, and no matter where you looked you could not escape that hcri .ble move men'. Even the ripple of giggles and delightful feminine shrieks of excitement did not stop the eternal chewing. On the field the girls were eagerness itself and while waiting for sides to be picked some jawed ill over the oval, some turned Catherine wheels, some walked on their hands. The ground was not only damp, It was wet, and the girls who turned somersaults soon looked as If they had been In a Rugby scrum. "When the game commenced in earnest tl e fun commenced also. An occasional thin "Hee-a-o-ugh!" was answered by t burly "Hu-o-o-ugh!' from the other side of the paling fence. Women must be beginning to feel the delightful triumph of doing some, king during which mop can be kept on the wrong side of tho fence. THE INDISPENSABLE HAIRPIN Just as the game was starting one of the backs wanted a hairpin, and the centre-forward offered to run to the dressing room, but an 'obliging In side hg.lf came to the rescue. Then the whistle blow, and the ball was off. It was chased across the field and back again, to the accompaniment of laughter and screams, with a few go'od kicks to balance things. In a critical moment' there was a yell, "Where's the back?" bqt. the 'back was chasing up somewhere In the rear. Then the game concentrated round one goal post, and there were plaintive walls from the darkness at the other end of tho field, "Eh, aren't we playing too? We're getting cold." More spills and kicks, and the ball' came back again to a goal. | GOSSIP- OH There- wero cheers and an Interlude for gossip, or the adjustment of shoe laces and the rubbing of sore places. Then a lull came — the chatter stopped, but the chewing continued — and a voice roared, "What's wrong? Kam-buk wanted?"' That was enough. The game started again with renewed vigor and increased Blcill. A second goal was scored by the samo side, and the opponents' zeal wus challenged. "Bull In the centre!" cried one of the Instructors again, and the girls took their places for the last game.- Thoy chased and kicked, put out their arms to grab the ball — ("Keep yer arms down!" yelled the referee) — slithered on tho grass, lost the handkerchiefs off their hair, shrieked with excitement or set their (faces In grim determination, and by dint of good luck and good play the losing side retrieved some of Its reputation by scoring a goal. "Yah, yer needn't be so skittish. We got two, so's "alright!" cried a mem ber of the winning team, as everybody plcked,up their belongings, collected rings and bangles and ear-rings fron\ tho pockets of an obliging man, and returned to the dreBsing-room. The sounds of massage, slapped flesh, and shower baths were mingled with the hummed tune of "By Jingo, Oh, by Gee!" as two girls — still. In bathing costume and bare feet — essayed a one-stop. When Miss Alexander (tho pre sident) arrived she asked the girls If the" wero enthusiastic enough to como along to practice next Tuesday. "Too right, we will!" was the ringing chorus. And after the first night's practice the Soccer players shaped so well that some good games should be seen in tho near future. If enthusiasm helps any, tho Sydney Soccer .Ladles' Cldb will certainly mako good. At tho ond of play last night a meet ing was held, and Miss Beth Keogh was elected secretary In place of Miss Flnl-gan. Miss M. Keogh was elected to tho management committee.</span></p></div></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Telegraph (Brisbane), Thursday 7 July 1921, page 4</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOCCER FOOTBALL</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>FINAL STAGES OF PREMIERSHIP PADDINGTON GIRLS FORM A CLUB</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>By "RIGHT HALF."</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">A Soccer football club for girls has been formed at Paddington. It is named the Latrobe Ladies Football Club. It has already 14 playing members, and practice is in full awing. A lady connected with the club writes to Mr. William Betts, the well known physical culture instructor, who is convening a meeting to be held in the Brisbane Gymnasium on Friday evening, at 7.30 o'clock, as follows: "In to-night's (Monday) 'Telegraph,' I saw where the first definite move in the direction of forming women's football clubs was being made. I am pleased to state that we formed a ladies' Soccer football club on Tuesday last. We have 14 playing members already. I am sorry your meeting is to be held on Friday night, as our members are then holding an evening, Still I shall be very pleased to have an interview with you on the matter." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Toowoomba Chronicle, Friday 8 July 1921, page 7</b></span></p><hr /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />GIRL FOOTBALLERS.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253706481</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p></div></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Table Talk (Melbourne), Thursday 7 July 1921, page 38</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Australian Cricketers in England</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">A LETTER FROM EDGAR MAYNE.