Profile
Brief History of West Wallsend Bluebells
West Wallsend Senior Football Club play in the Northern NSW Football NBN State League. The Club was formed in May 1891 by mainly Scottish coalminers who had settled in the area to find work in the newly opened mines of the district. That year they participated in a six-team badge series.
The first competitive game occurred on the 30th April 1892 at Johntson Park before a crowd of 1200 against Adamstown Rosebuds. The result was a 2-2 draw and the match was celebrated with a banquet at Johntson’s Hotel (now The Museum Hotel).
The club picked up its first silverware in 1897 as it defeated Wallsend Rovers 1-0 in the final of the Denton Cup. This was also the year the club first became known as the Bluebell’s. This victory was the start of the clubs golden period as they picked up thirty-three trophies in the next thirty years. Silverware included Six Gardiner Cup’s from ten final appearances, which was the Roll’s Royce competition of the day open to all teams in NSW. It was during this time that Johnson Park picked up the nickname ‘Wembley’ as star players of the day Coutts, Maunder, Sneddon, Muir, Smith, McLaughlin, James and Coates dazzled with their football skills for both West Wallsend, New South Wales and Australia.
After winning the State Cup against Woonona Bulli in 1931 the trophies became a little harder to earn. Another State Cup was won in 1945 by defeating Metters in the final, the following season a northern premiership was won, but they lost the play-off with the Southern premiers, Leichhardt, for the state championship. In 1950’s, spearheaded by players such as Bone, Robinson, Sneddon, Baldwin, Underwood and Bowie the club appeared in seven finals but only tasted success on two occasions including a Sundale Cup (1954) and the Daniel Cup in 1957. They lost the 1952 State Cup Final to Wallsend, the Final of the state play-offs against Corrimal in 1955, a Northern Grand Final in 1959, again to Wallsend, and two out of three Daniel Cup finals.
The decline of soccer in Newcastle after the splitting of New South Wales into two federations corresponded with a decline in fortunes for the Bluebells. The club had three lean decades with the only highlight being runner up to Wallsend on goal difference in 1963 in the Northern Premiership, and losing that seasons Northern Grand Final to Awaba in a replay with Parkes, Cooper, Wilson, Coutts, Green, Grant, Ahrens, Atkinson and Kaiser starring that season.
The 1980’s, however, seen the Bluebell’s go through a resurgent period. Between 1980 and 1996 the club missed the semi-finals only twice in seventeen years. During this period the club appeared in six Northern grand finals, claiming three Northern Grand Final victories, 1985, 1988 and 1992, and one Northern premiership in 1986. The club was spearheaded through this era by players such as Grills, Wilson, Green, Baldwin, Bullock, Endicott, Shipley, Sidebottom, Bremner, Cameron, Dempsey, Beagan, Russell, Atkinson, Gillogly, Allen and Wallace.
Despite this incredible record the club was relegated to the second division in 1997 for not meeting the federation criteria for facilities. Despite the large loss of players the club rebuilt and after successive second division premierships in 1999 and 2000, and a second division Grand Final in 2000, was promoted back to the Northern League for the 2001 season. Unfortunately, the club was relegated again after finishing last that season.
After relegation at the end of the 2001 season the club has been victorious in the Second Division Grand Final in 2003. 2007 saw the Club go through the season undefeated winning both minor and major premierships and gaining promotion back into the NBN state League for 2008.
2008 the Club finished 8th in the regular season and appointed Chris Miner as Head Coach for 2009 and 2010 finishing a credible 6th and 5th respectively.
2011 the Club appointed Darren Sills as Head Coach and after a disappointing season the Club finished in last place. With the Newcastle Jets Youth team the Club was spaired relegation as the competition reverted back to a ten team competition for 2012.
2012 brings a new chapter in the long history of the West Wallsend Soccer Club with the appointment of highly experienced coach Greg Smith to hopefully rebuild the Club and steer it back to our once glory days.
(Information supplied by Ernie Craig and Harry Hethrington)
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