Hard Yards: Story of the Newcastle Knights Rugby League team

I see from a story in the Newcastle Herald that a full history of the Newcastle Knights Rugby League team has been released

I have a soft spot for the Knights having been following them since their   first entry to the competition in 1988.

It's been a sometimes turbulent time with some highs and a fair few lows that in some ways reflects the history of Newcastle itself.

Written by award-winning Newcastle Herald journalist Robert Dillon, Hard Yards: The Story of the Newcastle Knights tells  the complete history of the much loved team. It covers every player, every game, every triumph, every loss and every controversy.

How to purchase

Books can be ordered now for $39.95* (plus postage and handling) through the Newcastle Herald online shop by clicking here.

You can also buy the book from the front office of the Newcastle Herald at 28 Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle; Maitland Mercury, Level 1, Suite 2/12 Elgin Street, Maitland; The Advertiser, 155 Vincent Street, Cessnock; Singleton Argus, 6-8 Campbell Street, Singleton; and Muswellbrook Chronicle, 1-2/6 Commercial Centre Market Lane, Muswellbrook.

Available too at nextra Group Newsagencies: Westfield Kotara, Cessnock, Warners Bay Plaza, Stockland Glendale, Marketown, Raymond Terrace, Mount Hutton, Mayfield and Hamilton.

$1 from each book sold will be donated to the Mark Hughes Foundation.

Australia's largest under 12 rugby competition about to kick off in Armidale

The next TAS (The Armidale School) Rugby Union Carnival, will be held on Saturday 8, Sunday 9 April. Now in its thirteenth year, the carnival has developed into Australia's largest under 12s rugby carnival.

The Armidale Express reports that this year there will be over 900 players from 45 school and club teams grouped into five divisions based on teams of similar ability. Over the two days, 110 games of rugby will be played on eight school ovals, proudly prepared by TAS grounds staff over recent weeks.

While carnival attracts teams from a very wide area including the metros, it especially important for country teams such as the Moree Junior Bulls who have participated in every carnival since its inception.

According to Moree Junior Bulls coordinator Cath Keen, the team loves heading to Armidale to take part in the massive competition.

“It is competition from bigger regional centres, they’re playing against kids from all over New South Wales and parts of Queensland,” she said. “It’s more competition and it’s great for them to see how other kids play and what the standards are.” 

There has been a lot of media coverage about the problems that smaller communities have faced in maintaining sporting competition in all codes because of diminishing numbers of young people. There has been less coverage of the problems that good country athletes face at both school and club level in accessing good coaching and proper competition.

At school level, the problem is compounded by the growing gap in pupil numbers between country and city schools. It is very hard, for example, in rugby union to compete against a city school which may have 2,000 boys if you only have 300 or even 600. The problem is further compounded by the growing professionalisation in school sport. Mind you, its not just a problem for country schools. The smaller city schools struggle as well, as evidenced by the problems over recent years in the NSW GPS (Greater Public Schools) rugby competition. .

I think TAS deserves commendation for the way that has been prepared to make its grounds and staff available to support not just regional sporting activities, but also academic and cultural activities.      .

Newcastle wins both age groups in the 2015 Northern NSW State Football championships

The Telstra Northern NSW State Championships for Boys kicked off at 8:30am on Saturday 6 June at Coffs Habour.

Over 250 of Northern NSW’s best young male footballers converged on Coffs Harbour to participate in the Championships in both the 11 Years and 12 Years age divisions.

Each of the Northern News South Wales Football Federations Member Zones -  Football Far North Coast, Football Mid North Coast, Hunter Valley Football, Macquarie Football, Newcastle Football, North Coast Football and Northern Inland Football, as well as Emerging Jets 10 Years and 11 Years squads - contested the Championships.

In the end Newcastle Football claimed the title of State Champions in both the 11 and 12 Years divisions following the final day of the State Championships. The photo shows the boys celebrating.