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"We arrived in England last Friday and were invited to see the Cup Final at Chelsea. Seventy-two thousand people paid for admission, and then they to close the gates, turning thousands away. The "gate" was £13,000. The King and Duke of York were present and went out and shook hands with the players before the game started, although it was raining. After the match was over the King presented the "cup" to the captain of the winning team and a medal to each of the players. It was the first game of soccer I have seen, and although the conditions were very bad owing to the rain, the players struck me as being wonderfully clever. It is really football, as the players are not allowed to handle the ball, and I think it is faster than our Australian game. It was wonderful to see the vast crowd sitting out in the rain, and I didn't think there were as many caps in the world as I saw on Saturday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dockerty Cup replay</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">N&D 1 Melbourne Thistle 0</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>League I</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Albert Park 1 St Kilda 1</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Windsor 4 Preston 1 (game abandoned)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>League II</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Welsh Utd 2 St David's 1</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thistle A 7 Preston A 1</span></p></div></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-1589346672358314352021-06-27T09:22:00.002+10:002022-03-23T12:27:18.216+11:00100 Years Ago Today, 1 July 1921<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Daily Standard (Brisbane), Thursday 30 June 1921, page 4</span></b></p><hr /><div class="zone"></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Six young ladies In Toowoomba are endeavoring to form a Soccer football team, and the nurses at the Toowoomba and Willowburn Hospitals are being invited to down swabs and thermometers once or twice a week and join in. There should be a great trade in hair-pads when the darlings of the Downs set to work at Soccer, for there is a lot of head work in the British game. The reporters will have to be very circumspect in their criticisms of the game; that is if they are males, for only a lady knows how another lady feels.</span></p></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sun (Sydney), Friday 1 July 1921, page 2</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">WOMEN TO PLAY SOCCER</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">ASSOCIATION FORMED</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">A meeting was held under the auspices of the Metropolitan (Soccer) Football Association, at the Sports Club, Hunter-street, last night, to consider the formation of a Women's Soccer Football Association. There were over 30 ladies present. Mr. W. Lincoln, president of M.F.A., presided, and other officials present were Messrs. G. K. Martin (hon. secretary), Mr. F. West (president M.J.F.A.), and K. Jones, F. Langford, W. McAllister, C. Robinson, W. Chapman, and E. Drew. The ladies watched the proceedings with interest, and were keen for the formation of an association. Some of them had played in Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Melbourne. It was decided to form an association, to be called the Sydney Ladies' Soccer F.A. The following wore elected to the necessary positions: — President, Miss M. Alexander; hon. secretary, Miss D. Finigan; hon. treasurer, Mrs. S. Reed; management committee, Miss M. Thomas, M. Charters, B. Keogh, Z. Maine, and M. Bush. The ladies were given an invitation to attend two first-class Soccer football matches at, Wentworth Park Oval to-morrow. The first management committee meeting of the new organisation will be held next Monday at the Sports Club, and the first practice match will take place at Wentworth Park Oval on Tuesday night.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Week (Brisbane), Friday 1 July 1921, page 18</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SOCCER FOOTBALL.</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>FORMATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>By "RIGHT HALF."</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Quite a craze has set in in Sydney for the formation of women football clubs, and Brisbane has become infected with the idea through the Soccer code. Women play Soccer in Great Britain, and in France, in which countries the game is considered the most suitable for those women who want to play football. Both the Sydney and Brisbane Soccer Associations are alive to this fact, and in the former place a move has already been made </span><span style="font-size: large;">in the direction of running women's clubs. The Queensland body considered the matter at its meeting this week. In the meantime, correspondence is invited from those girls who are interested in the formation of such clubs.</span><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVgRx3c9cbm0c8NpFlDuNcvAq7dTGLf6qGo-ZpfUyP_HoLAuY3qkQl2xC-9zvmuiYi5rRl6_64wupFW_hPSwqrZFk1D8CsIIluhge_PxQwzGzsPDiR2EPyGH09milEFoOCSOOnRAtQxM/s320/venus.jpg" /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>In England last season, the French women Soccer footballers defeated an English team by 2 goals to 1. A huge crowd witnessed the game. I remember reading a description of the match—or, at least, a description of the girls who. played in it. The writer was too much hypnotised by "bare knees, adorned by the most fascinating of dimples" to write much about the match itself. He described one </span><span>French player as "the prettiest little thing who ever strayed off </span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">the cover of a magazine on to a football ground." Some kid! as the American would say. The football critic did not stop there. "She is the smallest member of the team." he wrote, "but has a figure like a more solid Venus di Medici." Ye gods!