A GREAT CLUB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 July 1939, Page 4

A GREAT CLUB

CARTERTON JUBILEE. MANY OUTSTANDING FOOTBALLERS. ("Times-Age” Special.) Sixty years ago Rugby football was commenced in real earnest in Carterton, and in those days Carterton was a veritable forest of dense virgin bush. The only cleared spaces were those that had been hewn out by the early pioneer settlers. Vickerstaff’s paddock was one of those early clearings. Today there are old footballers still resident in Carterton who played in 1879. Robert Kemble is one of the old school. Many fast and hefty players have donned the football perseys for Cartertpn since these early days. Amongst them can be mentioned W. Eagle. H. Booth, .Jake Baumbcr, Bill Thomas, J. and H. Oates, C. Reid, H. Merewood, Geo. Eaton, Ned Ussher, ‘‘Off-Side” Bill McKenzie, Harry Stoddart, Fred Fairbrother, C. Fairbrother, Tom Moore, Artie Moore, C. Moore, Ted McKenzie, Bert McKenzie, Jack McKenzie. Harry Merewood. W. Runnex. "Lofty” and Irvine Armstrong, Norman McKenzie, W. H. Whyte, W. Campbell, “Alby” Desmond. “Tiny" McMinn. H. M. J. Nicholson, Albert Nicolson, M. Nicolson, C. Kamble and many others. Next Saturday the jubilee will commence in real earnest. Saturday will be one of the' gala days and among the interesting features will be the procession of veterans from the Post Office to the Showgrounds, where a match will be played between Greytown and Carterton, to commemorate the early meetings of these two clubs when the Beards, Bruntons, Heishbergs and Udys were prominent in Wairarapa football. After this game a veterans match, Masterton v. Carterton will be staged. On Saturday next Carterton will be the centre of activities of very old football and many early memories will be related among old comrades, Among those who reached All Black honours were Bill McKenzie, “Lofty Armstrong, “Tiny” McMinn, North Island honours going to Bert McKenzie (considered by many keen Judges the finest line-out forward Wairarapa has seen and a skilful captain). Ted McKenzie, a great full-back and the greatest line-kick Wairarapa has known. Alby Desmond (who as a mere youth and when still playing in the junior grade was pressed into service as a senior representative), Alf Johnston. N. McKenzie, and Cadwallader.