Football in Gawler from 1869
| Type of organisation: | Sporting
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GAWLER FOOTBALL FROM THE GET GO
By Robert Laidlaw
Current Gawler football clubs, Central, South and Willaston have been around a long time, with the first local competition formed in 1889, with these three clubs the foundation of the league, then known as the Gawler Junior Football Association.
The local association continued through until amalgamating with the Barossa and Light Football Association, to form the current BL&GFA in 1987.
Football in Gawler pre-dates the Gawler league's beginnings in 1889, and in fact, it was because a Gawler team, in the then South Australian Football Association, needed to develop players that the local league was formed.
But when was football first played in Gawler? From early newspaper reports, including the Bunyip, a match was played in the Gawler parklands at 2pm on Saturday, May 29, 1869 between teams representing Gawler and Adelaide.
The previous year an advert in The Bunyip on June 1868 announced: “Any person desirous of joining the Gawler Football Club can do so by attending the next meeting, which will take place at the Commercial Hotel, on Wednesday evening, July 1st, at 8 o’clock precisely.”
On Saturday, August 1, 1869, a game was played between picked teams on the local Recreational grounds, while club members would meet for moonlight practice from 7.30pm mid-week.
As would become the norm for the period, the football club organised athletic sports, which included sprints, hurdle races, high jump, long jump, Hop, Step, and Jump, cricket throws and football kicking, starting from 1868.
And before that first game against Adelaide in 1869, a football match was played three weeks earlier between two teams divided from club members, with Messrs. Bright and Semple the captains, with both teams scoring one goal.
That first ‘official’ game of football in Gawler against Adelaide was played on the Park Lands, with 15 men per side. A great deal of merriment was created among the spectators in the course of the afternoon by the many amusing spills and trips that took place. The Gawler brass band enlivened the sports with music.
In August, 1869, there was a football match between the boys of the two Gawler schools, and the senior Gawler (in pink) team played Kapunda (in blue), under captain Sandland, with the visitors winning with two of the three goals kicked.
Football matches continued on an ad hoc basis over the next few years, including games against Kapunda, with the next senior match against a city team, Kensington, on June 22, 1874 in the Gawler Park Lands. The visitors wore scarlet and the home side white and magenta.
There was “… immense amusement supplied to the throng of spectators by the droll and eccentric falls and tumbling of the players, owing to the moist and slippery state of the turf, there being scarcely a minute during the play in which some singular capsize, roll over, or prostration of an unlucky energetic player did not create ‘roars of laughter’.”
Three games were played rather than three periods, with Kensington kicking the only goal of the first match, Gawler the only one in the second and neither side managed a goal in the third and deciding contest. Mr. R. Harris was the local captain, and G. Reade booted the Gawler goal.
On Thursday, August 6, 1874, Gawler met Port Adelaide at the Recreation ground, with the Gawler team wearing a blue jacket with magenta and a white cap. The locals won two goals to nil.
There were two games played against Kapunda in 1875, with 17 men on each side. The first match in Gawler played in May was won by the locals, with the only three goals, while in June at Kapunda, the Light men scored the only goal. A junior match for boys under 16 was also played, with both sides scoring two goals.
Later in June Gawler played Woodville at Woodville and lost four goals to nil. The Woodville team immediately afterwards played against the spectators, 16 men to 30, which resulted in a scoreless draw. Then on August 7, 1875, in the return match in Gawler, the locals beat Woodville with the only two goals.
The formation of the South Australia Football Association changed the ad hoc nature of games with a set program of matches, and at the first meeting two Gawler delegates were in attendance but declined the opportunity to enter the competition.
Through the 1877 season Gawler played several of the SAFA teams, including a draw with Woodville in May and another draw with Adelaide in June, where local lad James Fitzgerald kicked his team’s only goal, and was said to be a young man with a bright future.
In 1878 a new team joined the SAFA, Norwood, which would win six consecutive premierships, and in May visited Gawler and beat the locals. Gawler also played Kapunda.
Then Gawler’s biggest year of came in 1879, as the locals played and lost to Adelaide and Kensington, while scoring two victories over Kapunda, as well as numerous other ‘junior’ games.
Other local clubs were being formed in the area through the early 1880s, including Gawler Athenians, Junior Havelocks and a strong Gawler Albions team, which would be the major football side in town, and was captained by Jas Fitzgerald.