</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What a crowd a few such players would attract at the 'Gabba.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The question has been raised whether or not the Australian girls are of a sufficient physique to play football. I was talking the matter over with an official of the Q.F.A. the other day and he pointed out that the Brisbane girl was not so big, strong, and well developed as the Lancashire girls. The English XI, which played France, it might be mentioned, was comprised mostly of girls from the factories of Lancashire, but although they were a heavier combination than the French women. they failed to win. This, of course, goes to prove that it is not always weight that counts in Soccer. Science is almost variably the deciding factor. The French team was drawn from the magasins and offices of Paris—long, thin girls; short, nuggety girls; big, lumpy girls; and dainty, shapely-girls.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Why, the smallest member of the French team Mdlle. Rigal, the girl with the "fascinating </span><span>dimples," was the trickiest player on the field. Surely, in face of this, no one can deny that the material for women Soccer, teams is available in Brisbane.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Miriam" (Kangaroo Point), as though anticipating my thoughts on the above subject, writes under yesterday's date, as follows: "I have been a constant visitor this season to the 'Gabba, and while watching the games </span><span style="font-size: large;">there I have often thought what great fun it would be if the contestants were women instead of men. I notice that attempts are being made in New South Wales to form football clubs for women, but the only game of the different codes that appeals to me and most members of my sex, is Soccer. I should be glad if you would publish this letter in</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>your Soccer notes on Thursday- if only </span><span>Messrs. Kendal, Hildreth, and Co. make </span><span>a move in the matter, I am sure you will find that quite a number of girls will come forward. Several of my friends have already made up their minds in the matter.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TOOWOOMBA WOMEN TO PLAY.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Word has been received in Brisbane that </span><span>a movement is on foot to start women </span><span>Soccer clubs in Toowoomba. The secretary of the B.F.A. in the Downs city states that several girls have approached him in the matter. An invitation has been issued by the executive to other members of the fair sex. who wish to play Soccer, to send in their names. It is hoped to form two clubs, almost immediately.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b>Beaudesert Times</b></span><b>, Friday 1 July 1921, page 6<span></span></b></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yPjODAY_0DA-Ftp4X5OExvUYzYfSSseAApyTj_YMKdQu_IDgeTkE0TkMs9DhhkDpbbMjIT4n6-uK2IjZ7RQSAG-Oc0nDAUOjU4GLmtlg6n-fRD-ooPA9EiAqNbkDBskjiZ3shuEzm34/s862/nla.news-page000023425582-nla.news-article216225692-L5-ffa95b976ee55a4498b9ca5b05ec0380-0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yPjODAY_0DA-Ftp4X5OExvUYzYfSSseAApyTj_YMKdQu_IDgeTkE0TkMs9DhhkDpbbMjIT4n6-uK2IjZ7RQSAG-Oc0nDAUOjU4GLmtlg6n-fRD-ooPA9EiAqNbkDBskjiZ3shuEzm34/s16000/nla.news-page000023425582-nla.news-article216225692-L5-ffa95b976ee55a4498b9ca5b05ec0380-0001.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Evening News (Sydney), Friday 1 July 1921, page 6</b></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><!--more--></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaeNQBlPx6YBNWS64V1vD9rdxf6Dx80VU5tpJGrXaLoS93xGP-phjz7GTIc_MvHblGYBfkvfT3KAApmR_0Fngdf9D-GmC-BlLEjC9q_Do3gnPWuu8T-xM6Po8MYJ2au4pweUDdV92N4Y/s900/women+1921+02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaeNQBlPx6YBNWS64V1vD9rdxf6Dx80VU5tpJGrXaLoS93xGP-phjz7GTIc_MvHblGYBfkvfT3KAApmR_0Fngdf9D-GmC-BlLEjC9q_Do3gnPWuu8T-xM6Po8MYJ2au4pweUDdV92N4Y/s16000/women+1921+02.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Zeehan and Dundas Herald, Friday 1 July 1921, page 4</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>General News.</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">... </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">WOMEN FOOTBALLERS. A women's Soccer team has been formed at Balgownie (N.S.W.). They have arranged to play a match with a team of women from Woona. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">POLITICAL LIBEL ACTION. A meeting called by Mr John Wren was held in the Sydney Town Hall to consider the steps to be taken as the result of the action for alleged libel brought by Mr T. Ryan against the Hobart 'Mercury.' The amount raised reached £1400, but Mr Wren states that Mr Ryan's expenses total £5000.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Newcastle Sun, Friday 1 July 1921, page 2</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Charity Collections !</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>At a recent committee meeting no less than six requests were made by charitable bodies for assistance. Each asked for one gate on the Tramway ground. In the past the Soccer people haves never turned any similar request down. Six requests, however, broke the camel's back. Each body was, however, given permission to collect on the Ground, in turn. The United Charities </span><span>have had their days, the Protestant Federation have had theirs, and this Saturday and next the Y.M.C.A. step in. Then came the Adamstown H. and B. fund. Each charity will receive some benefit as a result of the mode adopted, which is a fair one.