History of Football at High

Football has had a distinguished, albeit sporadic, history at High, as a CHS sport since 1913 and as a GPS sport since 1988. Throughout these years, it has gone by a variety of names, including “Association Football” and, more popularly, “soccer”. The GPS competition officially changed the name from “soccer” to “football” in 2006.

Association football was first introduced as a school sport at High in 1913. The first master-in-charge was John Ulrick Ransom (1866-1945) a French teacher, who was said to have had “long experience of the game”. The Record of June 1913 announced:

This season has witnessed the introduction in the School of this grand old scientific game, which has started under the most brilliant auspices, for no fewer than sixty members have been already enrolled, and-still they come! 

The club joined the high schools competition, administered by the Public Schools Amateur Athletic Association (PSAAA), with matches taking place on Wednesday afternoon.

By 1915, soccer was said to be the most popular sport in the school, with the soccer club netting around 100 members. This popularity meant that, by 1916, there was serious difficulty in obtaining sufficient players for the grade Rugby teams. This led to the “great Rugby-Soccer dispute” which roiled the school for several years.

Some pupils were able to combine both Rugby and soccer - for example, Frank Bradhurst (1918) captained the 1st XI on Wednesdays and was a member of the 1st XV on Saturdays - but we have to assume such players were rarities. 

In 1917, the 1st XI won the first grade competition (which, however, consisted of only 3 teams). Five High boys were also selected for the Combined High Schools side. In 1918, the 1st XI again took out the Premier Shield and provided six players for a Combined High Schools side. The 2nd XI also won its competition in 1918. 

Despite, or perhaps because of, this success, the School Union ultimately decided against retaining soccer as a school sport. The Record of December 1918 observed:

But it seems probable that, if some immediate action be not taken, the joke will become a tragedy-and a tragedy for the School. 

For we are, first and foremost, a Great Public School, and if we are to maintain that proud position, we must concentrate our efforts on GPS sports alone. If the School be divided within, how can it withstand attacks from without? The School has given of her best to us; she expects all her sons to aid her by sinking all personal likes and dislikes, so that she may fitly uphold her great traditions. Shall it said that we failed her in her hour of need?

Only a decade later, circumstances had changed with the increased enrolments following the School’s move from Ultimo to to larger accommodation at Moore Park, early in 1928. A short call to action appeared in the December 1928 issue of The Record:

Soccer football is not one of the school sports, and the reason for this is hard to discover. This noble game, which has its origin in England, is one which calls for great skill and scientific movements. There are, as I have found out by personal inquiry, a great number of boys who play Soccer, including our Deputy-Captain, J Still.

Objections can be ruled out, because Soccer is a High School competition sport, and the ever-increasing number of boys of the school makes it unnecessary to impose restriction for the sake of Rugby Union Football. It is necessary that attention should be given to Soccer as a school sport.

The December 1929 issue of Record reported that the revival of soccer was: 

due to the enthusiasm of a few senior boys, who eventually succeeded in convincing the Sports Union that a Soccer revival would have the effect of providing regular school football for many boys who would otherwise be compelled to select either tennis or rifle shooting. In previous years a heavy burden was imposed upon these clubs, as they were compelled to absorb all boys who were unable to play Rugby Union.

A team was, therefore, established in 1929 and, while it was formed too late to arrange any competition in that year, did play some matches against other schools. The newly formed club enjoyed the distinction of playing the first sporting match on the area set aside for the school’s sports ground (later known as McKay) in Centennial Park. 

The 1st XI joined the high schools competition in 1930 and took out the premiership. The team continued for the next three years. However, a shortage of players arose in 1933 and, in 1934, the new Headmaster, Fred McMullen, decided that soccer should, once again, cease to be a school sport. Reasons for this decision were that:

• the withdrawal of several high schools raised doubts whether the PSAAA would organise a competition 
• the lack of interest and difficulty in getting suitable players and efficient referees in 1933 made it difficult to field two teams
• there was a danger of taking players from rugby teams.

The Headmaster’s decision was ratified by a special meeting of the School Union. 

There were a couple of attempts to reintroduce soccer in the 1950s.

In 1955, a team was formed and played some matches against other schools. The student newspaper reported in July that soccer had “now become firmly established and is now gaining popular among the pupils as each day passes”. A student teacher, Mr Widerberg (a first grade player), provided some much appreciated coaching. 

However, such revivals were short-lived as the official line was maintained against soccer.

Another attempt was made in 1957, this time with the support of a commerce teacher, L J Bailey (staff: 1957-1962). Several matches were played against other schools, including the nearby Cleveland St High School. 

Ken Andrews, the headmaster in 1955-1963, looking back many years later, wrote: 

From time to time pressure was exerted on the School by external interests for the introduction of soccer, but this was resisted on the ground that, as a member of the AAGPS, Sydney High must participate to the fullest extent in sporting activities sponsored by the GPS. To encourage another football code to compete with Rugby would inevitably lead to a partial withdrawal from GPS Rugby.

It was not until 1969, that High took up soccer again, joining the Combined High Schools’ competition in the Metropolitan East zone. This occurred after a parent pointed out to acting Headmaster Greg Bradford that most of the Eastern Suburbs rep team from Hakoah and Pan Hellenic were at the school.

From this date until the late 1980s there were only two teams (1st and 2nd grade), with no junior grades. In some cases, year 8 boys were members of the 2nd XI.

In 1986, soccer was finally given a home field at the McKay Sportsground and, after 17 years, the 1st XI took out the CHS zone title.

However, the school withdrew from the CHS zone competition on Wednesdays, in 1987, to allow all sports to concentrate on training for the GPS matches on Saturdays. For the first time, 1st and 2nd grade soccer teams played against GPS and CAS schools on Saturday. In the following year, the official GPS competition was inaugurated and junior soccer teams were introduced at High for the first time.

Tom Dolan (Staff: 1989-2021) took on management of the football program from 1989 and coached the 1st XI, with incredible success, winning GPS premierships in 1991, 1993 and 1995. The 1st XI were also runners-up in 1992 and 1994. The school’s football cup, the “Dolan Cup”, has been named in his honour. The 2nd XI were also successful in this period, taking out GPS premierships in 1990, 1992, 1994.

Football continued to increase in popularity, with 2-3 teams for each age group in the 1990s becoming 6-7 teams in each age group in the 2010s. After the initial successes of the 1990s, the 2nd XI took out a GPS premiership in 2001 and the 1st XI in 2024. 

Old Boys in football

Two Old Boys have achieved prominence in football - one on the pitch and one off the pitch.

Sir Arthur George (1932) (born Athanasios Theodore Tzortzatos, in Sydney) was President of the Australian Soccer Federation, 1969-1988, and a member of the FIFA executive, 1980-1994. His term as President of the ASF saw Australia’s first appearance at the World Cup finals in 1974 and the formation of the National Soccer League in 1977. He was the first Australian to serve on the FIFA executive and received FIFA’s highest honour, the gold Order of Merit, in 1994. 

In 2018, Daniel Arzani, a member of the 2013 1st XI and GPS 2nd XI, became the first Old Boy and youngest ever Socceroo to play in the World Cup.