The 11 Years side cemented their place on top of the table following a 7-0 victory over Northern Inland in the second last match of the day.

It was a different story for the 12 Years squad however, as a 0-0 draw with North Coast left the side relying on other fixtures to finish the weekend in 1st place.  Macquarie Football came second in both age groups. 

Full results can be found here.

The history of sport in New England

My latest History Revisited column is on surfing: History revisited – how an era began. That reminded me that I need to do something about pulling together the limited writing I have done on the history of sport in New England.

To this point, the posts are:

• 19 August 2011  A visit to a Cessnock boxing tent
• 13 October 2011 The importance of tennis
• 30 October 2011 Grafton to Inverell cycling classic turns 51
• 10 July 2013 History Revisited - our love affair with racing
• 21 August 2013  History revisited - rhyme and reason for bicycle mania
• 4 September 2013 History revisited - punching sky high for big dreams in region – boxing
• 3 October 2013 History revisited - New England rode high in rodeo past
• 30 April 2014 History revisited – how an era began surfing
• 28 May 2014 History revisited – remnants of a past era – side saddle

I will try to add to this post as I go along.

National Indigenous U16 side sweeps division 2 in national championships

A month back, I reported that Northern Queensland had beaten Northern NSW in the National Indigenous Under 16s national titles. The 23 strong National Indigenous Under 16 squad selected following the titles included nine from the Northern NSW team.

The national U16 titles were played at St Ignatius College, Sydney, from Sunday 29 September until Friday 4 October. The National Indigenous team were playing in Division 2. The results can best be described as unbalanced:

• National Indigenous 115 v Tasmania 3
• National Indigenous 62 v Northern Territory 0
• National Indigenous 33 v South Australia 14

It would have been interesting to see how the National Indigenous side would have gone in Division One. It's actually very hard setting up balanced sporting competitions when you have such varying standards between areas and indeed over time. 

Three New England boys in national indigenous under 17 squad to tour France

On 26 September, the Australian Rugby Union announced the members of the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team’s National Indigenous Under 17s squad to tour France. They will play against Racing Metro, Cote d’Argent and Stade Toulousain.

They will also take in cultural experiences at significant First World War monuments including the Menin Gate Memorial, Perth Cemetery and the Passchendale and Somme battlefields.

The tour will include visits to the graves of Private Daniel Cooper and William Allan Irwin, who was the only Aboriginal solider to receive the Distinguished Conduct Medal in the First World War.

LMRDT executive director Tom Evans said the trip was an important mix of Rugby, culture and heritage.
“This trip is important for a number of reasons,” Evans said. “Not only do these kids get to experience international travel and international Rugby, but they get to visit some places in the world that are extremely significant historical sights. We’ll be visiting the graves of two Aboriginal soldiers while we’re there and the lessons the kids take from that will be just as important as the action on the Rugby field."
“The Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team is really big on combining Rugby Union and education and this trip is just another opportunity to develop these great kids we work with.”

The LMRDT Under-17 squad departs Sydney on Friday, 27 September and returns Wednesday, 10 October. Three of the 23 strong squad come from New England schools. They are:

• Damian Carriage-Watts, Macksville High School, Macksville
• Jase Long, Toorminah High School, Sawtell
• Callum Morris, The Armidale School, Armidale

Coffs Harbour hosts FFA National Boys Championship

The FFA National Youth Championships for Boys will get underway on Monday 30 September at Coffs Harbour International Stadium 

The tournament has been hosted by Northern NSW Football at the Coffs Harbour facility since 2006. It is one of many major tournaments hosted by NNSWF to be conducted at Coffs Harbour International stadium in 2013.

NNSWF held the Westfield National Youth Championships for Girls in July, as well as tournaments including the NNSWF State Championships for Boys (June), State Cup Finals Series (July) and most recently the NNSWF State Championships for Girls contested last weekend.