</span></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Argus, Monday 4 July 1921, page 10</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>FOOTBALL.</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>...</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BRITISH ASSOCIATION.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Dockerty Cup matches drew a large number of spectators on Saturday, some interesting games being won. Windsor got safely through into the semi-finals, scoring 4 goals (Taylor 3, Maxwell) without response from Preston. For the winners, Peat and Black were very safe at full back; Scotchbrook beisng the best of a bustling line of halves. In the forward line, Taylor and Thomas made a very effective left wing, the former's first goal, a header from a centre by Thomas, being of the hall-mark variety. Maxwell, in the centre, was good, but the right wing was not up to form. For Preston, the outstanding player was Stirrup at full back, who tried hard to save his side from disaster. Hearne was the best of rather a poor line of half-backs, the best of the forwards being Doncaster, Benn and Smith.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other results</b></span></p></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Albert Park 1 Welsh United 0</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Melbourne Thistle 0 N and D 0 (replay next week at Footscray Park)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>League I</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Footscray Thistle 2 St Kilda 4</span></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-37877378637979687472021-06-22T16:06:00.002+10:002022-03-23T12:27:32.597+11:00100 Years Ago Today. 27 June 1921<p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e92fbd66-7fff-c784-81d2-a7157846a869"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 14pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Daily Standard (Brisbane), Friday 24 June 1921, page 7</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><hr /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 14pt 0pt 14pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FOOTBALL; SOCCER</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(By "WANDERER.")</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The positions of the senior clubs up to an including games played on June 18 are as follows:-</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 229px; overflow: hidden; width: 242px;"><img height="229" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/abNzUUws_3pEvdNDwJTcpC7vXDThtxvdXeIzocqsdDy4-vfH6hjSLkDo70eJWEczWX8D8LyGHyv5Ro1qZg1-5md0yPw3NnT_io6bbxcSkCwGUYGMtC-9UtHUe9WeYrZL2i7BOf8" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="242" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">….</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The match of the day will be played at Bundanba. Bush Rats are leading Bundanba in the competition by two points, and the team that wins this game will probably take the premiership. Bundanba, who, like the. majority of the Ipswich teams, are hard to beat on their own ground, may win. Wynnum, who are at home to South Brisbane, should annex two points.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tristram Bros, have presented a handsome shield to the Q.F.A. for competition. The competition will be run on the knock-out principle, and the draw for the first round to be played on July 9 resulted as follows:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Western Suburbs v Queen's Park, Bush Rats v Pineapple Rover, Toowong v Kangaroos, Thistle v Blackstone, Bulimba v Corinthians, Wynnum n Kedron, Brisbane City bye. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 14pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner’ Advocate, Monday 27 June 1921, page 6</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><hr /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WESTON</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0.75pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Among a large number of letters and telegrams of sympathy received by Nurse Pearce on the occasion of the death of her son were those from Weston Town Bank, CessnockBank, Methodists Ladies Church Aid, Weston L.O.L, Weston Prodestant Federation and Hebburn Colliery Survey Staff. Floral tributes were received from Deputies and Shot-firers, Weston Soccer Club, Weston Rugby League, Weston Town Band, Wenton Band Ladies' Committee, Cessnock Band, Hebburn Survey Staff, Mr D. Roach, Lance and Lizzie Charlton, Weston L.O.L, Elsie Marsh, Mr. and Mrs. Langford, Mr. and Mrs. Ridley, Mr. and Mrs. Hadfield, Mr. and Mrs. Hector, Mr. and Mrs. Fairfall, Mr. Roderick and family, Nurse Hawkins, Nellie and Joe Ruddley, Charlie, Harry and Bert Wrighton. The Rev. D. Weatherall, referred to the fine manly qualities of the deceased, the outstanding feature of his life being his devotion to his widowed mother. He was an enthusiastic Soccer footballer and played his last game on June 11 for Weston. