About

Revesby Workers has had quite a long and colourful history. We’ve had the likes of Robbie Slater come through our ranks as a junior. Robbie went on through to Blacktown City, Sydney United and then overseas to clubs including Lens (France), Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United and Southampton (England) and of course playing for Australia.

The origins of the Revesby Workers’ Football Club pre-dates that of the Revesby Workers’ Club (known initially as the East Hills Workers’ Club). The football club, had its beginning in the late 1950s but was then known as the Panania Wanderers until 1962. Further details can be found on the Revesby Workers’ Club website (About > Club History pages) and in the following extract from a book about the main club.

From ‘The Big Club – The History of Revesby Workers Club’ by Merle Peters, 1985.

Revesby Workers’ Soccer Club is another affiliated group which, in actual fact is as old as, or older than Revesby Workers’ Club, originally having been known as Panania Wanderers up until 1962. Then an approach was made to East Hills Workers’ Club to accept the Wanderers under its banner – playing still under their chosen colours, maroon shirt with two diagonal stripes and white shorts and socks. (Maroon and white are of course, Revesby Workers’ Club official colours today, although the Soccer Club uniform has changed in the application of the colours).

There were seven Wanderer teams from Under 8 to Under 13 (of which there were two), who joined the Workers and in 1963 the first recorded Bankstown Trophy win by a Workers’ Club team was by the Under 8 team, consisting of P. Lynch, S. Yuille, B. Cole, B. Ralph, J. Simpson, T. Lynch, Q. Taylor, F. Weeks, F. Rodighiero and R. Bullard in the President’s Cup.

Milperra Reserve was their home ground – their training was done by the light of an arclight ‘pushed’ out from an old shed, playing on a ground which had a determined slope from one end to the other. The Council eventually graded the ground about 1970 and built dressing sheds.

Office-bearers on the first Management Committee were Darcy Brooks, President: John (Ben) Hall, Vice-Presidnet: Jim Seaton, Secretary: Den Yuille, Social Secretary: Jack Turner, Tresurer, and the ever-necessary Canteen Ladies included Mesdames Hamilton, Fletcher, Beves, Hall, Yapman and others.

The R.W. Soccer Club record is good. Their policy from the beginning was never to turn an enthusiastic boy away.

In 1967 the club’s All Age Division 1 team won the Premiership and Knockout so it was decided that the club was ready to aim for a higher standard.

Following successful application to join the N.S.W. Federation of Soccer Clubs the Workers competed in the Federation’s Inter-suburban Third Division in 1968, won First and Second Grade in 1969, and eventually became the Premiers of Division 2 State League in 1977.

With newly-appointed coach Ian Lloyd, both First and Second grades reached the semi-finals and eventually became Championship winners. This put them into the Inter-suburban Second Division … and with the formation of the Third Division of the State League in 1971 the Workers were invited to join, bypassing the First Division Inter-suburban.

More success followed under coaches John Hughes, Joe Martin, Brian (Peter) Smith. Then in 1976 Greg Byles was appointed player/coach and brought with him a change of style in the playing of soccer by Revesby Workers’ Soccer teams. This season they went into First Grade semi-finals and defeated Ku-ring-gai and drawing nil-all with Queens Park in the finals. Although Queens Park won the replay the following week, it was Workers who were asked to represent the Third Division in an exhibition match against Central Coast at Gosford, which they won.

In 1977 the National League competition commenced and Revesby Club was invited into the Second Division and proved themselves worthy by defeating Melita in the semis and Ku-ring-gai in the final.

In 1978 R. W. Soccer received sponsorship from C.T.C, and were the first club in the N.S.W Federation to wear sponsorship on their shirts, doing so against Croatia in the First Division Ampol Cup.

Over the next five years the club had defeats and successes, playing against Polonia and Bankstown (in a promotion play-off for State League, 1st Division, in 1979), St George, Marconi, Apia Leichhardt, Sydney City and Blacktown City, etc. (who all fielded their National League players in those competitions, when available).

Revesby Workers’ Soccer has also played a couple of social games against, firstly, the crew of a Russian ship “Fedor Shalyapin” and later the crew of “Taras Shavenko” just prior to the Government ban on Russian ships into Australian ports. Due to a lack of trade because of the ban, C.T.C. Travel was forced to withdraw its sponsorship.

Over recent years Revesby Workers has won the Umbro Shield in 1982 against Wollongong United, and were runner-up in 1983 to Fairy Meadow, with Greg Byles as First Grade Coach, and the club had a record of 7 Premierships in the Junior ranks in 1984.

Some players who deserve honourable mention for their long service to the Federation Squad are Garry Patterson, Lyle Pitman, Greg Gill, Graham Watson, Greg Thomas. In fact, the number of players with 10 consecutive years loyalty to the club is thirty-two. And three players with twenty years service are Kim Beves, Malcolm Straube and Gred Gill.

Those honoured with Life Membership are: Darcy Brooks, John Hall, Kenneth Beves, Adrian Tatham, Keith Walker, Geoff Smith, John Truashiem, John Cook, Roy Thompson, Ron Polley, Doreen Polley and Paul Kitley.

With 320 players enrolled, the R.W. Soccer is the Big Club’s largest affiliated group, and currently is administered by President, Dennis Hayward; Senior Vice-President, Dennis Norris; Junior Vice-President, Alan Wardop; Secretary, Allan Fairly; Treasurer, Colin Clancy; Publicity Officer, R. Mennell; Registrar, L. Sargood; Recorder, L. Houghton; Gear Steward, J. Morgan; Fund-Raising, M. Hayward. Liasion Director is Bill Bullard.