Page 44 - History of Parkside Football Club (1897-2017) Editied Version Completed_optimized

Parkside Football Club 1897/2017
By 1938, the Footscray District Football League had ten teams and Parkside Football Club never had
the number of registered players that they had in the first four or five years in the Footscray District
Football League. So they weren’t as dominant as they had been and also other clubs in the League
became more efficient.

I overlooked a match played in 1931 when a combined Footscray District Football League side played
Footscray Football Club 2nd. 18. Parkside had five players in that combined side, namely C. Stendman
(Captain), Bert Sharp, Jack Sainsbury, Bill O’Shannessy and Cyril Gration. Footscray 2nd. 18 won by
one point. Footscray 2nd. 18 scored 10-11-71 to FDFL’s 9-16-70. Cyril Gration Best on Ground.”

Similarly, Kevin Hiller remarks that,

“1934 was a year of upheaval with two sides, Riverside & Footscray Presbyterians withdrawing from
the A Grade competition early in the season, forcing a redraw for the remaining six teams. The ten
team B Grade introduced many new clubs including Victor Socials, Sunshine Methodists and North
Footscray Imperials.

West Footscray won the A Grade flag and Newells the B Grade.

Most clubs were a product of local community groups, church groups or workplaces. In 1935, one of
the most influential employers of the western suburbs joined the league with the formation of the ICI
team from Deer Park.

1935 saw Newport, Spotswood and Williamstown Districts apply to join the league from the VFA sub-
districts, but they were refused. The three clubs officially disbanded. The FDJFL did accept new clubs
into the competition in Newport United and Spotswood Citizens.

They played on the grounds vacated by the disbanded clubs.

Clip Springers Football club, which was representing a commercial enterprise in Braybrook, applied
to join B Grade but was denied entry. St. Johns disbanded and Sunshine Methodists did not field a
team. Footscray Rovers became Seddon and for the first time, but not the last, the league changed its
name to the Footscray District Football League (FDFL).

1936 saw the introduction of an Under18 competition with five clubs fielding teams; the North
Footscray Imperials won the flag and went undefeated for the season. Two new clubs joined, in
Kingsville and Footscray Tech Old Boys.”

Hillier, Kevin 2007, History of the WRFL/FDFL, Common Ground, Altona, Vic

Once a Parksider, Always a Parksider