There are also references to the fact that Williamstown Football Club was formed in 1870, which is known to be incorrect as the club was reorganised for a second time in that year. FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF THE FABULOUS HISTORY OF THE WILLIAMSTOWN FOOTBALL CLUB FROM 1880 TO THE PRESENT DAY, PLEASE REFER TO THE RESPECTIVE DECADES UNDER THE 'HISTORY' TAB. By Paddy Farley. There was allegedly another game between Melbourne Grammar and a St Kilda team at St Kilda on July 31 that was abandoned due to a dispute over the rules. Clarke was the first president, with Henry Harrison (Melbourne) and R. Robertson (Carlton) the vice-presidents and Harry Hale Budd (Melbourne) the first secretary and Thomas P. Power (Carlton) the first treasurer. Below is Shortty's recollections of his involvement with the Gulls Coterie and the Football Club in general, over the journey. North would rapidly achieve 'senior' status by 1874. An extract from page 56 of the book entitled 'Australia's Game, The History of Australian Football' by Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart, Greg de Moore and Rob Hess. Williamstown Football Club. The Captain, Bob Waycott, and vice-captain, John Charles Frederick Ulbrick, who were both re-appointed at the meeting for the 1878 season, instituted a fine of one shilling for players who failed to turn up for games without a valid excuse. History [ edit] The Williamstown Football Club was formed in 1864, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Australia. 10K followers. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Mark Fotheringham (Australian footballer), Dick Harris (Australian rules footballer), Ben Kennedy (Australian rules footballer), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Williamstown_Football_Club_players&oldid=867053321, This page was last edited on 3 November 2018, at 09:17. Public Events. It was also reported that, at the annual meeting for the 1872 season, held at the Mechanics Institute on April 1 1873, that 'the committee hopes to be able to start a second twenty, owing to the great increase of members'. Associated clubs Williamstown Reserves; Williamstown WFC. The Argus of April 6, 1872, reported that, at the annual meeting held in respect of the 1871 season, that 'the colours of the club were also settled, light blue with a white stripe'. 3,008 were here. Stimulated by the example of these latter, Brunswick, Collingwood (notthe current AFL team, which was formed in 1892) andWilliamstown followed suit'. By 1876, The Argus considered 'the Club to be in a very flourishing condition, no less than 102 members being on the books, whereas in past seasons the number has scarcely passed the half century'. The Williamstown Football Club sends its deepest condolences to the Round . Click on the link below to view one of Bruce Davis' productions on the early days of the Williamstown Football Club, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgXixsEPKM8&feature=youtu.be. Appointed coach for the 1913 season and remained as captain in 1914. New captain, D. McCallum, who had replaced Horace Norman in this season, led his men off the field in protest when he failed to have the umpire changed after a bad decision. The leading goalkickers were C. Percy, F. Raymer and D. Burke with 2 each. Williamstown FC - Team of the Century Full Back Line: Eric Beitzel Games: 113 Goals: 0 Team of the Century Position: Back pocket Honours: Premiership player - 1955, 56, 58, 59. Also, following the annual meeting of club delegates/secretaries at Nissen's Cafe in Bourke Street on May 12, a new rule was introduced that players could only represent one club during the year. Shortty: My first memories of engagement with the Williamstown Football Club go back to the latter years of the Second World War, which would have been around 1945/46 when the VFA resumed after the recess for the war. The Seconds played 9 matches of which 3 were won, 5 lost and 1 drawn, with 11 goals scored by the team and having 14 kicked against them. Williamstown High School Superior Cotton Twill Low Profile Style Caps clothing and apparel! It was also reported in the Williamstown Chronicle of August 12 (refer report below) 'the match, which lasted about two hours, was a well-contested one. The Second Twenty had a more successful season, playing 9 matches of which five were won, two lost with two draws. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Another local club, North Williamstown, emerged in 1879 and, although destined to be no more than a junior club, it nevertheless made its mark on local football history by fielding three teams and producing a number of senior players for Williamstown and other clubs. He came ashore each day to work on construction of the sea walls and later on the artillery bunkers adjacent to the cricket ground. 1970's Mal Allen (Coach 1976-77)Great football clubs are more than successful on and off the field; they are more than a place to play and enjoy the game of . Clubs also began to appear in regional areas, with Sandhurst forming in 1861 (captained by James Thompson, who was one of the MCC committee who drew up the 1859 Melbourne rules) and a Ballarat side in 1862, together with Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough. Under the coaching of Jack Reynolds in three . What we now call Australian Rules football was played in Victoria and the other colonies from the 1840's, but in 1858 it came into greater prominence when some cricketers, football enthusiasts and schoolboys played a number of scratch matches on the Richmond Paddock in Melbourne. Appealing to the central umpire was useless, that responsible functionary filling his post so unsatisfactorily that is was compulsory to relieve him of his duties, but his successor did not in the slightest degree remedy matters. The first page of the 1859 rules, showing the names of the Melbourne FC committee,William J. Hammersley (a sports journalist), James B. Thompson (an Argus journalist and secretary of the Melbourne FC), Thomas H.Smith (headmaster of Scotch College) and Tom W. Wills, as well as J. Sewell (Melbourne FC treasurer), Alex Bruce and T. Butterworth. This attempt by a University professor to stage an intercolonial match between Victoria and South Australia at the MCG under lights were attended by large crowds but were deemed a fiasco due to the poor quality of the lights, which were described in the Williamstown Chronicle of August 16 as being 'fitful and irregular. The inaugural VFA premier team, Carlton, also paid a visit to The Village for the first time on August 17, drew a crowd of 5,000 to the Gardens Reserve and won by a single goal, 2-1. Both men played for Geelong in later years. Charles George 'Charlie' Outen, pictured here in 1914 aged in his 50's, played for Williamstown from 1874 until 1877 and played all those years with his brother, Will. With the demise of the Williamstown Alliance Cricket Club, which amalgamated with the older Williamstown Cricket Club in 1861, it is possible that the football club merely went into recess until 1864 or that any matches that did occur in this period were simply not reported on by the newspapers of the day. Windsor disbanded by the end of June and the remnants were amalgamated with St Kilda Alma, which in turn also withdrew from the competition by mid-July. Essendon and West Melbourne were new senior clubs in the VFA in 1878, while the organisation of fixtures continued to be a problem and only nine games of the 16 proposed by Williamstown in 1878 were played. Best players for the Villagers were John Buchanan, John Alexander Springhall jnr, W. Tickell, C. Payne and Horace Norman. History Talk (0) Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category:Players of Williamstown Football Club. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; The match was lost one goal to NIL. Tom Wills umpired the game, which had no marked boundary line and the goals were approximately a mile apart. Williamstown Chronicle, May 31, 1879 - Williamstown's highest score and greatest winning margin to date was achieved in a game at Heidelberg on May 24, 1879. In this article, it was also stated that Jack Litchfield was 'one of the most brainy players that perhaps Williamstown has ever produced. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. Football, Cricket, Netball and Darts, plus a fantastic Oval and Function Venue for Hire, with fully. Real Madrid Football School, The Yards, Joo Chiat, 406 Joo Chiat Place Level 1, Singapore and The Rainforest Sports Hub, Turf City, 2 Turf Club Road, Singapore, +65 91761870, info@frmsingapore.com, www.frmsingapore.com. Bert Reitman: Played 126 games and kicked 10 goals between 1907 and 1914. Another local club, North Williamstown, emerged in 1879 and, although destined to be no more than a junior club, it nevertheless made its mark on local football history by fielding three teams and producing a number of senior players for Williamstown and other clubs. This email address is being protected from spambots. See what Nick Rutley is doing for the group. . In total, 5 games were played in the 1871 season, 2 of which were won and 3 lost. This was before the girls school was built alongside South Williamstown State School. These were four of the 9 games played during the season, of which only 2 were won, 5 lost and 2 drawn. 