SAASL - 1977 ( the lost year )

[swannsong]

SAASL Historical Images & Stats.....

The last information Uncle Cracker was seeking.
There wasn't a Year Book in 1978 which meant that results and tables for the 1977 were never formally published.
Bill Bailey managed to provide me with a photocopy of a hand written copy of some of the stats which I am slowly formatting and putting together.
Hopefully the goalscorers and B&F statistics might be around somewhere ?
I believe the hand written copies may have been drawn up by Rudi Templin back in 1977.
If anyone has team photos of league winning clubs it would be great to add them to the stats I am putting together.
Personally 1977 (and the following season 1978) was a fond period in my time at the Downs. Roy Ainscough managed to draw the best out of our team and entrusted me (at 18 years) with the 1st. Team goalkeeping position and I never missed a game during Roy's coaching tenure.

[swannsong]

I still think that the 1978 Downs side, if they hadn't mostly vanished to other Clubs, as did Roy Ainscough when he saw them all leaving (mostly for beer money ) to other Division 1 sides, might have had a good chance at the 1979 title.
In hindsight, a very good side....but we only finished 4th in 1978 as Salisbury Inter and Parafield Gardens on 27 points and 43 goals for and 18 goals against, tied for Division 1 Champions, and Madison Park finished 1 point above us.
Also the late Geoff Armstrong won the League Best & Fairest.
Another positive was that over half the 1st team had progressed through Elizabeth Downs Juniors for both the 1977 and 1978 teams !

[Uncle Cracker]

Swanny,

Did R.Ainscough play at Florina in 1979

[swannsong]

Swanny,

Did R.Ainscough play at Florina in 1979

I thought he helped Ray Firth out in the coaching department but he may have played a few games, I think Andy Hutchins may have gone to Florina in 1979 too.
Glyn Berresford, Kelvin Adderley and Geoff Armstrong left and were all part of Inter's 1979 Championship team.
I started the year off hoping to make a career out of music and rocked up back at the Downs just as the 1979 season started and played mostly in the Reserves.

[Uncle Cracker]

Swanny,

Did R.Ainscough play at Florina in 1979

I thought he helped Ray Firth out in the coaching department but he may have played a few games, I think Andy Hutchins may have gone to Florina in 1979 too.
Glyn Berresford, Kelvin Adderley and Geoff Armstrong left and were all part of Inter's 1979 Championship team.
I started the year off hoping to make a career out of music and rocked up back at the Downs just as the 1979 season started and played mostly in the Reserves.

I thought he did.

The paperwork i got given from old committee members had afew spelling errors regarding players names.

[swannsong]

Swanny,

Did R.Ainscough play at Florina in 1979

I thought he helped Ray Firth out in the coaching department but he may have played a few games, I think Andy Hutchins may have gone to Florina in 1979 too.
Glyn Berresford, Kelvin Adderley and Geoff Armstrong left and were all part of Inter's 1979 Championship team.
I started the year off hoping to make a career out of music and rocked up back at the Downs just as the 1979 season started and played mostly in the Reserves.

I thought he did.

The paperwork i got given from old committee members had a few spelling errors regarding players names.

The Year Books, particularly pre 2000, are full of incorrectly spelt surnames and typos.

[Special K]

I still think that the 1978 Downs side, if they hadn't mostly vanished to other Clubs, as did Roy Ainscough when he saw them all leaving (mostly for beer money ) to other Division 1 sides, might have had a good chance at the 1979 title.
In hindsight, a very good side....but we only finished 4th in 1978 as Salisbury Inter and Parafield Gardens on 27 points and 43 goals for and 18 goals against, tied for Division 1 Champions, and Madison Park finished 1 point above us.
Also the late Geoff Armstrong won the League Best & Fairest.
Another positive was that over half the 1st team had progressed through Elizabeth Downs Juniors for both the 1977 and 1978 teams !

Geoff Armstrong is my dad

[sparts]

thought it might have been special K! i reckon i coached steve claridges eldest son at para hills two years ago, another great young prospect for the knights

[swannsong]

Geoff Armstrong is my dad

Anyone who had the luck of playing football with your dad, Geoff Armstrong, or had the pleasure of knowing him off the park could only relate to you what a truly gifted gentleman of the game he was and how fortunate they were to have known him.

[legga]

Cracking hair and porn mo by jimmy. Got a lift home with jim early sat morning and he aint looking like that anymore...Welcome back kotter comes to mind..

[sparts]

that pic is ryan with longer hair!!!

[swannsong]

that pic is ryan with longer hair!!!

This is Geoff 3 years later when he was at Campbelltown City.

[albion83]

Played against and knew Geoff Armstrong, like many players of the 70's and 80's.

