Planning a reunion debut for RSL Club Soccer Club are (from left) Col Eunson, Mal Peters and Jim McGuire. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 161012GOC01
COL EUNSON and Jim McGuire are two of the RSL Club Soccer Club originals.
They were there when the now defunct club was first formed in “either ’69 or ’70” but, while the starting date might be a little hazy, they are hoping a planned reunion on next year’s October long weekend might rectify that and re-ignite some old memories and passions.
Mal Peters was also a part of that club as a young teen and, with the two originals, has been planning for the reunion after more than 40 years.
Both McGuire and Eunson agree there were some great successes and times had.
They produced old clippings from Northern Daily Leaders that documented the RSL successes after their first game produced a 2-1 win over Hotspurs.
A 10-nil whipping of Hillvue Rovers in 1972 was greeted with much glee by Eunson and McGuire for a club which started with one team but, at its height, had four senior teams.
“We had two first grade sides and two reserve grade teams playing in the local comp,” Eunson recalled.
“Numerous first grade premierships followed,” McGuire said .
“Oh golly, plenty of premierships,” he recalled.
“We actually won the State Cup in 1979. We beat South United in Newcastle 4-2.
“That was on the Saturday and we had to come back and play Manilla the next day.
“We were absolutely stuffed and got beaten.”
Eunson said the club “slowly but surely” died away with the changes in the football landscape that now see a Northern Inland Premier League.
Travelling was a major reason for the club’s demise, he reckoned.
But one thing they are confident of is a big roll-up to next October’s first reunion.
“We had hundreds of players play for the club,” Eunson said.
“You only have to look at all the old registrations,” he motioned to the journals, noting the many and varied registrations.
Peters started with RSL as a 13-year-old in 1974 and was a part of that State Cup win five years later as a teenager.
He’s hoping the first reunion might bring together many of those players who played the early years as well as throughout the club’s history.
“We’ve booked the Diggers for both the Saturday and Sunday night,” he said.
“It can hold 200 upstairs but I think we’ll get 400.”
He hopes former players will contact the club via email and advise of them of their interest so they can make arrangements to fit in all the interested people to their celebration weekend.
He can be contacted at work (Cartridge World) or on his mobile (0428 161085).