Bankers Football Club

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Bankers
Names
Full nameBankers Football Club
1877 season
Club details
Founded28 March 1877
Dissolved15 September 1877 [1]
ColoursWhite
CompetitionSAFA 1877

The Bankers Football Club was an Australian rules football club, formed on 28 March 1877 in Adelaide from a meeting of about 50 officers of the Banks of Adelaide, that played in the inaugural 1877 SAFA season. [2]

The club lost every one of the its' programmed 15 matches, finishing 8th and collecting the SAFA first wooden spoon, scoring just 4 goals and conceding 36; six of these losses were on forfeit as the club struggled to field a full team later in the season.[3]

History[edit]

A meeting of the members of the Club was held on the 13th April 1877. The following officers were elected for the coming season: — Mr. H. F. J. Bloudel, Secretary and Treasurer; and Messrs. A. Crooks, H. Edwards, R. P. Poole, W. Cornish, and S. Dyke Committeemen.[4]

Members of Bankers were invited to join the Adelaide Club for scratch match on 28 April prior to the start of the season.[citation needed]

The club's first official match was on Saturday 12 May 1877 vs Adelaide on the Adelaide Oval. Messr Colton as Captain. Their only goal was kicked by Lindsay in a 1-4 defeat.[5] The match was advertised for the week before on Saturday 5 May for a 2.30pm start but was postponed due to the weather. Bankers were to wear White jerseys.[citation needed]

Tragedy struck the Club when one of its players C.B.(Charles) Poole died on 5 June after suffering an injury in the club's second game against South Park on 19 May. There was ensuring debate as a consequent about the rule of when a player was collared with the ball. [6]

Its last recorded game was on Saturday, 28 July 1877 vs South Park. Mr Crooks as Captain in a 0-3 goals defeat.[7]

It was reported that the Banker's forfeited their game on 11 August 1877 vs Port Adelaide at Montefiore Hill. Port had a full team on the field when the Banker's Captain Mr Cotton informed them that his team would not be present.[8]

It was seen by fans, the media and other teams as being equal to a social club at the elite level: at the end of the 1877 season, ‘Marlborough’, writing in The Advertiser, implicitly echoed these sentiments regarding the Bankers club, and expressed the hope "that no efforts will be made to establish it next season".

The writer got his wish, as the Bankers dropped out of the SAFA and disbanded never to be seen again.[9]

Social and Charity Matches[edit]

Despite the Bankers senior team folding in the SAFA in 1877 social and charity matches were arranged from time to time.

1879 - Wednesday 21st May. A football match between Bankers and Civil Servants took place on the North Park Lands. The weather was fine, but the attendance at the beginning of the match was very meagre. It, however, increased as the afternoon went on. C. Hughes captained the Civil Servants, and A. Crooks the Bankers. The latter was distinguished by a white band around the arm. Civil Servants scored the only goal. [10]

1888 - Tue 11th August - Bankers 4 goals defeated Brokers 3 goals on Adelaide Oval. Both teams comprised several of the leading players in the colony, but the game was rather slow. The proceeds are to be devoted to the funds of the Children's Hospital.[11]

1890 - Thu 26th June - The annual football match between the bankers and brokers was played on the Adelaide Oval on Thursday afternoon, but only a very small number of people were present. The spectacle presented by the players was amusing, and it would be impossible to describe all the costume present, but amongst the numerous clubs represented were all the association teams, with a sprinkling of rowing and lacrosse colors. The game was at times very exciting, especially towards the close, when 39 out of the 40 were following. Final scores Bankers 4 goals 9 behinds Brokers 4 goals 1 behind. [12]

Notable Players[edit]

Alexander Crooks - Banker's Club Captain in 1877, who lived in North Adelaide and was Captain of the Kensington Cricket Club since 1873/1874, joined the Kensington Football Club in 1878 and became their captain [13][14][15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197704067
  2. ^ "Latest News". Evening Journal. 29 March 1877.
  3. ^ "03 Oct 1877 - FOOTBALL. THE SEASON OF 1877". nla.gov.au. 3 October 1877.
  4. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197699608
  5. ^ "Football". South Australian Register. 14 May 1877.
  6. ^ "The Late Football Accident". Adelaide Observer. 16 June 1877.
  7. ^ "Football". South Australian Advertiser. 31 July 1877.
  8. ^ "South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) - 14 Aug 1877 - p7".
  9. ^ "Bankers Football Club (SANFL), 1877".
  10. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204440655
  11. ^ "Football". South Australian Advertiser. 12 September 1888.
  12. ^ "Football". Advertiser. 27 June 1890.
  13. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/159442636
  14. ^ https://adelaideaz.com/articles/alexander-crooks--who--caught-w-g--grace---caught-in-collapse--of-commercial-bank-
  15. ^ https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/crooks-alexander-12870


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