03-03-23. There was an important meeting in the history of the game on May 8, 1866, at the Freemasons Hotel which was chaired by Henry Harrison, when club delegates undertook a revision of the original 'Melbourne' 1859 rules, which were refined and supplemented, the key changes relating to running and carrying the ball and bouncing it at intervals. The win was against South Yarra, while the draws were against an Albert Park 15, Essendon, Abbotsford and St. Kilda. 1867 saw a proliferation of new clubs emerging, including a second Fitzroy team, East Melbourne, Rysleigh (from the South Melbourne district) and Pentridge. Monday-Friday: 9am to 5pm; Satuday: 10am to 2pm. See what Nick Rutley is doing for the group. The 'Rules of Football' as drawn up at the meeting at the Argus Hotel on May 28, 1860, where a Williamstown delegate was present. The first secretary-treasurer was John Christison, the first captain J. Doull and D. Dorgan vice-president. The premiership was won by the Geelong Football Club. People who participate in a great football club, form deep and lasting relationships that nurture and shape who they become as human beings. Wills committed suicide on May 2, 1880, aged just 44. He was a Williamstown resident for 45 years and was president of both the Williamstown Cricket Club and Baseball Club when he passed away suddenly on December 22 1909, aged 62. (Jack) Field Medal winners: Best and Fairest in Second Division Ian Nankervis (1968) and Colin Boyd (1976), To see all williamstown premiership sides please click on the link belowPremiership Photos, To see williamstown football club team of the century click on the link belowWilliamstown team of the century. The South Yarra and St Kilda clubs (not connected to the current AFL entity) were soon formed, and occasional teams representing East Melbourne, Albert Park, Emerald Hill (South Melbourne), Prahran and University also appeared. They were also given the power to stop play and throw the ball in the air to clear a scrimmage and to start the second half. addy411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef = addy411e8c6229cee0e943110ba503223fef + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au'; The captain of the Second Twenty for 1880 was C. Hernan with C. Percy vice-captain. Williamstown finished fourth on the list of 'leading junior clubs' at the end of 1875, winning 5 games out of the 9 played, with 3 draws and just the one loss, in the best result in the Club's brief history. Like. The club was initially considered a junior club, before being granted senior status in 1884. D. Rogers was leading goalscorer for the Seconds with 6, while Bobby Weatherhead, A. Murray, Wilson, Singleton and J. Davidson each kicked one. It also enhanced recruitment. Lack of a controlling body meant that the more powerful clubs such as Melbourne and Carlton tended to concentrate their fixtures against each other and were under no obligation to spread their roster of games. North Melbourne and St Kilda entered the 'senior' ranks of football in 1874, competing with Carlton, Melbourne, Geelong and Albert Park. Williamstown FC Signings Hub All the Seagulls listed below have signed up and a roaring to play in season 2023 VFL Leading goalscorer was J. Goble with 5 followed by J. Minto with 3, C. Percy 2 while F. Raymer, Jack Litchfield, H. Cardwell, C. Hernan, T. Wauchope, B. Vaughan and Cooper got one each. Its home ground was where the current Williamstown High School now is. Posts. Home Ground Williamstown Cricket Ground. He played until 1878 and then crossed to fellow local club, Battery United, in 1879 where he became captain during the year and led the team again in 1880. Shop for your Williamstown High School Superior Cotton Twill Low Profile Style Caps spirit wear here! Watch this highlight video of the Williamstown (WV) football team in its game Recap: Williamstown vs. Clay-Battelle 2022 on Nov 12, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3ZLxQ_ObA&feature=related. The Parade Hotel on Wellington Parade, East Melbourne, where the original Melbourne rules were drawn up in May 1859 when it was run by Jerry Bryant. Back pocket player in the 1907 premiership. Ajax is the Netherlands' most successful club and is best known for producing a series of entertaining attacking