1947 /

1947 - Our Foundation Year

Approximately 200 people attended a meeting at Parramatta Town Hall on February 12, 1947, to elect the inaugural office bearers of the Parramatta District Rugby League Club.

Director nominations were previously accepted at a special meeting in the Parramatta School of Arts on January 29. Invitations for inaugural members of the Club for the 1947 season were also called. At the end of its meeting, Parramatta had elected its first office bearers and reported the club had £600 in the bank (four members had subscribed £100 each). 

The following officers were elected:

Patron, Mr N. Cooper; president, Mr J. Argent; vice-presidents, Messrs. B. Yates, C.W. Vilo, L. Hitchcock, T. O’Shea, V. Scullin, S. Simpson, A. Prudames, V. Gray, H. Horwood, L. Mead; treasurer, Mr. J. H. Smith; secretary, Mr. J. Parsons; secretary 2nd grade, Mr S. O’Neill; secretary 3rd grade Mr G. Hannan. 

Coaches: 1st grade, Mr. H. McMillan; 2nd grade, S. Simpson; 3rd grade H. Hannan.

Delegates to N.S.W.R.F.L Messrs. J. Parsons and S. O’Neill. 

It was determined the first training session would be held at Parramatta Oval at 7.30pm on Monday, February 17, 1947. First grade match payments would be £7 a win and £2 a loss. Injured players in trial games would be paid £3 per week (married) and £2 per week (single). 

Many of the founding players were ex-servicemen returning to the sports scene after serving in World War II and were looking for additional income. The majority had never played first grade. 

Parramatta first grade finally made their debut against Newtown ‘Blue Baggers’ at Cumberland Oval on Saturday, April 12, 1947, before a crowd of 6,000. The team was: Col Schomberg, Dave Munro, Bob Andrews (c), John Smith, Keith Gersbach, Bert Bell, Wally Woodward, Arthur Slattery, Ted (Barney) Hearn, George Saywell, George Robertson, George Cook and Frank (Snowy) McKean.

The final score was Newtown 34 (L. McKean 2, T. Pittman 2, L. Doran, C. Cahill, G. Scully, N. Jacobsen tries, K. Froome 4, L. Doran goals) Parramatta 12 (G. Cook, G. McKean tries, B. Bell 3 goals).

Parramatta lost all three grades that day (reserves 9-5 and thirds 16-7), but it did not matter. Parramatta finally had a team in the N.S.W.R.F.L. competition.

Excerpt from “Parramatta – The Quest for Glory”, by Neil Cadigan 
Col Schomberg on that memorable day: 

We were shaking in our boots. It was a very big time for most of us. I remember in the dressing room everyone was nervy, but we all felt very proud we were the first to wear the blue and gold of Parramatta.   We went out the back of the stand to have our photo taken before the game. It was a real gala day, the citizens band played and there were speeches.   Newtown were one of the top sides and very big. We held them in the first half but, like many times that season, we wilted towards the end of the game.  And when we came off we were greeted by cold showers. It’s funny that the old grandstand (which stood until Cumberland was burnt down in 1981) became notorious for cold showers in the decades after. 

Col Schomberg Eel #10 Foundation Player 1947

The Parramatta Eels Originals who proudly wore our #blueandgold in 1947

The Club recorded its first win against Orange on June 14, 1947. 
Players quickly earned the nickname ‘Fruit Pickers’ as a reflection of the farm and orchards located in the catchment.  

By the end of the 1947 season, Parramatta had scored 230 points and had 424 points scored against them. 

The first end of season get-together was held on Friday November 14, 1947. Players were presented with cheques for the season, averaging £59 – a record for a club in its initial season. 

1947 Debutants: Keith Gersbach (1), Bert Bell (2), Bob Andrews (3), George Cook (4), Edward ‘Barney’ Hearn (5), Fred McKean (6), Dave Munro (7), George Robertson (8), George Saywell (9), Colin Schomberg (10), Arthur Slattery (11), Johnny Smith (12), Wally Woodward (13), Neville Brennan (14), Ron Croghan (15), Don Schilling (16), Doug Spurway (17), Max Wilson (18), Keith Tull (19), Tom Wedesweiler (20), Rolf Trudgett (21). 

1948 /

Parramatta signed legendary Vic Hey the following year to replace Frank McMillan as first grade coach and captain/player. Vic had played Test football prior to World War II and played many seasons in the English League.

A local journalist would refer to the players as the ‘Heymakers’. Other key recruits included second-row forward Bruce Mann, Nev Spence, Jack Hayward, Ian Johnston, Arthur Jones and Bob Jones. Ian Johnston and Bob Jones would later become officials of the club. The 1948 season was a difficult year of injury and sickness with 25 players representing first grade, 39 in reserve grade and 49 in third grade. 

1948 Debutants: Jack Hayward (22), Vic Hey (23), Jim Jewell (24), Ian Johnston (25), Cec Little (26), Keith Schultz (27), Bruce Mann (28), Neville Spence (29), Ted Evans (30), Arthur Jones (31), Bob Jones (32), Eric Munro (33). 

1949 /

In 1949, Parramatta were unlucky not to finish top four, having won eight matches, drew four and finished fifth in the premiership table.

Three Parramatta players, Bruce Mann, Nev Spence and Ian Johnston were selected to play for Sydney Seconds against Country Seconds. Ian Johnston played for NSW against Queensland and toured New Zealand with the Australian representative team becoming the club’s first international representative. Vic Hey (shoulder injury) and Parramatta’s first captain Bob Andrews retired at the end of the season. Popular local halfback, Jack Hayward would leave the club having played all games during the 1948 and 1949 seasons. The first three years of competition were an exciting era for the newly formed club, but the next two decades would be a struggle against the established clubs. 

1949 Debutants: Bob Hobbs (34), Mitchell Wallace (35), Don Regan (36), Ron Golden (37), Pat Tosh (38), Don Brooks (39), Merv Phillips (40), Harold Hobbs (41), Neil Phelps (42).