Acknowledgment of First Nations People

ALBY SPEEED FIELD (ASF)

Games 946
Board Member 37 years
President 20 years
1st XI Premierships 1955, 1977

IN MEMORIAM: ALBY SPEED 1930 – 2020

As a 15 year old Yarraville Iron Foundry apprentice in 1947, Alby Speed was ‘ready to go’ when two colleagues challenged him to come and watch a game of hockey in his local area. Alby not only went to watch, he played that day and was hooked ever more. Little did Alby know that that day’s involvement was the beginning of a 75 year connection to his beloved Footscray Hockey Club. And with it, the following: 37 years on the FHC Board of Directors, Men’s Senior Coach for 13 years, two first XI premierships, Men’s Club Champion twice and he was the Men’s section record games holder for nearly two decades finishing on 946 games. Alby was awarded Life Membership of FHC in 1962, and received Hockey Victoria’s Award of Merit in 1990. The Women’s Club Champion (first XI Best and Fairest perpetual award trophy) is named after Alby and more recently the F1 ground was also named in his honour.

To read the full memoriam filled with wonderful photos and memories shared by his team mates, members and friends please click on the link below.
https://footscrayhockey.com.au/memoriam-alby-speed-1930-2020/

Forever in our hearts, rest in peace Alby.

BRENDAN SHEEHAN FIELD (BSF)

Games 472
Board Member 43 years
Junior Coach 40+ years
1st XI Premierships 1977

IN MEMORIAM: BRENDAN SHEEHAN 1953 – 2020

Brendan Sheehan was an accomplished cricketer for Sunshine YCW Cricket Club, and later went on to play sub-district cricket for Sunshine and district cricket at Essendon Cricket Club. His younger brother Peter Sheehan however, had taken a liking to hockey and joined Footscray Hockey Club after club member Neville Hopkins ran a school clinic at Christ the King Primary School in Braybrook. Brendan came along to watch a game at Johnson Reserve and met life member Alby Speed, who threw a stick in his hand and encouraged him to pursue the sport. Brendan was soon hooked and started playing hockey in a Men’s lower grade team at the age of 19 in 1972, a decision that would ignite one of the most dedicated passions in his life.

To read the full memoriam filled with wonderful photos and memories shared by his team mates, members and friends please click on the link below.
https://footscrayhockey.com.au/in-memorium-brendan-sheehan-1953-2020/

Forever in our hearts, rest in peace Brendan.

HISTORY

A BRIEF HISTORY OF YOUR CLUB THE FOOTSCRAY HOCKEY CLUB

The Footscray Hockey Club has operated continuously for eighty four years, being established in late 1934, and first taking the field for the 1935 winter season. The Club has had a number of homes through this extended period, playing its early years at the bottom of the Footscray Gardens / Lynches Bridge area, followed by a short period at the back of the Yarraville Gardens. In 1965 the Club began its thirty year tenure of Johnson Reserve in Essex St West Footscray, following which it moved back to Yarraville (to McIvor Reserve) in 1994.

Some Interesting Aspects From Our History

1934 – (February) Meetings held to form a hockey club in Footscray

Mid to late 1930’s:

– Social functions held at ‘Greens Palace’ (above the current furniture shop on the  corner of Geelong Rd and Barkley St).

– Roy ‘Monkey’ Campbell lost his dentures in the mud (Lynches Bridge ground).

– During the 30’s and 40’s two ladies clubs operated locally – Footscray Centrals were our affiliated unit, so named because a separate Footscray Ladies club competed between 1936 -1946. The ‘Centrals’ tag was dropped in the late 1940’s after the other ladies hockey club disbanded.

– J O’Brien removed as president (failure to attend meetings).

1940 – Pioneer Hotel change-rooms mentioned (Lynch’s Bridge).

1942 – Committee decides against disbanding FHC after having only eight players throughout the entire 1942 season (war duties).

1945 – Food, clothing rations and War Savings Certificates given as trophies.

1947 – FHC played Victoria (National Champions) to raise money for the Miss Footscray Quest (FHC lost 0-1).

– Old camouflage nets were purchased to use as goal nets.

1949 – FHC endows bed at Footscray Hospital (₤120).

– FHC donated ₤45 to the Foots / Yarraville Spastic Children’s Society.

1950 – Ben Acton picked for Australia in both Field Hockey and Ice Hockey (Australain Captain). A great all-rounder, Ben also trained with Footscray Football Club as a young man.

1948-51 – FHC U16 squad produced eight State / State Schoolboy reps. In 1952 FHC’s U16 team beat Strathmore 30-0 and Kew 37-0.

1955 – As well as the Footscray Gardens (Lynch’s Bridge end) ground (called ‘Acton Reserve’), an extra ground was used near the lily ponds.