A genuinely likeable guy, fast, and possessed a left foot that could slice tomatoes......!!

I saw the Munno Para vs Farm game and saw a few blonde Para youngsters that could have been Geoff's and, boy, he would have enjoyed what was on view.

[sparts]

funnily enough niether of his boys were on display on sunday at the farm!

[Special K]

hey swanny, were do ya get all these pics as ive never seen them of him before? its good to see

[swannsong]

hey swanny, were do ya get all these pics as ive never seen them of him before? its good to see

I scan them in from Year Books, old Newspapers etc. if you want copies they can be downloaded from Flickr.

[swannsong]

hey swanny, were do ya get all these pics as ive never seen them of him before? its good to see

I just scan in images from Year Books and old newspapers that I have hoarded over the years.
They have been uploaded to Flickr and copies can be downloaded.

[Penalty11]

It's nice to see 80% of the photos and stats of the pre 1977 years discussed and published came from me.Thank you?

[Missing Post Count]

Now can you say that again in English.

[winzor]

What did the letters "E.V." stand for in "E.V. Austria...."?

[swannsong]

What did the letters "E.V." stand for in "E.V. Austria...."?

Possibly East Vienna Austria, not sure ?

[swannsong]

Finished formatting some information that Rudi Templin put together in 1977...there wasn't a Yearbook in 1978 and most of these tables and stats never saw the light of day. 1977 was a fond year for myself as an 18 year old entrusted by Roy Ainscough with the 1st team keeper position in a very strong Downs side that won promotion to Division 1 for the second time in 3 seasons.
Bill Bailey kindly provided me with a photocopy of the hand-written summaries that Rudi had compiled.
If anyone can find any glaring errors let me know...or if anyone has photos or team photos from that season I wouldn't mind scanning them and adding them to the archives that I hope will eventually reside (in digital form) at SAASL Headquarter and be available to everyone !

[SAASRA Secretary]

You're quite right about typos Swanny... the team referred to as West End United in 1977 is, I believe, actually Western United.
West End United came in to being in 1989 as a name change to Kilkenny Ramblers.

[swannsong]

You're quite right about typos Swanny... the team referred to as West End United in 1977 is, I believe, actually Western United.
West End United came in to being in 1989 as a name change to Kilkenny Ramblers.

I'm not sure that one is a typo as there is a Western United (Fulham United) in Division 1.
So those teams in Division 6 might have been Western United's "C" teams ?
Or could they have been the works teams from the brewery ?
In the 1979 yearbook there is still a team called West End United in Division 6 with players such as J.Winter, R.Sullivan, P.Hills, J.Hockridge, T. Brown, D.Smith, J.Yates, N.Swancott,T.Smith, L.Gillette, G.Brown and P.Pierscioner...they played at Western Youth Centre, Marion Road, Cowandilla...President C.Best and Secretary J.Yates ?

[robinfriday10]

division four league winners Kilburn were Tubemakers.......this was the year bill bailey left modbury vista for a short stint at tubies before obviously going on to bigger and better things

another good year for vista(their second last in the green an gold), and memories of the imfamous vista - avellino all in brawl.

i think nick james may have been coaching strathmont at the time

[Jiglet25]

Geoff Armstrong is my dad

Anyone who had the luck of playing football with your dad, Geoff Armstrong, or had the pleasure of knowing him off the park could only relate to you what a truly gifted gentleman of the game he was and how fortunate they were to have known him.

Does anyone recall playing against the Henry brothers from M.U. Findon??

[swannsong]

Geoff Armstrong is my dad

Anyone who had the luck of playing football with your dad, Geoff Armstrong, or had the pleasure of knowing him off the park could only relate to you what a truly gifted gentleman of the game he was and how fortunate they were to have known him.

Does anyone recall playing against the Henry brothers from M.U. Findon??

I must have played against them but can't specifically remember them, as they might not remember me
Played juniors and went to school with a lad called Ian Henry.

[kingswood]

What did the letters "E.V." stand for in "E.V. Austria...."?

Possibly East Vienna Austria, not sure ?

Elizabeth Vale Austria...?

Perhaps....

[ExtraTime]

Enfield Victoria Austria....? Lol

[swannsong]

What did the letters "E.V." stand for in "E.V. Austria...."?

Possibly East Vienna Austria, not sure ?

Elizabeth Vale Austria...?

Perhaps....

Enfield Victoria Austria....? Lol

Indeed !
More likely that the were Enfield Victoria Austria ?
In 1976 Austria played at John Hart Reserve Ethelton.
In 1977 EV Austria played at Rushworth Reserve, Blair Athol...home of Enfield Victoria !
In 1978 they were simply known as Austria.
In 1979 Austria moved to Ridley grove and were known as RG Austria.