WEST WALLSEND BLUEBELLS FOOTBALL CLUB

 

 

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BRIEF HISTORY OF WEST WALLSEND SENIOR FOOTBALL CLUB

 

West Wallsend Senior Football Club was formed in May 1891 by mainly Scottish coalminers who had settled in the area to find work in the newly opened mines of the district. That year they participated in a six-team badge series.  

 

The first competitive game occurred on the 30th April 1892 at Johnston Park before a crowd of 1200 against Adamstown Rosebuds. The result was a 2-2 draw and the match was celebrated with a banquet at Johnston ’s Hotel (now The Museum Hotel).

 

The club picked up its first silverware in 1897 as it defeated Wallsend Rovers 1-0 in the final of the Denton Cup. This was also the year the club first became known as the Bluebell’s. This victory was the start of the clubs golden period as they picked up thirty-three trophies in the next thirty years. Silverware included Six Gardiner Cup’s from ten final appearances, which was the Roll’s Royce competition of the day open to all teams in NSW. It was during this time that Johnston Park picked up the nickname ‘Wembley’ as star players of the day Coutts, Maunder, Sneddon, Muir, Smith, McLaughlin, James and Coates dazzled with their football skills for both West Wallsend, New South Wales and Australia .

 

After winning the State Cup against Woonona Bulli in 1931 with a young Jack 'Bully' Hughes the trophies became a little harder to earn. Another State Cup was won in 1945 by defeating Metters in the final, the following season a Northern premiership was won, but they lost the play-off with the Southern premiers, Leichhardt, for the state championship. In 1950’s, spearheaded by players such as Bone, Robinson, Sneddon, Baldwin, Underwood and Bowie the club appeared in seven finals but only tasted success on two occasions including a Sundale Cup 1954 and the Daniel Cup in 1957. They lost the 1952 State Cup Final to Wallsend, the Final of the state play-offs against Corrimal in 1955, a Northern Grand Final in 1959, again to Wallsend, and two out of three Daniel Cup finals.

 

The decline of soccer in Newcastle after the splitting of New South Wales into two federations corresponded with a decline in fortunes for the Bluebells. The club had three lean decades with the only highlight being runner up to Wallsend on goal difference in 1963 in the Northern Premiership, and losing that seasons Northern Grand Final to Awaba in a replay with Parkes, Cooper, Wilson, Coutts, Green, Grant, Ahrens, Atkinson and Kaiser starring that season.

 

The 1980’s, however, seen the Bluebell’s go through a resurgent period. Between 1980 and 1996 the club missed the semi-finals only twice in seventeen years. During this period the club appeared in six Northern grand finals, claiming three Northern Grand Final victories, 1985, 1988 and 1992, and one Northern premiership in 1986. The club was spearheaded through this era by players such as Grills, Wilson , Green, Baldwin , Bullock, Endicott, Shipley, Sidebottom, Bremner, Cameron, Dempsey, Beagan, Russell, Atkinson, Gillogly, Allen and Wallace.  

 

Despite this incredible record the club was relegated to the second division in 1997 for not meeting the federation criteria for facilities. Despite the large loss of players the club rebuilt and after successive second division premierships in 1999 and 2000, and a second division Grand Final in 2000, was promoted back to the Northern League for the 2001 season. Unfortunately, the club was relegated again after finishing last that season winning only two of eighteen games.

 

After relegation at the end of the 2001 season the club has been victorious in the Second Division Grand Final in 2003 and in 2007 the club won promotion back to the Northern League after securing the Second Division minor premiership and also winning the Second Division Grand Final.  

 

Since promotion in 2008 the club has consolidated its position in the NBN State League and last season went within 4 points of qualifying for the semi-finals.

 

The club has always struggled to compete financially with the higher profile clubs in the region, but team spirit and camaraderie has always made the Bluebell’s hard to beat.

 

Welcome to season 2010 and the next chapter in the clubs great history.

(Information supplied by Ernie Craig and Harry Hethrington)

 

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Life Members

Jack Cummings                    

Bill Sneddon

Ted Newton                        

Dave Turnball

Ernie Craig                          

Jack Shields

Errol Duck                           

David Ahrens

Tom Morris                         

Alec Hodge

Harold Blanch                      

Dave McColl

Ted Brown                          

Hughie Whitelaw

Jack Lewis                          

Arthur Wilson

Kevin Cox                           

Pam Shipley                        

Warren Shipley                    

Ted Rowe                           

Robyn Rowe                         

Dave Gardiner                      

David Wilson                       

Geoff Rowe

Cameron Wallace  

John Bullock

Gary Baldwin

 

Australian Representatives

Jack Coutts

Dave Bone

Les Brown

Clarrie Coutts

Frank Coolahan

William Coolahan

Jack Foster

Kieth Grant

Frank Hays

Jock Hodge

Charlie James

Kevin Lake

Henry Maunder

William Maunder (Scorer of Australia’s first ever goal in a full international against New Zealand in 1922)

Di McLauchlan

Harry Muir

Richard Sneddon

William Smith

Harold Whitelaw

Warren Shipley (Youth)

John Russell (U/16’s)

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