Albions donned the red and blue colours and in their first season of 1880 tied all four games they played – two against Salisbury and two against Kent Town.
From 1881-86 Albions dominated football in the area and won most of their games, including against North Adelaide Hotham, Kent Town, Salisbury, Riverton, Angaston, West Torrens, Woodville, Roseworthy College and Port Adelaide – where Charles Bischof kicked all three of Gawler’s goals.
In 1884 Melbourne footballers visited Gawler and went to the Ostrich Farm, Recreation Ground, Old Spot Hotel and James Martin’s factory but did not play a game here, while the following year, the Victoria Hothams beat the Albions (23) 4.12 to 1.5. Best for Gawler were Charlie Bischof, Jas Fitzgerald and J. Harker.
There was also an Albions seconds team, which also tasted a lot of success, and from 1886 to 1888, teams representing Gawler South, Willaston and Church Hill played regularly.
Early in 1886 there was talk of Gawler Albions entering a team in SAFA and the following season it became a reality, wearing orange and black stripes under captain Jas Fitzgerald – James Martin was club president.
Port Adelaide at Alberton was the first opponent for the Albions to kick off the 1887 SAFA season, which resulted in a comprehensive nine goals to none loss. Of 11 games, Gawler won one and drew one (both against West Adelaide) with nine losses.
For the 1888 season ‘Albions’ was dropped from the name, as the team won just two games, both against Medindie, with James Thomson winning a medal as the side’s best player for the season. Nine of the games were played in Gawler, with one at Alberton and one at Adelaide Oval – which was a close victory against Medindie.
With so many games played at Gawler, many complaints were received from opposition teams about the bicycle track around the oval and the telegraph pole within the playing field – both were ‘fixed’ before the following year.
There was a need to nurture young players in Gawler to support the SAFA team, so for the 1889 season the Gawler Junior Football Association was formed, with three clubs, Gawler South, Willaston and from the ashes of the Albions’ seconds, Gawler Central.
No doubt because of the formation of the local competition, Gawler had its best season in the SAFA, winning four of 11 games, which included the final three matches of the season, after a Roseworthy College student, Joe Darling joined the team and made an impact. Thomson again won best player honours.
The Gawler Junior Football Association was well led with three experienced captains: Central by Robert Barnet, South by Jas Fitzgerald and Willaston by J.H. Harker. Each team played the other four times, with Willaston winning the competition’s inaugural premiership.
Whereas 1889 was a success for the Gawler team in SAFA, 1890 was its worst and ended with Gawler pulling out at the end of the season. From 14 games there were no wins and two draws.
It seemed everything was against Gawler in 1890. The first game against Port at Alberton was forfeited, as notification of the program wasn’t received in time for arrangements to be made. Some of the better players were approached by other clubs and in one instance whisked away to another ground.
Another forfeit when Gawler was expected to play three games in seven days, all in Adelaide. The Gawler ground was deemed unsuitable for play when due to play Norwood and the game was forfeited, and when Gawler was due to play Adelaide at Alberton on August 30, the Adelaide’s forfeited but the SAFA decided to make it a no game.
Then in the final match of the season against Medindie, at Gawler, after torrential rain saw players abandon the game through the second quarter, but after the weather cleared Medindie refused to re-enter the field of play and claimed a draw.
And so ended Gawler’ four seasons in South Australia’s top league, although several local players had success at other clubs through the 1890s, especially with Norwood.
Arguably Gawler’s best players over the four seasons was James Jack Thomson, who went to Norwood and played from 1891-96, including in the 1891 and 1894 premiership teams, and in 1892 represented South Australia.
Two other prominent Gawler players were in Norwood premiership teams, Charles Bischof (1891) and Joe Darling (1894). Darling also was Australia’s Test Cricket captain from 1899-1905.
GAWLER FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION[1] .
( excerpt from History of Gawler 1837—1908 by EH Coombe)
It was not till about 1870 that football could claim an organised club in Gawler, and Mr. S. B. Rudall was the first Secretary. In the eighties the. Albion club flourished.
The Gawler Football Association was formed in 1889, and comprised the Willaston, Central, and South Gawler Clubs. In the early nineties the Association belonged to the S.A. Football Association, and matches were played regularly on the Adelaide and Gawler Ovals, The Gawler teams withdrew in 1894, and since then inter-club matches, with occasional games against visiting teams, have been the programme. In 1899 there were strained relations between the clubs owing to a dispute, and the Association was disbanded and reformed in March, 1900.
