One of Nepean Football Association’s longest running clubs is turning 60 next month.
To mark the monumental milestone, St Marys Football Club will be holding a special celebratory event at Potter Field in Colyton on Saturday, July 23.
Everyone’s invited to their 60th birthday extravaganza, with a cake, BBQ, jumping castle and a fabulous colour fun run all set to feature.
“We would love for our life members, sponsors, committee and all our players – current and former – to come down and celebrate with us on July 23,” St Marys Football Club Social Secretary, Maryanne Moore said.
“The event is free to attend and it will start in the morning and run throughout the day.”
St Marys Football Club has a long and rich history in the local area that dates all the way back to 1962 under the guise of Oxley Park Soccer Club.
Formed by a small group of local soccer players, the club’s activities were managed from an old house adjacent to the Balgay Jam Factory at Colyton by the club’s first President Col Twemlow and Secretary George Brunskill.
Oxley Park’s first playing strip was blue and gold, while their alternate strip was brown and white. As there was no money available, the strips were made by the players’ mothers at the time.
A huge change for the club happened in 1964 when Oxley Park Soccer Club became St Marys Soccer & Sports Club and changed its colours to green and white. The colours are still in use today, even though the design has changed over the years.
Another significant development occurred in 1969 when the club underwent another name change to St Marys Soccer Club after dropping basketball and cricket and staying with soccer.
Confusion remains as to when St Marys moved from playing at the ground near the old jam factory to Ridge Park, but in 1990 the club was directed to move to its present home ground, Potter Field.
Earlier this year the club changed its name once again to St Marys Football Club, and is now home to two dozen teams and hundreds of male and female players.
Moore has been a dedicated and valued member of the club for over 17 years after her son got involved as a child. She said St Marys Football Club has lasted the test of time for one key reason.
“St Marys is a family club, and that’s been our focus over the six decades,” she said.
St Marys Football Club will celebrate their 60th birthday on Saturday, July 23 at Potter Field, located at 146 Shepherd St, Colyton.
If you have any memories of the club, including historic images, that you would like to share, drop them a line on Facebook.
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