1956 – Bill Rowbury played the entire A1 game with a fractured skull (scoring FHC’s only goal!).

– FHC lost to the USA 1-2 in a pre-Olympics practice match.

1957 – 6^th July: Alby Speed scored 6 goals (A2’s 7-0 win over Kew).

1958 – Ladies team wear Red, White and Blue for the first time.

1965 – FHC shift to Johnson Reserve in West Footscray.

– A2 (SL2) men play GF three times (vs St. Kilda) before a result is achieved.

1967 – Later a Fed Parliamentarian, Gary Johns selected in Vic U16 team.

1972 – FHC v Australia at the Albury Carnival.

1974 – Indoor hockey started at the Footscray YMCA.

– Administrative disagreements caused split in Club. Large number of players left to join Werribee and new club Sunshine.

1979 – Men’s ‘Senior Club Champion’ award won by U16 captain Greg Hopkins.

1980 – Revised constitution cuts committee size from 15 to 8.

1983 – Footscray Hockey Club incorporated.

– $100,000 upgrade carried out to Johnson Reserve pavilion.

1985 – FHC win premierships in all five Mens grades – an Australian record!

1994 – FHC shift to magnificent McIvor Reserve complex at Yarraville (sand based syn. turf ground and large pavilion).

1999  – Men’s 1^st XI contest one year of State League Division 1 for the first time since 1966.

2000 – Wet pitch (F1) added to Club complex.

2006 – FHC fields a record 36 teams (including a record 18 junior teams).

2008 – FHC junior teams compete in a club record 8 grand finals. Awarded ‘Best Junior Hockey Club in Victoria’.

2009 – FHC compete in both the mens and womens SL3 grand finals. Eastern ground re-carpeted, $200,000 specialist junior training area built.

2010 – Mens team play off in the SL2 grand final, 13 of a record 41 teams contested grand finals, FHC junior division again ranked #2 in the State, western ground recarpeted.

2011 – FHC compete in both mens and women’s SL2 grand finals (men won, women runners-up). Both promoted to SL1 for 2012. Most successful junior division in Vic again. Best girls program for 4^th consecutive year.

2012 – FHC men’s and women’s first elevens return to SL1 (‘Premier League’)!!!

2016 – FHC enter a record 53 teams, including a 12 team intra-club U8 league and a 6 team intra-club U10 league.

2017 – $1,400,000 pavilion re–development project announced

– Both of the mens and womens top two teams (Premier League and Premier League Reserves) make it to the finals in their grades.

– Our first ever Senior Female Australian player selected! Lily Brazel breaks clubs 63 year Senior Australian representation drought

2019 – $1.3m pavilion re–development project completed. $1.7m F2 re-development project announced.

– Premier League men and women making it through to their grand finals, a first in our Club’s 85 year history. Both teams finished runner-up in their grade

2020 – The winter and summer hockey season cancelled for juniors, seniors and masters due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

– F2 (Brendan Sheehan Field) re-development completed at a cost of $1.7 million.

2021 – Official renaming of F1 to ASF (Alby Speed Field) and BSF (Brendan Sheehan Field). ‘A Day on the Fields’ memorial event held at the club, celebrating the lives of Alby Speed (1930 – 2000) and Brendan Sheehan (1953 – 2000).

– Both Footscray Hockey Club Pavillion and eastern field re-development completed.

– The winter and summer hockey competitions were cancelled mid-year due to Covid-19 virus / pandemic lockdown restrictions.

2022 – Footscray Hockey Club awarded Victorian Sport Awards ‘2021 Love The Game COMMUNITY SPORTING CLUB OF THE YEAR’.

2023 – BSF Pitch, dugouts and technical bench officially opened. Internal upgrade of social area lighting, ceiling, and carpet completed.

 – FHC games record holder Neil Coster, plays his 1100th winter season game.   

FHC’s proud history of contributing to our local community! The major donations to the Footscray Hospital and the Footscray and Yarraville Spastic Children’s Society in the 1940’s started a commitment by FHC to, whenever possible; contribute back to our local communities. Later causes supported by FHC include Red Cross Calling, The Spastic Society (again), Cancer cure organisations, Beyond Blue and an orphanage in Vietnam.

MASTERS AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVES

MASTERS AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS

O/60

Peter Byrne (2012)
Bob Banks (2018)
Geoff Lewis (2013, 16, 17, 18)
Neil Coster (2005)

O/65
Alby Speed (Coach – 2002, 03)
Neil Coster (2013)
Geoff Lewis (2019, #20)

O/70
Neil Coster (2019, 2022)

MASTERS AUSTRALIAN UMPIRES, TECH OFFICIALS & ADMINSTRATORS