BeeGees football club milestone
Beerwah Glasshouse Football Club (BeeGees) celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. It was one of only four foundation members of the Sunshine Coast Football Association. The 50th anniversary event was marked with an impressive display of memorabilia to reflect the club’s history and the attendance of original members and founding players. Five of the original team (pictured above) were present on the day and were presented with a special anniversary shirt. As befitting the occasion, the fixture that day was against Caloundra - the same club played 50 years previously. The Beerwah Glasshouse United Soccer Club officially formed on July 31, 1968 – the same year that the first season of a revived local competition was held. It featured the four clubs of Caloundra, Woombye, Maroochydore and Beerwah Glasshouse United. Before 1968 there were many attempts to form soccer teams on the Sunshine Coast (North Coast), dating as far back as 1920. According to the history overview presented on the BeeGees website (https://beegeesunitedfc.com.au), the first recorded game of association football on the North Coast was played at Palmwoods between teams from Palmwoods and Buderim on July 31, 1920. In March 1922 the Beerburrum Soccer Club was formed and joined the North Coast Football Association (NCFA), with a Glasshouse Mountains team formed in 1930. In 1933 Glasshouse withdrew from the NCFA to play in the Brisbane competition. By 1935 for numerous reasons all soccer clubs on the coast either disbanded or were closed. No further records of games can be found in local newspapers until the 1968 revival. Bill Gouiros and Jim Nicopoulos were key drivers behind the BeeGees formation in 1968. The North Coast Soccer Association was formed in early 1968, initially comprising of two teams from Caloundra and Woombye. Beerwah locals Jim and Peter Nicopoulos were recruited to play for Caloundra but after a number of weeks they were asked if there were more players in the local area who could be recruited to boost numbers. When they turned up to the next game with 15 local players, the Beerwah Glasshouse United team was formed. The formation of the team predated the formation of the club. Grounds were made available at the Glasshouse Mountains Sports Club and the distinctive club colours of emerald and white confirmed. Interestingly, during the first season the players wore rugby league jerseys.
Ken Fullerton, Fidel Fernandez, Manuel Armestos, Lucky Chronopoulos and Alan Smerdon Over the years the clubhouse, grounds and amenities have gone from strength to strength through the tireless work and fundraising of local families and community groups. These improvements have also reflected the important social and community connection provided by sporting clubs for local residents and families. Woombye and the BeeGees are the only clubs still playing on their original grounds. In 2015, to better reflect the global appeal of the game, the BeeGees changed their official name replacing ‘soccer’ with ‘football’. The club has enjoyed many highlights over the years with players going on to play in representative teams and Premier League. It was a particularly stellar year in the club’s history in 1971 with every team entered in the Sunshine Coast competition winning their grand final. The club’s website lists a total of 15 grand final victories and 13 premierships over the years, including seven in succession from 1987 to 1993, which is a remarkable achievement.
Andrew
WALLACE MP
Delivering for Fisher Authorised by Lincoln Folo, Liberal National Party of Queensland. 66-68 Bowen Street, Spring Hill QLD 4000.
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Glasshouse Country & Maleny News