The Association (1908) now has four teams—the Souths, Centrals, Willaston, and Agricultural College. The officers are:—Patron, Mr. H. W. Bennett, President, Mr. R. K. Thomson , Vice-Presidents, Mr. Wm. Dawkins (Mayor), Messrs. A. Smith, A. Gibson, T. Frayne, H. B. Crosby, G. Lines, Commissioner, Mr. Gee. Bright, Hon. Secretary, Mr. P. W. Coxell, Treasurer, Mr. E. Gwynn. The College players were the premiers for 1907.
This Association has continued up to the 1980’s The President of the Association at that time was Mr. W. H. Cox, J.P. Willaston delegates. Messrs. T. Coombe, A. Harris, and P. Carmody mid. Secretary (Mr. W. A. James). The 1908 officers of the Willaston Football club were Patron, Mr. E. H. Coombe. M.P. ; President. Mr. E. Gwynne. Delegates. Messrs. E. Gwynne, E. A. Gwynne, and F. V. Parker ; Hon. Secretary, Mr. F. V. Parker ; Assistant Secretary, Mr. E. A. Gwynne.
See also this Bunyip article (1 Aug 1947) on "Gawler's Early Football".
Please click here to see photos of multiple football clubs.
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- [[James Jack Thomson Career 1891 to 1896 Premierships 1891 and 1894 South Australian games 1 Jimmy Thomson was the first Gawler player to appear in intercolonial football and was a member of two Norwood premiership teams. A talented allround sportsman he showed great early promise as a follower in three seasons with Gawler when it was a member of the SA Football Association and was vice-captain in 1888. With Gawler's withdrawal from the competition he moved to Norwood in 1891 and was named second-best player in the two-goal win over Port Adelaide to clinch the premiership In 1892 he shaped remarkably in all departments and kicked four goals. In 1893 he was a half-back flanker in the SA team which lost to Victoria at Adelaide Oval and finished the season at centre half¬back for Norwood In 1894 he missed another chance to represent SA when Norwood players pulled out of the team because the SAFA would not provide a first-class carriage for their rail trip to Melbourne Instead Jimmy and his mates - the Daly brothers Percy Stuart Os Bertram Alby Green Alf Grayson and co -played in the SAFA team which beat Yorke Peninsula 5.1 to 4.5 at Adelaide Oval. In the premiership decider that year Jimmy took a brilliant saving mark early and was in the best players as Norwood sealed victory over South Adelaide with a desperate late goal from 'Bos' Daly.Jimmy played at centre in 1895 and 1896. The Adelaide Observer reported his form near the end "fell off very much" and it was surprising to see how the famous Jimmy Thomson was put in the shade by the Port representative Ken McKenzie Meanwhile Jimmy's youngest brother Alec was on the rise as a follower in the same Norwood team. During some lively banter in 1935 mention was made of another Gawler footballer James 'Sorry' Tierney West Adelaide Magarey Medallist in 1908 prompting Jimmy to say: "They didn't have a Magarey Medal in my time; if they had I might have got one." Years before he added "young Tierney" had expressed himself: "If I can play as well as Jimmy Thomson I won't care."Jimmy married Isobel Bews in 1899 and joined the Eagle Foundry a family business founded at Gawler by his remarkable father David who campaigned for the eight-hour day as a young Scottish immigrant and was a union member for 65 years even as an employer. Jimmy was the last of four brothers to run the business. He died at 77 on 15 November 1944 just after the return of the foundry's gilded eagle emblem which high-spirited airmen had taken to New Guinea early in World War II. It was presented to the people of Gawler by members of 86 Squadron RAAF in memory of local flier PO Ivor Hatcher KIA in 1943. When Jimmy's brother Robert King Thomson died at 81 in 1939 it was reported he too had played for Norwood]]
References
Memories of Football in Gawler from 1869
Rememberer::Peter Whimpress (author) remembers: A Large obituary for David Thomson senior appeared on page 1 of the supplement to the Bunyip on Friday June 30 1903. J.J. Thomson of the Eagle Foundry was a director of the Gawler Motor Car Manufacturers and Engineers Limited (Bunyip Friday10 July 1936)
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