teams. Also, 1870 was the first year that the Club had a recorded president in Alfred Thomas Clark, local MLA for 17 years and founder of the Williamstown Advertiser, and local printer, Duncan McLeod, was the first recorded secretary since Hugh Ronald Reid in 1860. Players Profile VFL. Club Captain in 1903 and 1904 was lured to Footscray and led that club to the 1908 premiership. Whilst no records can be found of any games in 1870, the Club must have been in existence due to the reference in the 1875 edition of 'The Footballer' to the 'new edition of Williamstown, which was formed in 1870.' Amazingly, 21 goals were kicked during the season with just one major scored against the Villagers. Sprint Hall: Played 105 games and kicked 8 goals between 1897 and 1906. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; This email address is being protected from spambots. The Leader newspaper of 28 June 1873 very similarly described it as 'one of the worst grounds that could be selected for football purposes, as, independent of being a regular quagmire, it is covered in several places with very dangerous obstacles in the shape of large pieces of bluestone.'. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Richmond disappeared in 1862 while St Kilda disbanded in 1863 due to insufficient numbers to field a side but re-emerged in 1873. Bryant also provided the ball that was used in the early games of football that were played on the Richmond Paddock from 1858 onwards. There were a number of meetings of interested clubs before the Victorian Football Association (VFA) was formed on May 7, 1877, to promote and extend football throughout the colony and to facilitate inter-colonial contests, but this did not bring about the administrative reforms that were expected, eg secretaries of senior clubs refused to relinquish their right to draw up the season's programme as they were of the view that this was a 'club matter'. T. Crane was appointed captain of the Second Twenty for 1878 with C. Hernan vice-captain. We need your help! This statue has been located in the Gardens since 1891, following Clark's death at sea in 1888. In country Victoria, the major clubs were now Geelong, Ballarat, Sandhurst and Kyneton. The next attempt to reform the football club appears to have been in 1864, although there are no records in existence or newspaper articles to testify to that fact, although Pennings wrote in his book that 'Williamstown reappeared after an absence of some years (in 1865)'. At the annual meeting held in respect of the 1879 season at the Mechanics Institute on April 7, 1880, E.G. The 1888 Victorian Football Association season was the 12th season of the Australian rules football competition. VFL Premierships 2003, 2015 (2 . Moss and Worrell one each. The game against East Melbourne on July 6 was moved to the Gardens (Fearon) Reserve owing to 'the wet state of the Market Reserve' as was the game against South Yarra Seconds on July 27. A four time B&B winner in 1930, 31, 32 and 1933. Furthermore, the publication entitled 'The Footballer' of 1875 noted that 'at the beginning of 1864, football, which had been growing in favour, received additional impetus from the advent of Emerald Hill, Royal Park and Carlton. He was a cousin of Tom Wills. We are reaching out to the families or next of kin to contact the club as soon as possible. var addy_text98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc = 'admin' + '@' + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au';document.getElementById('cloak98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc').innerHTML += ''+addy_text98c4d7b017a5593e90d954012576f9fc+'<\/a>'; 2015 Williamstown Footbal Club - Site design by AdTorque Edge. An improved total of 19 goals were scored while 22 were kicked against the Villagers. Leo Maloney: Played 107 games and kicked 115 goals between 1959 and 1964. Two other sons, Jack and Percy, also played for 'Town, in 1909 and 1928, respectively. addybb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 = addybb0b214de571d490efda32391d5e6ef9 + 'williamstownfc' + '.' + 'com' + '.' + 'au'; Geelong Football Club came into existence on July 18, 1859, at a meeting in the Victoria Hotel on the corner of Moorabool and Malop Streets in Geelong, where Wills amalgamated several small clubs to achieve this and also became its first captain. There was also a return match at Gardens (Fearon) Reserve against St Kilda on July 19 which was won two goals to NIL but, as the Williamstown Chronicle of July 26 reported, the Saints 'had a very weak