Balgownie Rangers FC
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| Full name | Balgownie Rangers Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Bally or Rangers | ||
| Founded | 1883 | ||
| Ground | Judy Masters Oval | ||
| President | Travis Faulks | ||
| First Grade Coach | James Dummett | ||
| League | Illawarra Division One | ||
| 2014 | 12th | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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| |||
Balgownie Rangers Football Club is an association football club based in Balgownie, New South Wales. They play in the Illawarra District League. Founded in 1883, Balgownie is believed to be the oldest running association football club in Australia.[1][2]
History
Balgownie Rangers is the oldest running registered association football club in Australia being formed in 1883. [citation needed] The club was formed in 1883 where it played against other social clubs and also between Balgownie teams. In 1890, Balgownie Rangers was officially registered to play in the newly formed N.S.W. Football Association.
Balgownie was the 5th club to form in Australia, Granville, Arcadians, Kings College and one other club formed a few years before 1883. Since then all of these clubs have folded, Granville being the last to fold in the early 1980s, making Balgownie Rangers the oldest registered running football club in Australia.
The club is full of tradition and has produced many famous football players over the years. Some include James ‘Judy’ Masters (who is listed in the Football Australia Hall of Fame) Tom Thompson, Dave Ward and Frank Smith in the early 1900s, George Barlow in the 1950s and more recently Matt Horsley who went on to captain the Wollongong Wolves, win 4 National Soccer League titles and also represent Australia. Matt has recently retired his footballing career after finishing as captain of Perth Glory during December 2005. There were many more players in between and over time a full list of representative players from Balgownie Rangers will be listed here. On the 9th of May 2015, Balgownie suffered three shocking losses at the hands of Picton Rangers, most notably, the horrifying 6-0 defeat in youth grade where they were played off the park.
| Year | Division | Points | Placed | Trophies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | District League - 1st Division | 27 | 5th | |
| 2012 | District League - 1st Division | 26 | 6th | |
| 2011 | District League - 1st Division | Illawarra District League Reserve Grade League Champions Illawarra District League Youth Grade League Champions Illawarra District League Youth Grade Grand Final Winners | ||
| 2010 | District League - 1st Division | 1st | Illawarra District League First Grade League Champions Illawarra District League First Grade Grand Final Winners Illawarra District League Matt Horsley Medal – Rick Metcalf Illawarra District League Coach of the Year – Stewart Oliver Illawarra District League Best & Fairest – Joshua Faulks Illawarra District League (First Grade) Top Goal Scorer – Joshua Faulks (24 goals) Illawarra District League (Youth Grade) Top Goal Scorer – Daniel Vardareff (18 goals) | |
| 2009 | District League - 1st Division | 1st | Illawarra District League First Grade League Champions Illawarra District League Division One (Reserve Grade) League Champions Illawarra District League Division One (Reserve Grade) Grand Final Winners Illawarra District League Best & Fairest – Glen Smede Illawarra District League (First Grade) Top Goal Scorer – Joshua Faulks | |
| 2008 | District League - 1st Division | 47 | 1st | Illawarra District League First Grade League Champions |
| 2007 | District League - 1st Division | 55 | 4th | |
| 2006 | District League - 1st Division | 48 | 5th | |
| 2005 | Premier League | 0 | 14th | |
| 2004 | Premier League | 33 | 9th | Illawarra Premier League Player of the Year – Adam Hughes Balgownie-Tarrawanna Derby Cup Winners |
| 2003 | Premier League | 16 | 11th | Illawarra Premier League Fair Play Award |
| 2002 | Premier League | 17 | 11th | Fraternity Cup Winners Illawarra Youth Cup Winners |
| 2001 | Premier League | 36 | 5th | Fraternity Cup Runners-Up Illawarra Women's Soccer League – Bonnie Lassie Cup Winners ‘Balgownie Babes’ |
| 2000 | Conference League | 49 | 2nd | Illawarra Conference League First Grade Grand Final Runners-Up Illawarra Conference League Reserve Grade Grand Final Winners |
| 1999 | Conference League | 16 | 16th | |
| 1998 | Conference League | Illawarra Conference League Reserve Grade League Champions Illawarra Conference League Reserve Grade Grand Final Winners | ||
| 1996 | Premier League | 29 | 8th | Illawarra Premier League Player of the Year – Andrew Naylor |
| 1991 | Premier League | Illawarra Premier League Grand Final Winners | ||
| 1975 | NSW State League 1st Div | 18 | 9th | |
| 1974 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 34 | 2nd | |
| 1973 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 29 | 2nd | |
| 1972 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 26 | 5th | |
| 1971 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 22 | 5th | |
| 1970 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 28 | 4th | |
| 1969 | NSW State League 2nd Div | |||
| 1968 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 25 | 5th | |
| 1967 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 15 | 10th | |
| 1962 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 32 | 2nd | |
| 1961 | NSW State League 2nd Div | 31 | 3rd | |
| 1957 | NSW State League 1st Div | 1st | Sydney Cup Winners | |
| 1911 | South Coast British Association Football | 4 | 2nd | |
| 1910 | South Coast British Association Football | 4 | 1st | 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grade Champions |
| 1909 | South Coast British Association Football | 4 | 2nd | 3rd Grade Champions |
| 1908 | South Coast British Association Football | 6 | 2nd | 3rd Grade Champions |
| 1907 | South Coast British Association Football | 6 | 1st | 1st Grade Champions |
| 1906 | South Coast British Association Football | 3 | 2nd | 4th Grade Champions |
| 1905 | South Coast British Association Football | 6 | 2nd |
Notable Former Players
- James (Judy) Masters - Has the ground named after him, Played 1901 - 1927, played for Australia on 6 occasions captain 5 times and scoring 5 goals. Over 400 appearances for Balgownie, never receiving a yellow card. Served on the front line at Gallipoli, then the Western Front in WW1 leading the AIF team in France in 1918.
- George Barlow (FW & D) - Captained the side during the late 1950s including the successful period of winning the Sydney Cup (1957). Was selected once for NSW and once for Australia.
- Brian Edgley (FW) - Former Football League player in England with Shrewsbury Town, Brentford, Cardiff City and Barnsley. Played in 1971 and 1972.
- Matt Horsley (M) - Balgownie Junior until 1990, then played with the Wollongong Wolves, then Perth Glory
- Adam Hughes (M) - Played in 2004, currently in China League One with Harbin Yiteng
- Justin Pasfield (G) - Played in 2004, currently playing the A-League with Central Coast Mariners
- Tom McCulloch (D) - Former Australian International, played during 2000-2001
References
- ^ "History 1883-1920's". Balgownie FC. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ "About". Balgownie Rangers FC. Retrieved 2009-05-21.