“Northern NSW Football is privileged to host the FFA National Youth Championships for Boys which sees Australia’s best young male talent come together to gauge their abilities against their counterparts from fellow States,” said NNSWF Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Eland.

“With a Technical Panel consisting of FFA Coaching Staff in attendance throughout the week, the Championships provide young players with the opportunity for identification for future Australian team camps,” Mr Eland concluded.

Over 400 of Australia’s best young male footballers in the Under 13s and Under 14s divisions will participate in the tournament, with 26 teams from around Australia contesting the two age divisions.

Each age division has two groups, seven teams in Group A and six teams in Group B.

Northern NSW Football will be represented by two sides in each age division – Country and Metropolitan. Northern NSW Country sides are made up of players from Northern NSW Football’s four Northern zones; Mid North Coast, North Coast, Far North Coast and Northern Inland, with Metropolitan players originating from the three Southern zones; Hunter Valley, Macquarie and Newcastle.

The Northern NSW Country Under 13 Boys will contest the Championships in Group B against Northern Territory, NSW Country, Queensland Country, Tasmania and Victoria Country.

The Northern NSW Country Under 14 Boys will compete in Group B against Football West Northern Territory, Queensland Country, Tasmania and Victoria Country.

The Northern NSW Metropolitan Under 13 Boys will contest the Championships in Group A against Capital Football, Football West, NSW Metropolitan, Queensland Metropolitan, South Australia and Victoria Metropolitan.

The Northern NSW Metropolitan Under 14 Boys will also compete in Group A against Capital Football, NSW Country, NSW Metropolitan, Queensland Metropolitan, South Australia and Victoria Metropolitan.

The Championships conclude on Friday 4th October. 

Full squad lists follow;

Under 13s Country
Coach: Vic Stokes
Assistant: Larry Budgen

First   Ethan  Jack  Ty  Ben  Macabe  Jarrah  Will  Tom  Sam  Hayden  Riley  Xavier  Oscar Noah  Harrison  Angus

Surname     Archer     Diebold     Dwyer     Gamlin     Grass     Hall-Hart     Menz     Pitman     Preston     Purkiss     Smith     Sproule     Stahl     Stokes     Taylor     Thurgate

Suburb       Suffolk Park     Tamworth     Lismore     Tamworth     Taree     Tyagarah     Werris Creek     Goonellabah     Mullumbimby     Boambee East     Port Macquarie     Toormina     Lismore     Corndale     Calala     Port Macquarie

Zone     Football Far North Coast     Northern Inland Football     Football Far North Coast     Northern Inland Football     Football Mid North Coast     Football Far North Coast     Northern Inland Football     Football Far North Coast     Football Far North Coast     North Coast Football     Football Mid North Coast     North Coast Football     Football Far North Coast     Football Far North Coast     Northern Inland Football     Football Mid North Coast

Under 14s Country 
Coach: Andy Lennon 
Assistant: Brian Linsley

First  Kossi Mitchell  Eli  Sam Patrick Harry Ryan Jesse Michael  Cody  Lucas Brodie  Kane Declan  Dominic Nick

Surname     Adjikou     Brewster     Cosic     Fulwood     Hamilton     James     Johnson     Kerfoot     Kita     McCann     Mepham     Patterson     Pollard     Salmon     Weaver     Wright

Suburb        Coffs Harbour     Bellingen     Stuarts Point     Tamworth     Wauchope     Kempsey     Port Macquarie     Kempsey     Coffs Harbour     Armidale     Taree     Tamworth     Port Macquarie     Glenreagh     East Ballina     Aldavilla

Zone     North Coast Football     North Coast Football     North Coast Football     Northern Inland Football     Football Mid North Coast     Football Mid North Coast     Football Mid North Coast     Football Mid North Coast     North Coast Football     Northern Inland Football     Football Mid North Coast     Northern Inland Football     Football Mid North Coast     North Coast Football     Football Far North Coast     Football Mid North Coast

