History of soccer in Brisbane, Queensland
This group of players subsequently formed the Anglo-Queensland Football Association in early 1884, and commenced playing fixtures at the sports field behind the Pineapple Hotel, in Main Street Kangaroo Point, and at Queen's Park, in June 1884.
The large numbers of European and British immigrants arriving after World War II changed the character of the local game dramatically, as it led to the formation of wealthy ethnic-based clubs, which dominated Brisbane competitions during the 1960s and 1970s.
[1] From the 1980s onwards, the local game thrived in terms of participation by junior and senior males and large numbers of female players, but not at a professional level.
Despite a promising start, the Brisbane Roar FC, which joined the re-formed national A-League competition in its inaugural year (2005) and won the premiership in 2010-11 and 2013–14, and championships in 2011, 2012 and 2014, is yet to make serious inroads into the popularity enjoyed by the other football codes.
The following Saturday saw St Andrew's play Rangers (who wore white with red trim) at 3 PM on the "Pineapple Ground, Kangaroo Point", in front of 100 spectators.
The players were presumably playing as amateurs, as a newspaper advertisement promoting that game noted that "Collection Boxes in aid of the Hospital will be at Garden Gates.
[25] The game progressed the following year, as at least two of the clubs had second teams: a newspaper report in late 1885 described "Second Rangers" defeating "Second Queen's Park" 2-1 "at the Pine Apple ground".
Within two years, the NRU competition had six teams and, according to one writer, "The defining moment in the code battle came with the 1886 Queensland [Rugby] side, who defeated NSW for the first time in Sydney.
[41] At a general meeting of the QBFA held at the Shamrock Hotel in Fortitude Valley in early 1891, it was reported that "The association is to be strengthened this year by the addition of three clubs from the Ipswich district, besides others from Brisbane."
Towards the end of the 1899 season, a match between South Brisbane and the ultimate Premiers, Bush Rats, was played at the "Rugby Union Ground, Bowen Bridge Road ...
[52] The Brisbane Courier also reported that the annual meeting of the QBFA in March 1903 had to be postponed, as "less than a dozen members put in an appearance, and most of these belonged to the one club".
[93] The Second and Third Grade competitions included teams such as Caledonians, Glenallen, Kangaroos, Latrobe, Merthyr, Nundah, Ovals, Rovers, Triangles, Toowong Cadets, Violets and Wilstons.
[94][95] This decade was also dominated by Ipswich teams, which finished top of the table in six of the nine premierships they contested (but not always winning the premiership, which during that era was sometimes decided by playoffs): Bundamba Rangers three times (and runners-up three times), Bush Rats twice and Blackstone Rovers once[96] Another notable event in 1921 was the formation of the Queensland Ladies Soccer Football Association, at a meeting held in the Brisbane Gymnasium, at which "about 100 ladies were present.
The season also saw many on-field disturbances (foul and abusive language, fighting, and ungentlemanly conduct), officials suspended[102] and a Natives FC supporter deliberately breaking a window at the Toombul club.
[104] The Premiership for that year was won by Bundamba Rangers (their second in a row),[105] with Latrobe winning the Moore Cup 1-0 over Norman Park and Bush Rats the Tristram Shield, 2-1 over Thistle.
However, at least one report from the late 1920s declared that the local game was struggling: "Little wonder, therefore, that many who agreed with the booting out of the old governing body, now are patiently waiting for the new controllers to gracefully retire from the arena.
The newly formed Queensland Soccer Association (QSA) directed the formation of a First Division for the 1930 season comprising eight Brisbane clubs, each required to field a reserve grade team.
[121] The season saw fourteen teams contesting the title: Booval, Brothers, Corinthians, Bundamba Rangers, Latrobe, Merton Rovers (Yeronga Park), Milton, Oxley Ramblers, Rosewood, Shafston Rovers (Raymond Park), St Helens (Ebbw Vale), Toombul United (Nundah), United Rangers and YMCA (Kalinga).
When players like Park, Kyle, May, and McGovern were 'starring' for Thistle, 10 years ago, a £50 [fifty pounds - approximately $3,500 in 2010] 'gate' was not uncommon at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, the then headquarters of the code.
"[127] The secretary of the BDFA advised in late 1937 "[T]hat a grave crisis is likely to arise in the Brisbane area under its control, by reason of dissension among certain club officials ... [E]very effort must be made to prevent Soccer football from falling into the state of disruption which existed some few years ago.
[136] The 1945 season saw an additional four teams enter the competition: Shafston Rovers, Thistles, Royal Navy I and II (see photo at right), with St Helens winning the Premiership.
[142] The Ipswich domination of the soccer competition continued after the war, with its clubs (in particular St Helens, Dinmore Bushrats and Bundamba Rangers) winning eight of the premierships between 1946 and 1959.
The quality of Ipswich soccer at the time is evidenced by the inclusion of four of its players in the Australian team at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne: Brian "Chookie" Vogler, Al Warren, Cliff Sander and Col Kitching.
[143] A fifth player, Gordon 'Bunny' Nunn who, despite 33 previous appearances for his country, was ruled ineligible because he had turned 'professional' when he joined a Brisbane club (Caledonian) "for pound stg.
In Brisbane, the larger ethnic groups produced strong teams, such as Azzurri (Italian, now Brisbane City at Newmarket), Budapest-Grovely (Hungarian, now Westside at Grovely),[146] Dnipro (Ukrainian, now defunct), Germania (German, now Southside Eagles at Bulimba),[147] Hellenic (Greek, later St George Souths (after name changes required by the QSF - see below), merged with Olympic in 1979), Hollandia (Dutch, now Lions FC at Richlands) and Polonia (Polish, now defunct).
[148][149] Indeed, from 1960 to 1978 inclusive, every Brisbane First Division Premiership was won by an ethnic-based club: Azzurri/Brisbane City, Southside Eagles (formerly Germania), Hellenic/St George Souths, Hollandia/Brisbane Lions and Latrobe (see 'Premiers and Cup Winners' below).
The early 1980s of the State League and Brisbane competitions were dominated by the relatively young Mt Gravatt club (established in 1960),[155] winning four (and runners-up in the other) of the first five premierships of this decade.
The Lions club (as Queensland Roar FC), was then successful with their nomination (ahead of the Brisbane Strikers) for the inaugural national A-League competition, which commenced in the 2005-06 (Summer) season.
They then won the 2010-11 Championship grand final in dramatic fashion, scoring twice in the last four minutes of extra time to draw 2 - 2 against the Central Coast Mariners, before going on to win a penalty shoot-out 4-2.
The State-wide Queensland State League (QSL) was established in 2008 as the second tier below the A-League, and included local teams the Brisbane Strikers, Olympic FC and Redlands Devils in the inaugural season.
