The History of Yallourn Soccer Club YSC - Episode 1...by Murray Lobley

THE HISTORY OF THE YALLOURN SOCCER CLUB
INTRODUCTION:
Julie asked me whether I would prepare a history of the Yallourn Soccer Club seeing that I was awarded a Master’s Degree (Research) from Victoria University in 2002 on the same subject "Coal, Steel & Leather – The History of Soccer in Gippsland". I agreed. That work centred on three Gippsland soccer clubs, the Wonthaggi Magpies, Yallourn Soccer Club and the Morwell Falcons, each in turn were "Champions of Victoria" during the twentieth century.

I have decided to provide a series of episodes or chapters based roughly on decades, ie 1920-1930, 1930-1940 etc, up until the last game that Yallourn Soccer Club played in September 1994. It would come as no surprise that after I completed my research in 2002, over the intervening 10 years, additional information about Yallourn soccer (and Gippsland soccer in general) has come to light. I will include this information where it is appropriate.

Also, readers of this work may have additional information or photographs concerning soccer tucked away in family archives and this writer would be happy to examine this information for its historical relevance adding to the "soccer story". In addition I am greatly indebted to the encouragement given to me by Don Di Fabrizio to pursue the history of this great game in the Gippsland context.

So let’s kick-off.

Episode 1 – Yallourn (and Gippsland's) Soccer Club's Debt to General Sir John Monash, Major E Noel Mulligan and Lieutenant Colonel (Professor) Sir T.W. Edgeworth David - the beginnings 1919

It may be a presumptive thesis to argue there is a debt that soccer in Yallourn, and Gippsland in general, owe to Monash, Mulligan and David. My argument is the continuance of Latrobe Valley power production, centred for many years at Yallourn, on brown coal, was the basis for the maintenance of the game in Gippsland, both through successive migrant waves, dedicated officials, players and the fostering of the next generation of adherents to the game.

Other soccer centres had their Gippsland moment in the sun, Wonthaggi and District Soccer Association kicked-off in 1912 (with a team in the Dockerty Cup) and lasted to the late 30's, when as its black coal petered out and the mines were uneconomical, so did the Association, the North Gippsland League centred around Sale and Maffra was gone by 1930 and Yallourn teams participated in both.

The crucial years for the game's survival were from 1930 to 1947, during the depression and the Second World War and Yallourn was the oasis of hope for the game in this desert of economic and political upheaval. No other Gippsland soccer centre had the longevity and the challenges of that based on the community of Yallourn from1925 until the town's demolition commencing in the 1970's.

By that time Yallourn Soccer Club had relocated to Newborough and the roots of the game had firmly spread to the surrounding district, commencing in 1951-52 with formation of the Latrobe Valley Soccer Association (and later Federation), and the game goes from strength to strength in 2013 under the aegis of its child, the Gippsland Soccer League, and those aforementioned soccer centres have emerged again.

If Yallourn was to play such a pivotal role in the longevity of soccer, how did the town come to exist?

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