team, several of their best players not turning up.' It was a tribute to Harrison that once again his rules were adopted unanimously and clubs were springing up all over Victoria. The Chronicle stated on May 28 that 'thanks to the exertions of Mr Thompson, a sufficient amount was collected last week to purchase a ball and on Saturday afternoon about a dozen players had a friendly game'. The Second Twenty played 11 matches of which 4 were won, 3 were lost with 4 draws. In April 1879, The Argus reported that the Williamstown Council 'resolved to give the local football club permission to play their matches for the coming season in the Gardens Reserve', then regarded as one of the best grounds in the Colony, but not on a permanent basis because the oval was still subject to casual lettings by the Council. Page 1 of 7. Arthur 'Porky' Sykes: Played 124 games and kicked 4 goals between 1926 and 1934. Williamstown Football Club (WFC) has a history dating back to 1864 and is one of the oldest Australian Rules Clubs. So, although there is documented proof that a Williamstown team existed in 1860, there appeared to be a period of inactivity which was not uncommon in those early days of our game, where clubs would form one year, go into recess the next and then reappear again at a later stage. Amazingly, 21 goals were kicked during the season with just one major scored against the Villagers. Williamstown has proved a great training ground for coaches as well. There was also an issue of players simply failing to turn up for games. Leading goalkicker was again vice-captain, P. Conroy, with 6, with half of these coming in the Heidelberg match, followed by Jack Litchfield with 4, J. Goble 3, and W. Senior, C. Cardwell, A. Fowler, J. Jamieson, E.G. In 1874, the Club played 12 matches, six of which were won, three were lost and three drawn. In the Williamstown Chronicle of 19 July 1879, in respect of the game played the previous weekend on 12 July against Sandridge (later renamed Port Melbourne), it was reported that 'the Sandridge team were accompanied by a great many supporters, the greater portion of them belonging to that objectionable class termed larrikins who encroached upon the playing ground thereby greatly impeding the game. The Villagers kicked 16 goals during the previous season, and the decrease in performance was put down to the retirement of several of the Club's better players, including Tommy Beeching (1875-77) and R. Murray (1871-76),and the superiority of competing senior clubs such as Carlton and Melbourne. Williamstown finished fourth on the list of 'leading junior clubs' at the end of 1875, winning 5 games out of the 9 played, with 3 draws and just the one loss, in the best result in the Club's brief history. James Arthur Thompson, a native of London, arrived in Williamstown in 1864 and immediately engaged in local sports activities, mainly cricket and Australian Rules football. All copies of the 1859 rules were thought to be lost, presumably destroyed, until a copy was discovered in a tin trunk at the MCG in 1980. The playing on both sides was very spirited, and, even though the Williamstonians exerted themselves most manfully, they were unable to get a goal, the superior playing of the East Melbourne team getting them two goals'. Games were played against senior teams South Melbourne at Albert Park on May 3, losing 2.24 to 0.1, at St Kilda on June 7, losing 3 goals to nil, and at the MCG on July 26, losing to Melbourne, 4.32 to 0.2. J. In 1873, 9 games were played for one win, 5 draws and 3 losses while 3 goals were scored against 8 by the opposition. It has been argued by some that an indigenous form of football called marn-grook influenced Tom Wills, who incorporated its elements into the 'Melbourne' rules. I am informed that a deputation from the local football club waited on Mr. Withers, the lessee, asking for the use of the ground to play a match on, which request was refused.' For more information . It was reported in the Australasian on August 2 that 'Melbourne scored four goals against juniors Williamstown on July 26 but should have had many more . but the Williamstown goal umpire, due to some ocular defect, reduced the number of goals awarded as compared with those kicked to about half'. Brunswick and West Melbourne were also on the field by 1865, whereas Geelong almost disbanded in this year due to lack of interest and numbers. St Kilda amalgamated with University in late June of 1875 when it became unable to field a team. A letter to the editor of the Williamstown Chronicle