Photos by Competition and Team
The competition ended in 1934 for a variety of reasons including the loss of the fire brigade team, a competition mainstay and disputes over player eligability, as clubs struggled to find players.
Note - The Argus team became 'Press' in 1930
Note - The 1926 season saw many teams not participate and the League effectively disbanded with an alternate 'Midweek League' run instead.
...by the end of the 1920s the WFL had developed a reputation for unruliness, on-and-off-field violence, and links to gambling in an era when these phenomena were common at most levels of football. (Burke, 2008, p.212)
Many of the senior players from this era recall that their employers required them to play in the workplace teams, and that they were obliged to play. (Burke, 2008, p.239)
Some of the clubs had a substantial pool of senior players from which to choose from, leading to the introduction of a rule restricting teams to using just four senior players per game. Clubs such as Railways and Fire Brigade could have fielded teams composed almost entirely of senior footballers. The ‘four-player’ rule was introduced as a way of evening up the competition for smaller workplaces. (Burke, 2008, p.244)
A few well known faces in the Wednesday League were Press;Greg Stockdale (Essendon, Coburg) and the Fire Brigade; Garnet Campbell (Essendon), Len Webster (Essendon) and Yellow Cabs;Jack Dyer (Richmond) and Waterside Workers; Peter Reville (South Melbourne), though there were many others.
Premiers-WEDNESDAY ASSOCIATION. (1922, September 14). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 11. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1844203
1923
Premiers - Wednesday League Matches. (1924, May 7). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 23. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4368122
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1923, September 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 4. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2001428
1924
Teams - FOOTBALL. (1925, April 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 14. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2084059
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1924, September 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 10. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2025956
1925
Teams - Wednesday League. (1925, August 6). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2152428
Teams - FOOTBALL. (1926, March 27). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 26. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3742176
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1925, August 27). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2163723
1926
Teams - MID-WEEK LEAGUE. (1926, May 12). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 28. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3781290
Premiers - No heading. (1926, August 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 4. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page450187
1927
Teams - FOOTBALL. (1927, March 28). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 17. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3845986
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1927, September 29). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3882081
1928
Teams - The Age 5Jul1928 p4
Teams - The Age 31May 1928 p5
Premiers - No heading. (1928, September 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page465510
1929
Teams - The Age 20Jun1929 p6
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE FOOTBALL. (1930, May 15). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4087345
1930
Teams - The Age 22May1930 p6
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1930, September 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 11. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4190731
1931
Teams - The Age 2 Jul 1931 p3
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1931, October 1). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 10. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4428406
1932
Teams - The Age 14Jul1932 p3
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1932, September 8). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 12. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4496725
1933
Teams - The Age 25 May 1933 p5
Premiers - FOOTBALL WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1933, October 5). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11698644
1934
Teams - The Age 28Jun1934 p5
Teams - The Age 5Jul1934 p5
Premiers - THE CENTENARY PREMIERSHIP. (1934, October 10). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 17. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10966177
1935 - Disbandment
Teams - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1935, April 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12232817
Introduction
The Wednesday League was a Melbourne based inter-workplace league. The league contained a number of teams with unionised workplaces. This factor caused major disruption to the league with the entry of a police team in 1926 due to the use of police in strikebreaking activities. The top teams during the life of the competition were the Metropoliton Fire Brigade and the Railways teams.The competition ended in 1934 for a variety of reasons including the loss of the fire brigade team, a competition mainstay and disputes over player eligability, as clubs struggled to find players.
Table of contents
Teams
The table below provides a summary of teams involved in the Wednesday League. The numbers 1 and 2 indicate the Premier and runner up for that year.Note - The Argus team became 'Press' in 1930
Note - The 1926 season saw many teams not participate and the League effectively disbanded with an alternate 'Midweek League' run instead.
Character of the League
Peter Bourke's 'A social history of workplace Australian football, 1860–1939' is available online and provides a useful section on the Wednesday League. A few quotes provide a brief insight into the league....by the end of the 1920s the WFL had developed a reputation for unruliness, on-and-off-field violence, and links to gambling in an era when these phenomena were common at most levels of football. (Burke, 2008, p.212)
Many of the senior players from this era recall that their employers required them to play in the workplace teams, and that they were obliged to play. (Burke, 2008, p.239)
Some of the clubs had a substantial pool of senior players from which to choose from, leading to the introduction of a rule restricting teams to using just four senior players per game. Clubs such as Railways and Fire Brigade could have fielded teams composed almost entirely of senior footballers. The ‘four-player’ rule was introduced as a way of evening up the competition for smaller workplaces. (Burke, 2008, p.244)
A few well known faces in the Wednesday League were Press;Greg Stockdale (Essendon, Coburg) and the Fire Brigade; Garnet Campbell (Essendon), Len Webster (Essendon) and Yellow Cabs;Jack Dyer (Richmond) and Waterside Workers; Peter Reville (South Melbourne), though there were many others.
Boyles Images
Category:
Wednesday League
Other Images
Peter Reville | ||
Ivan Corry | ||
References
Teams and Premiers
1922Premiers-WEDNESDAY ASSOCIATION. (1922, September 14). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 11. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1844203
1923
Premiers - Wednesday League Matches. (1924, May 7). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 23. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4368122
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1923, September 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 4. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2001428
1924
Teams - FOOTBALL. (1925, April 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 14. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2084059
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1924, September 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 10. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2025956
1925
Teams - Wednesday League. (1925, August 6). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2152428
Teams - FOOTBALL. (1926, March 27). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 26. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3742176
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1925, August 27). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2163723
1926
Teams - MID-WEEK LEAGUE. (1926, May 12). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 28. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3781290
Premiers - No heading. (1926, August 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 4. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page450187
1927
Teams - FOOTBALL. (1927, March 28). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 17. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3845986
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1927, September 29). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3882081
1928
Teams - The Age 5Jul1928 p4
Teams - The Age 31May 1928 p5
Premiers - No heading. (1928, September 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page465510
1929
Teams - The Age 20Jun1929 p6
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE FOOTBALL. (1930, May 15). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 5. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4087345
1930
Teams - The Age 22May1930 p6
Premiers - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1930, September 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 11. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4190731
1931
Teams - The Age 2 Jul 1931 p3
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1931, October 1). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 10. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4428406
1932
Teams - The Age 14Jul1932 p3
Premiers - FOOTBALL. (1932, September 8). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 12. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4496725
1933
Teams - The Age 25 May 1933 p5
Premiers - FOOTBALL WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1933, October 5). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11698644
1934
Teams - The Age 28Jun1934 p5
Teams - The Age 5Jul1934 p5
Premiers - THE CENTENARY PREMIERSHIP. (1934, October 10). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 17. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10966177
1935 - Disbandment
Teams - WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1935, April 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 13. Retrieved January 13, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12232817