ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 22595, 12 March 1937, Page 4

ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB

CELEBRATION OF DIAMOND JUBILEE ARRANGEMENTS FOR EASTER TIME 'Sixty years have passed since the Athletic Football Club, Wellington, made its bow, and at Easter time it is proposed to celebrate the diamond jubilee in a fitting manner. Apart from the hundreds of players'who have passed through the Athletic Football Club and are living in Wellington, there are others in all parts of the Dominion, some of whoso association with the club goes back to its very early years. Already a number of old stalwarts have signified their intention of coming to Wellington for the celebrations, and) it needs no vivid imagination to realise the reminiscent atmosphere that will permeate the variout functions. when those oldrtimers and representatives of other generations of players get together.

Amongst- those the committee hoped to see present was the president, Colonel G-. F. C. Campbell, who took part in the first match between Wellington and Athletic on May 19, 1877, and who was the first secretary and treasurer of the club. Colonel Campbell, however, was not destined to share in the jubilee celebrations, for his death occurred last week, but his memory will, be revered by all old_ footballers as one who did much in the interests of the game.

The first match between Wellington and Athletic was played in four spells of 30 minutes each, and was won by Wellington by a try, which was obtained two minutes before time was called. The Athletic Club’s team was as follows:—Bridge, Beck, Charton, Gully, Campbell, Hickson, Isherwood, Keith, Major, Roy, Smith, Wyatt, Welsh, Cyrus Webb, Speed, with Baker, Flanagan, Gibbe, and Taylor the emergencies. The Jubilee Committee is inviting the Wellington Football Club to .participate in the various functons, tho Athletic Football Sports Club, which sprang from the Athletic Football Club, and members of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club, from which the Athletic Football Club was established in 1877. In doing this the committee will be preserving the link existing between the various clubs. The Wellington Football Club was the first Rugby club in Wellington. The Athletic Football Club was the second, and its advent and its first match with the Wellington Club marked the beginning of competitive club Rugby in the Wellington district.

Mr D, Harris Hastings, of Dunedin, was one of those who took part in the second match between. Athletic and Wellington in 1878. Just a week before his death Col. Campbell was in Dunedin and discussed with Mr Hastings the early days of the club. They could think of only three then alive who took part in that second game—Mr T. Lynch (of the Wellington Club) and Col Campbell and Mr Hastings themselves (of the Athletic Club).

Of the advent of the Athletic Football Club an interesting note has been written by Mr llidler, the club captain for many years and a veritable pillar of the club. In 1877) states Mr Ridler, there was only one football club, the Wellington Football'Club, in existence, and a strong amateur athletic club. With the object of bobbing the members of the athletic club together during the winter and keeping them fit, it was decided at a meeting on April 12, 1877, to form what is now the Athletic Football Club. Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, who has been the president for many years, was the first secretary and treasurer. The programme for the celebrations has just been finalised, and the invitations are in hand. The register of names of members is complete, and the committee’s intention is to send out a programme to everyone whose name it has with the request that they signify the functions they will be attending, so that the necessary arrangements may be made to accommodate them. It may be that seine names have been inadvertently omitted from the register, but if anyone who has been associated with the dub does not receive an invitation by early in March the committee would like to hear about it, the desire of the committee being ,to have present at the celebrations all members of the club, past and present, who are able to attend. A number of old players have already written in, and it is certain

that they will he coming to Wellington for the celebrations from all parts of both islands. Footballers generally will join in congratulating the club on attaining its diamond jubilee and in extending to past and present- members and officials best wishes for happy and successful celebrations at Easter.