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Help | WEST WANDERERS UNITED SOCCER & SPORTING CLUB INC. |  |
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CLUB HISTORYThis page will feature a history of the Club. As well here is a list of our club's Life Members. CLUB HISTORYThe following was prepared in 1998 by Alan Hahn, a Life Member. Other past members and players are also welcome to send in their recollections of their experiences with West Wanderers. The following is a brief outline of how the soccer club, known as the West Wanderers United Soccer Club, came to be formed. The junior section of the Club had it’s beginnings at Concordia Primary School around 1967, when the headmaster, with the help of a couple of the student’s parents, entered a team of boys in the Toowoomba Junior Soccer Association fixtures. At the time, fixtures were held in Under 9-11-13-15 age groups. There may have been an under 7 competition also, but I am not sure if this was the case. As Concordia was, at this stage, a very small school, boys from outside the school gradually came along to fill the teams, as it was soon desirable to have teams in a couple of age groups. The first team was coached by Mr Viv Kuhl, the headmaster, and Alan Hahn, a parent of two of the boys in the team. If I remember correctly, the team was given permission to play several boys over the set age, but only if short of players. At this time the TJSA probably had between 200 and 300 players, if that. Concordia played in a gold shirt and brown shorts with gold socks with brown stripes, this being the schools sports uniform. The school team immediately had success in fixtures. Soon many boys from Harristown State School wanted to play soccer, and as Concordia was the only junior club in that area of town, the number of teams soon grew. Training and fixtures took place in Coronation Park in Stephen St. The first Toowoomba Representative player from the school was Gavin Hahn, who was a member of the Under 12 Toowoomba team which played in what was then known as the Gino Paris Competition. This competition was played around the state with eight teams taking part. With the large influx of players it was soon evident a club had to be formed and coaches obtained. Once again I’m not sure when this formation took place, but the club was called West’s United. With the strong support of Mr Murray Timbs, from the Harristown State School, this club grew rapidly in numbers, the teams being successful in the TJSA fixtures. Soon the club organized a large junior carnival in three junior age groups. Due to the number of teams wishing to take part, the carnival was held at Harristown Park. As the boys became older and could no longer play junior fixtures, those wishing to continue to playing the sport would have had to join other clubs. Several of the interested boys then started to play for a senior club called Wanderers. Wanderers played at (as it was then called) Frogs Hollow, in Queens Park. The West’s Club then decided to approach the Wanderers Club to see if they would be interested in joining the two clubs into one. Several meetings where held and eventually the amalgamation took place, the name decided on being West Wanderers United Soccer Club. The new club was immediately successful in the senior fixtures as can be seen by the number of times the name appears on the Association Trophies. Eventually the club, after much fund raising, decided that it’s own playing fields were desirable. Ten acres of land was purchased on the Pittsworth Rd at Drayton. This was leveled into two fields, plus a junior field. Fixtures took place on thes fields. A very modern clubhouse was then built, and at this time the Club probably had the best setup in Toowoomba. Unfortunately, the interest on the monies loaned suddenly rose rapidly up to around 17% and even though every avenue of raising income was explored, it was after some time decided to sell the grounds (now, the Jack Martin Centre) as the Club just could not raise enough money to service the loan. After these fields were sold, it meant back to council parks, until finally the club house at Nell E Robinson Park came up for sale. After negotiations with the owners and Toowoomba City Council, it was decided to buy the building (in 1988), which is now the West Wanderers Clubhouse. The writer is sorry no certain dates of major changes over the years have been given, but the brief outline given is a little information on what is today a very large and progressive club and how it grew from just one junior team entered in Junior Fixture. |
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