Under 13s Metro 
Head Coach: Ryan Campbell

First  Zac   Thomas Thomas Joshua  Rex Zaell Kent  Lachlan Luke Jackson Joseph James Isaac Jay Kane Jeremy

Surname     Bailey     Beecham     Curran     Davis     Fernance     Ford     Harrison     Hill     McLachlan     McLeod     O'Connor     Patrick     Sefo     Sneddon     Treble     Wilson

Suburb     New Lambton     Kahibah     Eleebana     New Lambton     Bolton Point     Redhead     New Lambton     Eleebana     Eleebana      New Lambton       Tenambit     Highfields     Rankin Park     Edgeworth     Corlette     Cardiff

Zone     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets     Newcastle Football     Newcastle Football     Emerging Jets     Hunter Valley Football     Emerging Jets     Emerging Jets

Under 14s Metro
Head Coach: Wayne O'Sullivan

First Tom  Harrison  Joseph Adam  Joshua Jackson Emerson  Tyson  Pat  Samuel Matteo Finn  Campbell Jordan Jarryd Zac

Surname   Campbell   Crook    Delbridge   Duggan   Dwyer   Frendo   Gosling   Jackson    Langlois   Maxwell   Mazzantini   Parris   Ross   Salt   Sutherland   Thomas

Suburb   Armidale   Hamilton South   Lakelands   Rutherford   Cessnock   Eleebana   Rankin Park   Barnsley   The Junction   Balmoral   Cardiff South   Merewether   Marmong Point   Warners Bay   Rankin Park   Kilaben Bay

Zone   Emerging Jets   Emerging Jets   Macquarie Football   Emerging Jets   Hunter Valley Football   Emerging Jets   Newcastle Football   Emerging Jets   Newcastle Football   Emerging Jets   Macquarie Football   Emerging Jets   Emerging Jets   Emerging Jets   Emerging Jets   Macquarie Footb

Northern Queensland beats Northern NSW in the National Indigenous Under 16s national title

Northern Queensland has successfully defended its National Indigenous Under 16s national title after beating Northern South Wales on the Gold Coast.

An initiative of the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team (LMRDT), the two day Championship, held at Bond University, exposes athletes from across the country to Rugby and life skills.

Executive Officer of LMRDT, Tom Evans, said the two day Championship provided young Indigenous athletes with more than just a weekend of Rugby.

“Ultimately the Rugby objective is selection, but the off-field objective is to encourage these young men to stay in school and continue to become better individuals and community leaders.

“At all of the tournaments the Lloyd McDermott Team run, we try to ensure the Rugby is complemented by education.”

Northern Territory, Northern QLD, Southern QLD, Northern NSW, Southern NSW/ACT and Combined States were represented in the competition, with Northern Queensland defeating Northern New South Wales 38-19 to retain the title and Southern Queensland taking third place with a 38-24 win over Southern NSW/ ACT.

This tournament provided the platform for selection of players to represent the National Indigenous squad at the Australian Rugby Union National Under 16s Championships.

The ARU National Under 16s Championships is a National residential tournament for Under 16 players for National, State or Territory representative teams, conducted annually by the Australian Rugby Union and is another important element of the Player Pathway at National, Provincial, Regional and Affiliate level.

The 2013 ARU National Under 16s Championships will be held at St Ignatius College Riverview from Sunday 29 September until Friday 4 October. Nine of the 23 strong squad come from New England. They are:

• Cody Walker, Maclean High
• Kurtis Langdon, Hunter River High
• Liam Kelly-Wynn, Jetty High, Coffs harbour
• Dylan Chown, Farrer memorial High School
• Jakobi Robinson, St Mary's College
• Ngangarra Barker, Hunter River High
• Buddy Mumbulla, The Armidale School
• Jayden Harradine, The Armidale School
• Keiren Ford, Brewarrina Central School
• Luke Roberts, Maclean High

New England referee to officiate at the 2013 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers in Jordan

I didn't intend to run another soccer story so quickly, but after its past turmoil NNSW Football is finally getting its act together. 

