West Wallsend FC
Encyclopedia
West Wallsend Bluebells SFC is a senior soccer
club which is a member of the Northern NSW
Football Federation in Australia
. The club was formed in 1891 by Scottish
miners
and is the third oldest football club in the Northern Federation behind Wallsend Red Devils FC(1887) and Adamstown Rosebuds FC (1889).
Highlights include the club being selected in 1902 to represent Newcastle
against Sydney
and winning 4-2. In 1923 the Bluebell's played the touring Canadian
side and won 3-0.
Over the years the club has picked up many honours and has produced 21 internationals.
One of the clubs darkest hours came at the end of 1996 season when the Federation dumped the club from the top division due to lack of facilities. Despite featuring in six grand finals in the previous fourteen years.
The club struggled to regain its place in the Northern League its only brief appearance in 2001 seen the club finish last for only the third time in its history and be relegated again.
In 2007 the club won the NEW-FM League minor premiership and was promoted back to the Northern NBN State League where it finished a credible 8th in the 2008 season and was selelected in the new eight team NBN State League for 2009-10.
In 2009 the club finished an improved sixth only four points from a semi-final position and 2010 the club again inproved finishing just four points from the minor premiership but amazingly missed the semi-finals when after such a tight season the club finished fifth.
' as the side contained eight internationals.
William G. Johnston was owner of the Johnston Hotel (est 1887) (now the Museum Hotel) which is adjacent to the ground.
Kerr Cup 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1928
State Cup 1931, 1945
Northern Cup 1931
Ellis Cup 1899, 1900, 1901,1902, 1919, 1921, 1925, 1926
Denton Cup 1897, 1898, 1899
Stevenson Cup 1925, 1926
Daniels Cup 1957
Northern Premiership 1899, 1902, 1904, 1913, 1920, 1921, 1925, 1926, 1946, 1986
Northern Grand Finals 1921, 1922, 1924, 1985, 1988, 1992
Northern Second Division Premeirships 1999, 2000, 2007
Northern Second Division Grand Finals 2000, 2003, 2007
. Both clubs have enjoyed success at state level over their histories, however both have encountered lean times in more recent years.
Edgeworth are our nearest rivals and after the Bluebells recent promotion the clubs will feature in their first derby since the 2001 season. Adamstown is another club who have built up rivalry with West Wallsend in over 115 years of encounters.
Dave Brown
Les Brown
Clarrie Coutts
Frank Coolahan
Bill Coolahan
Jack Forster
Kieth Grant
Frank Hays
Jock Hodge
Charlie James
Kevin Lake
Henry Maunder
William Maunder
Di McLaughlin
Harry Muir
Richard Sneddon
Wal Smith
Harold Whitelaw
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club which is a member of the Northern NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Football Federation in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The club was formed in 1891 by Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
miners
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and is the third oldest football club in the Northern Federation behind Wallsend Red Devils FC(1887) and Adamstown Rosebuds FC (1889).
History
Founded by Scottish miners in 1891 as the West Wallsend Athletic FC, they did not compete in competition during the 1895 and 1896 season due to a miners' strike in the district. The club re-formed at the end of 1896 as the West Wallsend Bluebell's FC.Highlights include the club being selected in 1902 to represent Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
against Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and winning 4-2. In 1923 the Bluebell's played the touring Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
side and won 3-0.
Over the years the club has picked up many honours and has produced 21 internationals.
One of the clubs darkest hours came at the end of 1996 season when the Federation dumped the club from the top division due to lack of facilities. Despite featuring in six grand finals in the previous fourteen years.
The club struggled to regain its place in the Northern League its only brief appearance in 2001 seen the club finish last for only the third time in its history and be relegated again.
In 2007 the club won the NEW-FM League minor premiership and was promoted back to the Northern NBN State League where it finished a credible 8th in the 2008 season and was selelected in the new eight team NBN State League for 2009-10.
In 2009 the club finished an improved sixth only four points from a semi-final position and 2010 the club again inproved finishing just four points from the minor premiership but amazingly missed the semi-finals when after such a tight season the club finished fifth.
Ground
The ground is located at Johnston Park - on the corner of Laidley Street and Wilson Street in West Wallsend, and was named after William G. Johnston. Mr Johnston cleared and marked a soccer football field on land leased from the Caledonian Coal company. The park became known as Johnston's park, home of the Bluebell's. During the 1920s the ground picked up the nickname 'WembleyWembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
' as the side contained eight internationals.
William G. Johnston was owner of the Johnston Hotel (est 1887) (now the Museum Hotel) which is adjacent to the ground.
Honors
Gardiner Cup 1900, 1901, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1926Kerr Cup 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1928
State Cup 1931, 1945
Northern Cup 1931
Ellis Cup 1899, 1900, 1901,1902, 1919, 1921, 1925, 1926
Denton Cup 1897, 1898, 1899
Stevenson Cup 1925, 1926
Daniels Cup 1957
Northern Premiership 1899, 1902, 1904, 1913, 1920, 1921, 1925, 1926, 1946, 1986
Northern Grand Finals 1921, 1922, 1924, 1985, 1988, 1992
Northern Second Division Premeirships 1999, 2000, 2007
Northern Second Division Grand Finals 2000, 2003, 2007
Rivals
The Bluebell's biggest rival is the Wallsend Football ClubWallsend Football Club
Wallsend Football Club is a football club in Australia.- Colours :The original club colours consisted of red shirts with a golden sash, white shorts and red and white socks. This strip was worn by the Wallsend Rovers, the original club name in 1887. The presence of red and white has been...
. Both clubs have enjoyed success at state level over their histories, however both have encountered lean times in more recent years.
Edgeworth are our nearest rivals and after the Bluebells recent promotion the clubs will feature in their first derby since the 2001 season. Adamstown is another club who have built up rivalry with West Wallsend in over 115 years of encounters.
Internationals
Jack CouttsDave Brown
Les Brown
Clarrie Coutts
Frank Coolahan
Bill Coolahan
Jack Forster
Kieth Grant
Frank Hays
Jock Hodge
Charlie James
Kevin Lake
Henry Maunder
William Maunder
Di McLaughlin
Harry Muir
Richard Sneddon
Wal Smith
Harold Whitelaw