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Port Hedland Football History

July 29, 2014 by Julie Matheson 3 Comments

In 1962, Port Hedland was a sleepy little port with around 1,500 residents.  A new postal officer arrived in town.  It was none other than Colin Peter Matheson.

Shortly after he arrived, Colin set about meeting the locals to start a football match.  Originally an umpire, he organised games for the locals until 1967 when the Port Hedland Football Association was formed between three clubs:

  1. Finucane Island
  2. Rovers
  3. Towns

Included among the matches were challenge games against Marble Bar and Goldsworthy.  It was after one of these matches that Colin Matheson and the President of the Marble Bar Football Association discussed the possibility of forming one association.

Port Hedland Rovers 1967 with umpire Colin Matheson

Port Hedland Rovers 1967 with umpire Colin Matheson

In 1969 the De Grey Football Association was formed with five teams:

  1. Port Hedland Rovers (The Esplanade)
  2. Port Hedland Panthers (Pier Hotel)
  3. Goldsworthy Tigers
  4. Marble Bar
  5. Finucane Island

In 1971 Marble Bar disbanded.

In 1975 two other teams were admitted:

  • South Hedland Swans
  • Shay Gap Hawks

In 1977 the De Grey Football League (formed by Colin Matheson) and West Pilbara Football League combined to form the De Grey West Pilbara Football League under separate constitutions.

In 1983 one constitution was agreed to and the name changed to the North Pilbara Football League.

Find out more about history of #Pilbara #football in Colin Matheson’s book “Johnny Come Lately”,1997, available by post for $20.  Contact the editors of this site for more information.

Also see this website dedicated to Pilbara football:  http://northpilbarafootballleague.wordpress.com/

 

Filed Under: Port Hedland History Tagged With: #football, Colin Matheson, De Grey Football League, Finucane Island, Goldsworthy Tigers, Marble Bar Football Association, North Pilbara Football League, Pilbara, Port Hedland Football Association, Port Hedland Panthers, Rovers, Shay Gap Hawks, South Hedland Swans, Towns, West Pilbara Football League



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