Originally from Lismore but now living in Newcastle, Northern NSW referee Tanya de Boer has been appointed to officiate at the 2013 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers in Jordan.

Tanya received her FIFA badge as an Assistant Referee at the end of 2011. This allows her to run lines on International games

Last year, she was appointed to officiate at the 2012 AFF Women’s Championships held in September, her first appointment since gaining the badge.

“It’s good. You put in the hard work for it, but there are also many others who are also working hard, so it’s never taken for granted when you are invited to tournaments.”

“Each tournament gives you another opportunity to learn, improve and demonstrate your ability, in order to secure invitations to future tournaments. You also get to meet some great people from other countries and visit regions you may never have had the chance to see,” said de Boer.

Tanya is among a number of Australian referees to officiate at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers which commence on June 5 and conclude on June 9.

“There are 4 groups for the Asian cup qualifiers. I’ve been selected to go to the Group A qualifiers in Jordan in June. Kate Jac (Referee) and Sarah Ho (Assistant Referee) have been selected to go to the Group B qualifiers in Bangladesh at the end of May. With Allyson Flynn (Assistant Referee) at a tournament in Algarve, Portugal, and Peta McCallum attending her first FIFA seminar in Bangkok, all the Australian Women FIFA Referees and Assistants are doing really well. Jacqui Hurford (Referee) is currently returning from injury,”

“With refereeing you go out there as a team and are supportive of the achievements of the others. If an Australian referee or assistant referee does well, it reflects positively on the whole Australian officials team. The idea is that you want Australia to have a high reputation for the quality of officials so that the women coming through are given greater opportunities to represent on the international circuit.”

Tanya comes from Lismore. In 2008, she became the first female to receive the Football Far North Coast Referee of the Year Award. Tanya now lives in Newcastle refereeing NBN State League and Westfield W-League fixtures. 

When it comes to advice, Tanya says “It only takes a short course to get you started. Where you want to take it is up to you. If you’re doing it for pocket money, that’s ok, almost all referees start off that way. However, if you want to take it further there are people, support and avenues to get you to a competitive level if that’s where you want to go, but you have to be prepared to work for it.”

Northern NSW Football (and the rest of us) would like to congratulate Tanya for her ongoing success and wishes her all the best during her second International appointment.

Football - Northern NSW State Cup kicks off

I see from the Northern NSW Football Facebook page that the Northern NSW State Cup has kicked off.

Football (soccer) is the only sport in which we are actually recognised as a state in our own right. The State Cup is a state-wide competition open to all men’s NNSWF Premier Competition Clubs and Senior Zone Member Clubs.

Due to travel distances and time restraints the competition is divided into two pools, the Northern Pool and Southern Pool, to determine Final Series participants.

The Northern Pool will comprise of club teams from Mid North Coast Football, North Coast Football, Northern Inland Football and Football Far North Coast. From these club teams, the last remaining four will participate in the Finals Series representing the Northern Pool.

The Southern Pool will be split into two further sub-pools, the first comprising of NBN State League and New FM 1st Division club teams and the second comprising of club teams from Newcastle Football, Macquarie Football and Hunter Valley Football. From each of these two sub-pools, the last remaining two club teams will participate in the Finals Series representing the Southern Pool.

