DIAMOND JUBILEE.

Wairarapa Age, 29 July 1936, Page 5

DIAMOND JUBILEE.

ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB. CELEBRATION NEXT EASTER This season completes the sixtieth year of the Athletic Football Club, Wellington, a club well-known in Rugby circles throughout New Zealand as having developed many noted New Zealand players since its foundation. The Athletic Club had its beginning at a meeting on April 12, 1877, and grew from the ranks of the members of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club. The first secretary was Mr. G. F. C. Campbell, who to-day as president of the club, still maintains an active interest, and who is also wellknown as Comptroller and Auditor General.

In 1882, the club competition in Wellington was extended to include the Masterton and Greytown Clubs in addition to Athletic and Wellington. The cup for that season was won by Athletic who did not have a point scored against them in the four matches. The Athletic Club has had a long and honourable career having won the Senior Championship, as it is known to-day, in 1884, 1891, 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914 (when it was bracketed with Wellington), 1915 and 1926.

Old players of the club are scattered all over New Zealand and they will be interested to learn that the club proposes to hold extensive jubilee celebrations next Easter, commencing on Easter Saturday and carrying through until Easter Monday night. An invitation is being extended to all old members to be present at this reunion and in order that they may secure a copy of the programme of events and intended fixtures, they are asked to forward their names to the joint secretaries, Messrs K. Kearney and H. I. Austed, P.O. Box 134, Wellington. An interesting name in the register of old players is that of his Grace Archbishop T. O'Shea, who played for the club in 1886-87 and who is now the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington. The late Sir Francis Bell was president of the club for many years from 1882.