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0.75pt 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 13.25pt 0pt 14pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Week (Brisbane), Friday 8 July 1921</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><hr /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DEATH OF MR. EDWINM ALDRED</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By “RIGHT HALF”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soccer devotes in Brisbane will regret to learn that Mr. Edwin (Teddy) Aldred, who before he went to Sydney in 1913 played for Bulimba, is dead. Before coming to Queensland from England, the deceased had played with Leeds City II. He played with Bulimba for several years, and in 1913 he accompanied the Mayor of Brisbane’s (Ald. C. M. Jenkinson) team to New South Wales, when he played a wonderful game, and was partly responsible for the Queenslanders turning the tables on New South Wales for the first time in some years. He did not then return Brisbane, and afterwards qualified for Northern Suburbs, Sydney, and afterwards transferred to the Sydney District Club. When war came he enlisted and fought with the A.I.F. until the declaration of peace. He reappeared in Sydney over a week ago as goalie for Campsie against Pyrmont. According to “Referee” he remarked after the game that he “felt as fit as any fiddle and hoped to return to his usual form within the next few weeks”, but died the following Monday. While the Queenslanders were in Sydney recently, Mr. Aldred acted as their trainer. His death comes as a great shoch to his friends in the Bulimba Club and the interstate players who met him recently. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Note: Aldred died on June 20</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and obituaries were published that week. This report, which came a fortnight later, is the most clear summary of his career. It should be noted the despite references to Aldred playing for Bulimba for a number of years, there is no reference to him in connection to Australian soccer before 1913 with Bulimba, the interstate games and his move south. He played in 1914, and had most recently been seen in 1919. According to Birth, Deaths and Marriages, he died at the age of 47.) </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Women’s Soccer Rumblings. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Darling Downs Gazette, Thursday 23 June 1921</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">________________________________________</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LADY FOOTBALLERS IN TOOWOOMBA</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The secretary of the British Football Association advises that he has been approached by several young ladies regarding ladies playing soccer in Toowoomba. Now that the Soccer Association has taken over the Show Grounds it is felt quite sure that this sport can be enjoyed by the sporting fair sex. The secretary will be pleased to hear from any young ladies who would like a game as a trial, which could be arranged in private if required. Perhaps, write the secretary, several could ladies could get a couple of teams together when a match could be arranged any time that they wish. The secretary’s address is Mr W. Lyon, “Moree” Mary Street, Toowoomba. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 14pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Northern Star (Lismore), Monday 27 June 1921 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><hr /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WOMEN PLAYNG SOCCER</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SYDNEY, Sunday.—A women's soccer team has been formed at Balgownie, South Coast, and has arranged to play a team of women from Woonona.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Telegraph (Brisbane), Thursday 23 June 1921 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">________________________________________</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SOCCER FOOTBALL.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FORMATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Q.F.A. EXECUTIVE TO DISCUSS MATTER.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By "RIGHT HALF."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quite a craze has set In In Sydney for the formation of women football clubs, and Brisbane has become infected with the idea through the Soccer code. Women play Soccer in Great Britain, and In France, in which countries the game is considered the most suitable for those women who want to play football.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both the Sydney and Brisbane Soccer Associations are alive to this fact, and in the former place a move has already been made in the direction of forming women's clubs. The Queensland body is to consider the matter at its meeting next week. In the meantime, correspondence is invited from those girls who are interested in the formation of such clubs.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In England last season, the French women Soccer footballers defeated an English team by 2 goals to 1. A huge crowd witnessed the game. I remember reading a description of the match —or, at least a description of the girls who played in it. The writer was too much hypnotised by "bare knees, adorned by the most fascinating of dimples" to write much about the match itself. He described one French player as - "the prettiest little thing who over strayed off the cover of a magazine on to a football ground." Some kid! as the American would say. The football critic did not stop there, "She is the smallest member of the team," he wrote, "but has a figure like a more solid Venus di Medici." Ye gods! What crowd a few such players would attract at the 'Gabba.