The following key dates have been allocated by NNSWF for State Cup Fixtures:

SOUTHERN POOL

NBN/New FM Club Teams

Round 1   Saturday 9th / Sunday 10th March 17 teams (drawn from the hat)                               

Round 2   Wednesday 3rd April 8 winners, plus club team with bye from Round 1

Round 3   Wednesday 1st May 4 winners, plus club team with bye from Round 2

Round 4   Wednesday 29th May 2 winners, plus club team with bye from Round 3

Newcastle, Macquarie and Hunter Valley Club Teams

Round 1 Saturday 16th / Sunday 17th March 38 teams (drawn from the hat)

Saturday 23rd / Sunday 24th March

Round 2 Wednesday 3rd April 19 winners, plus club team with bye, from Round 1

Round 3 Wednesday 1st May 10 winners, plus club team with bye, from Round 2

Round 4 Wednesday 29th May 5 winners, plus club team with bye, from Round 3

Round 5 Wednesday 19th June 3 winners, plus club team with bye, from Round 4

NORTHERN POOL

Round 1 Saturday 16th / Sunday 17th February 26 teams (drawn from the hat)

Round 2 Saturday 16th March 13 winners, from Round 1

Round 3 Saturday 27th / Sunday 28th April        6 winners, plus club team with bye, from Round 2

FINALS SERIES

Quarter Finals Saturday 13th July 4 winners from both Southern and Northern Pools

Semi Finals     Sunday 14th July Quarter Final winners

Final               Sunday 14th July* Semi Final winners

Northern NSW under twelve boys 11th at Saitama

I see from the Northern NSW Football Facebook page that the Northern NSW Under 12 Boys finished in 11th place at the Saitama International Tournament in Japan. You can find out more details here.

Those elsewhere in Australia are sometimes a little puzzled as to why Northern NSW, the broader New England, as its own state soccer league independent of NSW. Sir William Walkley, Ampol and the New England New State Movement tells the story.

Turmoil in Northern NSW Football

I had intended today to follow up yesterday's post  Local Government & the Australian Constitution with a more detailed analysis of the issues. However, an issue has come up that I wanted to report on.

Soccer is the only sport in which Northern NSW, the broader New England, has its own state league independent of NSW. The creation of the Northern NSW Football Federation dates back to the height of the 1960s new state campaign.

on 31 October, the Newcastle Herald reported on the axing of NNSWF CEO David Eland. The move generated controversy.

The following day, the paper reported that former president Bill Walker had blasted the  board of directors over its sacking of David Eland, saying the process to remove the chief executive was ‘‘morally and ethically’’ wrong. Mr Walker resigned from the board in protest.

Then on 2 November, the Newcastle Herald carried three stories:

• Push comes to shove in messy power play
• Northern NSW Football zones brief lawyers to kick out directors
• Northern zones tell board to resign

Today's story is NNSWF defies advice, names Jock Graham CEO. The NNSWF turmoil finds some reflection on its Facebook page. 

Reading between the lines, a number of factors seem to have come into play here, including politics in Football Australia. What is clear is that the turmoil is not helping soccer - NNSWF has 50,000 members in seven zones across New England.

Postscript

Updated story in the Newcastle Herald NNSW board brushed FFA's appeal. I quote in part:

It now appears the NNSWF annual general meeting, set down for December 4, will be the likely showdown between the board and its members.

In any vote to remove the board, the seven zones each have two votes and the standing committees of the state league and first division clubs each have one, as does the referees’ association. A successful vote requires a 75 per cent majority. Zone officials are confident all votes will go against the board.

As an observation, I was a little surprised at the apparent lack of newspaper coverage on this one, I have only skimmed the online editions, elsewhere in New England.    

Grafton to Inverell cycling classic turns 51

One of Australia's oldest road races is the Grafton to Inverell Cycling Classic has just turned 51. Clarence Valley Today was there to record the start.  

This is a pretty but rugged race that crawls up the escarpment from Grafton, runs across the New England Tablelands and then down to Inverell. Mark's posts are:

• Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic 2011
• The Race of Life Must Go On

The importance of tennis

Cousin Jamie continues to post family photos. I have many now to post as well. I have just called the following photo the importance of tennis. Comments follow the photo.

