Key Events:
June 9: The Queensland Times' Town Talk section mentions a soccer club called Blackstone Rovers had formed.June 30: St Andrews 1 - 3 Bundanba
July 3: A meeting of the Anglo-Queensand Football Association discussed a proposed intercolonial match with NSW. The clubs represented included St Andrews, Thistles, Caledonians, Rangers, and one called Bundanbas.
July 14: Blackstone Rovers 2 - 2 Thistle - said to be Blackstone Rover's first game against a Brisbane Team
July 28: Bundamba Unions 5 - 0 Blackstone Rovers (return match).
August 4: Bundanba Unions 2 - 4 St Andrews
August 4: Thistle 4 - 0 Blackstone Rovers
September 22: Thistle 2 - 2 Bundanba Unions (Final)
October 13: Thistle 5 - 1 Bundanba Unions (Final replay - also see this match report)
Known Unknowns:
The match on the 28th of July was noted as the return match between Bundamba Unions and Blackstone Rovers. The date of the first match is unknown but finished 3 - 1 to Blackstone Rovers.
Uncertains:
Reg Erskine quotes Tom 'Old Sport' Barker claiming this was the year Bush Rats were formed (or more specifically, 24 years before the Barker's 1912 article was published). This has been disputed, with other evidence putting the date at 1887 (claimed by Barker as part of the dispute), 1889 or more usually 1890.
Key Clubs:
Blackstone Rovers - redPlayers included : Ward (gk - the same one?), F. W. Wort aka F. Williams, Gardiner, Griffith, and Dollan, E. Williams, P. Williams, J. Jones, Evans, A. Jones, Tapps, Taylor
Bundanba Unions (only season, possibly) - black and white
Players included: Archie Waugh, J. Lovell, T. McMurtrie, Ward, and Boyd, McMurdy (gk)
Final's squad v Thistle - Ward (gk - the same as Blackstone?); A. Waugh and J. Lindsay (backs) ; Graham, Boyd, and Noble (half-backs); Robinson, Noble, McMurtrie, Dobbie, and Lovell, (forwards).
Notable People:
Frederick William Wort aka Fred Williams - Blackstone founder and captain
Archie Waugh - Bundanba captain
Evan Williams - Blackstone Rovers player (and later source of information about the period)Archie Waugh - Bundanba captain
Historical Notes:
After a season's silence, two clubs from the Ipswich region contested the Brisbane competition.
Blackstone Rovers formed after the arrival of drill sergeant F. W. Wort late the previous year. It was later remembered by Evan Williams that the squad was made up of members of the Volunteers - the military force Wort trained. This means Blackstone Rovers was originally a military team, though it can be perhaps assumed many of the Volunteers were also miners, allowing the club a player base for many decades.
Further west comes a question - was Bundanba Unions really a new club, or a continuation of Rovers? Could a name change have been simply forced due to the advent of Blackstone Rovers? The first mention of the club in 1888 is as simply Bundanba.
It is intriguing to note the Queenslander of September 15 called this club Bundanba Rovers. Was this habitual from two years previous, or reflecting the true nature of the club as a continuation.
A look at the Unions team shows an overlap with the 1886 Bundanba Rovers. James Glasgow may have gone, but Archie Waugh remained captain, with Gordon, J. Lindsay and Dobbie all playing.
Also appearing for Bundanba was T. McMurtrie, who came from Brisbane side Rangers.
It was reported on Saturday August 11, in the Queensland Figaro and Punch, that Blackstone Rovers had 40 members, while Bundanba Unions had about 15. This may explain the relative survival or otherwise of the clubs over the next few years.
For Blackstone Rovers, 1888 was the start of a long existence, give or take the odd year without senior team. Rovers finally merged with Bundamba Rangers in 1964 to form Coalstars.
Back in 1888, Bundamba Rangers was still at least 6 years into the future. In contrast, Bundanba Unions were not long for this world.
There is evidence of a club existing in Bundamba in 1889, or at least the rump of one, which will be mentioned in the next post.
Otherwise senior football in Bundamba goes quiet until members of Blackstone Rovers created Call Backs in 1892.
But this was part of a larger trend. Over the next two years soccer is barely heard from in the Ipswich media. Is it a case of lack of football or an uncaring press?
(Or, as Peter Eady reminded me, a lack of club correspondents reporting games to the press.)
Blackstone Rovers formed after the arrival of drill sergeant F. W. Wort late the previous year. It was later remembered by Evan Williams that the squad was made up of members of the Volunteers - the military force Wort trained. This means Blackstone Rovers was originally a military team, though it can be perhaps assumed many of the Volunteers were also miners, allowing the club a player base for many decades.
Further west comes a question - was Bundanba Unions really a new club, or a continuation of Rovers? Could a name change have been simply forced due to the advent of Blackstone Rovers? The first mention of the club in 1888 is as simply Bundanba.
It is intriguing to note the Queenslander of September 15 called this club Bundanba Rovers. Was this habitual from two years previous, or reflecting the true nature of the club as a continuation.
A look at the Unions team shows an overlap with the 1886 Bundanba Rovers. James Glasgow may have gone, but Archie Waugh remained captain, with Gordon, J. Lindsay and Dobbie all playing.
Also appearing for Bundanba was T. McMurtrie, who came from Brisbane side Rangers.
It was reported on Saturday August 11, in the Queensland Figaro and Punch, that Blackstone Rovers had 40 members, while Bundanba Unions had about 15. This may explain the relative survival or otherwise of the clubs over the next few years.
For Blackstone Rovers, 1888 was the start of a long existence, give or take the odd year without senior team. Rovers finally merged with Bundamba Rangers in 1964 to form Coalstars.
Back in 1888, Bundamba Rangers was still at least 6 years into the future. In contrast, Bundanba Unions were not long for this world.
There is evidence of a club existing in Bundamba in 1889, or at least the rump of one, which will be mentioned in the next post.
Otherwise senior football in Bundamba goes quiet until members of Blackstone Rovers created Call Backs in 1892.
But this was part of a larger trend. Over the next two years soccer is barely heard from in the Ipswich media. Is it a case of lack of football or an uncaring press?
(Or, as Peter Eady reminded me, a lack of club correspondents reporting games to the press.)
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