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* * *</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The question has been asked whether or not the Australian girls are of a sufficient physique to play football. I was talking the matter over with an official of the Q.F.A. the other day, and he pointed out that the average Brisbane girl was not so big, strong, and well developed as the Lancashire girls. The English XI, which played France, it might be mentioned, was comprised mostly of girls from the factories of Lancashire, but although they were a heavier combination than the French women, they failed to win. This, of course, goes to prove that it is not always weight that counts in Soccer. Science is almost invariably the deciding factor. The French team was drawn from the magasins and offices of Paris — long, thin girls; short, nuggety girls; big, lumpy girls ; and dainty, shapely girls. Why, the smallest member of the French team, Mdlle Rigal, the girl with the "fascinating dimples,", was the trickiest player on the field. Surely, in face of this, no one can deny that the material for women Soccer teams is available in Brisbane.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* * *</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Mirian" (Kangaroo. Point), as though anticipating my thoughts on the above subject, writes under yesterday's date, as follows: "I have been" a constant visitor this season, to the 'Gabba, and while watching the games there I have often thought what great fun it would be if the contestants were women instead of men. I notice that attempts are being made in New South Wales to form football clubs for women, but the only game of the different codos that appeals to me and most members of my sex, is Soccer. I should be glad if you would, publish this letter in your Soccer notes on Thursday. If only Messrs. Kendal, Hildreth, and Co., make a move in the matter, I am sure you will find that quite a number of girls will come forward. Several of my friends have already made their minds in the matter."</span></p><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-17859203188823516822021-06-03T12:02:00.038+10:002022-08-25T15:31:43.009+10:00The Trials of George Macaulay<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>These are three amazing documents sent to me by Val Finlayson. They are form letters </span><span>(neither personalised nor signed)</span><span> </span><span>sent by Harry Bingham inviting George Macaulay to: </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span>Be selected for an England v Scotland game in 1930 (George was in fact Irish and did not play in the game);</span></li><li><span>Be available for the Division 1 team to play against the Division 2 team later in the same year. George was in fact selected and helped to create a goal in the first minute of play;</span></li><li><span>Play in the Victorian team for the Interstate Carnival in Sydney in 1932. The letter also contains travel instructions.</span></li></ol><div>They are remarkable because they give us some insight into bureaucratic and selection practices of the VSFA in the early 1930s. More to come.</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBUbr2bqO4LvLIspJ94gbHjgXyuiTpOWZoCAD0XP33EsPDsifMS_cPnuFtFAGAsjkTLo-SxSDKEwNjuvKXI_RTRjn4F7JNwvjTqGwILx6x2_BLFRdaefqNkl0w3NsK7POrTeEoCbtQ7o/s1105/invite+01+crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="1021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBUbr2bqO4LvLIspJ94gbHjgXyuiTpOWZoCAD0XP33EsPDsifMS_cPnuFtFAGAsjkTLo-SxSDKEwNjuvKXI_RTRjn4F7JNwvjTqGwILx6x2_BLFRdaefqNkl0w3NsK7POrTeEoCbtQ7o/w592-h640/invite+01+crop.jpg" width="592" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWk9B27h1Ys_gu73n_tEdO5GL5SRIKDu9l0M_4nmGilBebPm2ZRK9USyhDxXBDfz4dJDthkhU0_2Jhk76qPS_WcmlucaDucKEdpyITi7P6MhRcpzj9deLgADFwfJACbklodlwTeqxvn8/s1272/invite+02+crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1071" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWk9B27h1Ys_gu73n_tEdO5GL5SRIKDu9l0M_4nmGilBebPm2ZRK9USyhDxXBDfz4dJDthkhU0_2Jhk76qPS_WcmlucaDucKEdpyITi7P6MhRcpzj9deLgADFwfJACbklodlwTeqxvn8/w538-h640/invite+02+crop.jpg" width="538" /></span></a></div></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7Tode7vioPS_fQcrQfq3e6LQXLZuIEmHGmrfLx5j5yU10BZ0eSNWkCRjlJSvoS07ofOpa1esJ8yfOXz_ssK4QSEOyu5zswUZlZ9HRPcQu7JneeyQRfK1eQSH3xaYQWfQ8Bu2xhVaY8Y/s1411/invite+04+crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="1083" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7Tode7vioPS_fQcrQfq3e6LQXLZuIEmHGmrfLx5j5yU10BZ0eSNWkCRjlJSvoS07ofOpa1esJ8yfOXz_ssK4QSEOyu5zswUZlZ9HRPcQu7JneeyQRfK1eQSH3xaYQWfQ8Bu2xhVaY8Y/w491-h640/invite+04+crop.jpg" width="491" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">But they do more than this. They also give us a picture of the way transport was organised and the extent to which they players were required to supply material that would be provided for them in today's elite level soccer. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>The 'man in Grey' is a curious notion. Apparently (thanks Mav and Adam Muyt) it refers to a booth at </span><span>Spenser St Station</span><span> </span><span>that was set up to answer traveller's queries and seems to have been a regular meeting point.</span></span></p>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-66548044424130744222021-06-03T11:20:00.004+10:002022-03-23T12:27:42.870+11:00100 Years Ago Today 3 June 1921<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Queensland Times (Ipswich), Wednesday 1 June 1921, page 4</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>COLLIERY EMPLOYEES' SPORTS. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Queensland Colliery Employees' Sports Club,;in accordance with the usual custom, will hold a sports carnival on the Bundanba racecourse, on Friday next (King's Birthday). The committee has been working energetically during the past few weeks, and the arrangements are now about completed. A good day's sport is assured, Judging by the number of entries which have been received for the various events, and if the function is patronised as largely as the committee expects, a record success should compensate the promoters for the trouble they have gone to in making the preparations. Pedestrian and horse events are set down for decision and not the least of the attrac tions will be the junior inter-city soccer match, one of the events of the season so far as local patrons of this form of sport are concerned; This match will begin at 3.15 p.m. and should, in itself, be a big "draw" to the Q.C.I.U. carnival</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Daily Mail (Brisbane), Friday 3 June 1921, page 7</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>ankle deep in mud.</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>queenslanders plight;</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">(Bv a Special Correspondent.)</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">SYDNEY, Thursday.— After having subsisted for two days upon cups of tea and refreshment-room pies, about a hundred hungry Queenslanders stopped off the mail train at Central station in the early hours of this morning. The ladies wore a most dejected air. All their Queen-street finery had been ruined by the rain and mud of Ben Lomond. One lady lost a pair of expensive suede shoes, and tramped off the platform in her husband's house slippers. The troubles of the passengers who left Brisbane at 8 o'clock on Tuesday morning began at Glen Inncs, where a railway official informed them that owing to land slide the mail could not pass. The Train was shunted into a siding. In several carriages the lights were inoperative, and the passengers could not see to undress in the crowded carriages. The Queensland soccer team kept up its spirits by singing "Do I Want, to See My Mother Any more?" and "Take Me Back to Brisbane." Before the day broke crowds of sleepy passengers besieged the refreshment rooms in search of tea and toast, and it was still dark when the train moved out of Glen Innes for Ben Lomond, a few miles away. Just before Ben Lomond was reached the order "all get out" was given. Rain had fallen all night, and when the passengers lowered themselves from the mail train on to the permanent way they found themselves in a sorry plight. Anklc-deep in mud, they were called upon to transport their luggage about a quarter of a mile to the relief train. To do this the men had to clamber up an almost perpendicular height, as the track was impossible be' tween the train and the railway bank. Many persons had had falls in the mud, but the majority took their reverses in good spirit. Eventually the passengers and luggage were lined up in the vicinity of the engine, which was partially buried, and the relief train got away from Ben Lomond for Sydney about 9 o'clock amid cheers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Lest we ennoble the soccer players too much: this <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253206276?searchTerm=soccer">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253206276?searchTerm=soccer</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Herald (Melbourne), Wednesday 8 June 1921, page 7</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>football for women</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">CLAIMS OF RUGBY URGED</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">SYDNEY, Wednesday.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Considerable controversy In tho newspapers is going on concerning the proposal to establish women's Rugby football clubs In Sydney.</span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Many people are opposed to the scheme, and medical men have given the opinion that the strain of the game will affect the girls In later life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Miss Ella Gormlcy, one of the physical culture experts of the Education Department, is opposed to Rugby being played by the girls. She said that in the American universities the girls played "soccer" (Association football), but that was a different game from Rugby. She fancied that this craze for football among Sydney girls was due to tho photographs of the French and English women's football teams and the news of their matches, but she thought the Sydney girls over looked the fact that the game these teams played was "soccer" and not Rugby. She thought that there were plenty of games in which girls could indulge without taking up Rugby football.</span></p></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Age, Monday 6 June 1921, page 9</b></span></p><hr /><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Soccer</b></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p></div><div class="zone"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Windsor 6? goals, St Kilda - 2 goals </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Other results:— </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">League I</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Preston 9, Footscray Thistle ,0; </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Melbourne Thistle 2 (Robertson, Grant), Spotswood 1 (Shrives). </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">N. and D. 1 (Lennox) Albert Park 0. </span></li></ul></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">League II</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Welsh United 4, Preston A 0; </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Thistle A 4, St. David's 0; </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">St Kilda A 9, Windsor A 2; </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Brunswick 6, Yarra Falls 0.