In some ways, this is actually a fairly typical shot from the 1930s. Its a bush scene, with furniture dragged out from the house - two boxes, a formal chair, a wickerwork chair, one of those fabric sun chairs that you still see in England. They are all eating watermelon. 

With the decline in the importance of tennis, it's hard to realise just how important tennis was in New England. It was the most important social game across the entire North. Most properties, many homes, every small settlement, had their own tennis courts. Most people played.

This photo is of Aunt Kay when she was champion at the Armidale tennis club.

Tennis had many advantages as a sport. Land was then cheap, and courts were easy to construct. Tennis was a game that could be played by most ages. Importantly, it was one way in which boys and girls could meet and interact in a socially acceptable and relaxed fashion.

The world changes. The small settlements have largely gone. The home tennis court has been turned into a new block. Fewer people have the time or today even the skills to settle down for a few hours tennis.

Yet, and call me old fashioned if you like, I still miss the tennis. It's a game that I can play with my girls, that we played on every return visit to Armidale or when we were holidaying at South West Rocks. It's a game that stays with you.

I quite enjoy golf, another traditional New England game. Yet golf is not a social game in the way tennis is. It's too individualistic.

This week, and just down the road here in Sydney, I found surviving tennis courts hidden on a lane appropriately called Court Street. Oldest daughter has promised to play with me. Maybe there is hope!   

A visit to a Cessnock boxing tent

My main post today is Boxing, history & social change. I followed this with Classical Greek, boxing & New England history. Now I want to complete the trifecta with a post directed just at the readers of this blog.

In my main post I mentioned The Tent by Wayne McLennan (Quadrant, May 2002).

Quite a few of my readers here come from Newcastle and the lower Hunter. I think that you will enjoy this description of a visit to a boxing tent at Cessnock in, I think, the 1960s.

Even if you are not from this area, it's still a well written piece. 

Postscript

In a comment on my original post, kvd pointed out that Wayne McLennan had been inducted to the Cessnock Hall of Fame. kvd also led me to add something to the post on Bell's Boxing Tent, a continuing boxing show that Wayne boxed for!  

In another comment, this time here, Greg reminded me of the short and tragic life of boxing great Les Darcy. Darcy was born on 31 October 1895 at Stradbroke, near Maitland. There is a real story in the boxers of the lower Hunter that deserves better promotion.

Postscript 2

Further comments from Greg:

We shouldn't forget another great New England boxing legend - the great Dave Sands from Kempsey.

Dave Sands also had a strong connection with the Newcastle area having had many of his early bouts at The Stadium in Newcastle West before going on to win the Australian middleweight title.

Boxing was legendary at The Stadium in the early to middle 20th Century. I remember it as the site of the Newcastle ice rink when I was young and I think that by then it's boxing days were over. Now it is the site of the Marketown shopping centre. A colourful piece of Newcastle history now barely remembered.

Incidentally - Dave Sands was another great sporting tragedy. He died in a truck accident at the age of just 26.

You will find details of Dave Sand's life here. I really do love the way comments extend discussion! Thanks, Greg! 

Update:

Saturday Morning Musings - boxing & the power of blogging in history on my personal blog provides a consolidated update on these linked posts.

New England unis & the university games

The university games have been on. The photo shows UNE's Kate Frizell looking to drive in a women's hockey match.

When I first saw the University Games all those years ago (I never played) there was just one competition. Now there are conferences, with top teams going on to the national University Games.

New England universities were divided by geography, with UNE and SCU playing in the Northern University Games, Newcastle playing in the Eastern Games.

This year the Northern Games were held in Armidale, the Eastern Games in Canberra, with both cities shivering in a marked cold spell. These sporting events are good business for Armidale, with 910 registered competitors.

At a purely personal level, eldest was playing for UNSW in the mixed netball. Just back to Europe and then off to Canberra! 

In the Northern Games, UNE came second overall after Bond. Southern Cross was seventh. In the per capita competition based on student numbers, UNE came first, SCU fourth.