in the edition dated August 12, 1871 (refer above), stated that 'some years ago a site was granted to the borough council of Williamstown for market purposes, but instead . it was let to some private person for grazing their cattle and horses on. By the end of the 1870's, the Victorian code of rules controlled almost all football matches in Victoria and was exported to other colonies, with compromises and amendments along the way. June 19, with Trott the only multiple goalkicker. A notable change to the game occurred in 1879 when behinds were registered for the first time although they still weren't counted in the result and the winner was still the side that kicked the most goals. The Second Twenty were more successful, winning 5 of their 12 matches, losing 3 with 4 draws. St Kilda amalgamated with University in late June of 1875 when it became unable to field a team. He was also elected to the committee of the Melbourne Cricket Club in 1871 and was vice-president from 1892 until his death in 1929 at the age of 92. Pages in category "Williamstown Football Club players" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 304 total. North Melbourne Kangaroos Past Players Lidge's Lounge. Another brother, Jack, played in 1880. The Australasian newspaper, when reviewing the senior and more important junior clubs at the end of the 1870 season, listed Williamstown amongst 'Other Clubs' and gratuitously added that the brief reference was 'just to show that the existence of the club was not entirely forgotten'. 1864 (merged with South Williamstown 1888) Colours Royal blue and yellow. Registration- admin@williamstownfc.com.au Sponsorship opportunities available w/prominent branding on course. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The 2023 Carlton Football Club season will be the Carlton Football Club's 160th season of competition.. This club is a great organisation like many football clubs it has a great reservoir of committed people who are here only to see the club succeed. Andrew Rider, a photographer, stationer and newsagent located at 55 (now 177) Nelson Place, Williamstown, from 1863-96 took this portrait which is described on the State Library of Victoria website as being of 'twoWilliamstownfootballers, whole-length, almost full face, man on right chin curtain beard and moustache, both in blue and white uniforms of long sleeved pullovers, pants with striped socks and caps, both standing, man on right with hands on hips, image dated 1879'. It was the club's seventh VFA premiership, and the last won by its senior team. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. One of the new 'junior' clubs that emerged was Cecil, which would soon become South Melbourne and would go on to win five VFA premierships, an effort only surpassed by Geelong during the pre-VFL era. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. An important change was made in the rules just before the 1869 season began. Williamstown's last encounter for the season was on September 23 at Fawkner Park against a combined Southern and Wesley team 'which resulted in a decided victory for the united clubs', according to The Age of September 25. Another son, Alby snr, played for Footscray in both the VFA and VFL, while his son (Charlie's grandson), Alby jnr, played in Williamstown's 1955 and 1956 premiership sides. Fitzroy Football Club Fantasy Leagues. It was reported in the Williamstown Chronicle of April 20, 1878, following the annual meeting in respect of the 1877 season, held at the Mechanics Institute on April 17, that'on a great many occasions not more than 10 of the team chosen put in an appearance, the average for the season being about 15 per match'. The result is that a boy crossing the paddock on Sunday last got a kick from one of the horses and, is now . in a very precarious state. The only major success that Williamstown experienced in these formative years was in 1876 when it competed with other 'junior clubs' for the Junior Challenge Cup. Rees was leading goalkicker in 1878 (3 goals) and equal leading goalscorer with Jimmy MacKrell in 1883 with 8 majors. ** The award was then known as The VFA Medal. The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 304 total. Williamstown Football Club won a premiership in each decade of the 1900's except the second 1907, 1921, 1939, 1945, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1969 (Second Division), 1976 (Second Division), 1986 and 1990, followed by two more in 2003 and 2015. B&F winner 1963, Member of the Seagulls' 1960's Team of the Decade.