</span></li></ul><p></p></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If we have time: <br /><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242499227?searchTerm=soccer">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242499227</a></span></p></div></div>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782415769184117544.post-89476673967106576952021-05-31T11:33:00.031+10:002021-06-03T11:36:22.377+10:00Soccer is Ordinary<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A letter from George's Mother</b></span></p><p><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1398" data-original-width="1113" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1vbFFrziznQpfXpGgIDKYEg-zGs1Ng0ONKq_i_ll0YqO6xtAQIaGUiqFcAtmzjWOab7iET-bVWee5VtEVYSBkrcOz61XItsFDdRlYOlJRx5LcTLzPLIeh7A6cLEumsMvVGix3t1yJvI/w319-h400/letter+1993+01+crop.jpg" width="319" /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Val Finlayson has sent me a copy of a letter written by her Grandmother and George Macaulay's mother to her son Sam. It contains evidence of a soccer culture in Melbourne that shines a light on how 'ordinary' soccer was for those families involved in the game. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The letter was written on the evening of Wednesday 17 May, 1933, while the Footscray Thistle "soccer committee" were meeting in the Macaulay residence at 17 Napier St Footscray. Mrs Macaulay discusses some family news before writing: </span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: Dancing Script;">Geo went to Wonthaggi on Sat, it was a pouring wet day here, it was also bad up there. Charlie Shiels went with them. Preston won, they left Won, at 10 O'Clock & was home at two in the morning. The roads were greasy & besides there was sleet falling however they got home without an accident.</span></i><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9n37-89VSMXMJAZddYICh4lElLrANOwx7uh7qEOzujnlchJhBlC7kYl9Iv1NsPFCusSJdU0wnFuKb62irOVYMYVi0QF4b7HImjF0J-Jqefpzv-FMGsJBS2MKlYQ9bR1FA8CHm9VFEk4/s1409/letter+1993+02+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1409" data-original-width="1147" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9n37-89VSMXMJAZddYICh4lElLrANOwx7uh7qEOzujnlchJhBlC7kYl9Iv1NsPFCusSJdU0wnFuKb62irOVYMYVi0QF4b7HImjF0J-Jqefpzv-FMGsJBS2MKlYQ9bR1FA8CHm9VFEk4/w325-h400/letter+1993+02+crop.jpg" width="325" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">While while not particularly earth shattering the letter nevertheless contains some important information.</span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span>We can assume perhaps that the Macaulay residence at 17 Napier St was a regular venue for Footscray Thistle SC committee meetings.</span></li><li><span>Why George Macaulay goes to Wonthaggi when his own team is playing St Kilda is an interesting question. Was he dropped? Injured? Rested?</span></li><li><span>He and some other men (Charlie Shiels included) were interested enough in the game to travel to Wonthaggi to see Preston beat Wonthaggi Magpies 8-1 - that's State League I level commitment! The apparent danger of the 4-hour return journey only adds to the sense of commitment.</span></li><li><span>George's mother sees nothing out of the ordinary is such behaviour.</span></li><li><span>We know Preston won well despite the conditions.</span></li><li><span>We also learn that a brother had 5 teeth pulled out that day and was having trouble finding work -- but that's by the by.</span></li><li><span>Sleet? </span></li></ul></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, not earth shattering, but also promising. Information exists in family archives about the ordinary culture of Victorian soccer in the 1930s. I am so grateful to Val Finlayson (with whose permission the letter is published above) for once again providing me with inspirational family artifacts that perhaps reveal more about the history of soccer than a family holding them might imagine.</span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: medium;">And, as if to nail the pitfalls of assumption, I have come to learn (thanks Mark Boric) that George Macaulay went to Wonthaggi because he was <i>playing</i>, for Preston! He moved at the beginning of 1933 and returned to Footscray Thistles in 1935. As the <i>Sporting Globe</i> reported on 24 May 1933:</span><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">Preston secured Smith and Maculey [Macaulay], the Footscray Thistle full backs, and Thorpe who occasionally played for St Kilda last year, and previously was the shining light of the Navy front rank.<br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">The question raised is were the player movements induced by money? In the middle of the depression it would not be surprising, especially when most of Macaulay's family are struggling for income, for George to be so minded.</span><blockquote><div><p></p></div></blockquote>Ian Sysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14381094556560006623noreply@blogger.com0