The Year Was 1977...

There are probably a few stories about who actually started Ingleburn Hockey Club. Denis Southwell, one of our founding members, recalls his version:

Senior Foundation Team - Ingleburn Hockey Club - 1977.

The team consisted of Denis Southwell, John Clark, Dick Porteous, Frank Krzysik, Eric Smith, Bob Rankin, Mick Tolnay, Bob McConchie, Sam Karras, Neville Harris, Eric Rama, Bob Carter and possibly Graham Grimson and John Beattie.

Denis Southwell placed a sign in Ingleburn RSL resulting in John, Neville, Eric and Sam joining. Dick and Bob McConchie came from Easts. Frank & Mick came from City. Frank got Bob Rankin and John Beattie.

We had a good defensive side with excellent attack. With Eric at Centre Half and Neville at inner (both these players were junior reps for Queensland and played for NSW Army), we only lost two games during the season - one of these being the Semi-Final before winning the Grand Final.

There was a newspaper article of the boys celebrating their win.

Junior Foundation Team - Ingleburn Hockey Club - 1977.

Denis Southwell got sponsorship from Ingleburn RSL.

After placing a sign in Ingleburn RSL Club, Claude Aitken (with sons helping), talked a number of kids from Macquarie Fields into having a run.

We trained two afternoons per week as we had many players new to hockey. The team varied from 8 to 12 players depending on who got out of bed on Saturday morning or who Denis picked up.

Young Blue Aitken was captain and he got the team firing (he had played 4 seasons with Moorebank). Anthony Gabrio, in first season as Goal Keeper, maintained a high standard of defence. The Mumberson twins were also part of this team.

We played in the Grand Final where I played a defensive system. Unfortunately, it cost Ingleburn the loss by 2-1. We couldn’t match the brilliant tactics employed by Greg Price (coach of Camden and later joined Ingleburn in 1979) and skills of the Silkcom brothers.

Denis Southwell. Founding Member.