Ringarooma footy lives on

• Reminiscing on the Ringarooma Football days L-R: Donna Davis, John Williams, Danny Nichols, Brendon Thompson, John Wardlaw and Terry Rowlings. 

By Taylor Clyne
October 12, 2022

At its core country football is the life blood of small communities, bringing families together weekly to celebrate sport, friendship and healthy town rivalry. 

The Ringarooma Football Club have over 100 years of history doing just that and thanks to a love project of the late Helen Stingel it can now be shared with all.

Meeting to reminisce on the good times of the Ringarooma Robins were John Wardlaw, Brendon Thompson, John Williams, Danny Nichols, Terry Rowlings and Donna Davis.

“Helen kept records of every roster game, every social occasion, award, newspaper clipping, she had it all,” Mr Thompson said.

“We recognised that shouldn’t be lost so the Community Hub at Ringarooma decided to have it digitised so that record won’t ever be lost because it’s too important to the town.”

With the help of Nigel Mercer approximately 20 books jam packed of footy history have been digitised for a streamline walk down memory lane.

The club was part of the North-East Football Union (NEFU) from 1911 to 2012 and were very competitive with some of the best supporting crowds each week.

John Wardlaw said from the mid 50s until early 2000 the club was very vibrant playing in many grand finals and sporting some exceptional coaches and players.

“Bob Chitty got a premiership in 1955; Helen Stingel did a huge amount of work with photos, comments and the history, which is reflected in the books.

“The Gowrie Park match at York Park on October 4,1969 was a major highlight, Ringarooma played in the curtain raiser to the AFL match and there was a crowd of more than 10,000 – people said the match was better than the AFL game,” Mr Wardlaw laughed.

“The first year I was president the total turnover of the books was equivalent to the first home game Ringarooma played in 2006.”

Mr Thompson said he remembers the first mention of paying money to players came across the table at a committee meeting in
the 70s.

“I remember the look on people faces, many families weren’t happy about the fact we offered maybe $20 or something like that to players and a few more bucks to the coach.”

The club had great community support through actions, functions and raffles with many farming families putting in funds to keep the club alive.

“The whole community used to go to the football, there were even people that used to set the time of their cows calving so that they were dried off before the local football started. 

“Didn’t matter if you weren’t a good player everyone was a part of it, there was always a job for someone.

“Training on the Sundays, it was a whole weekend, the players spent a lot of time in the sheds with Boags as the sponsor,” he laughed. 

John Williams said inter-town rivalry was big.

“You could talk to people during the week but not on weekends,” he laughed.

“We poached good players from Branxholm like Mark McDougall and John Bennett, that increased the temperature between teams.”

Mr Wardlaw spoke of the earlier years when Derby had a team too.

“Most of the team showed up half drunk, anyone that was sober started a fight.

“It was very entertaining.

“At peak times with the NEFU Legerwood, Derby, Alberton and Fingal all had teams. 

“Legerwood was the first to fold and then Derby.” 

There were some memorable moments from the audience, which is missing in footy these days, Brendon Thompson said he remembers a story his father used to tell him.

“A lady from Pioneer used to stand behind the goals holding an umbrella and when the umpire made a decision that wasn’t in the interest of her team she used to come out and clob him with it.”

John Williams said he was just 16 years old when he witnessed a memorable moment.

“Peter Kelly was playing, and Gaye Rattray was sitting on the side-lines, she was screaming to Kelly, ‘kick it to dad, kick it to dad’ as half her family was in the team.

“When Kelly didn’t kick it to her dad, no word of a lie, she took ten steps swinging her handbag onto the field and whacked it fair up the back of his ear,” he laughed.

Danny Nichols said the club always had big community events with great guest speakers at presentation nights.

“It really brought everyone together we used to get crows of 250 people, the hall was packed.

“All of this and the legacy of the club is on this USB stick for people to enjoy.

“They can sit down and pick a year out and go through it all.”

A USB stick packed with 100 years of club memories can be purchased for $20 with all money raised going back into the community club.To purchase a stick phone Brendon Thompson on 0419 562 209.