Football The origins of the football club are unknown, but the island was fielding a team before the First World War. A 'Leisure Hour' held regularly at the Mechanics Institute Hall had Fred Bond writing a report in an exercise book after one such occasion and noting that Tim Whyatt and Jack Ratford had argued the point about a match which French Island had lost against Phillip Island the previous Saturday. Whyatt insisted that if Ratford had only passed the ball to him instead of being selfish with it and going for free kicks which the umpire did not allow, then in Bond's words, 'Tim could have turned round twice, dodged Barney Brown and four others, ran 72 yards 4 inches and kicked a whole six points and thereby saved the French Islanders from the demoralization of defeat'. According to Bond, Ratford 's response was to tell Whyatt that 'the correct thing to do with his face was to fry and then boil it'. As with the cricket team, the football team almost certainly disbanded due to the war. Fred Bond joined the army and as a corporal, was killed in action at Gallipoli.
Above: "Ed playing footer". Ed (presumably Edmund Thompson) drawn by Fred Bond in one of the exercise books which contain his poems and prose pieces. The book was handed around for comment and unknown artist/s were responsible for the other drawings. About 1910.
External football matches probably did not resume until the 193840 season when the island played in the Phillip Island competition, a vacancy having been created by the withdrawal of the Cowes club which had difficulty in fielding 18 players. That left the Rhyll team at the east end of Phillip Island and Ventnor at the west end. But French Island too was always handicapped by insufficient players. Nor, due to farm commitments, were the customary players always available Even so, French Island won an occasional game. If a football match was at 'home' there was the disadvantage of
Below: French Island Football Team, circa 1937-8. Back row, l to r: Henry Pegram, Peter Davon Senior, Bruce Livingstone, Ernie Thompson, Jack Guy, Jack King, George King, Jack Jones, Monte King, Jack Todd, Bob Thompson, Cecil Duscher, Joe North, Peter Davon Junior. Front Row, l to r: Bert Duscher, Ted Matthews, Charlie Meade, Bob North, Bill Guy, Tony Davon.
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May 2018