Timeline of Australian Football 1926-1950

1926

Colac defeat Fords in the final of Western District Soccer Football Association, Madden Cup 2-0. Fords lsot player Allen early in the match after a collision with Colac halfback Lees. He was transported to hosital with concussion.

William George Madden was a Geelong real estate agent, President of the WDSFA as well as Vice-President of the Victorian Soccer Association. He passed away 2 years later, and in his will, left 25 pounds to the WDSFA.

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Nearly 70 teams, including junior sides, compete in the 1st round of the Victorian Soccer season.

22 January (Melbourne) : The council of the Victorian Amateur British Football Association and members of the Victorian League, the Victorian Referees' Association, and the Junior Association, met at the Amateur Sports Club last night to bid farewell to Mr. A.E Gibbs, who has been on a health tour of this country.

He introduced the English game to Victoria in 1884. In 1885 he conducted and captained a team to play New South Wales in Sydney, and a year later he took a team to New Zealand. Mr. Gibbs was treasurer of the New Zealand Association for 19 years, after which he took up his present duties in London as the Commonwealth representative of the English Football Association.

1927

Major dispute in NSW over sham-amateurism of State Officials

13 December : A sensation has been caused in Association Football circles by the announcement of the formation of a new body under the name of the New South Wales State Soccer League. This development is the outcome of differences between a number of clubs and the New South Wales Football Association, which has existed for a very long time. Meetings of the two bodies have been held with a view to entering into a satisfactory arrangement, but these have proved fruitless. Ten clubs, including most of the strongest in the State, have linked up with the league, and it is considered possible that others will join. A circular has been sent to the various clubs by the association asking them to be loyal and to stand by the old management.

Accompanying the circular is another pointing out that by associating themselves with the new movement players automatically disqualify themselves from any chance of a trip to New Zealand next season, or from taking part in Interstate games, and the association intends to form teams in districts that may go over to the new body. This has had no effect on the 10 clubs referred to, which pointed out that they have the best players in their teams and that the Association's field for selection will be extremely limited and the quality will be poor. Application will be made for the affiliation of the State League with the New South Wales Soccer Football Association, and in the event of failure a further application will be made for afliliatlon with the Commonwealth Association.

Bohemia (Czech) tour

Hong Kong Chinese team tour

1928

Tour of Dutch East Indies. (23 matches)

13 February (Melbourne) : A message from Sydney states that the Australian Soccer Association is unlikely to entertain offers from Spain and Jugoslavia to send teams to Australia this year. An incitation from Java however for an Australian team to be sent there in August will be referred to all State Associations for their comments. The proposal that married and single players be paid 10/ and 5/ a day respectively while touring New Zealand is unlikely to be favourably received.

11th September : Considerable discussion is taking place in soccer circles concerning a proposal that a European team, probably from Germany, should visit Australia next season, and that an Australian side should visit the United States and British Columbia to play matches against teams in those countries at the end of the 1929 season in Australia. Mr. S. A. D. Storey, president of the Australian Soccer Football Association is in Adelaide to meet the council of the State Association to discuss the proposed tours. It is suggested by the United States that the tour of an Australian side should be of 6 months duration, and that touring players should be native born.

1929

Victorian team heads to South Australian for the 1st round of the States competition for the British Football Association trophy, which is held by Victoria. The first game takes place on 20th July.

1930

1931
Tour of Dutch East Indies (13 matches)

5th May (Sydney) : The Australian Soccer Association has decided to oppose the proposed visit of a Soviet soccer team to Australia. THe Soviet Government is reported to be behind an application for permission to send a team to Australia. THe application was made to the State Leagues of NSW and Queensland but it was pointed out that Australia association had sole control of international fixtures and if any attempt is made to override it's authority, local players will be prevented from taking part in future international matches.

1932
NSW State league granted affiliation with Australian Soccer Association, after a break of 4 years. NSW hosts All-Australian State Carnival in Sydney. 5 States compete.

In the Queensland Vs Victoria game at Wallsend, Victoria were leading 3-1 at halftime before the Queenslanders fought back to take the lead 4-3 with 2 goals each for Kitching and Worrell. Forest saved Victoria's blushes with an equaliser just before the end of the game.

1933
Australian team tours New Caledonia for three tests.

The touring English cricket team plays Hakoah at the Melbourne Motordome. Hakoah won 3-1.

1934
First paid secretary and a central office established in Sydney.

1935

1937
Herbert Chapman's legacy was finally revealed to Australians on the 1937 tour by an English Amateur XI. Although Australia registered an
historic series win, local officials began to take notice of the need for qualified coaching personnel.

England Tour Gallery

1938

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1939
In 1939 the Gladesville-Ryde club appointed the first professional soccer coach in Australia, Bobby Walker, who had played professionally for Scotland's Motherwell FC and Falkirk FC and had attended FA coaching courses before becoming player-coach at the Hibernians club in Malta.

1940