Revesby
The club was founded in 1950 by Mr. Alan Addie who entered a team in the under 14 year old boys’ competition in the Canterbury & District Soccer Football Association under the name of Revesby Rovers.
Their strip consisted of a white shirt with a black V, white shorts and socks. Amour Park was their home ground. The team finished last out 12 teams with 2 wins under their belt. During the 1950 season, interest in soccer in the Revesby area grew and it was decided to officially form a club under its own constitution.
At the end of the season, the inaugural meeting of the Revesby Rovers Soccer Football Club was held in Alan Addie’s shack (as it was known then), and the following foundation members were duly elected.
Jack Harris Foundation President
Vic Clarke Foundation vice President
Bob Fisk Foundation vice President
Alan Addie Foundation Secretary
Eric Murphy Assistant Secretary
Jim Logan Treasurer
In February 1951, the club held its first AGM on the verandah of the house that still stands on the southern corner of Wilberforce and River Roads, Revesby. Here the club constitution was drafted. The lease of Amour Park from Bankstown Council was also organised in 1951. Patrons in the early years were:
Premier WF McGirr – Premier of NSW and Local Member
Senator Amour – Federal Member and Senator
In 1951, Rovers was one of the foundation clubs in the formation of the Bankstown District Amateur Soccer Association and Rovers Assistant Secretary, Mr. Eric Murphy, became president of the Association. He held the position for the first three years. In the 1950’s Rovers Club grew to around 12 teams and in the 1960’s to around 28 teams. Rovers used two grounds in these early days, Amour Park, Revesby (next to the Revesby Swimming Pool) and Killara Reserve, Milperra. When Killara Reserve was given to Rugby League, Rovers was split and teams went to form other clubs around the local area. Amour Park had only telegraph posts laid on the ground for spectators to sit and view from. The old wooden shack was used for the clubhouse meetings and a canteen, at the back of which were makeshift showers, out in the open with only hession curtains for privacy. Rovers had to mow the grass and line the field themselves. In 1961 the old timber shack burnt down and the club had to use a tent until the current clubhouse was erected in the early 1970s. The current grandstand was also built around this time to greatly improve the seating for spectators.
Around 1966, with support from the then Mayor of Bankstown the late Frank McIlvern, Council totally upgraded Amour park, the playing surface of which had become a ‘dust bowl’. Rovers spent two seasons playing at Nepture Park, but when completed Amour Park was the best in Bankstown. 1990s saw the club with an average of 15 teams competing against 7 other clubs in the East Hills District. 1993 saw extensions to the clubhouse, completed by Council, including a small equipment room and an awning at the front. In this year Council imposed fees for the use of grounds on Sundays for Gala days etc. Rovers uniform has seen many changes over the years however the colours have always been black and white.
Rovers have had notable members through our club over the years at representative level, none finer than Australian Socceroo representatives Robbie Slater and Stephen O’Conner and also Michael and Matthew Glenday both of whom represented Australia and NSW for the Deaf Soccer Association.
2009 Council is trialing a new “all seasons pitch”, in an effort to save both time and money.
The new all seasons pitch cost Council a total of $5,000.It will allow the ground to remain open for play, all year round, instead of having to close for eight weeks due to maintenance.
The ground can now be ready in one day for the required sport, at a greatly reduced cost.
The existing pitch surface was removed and a rubber underlay placed over the concrete pitch. Synthetic grass was then laid over the underlay.
Soccer is the first sport to use the new pitch. A rubber granule was rubbed into the synthetic grass to make it soft enough for play.
When it is time to get the pitch ready for cricket, the rubber granule will be removed by using a vacuum or high-pressure cleaner, and collected for future use. Once the rubber is removed the surface will be hard enough to play cricket.
Amour Park was selected as a trial location. If both sporting associations are happy with the pitch, Council will consider works on the other pitches throughout the Bankstown Local Government Area.
