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Bill Evans |
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North Shore's first ground was a paddock in Sparks Road, North Shore, later to be named Walch's road. Today the old ground is the late William (Bill) Evans. Bill has vivid memories of the club's early years and it was he that called a meeting in January, 1927, in the North Shore hall that resulted in the club being formed. Bill said the club only played on the ground for one season, 1927, and the players and umpires used his father George's nearby dairy as change sheds. Bill said the owners of the ground were visiting the area and spotted the goalposts on their land. "They weren't too happy with the people who were renting it and had allowed us to set up there,"Bill said. "However they allowed us to finish the season there and it was the one and only year we ever played there," Bill recalled. Bill still remembers the very first game against Portarlington on April 30, 1927. "We won that game and it was terrific to start with a win." The players that took to the ground for that historic game were:
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B: J.Smith , Kelly , Norton
HB: R.Carter, Abbott, Richards
C: J.Green, Holcombe, C.Green
HF: E.Evans, K.Dearnley (c), Millard
F: R.Green, Kemp, Looker
R: P.Wildman, G.Evans
R: W.Evans(vc)
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Bill also recalled another first season match at Barrabool. "It was quite a trip in those days and we all set off early to ensure we'd be on time, "when we arrived there was no-one within cooee," Bill said. "However they (Barrabool) all arrived about an hour and a half late and said the milking of their cows always came before their footy. "We finished the match on dark and then had to make the long trek home in the dark. "In another game that year we were being well beaten everywhere and were 10 goals behind at half time when some-one twigged our opponents might have been bending the rules," continued Bill. "A quick head count revealed our opponents had been using a couple of extras and they consequently lost all their score much to our merriment. "But the blighters still beat us," muttered Bill. Bill Evans won the clubs first best and fairest medal and said it was disappointing when the club didn't reform the following year. "We simply didn't have enough players to continue," Bill said. It was to be the first of three occasions that the club was to go ito recess. In 1933 when North Shore reformed it moved to a new ground where the Ford Annexe now stands. "It was only a punt kick from the old Corio Shire Hotel which pleased most of the boys," added Bill. During the club's time at this ground it won it's first premiership in 1938 followed by another in 1939. In 1941 the club moved to another ground situated close to the northern corner of Thompson's and Spark's roads, Norlane. The club stayed at this venue until 1948 when it went into recess after winning the premiership. When the club reformed in 1953 they made the Phosphate Company's Oval in North Shore their headquarters and remained there until 1958 when they took up occupancy of Windsor Park in Rose Avenue Norlane.
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Bill Evans looks over the clubs first home ground in what is now Walch's road North Shore
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Former Players stand in front of the Ford annexe the clubs home ground in 1933 |
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Past Players in front of the old phosphate ground where the club played before moving to Windsor Park. |
Windsor Park - The clubs home ground since 1958 |
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