For some reason, the Eastern Games do not presently allow me to check where Newcastle came.  

Sport, soccer and new states

Back in October 2007 in Sir William Walkley, Ampol and the New England New State Movement, I expliained why Northern NSW had its own state soccer league. I was reminded of this by a story in the Armidale Express on the selection of Armidale's Naran Singh for the Northern NSW under 14 rep side.

I suspect that very few people actually realise that New State New England is, so far as soccer is concerned, directly represented. The league was formed at the height of new state agitation and has survived despite sometimes attempts to merge it back into NSW.

Another small snippet of New England history. I don't often report on sport on this blog. I think that that's a weakness.   

A note on loss of the young and country sport

NSW Women's State Hockey Championships records my reactions to visiting Bathurst to watch Clare (youngest) play her first game of representative hockey.

One issue that I recorded in that post is the impact on women's hockey in the country of the loss of young people. It's not just the question of overall loss. It's also the impact of the loss of young people to university study at critical age ranges. This is already a significant issue, but will become more so if Government targets for the percentage of young attending university are achieved.

The problem is not limited just to country areas traditionally defined, but applies to all centres where university study requires kids to leave home to go to another place.

I am not saying that we should stop kids going to university. Far from it. I am saying that we should recognise the community impacts involves.

Hockey NSW's answer appears to lie in part in changing the rules so that kids who go away and play for another team in their new locale should still be eligible for representative selection in teams from their home area should they chose. This strikes me as a good idea, but I wonder what else might be done?

    I don't have a clear view here. I am just posting so that the question is on the record.

Northern NSW State Cup revived

One of the interesting side effects of our campaign for self-government for New England was a decision by the then Australian Soccer Federation to give us our own state soccer organisation. While the new state movement is presently quiet, Northern NSW Football has continued as its own state organisation. 

I see that Northern NSW Football has decided to introduce a State 'knockout' Cup competition for next year, the NNSWF State Cup. I do love the fact that New England still has its own state in soccer!

The competition is open to all men's Northern NSW Football Premier competition clubs and senior zone member clubs. Given New England's size, the competition will be divided into two pools, the Northern Pool and Southern Pool.

The Northern Pool will comprise of club teams from Mid North Coast Football, North Coast Football, Northern Inland Football and Football Far North Coast.

I wish them every success.

Sir William Walkley, Ampol and the New England New State Movement

I was doing some research on the Walkley Awards. Named after Sir William Walkley, the Walkleys are Australia's top journalism awards. This reminded me of a New England linkage and a possible explanation to something that has always puzzled me.

Born in New Zealand, Sir William founded what would become Ampol Petroleum. Now how does this link to New England and our fight for self government?

In 1961, the New England New State Movement launched Operation Seventh State, a major fund raising campaign to support a new self government drive. I acted as an usher at the launch, wearing my first ever suit borrowed from my Uncle Jim.

Our target was to raise 100,000 pounds, a very large sum in those days. We were successful, leading to a very major campaign culminating in the 1967 self government vote.

As part of the campaign, the Movement decided to mount a major car drive on Sydney. The aim was to flood Sydney with thousands of demonstrators in the domain matched by press advertising. Because it was a car drive, the decision was also taken to swamp parking spots around the Domain even though this would incur fines.

The drive was organised with military precision by a team headed by General MacDonald from Wallabadah Station as marshall. This was my second New State demonstration - I organised the first at the request of ABC Four Corners to provide them with some TV footage - and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But that's another story.

So what's the linkage with Ampol? While we were asked not to talk about it, and no-one did, Ampol provided free petrol. As I remember it, the company also offered to pay the parking fines.

The thing that has puzzled me? The Australian Soccer Federation acted to separate New England from NSW, creating a Northern NSW State League. I never knew how this happened. Now that I have read Sir William's ADB entry and learned of his connection with soccer, I suspect that I have the answer.