CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB - HOME OF THE SEAGULLS

HISTORY OF NFC - 1878 -1889

1878
Norwood Football Club inaugurated in a meeting held at Norfolk Arms Hotel in Rundle Street,
Adelaide on 28 February.
Founders of the club were AJ Diamond, JR Osborn and HC Burnett.
Club Patron was  Edwin T Smith
Won premiership in first season with 9 wins and 4 draws.
Captain was Joseph Osborn; vice captain was Alf McMichael.
First home ground was the oval now used by Christian Brothers College in the east parklands on Bartels Road.
The uniform was navy blue jumpers and knickbockers with red caps and stockings.
First match v South Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, 18 May. George Giffen kicked the first goal with a
drop kick after he'd taken a troublesome boot off.

The first team:
JH Bennett, Thomas Blinman, William Bracken, Henry Burnett, Jack Coward, William Dedman,
Alf Formby, George Giffen, Thomas Green, Henry Jury, Louis Kaufmann, Thomas Letchford,
Alf McMichael (vc), Joseph Osborn (cc), John Souttar, Louis Suhard, Arthur Terrell,
Frederick Terrell, Alf Wishart, Sid Young.


1879
Won second premiership in succession with 9 wins and 1 draw.
Alfred 'Topsy' Waldron joined the club from Carlton.
Alfred McMichael was captain of South Australian state team.


1880
Won third premiership in succession with 7 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, and 2 cancelled.
11 Sept 1880 - Norwood v South Park @ South Park Lands - South Park had a team on the ground
but Norwood declined to play due to wet weather
South Park claimed the match - disputed by Norwood on the grounds South Park didn't have a
full team at 3:00pm, that the umpire wasn't on the ground, and that the ground was unfit to play on.
Alfred 'Topsy' Waldron named captain of South Australian state team.


1881
Won fourth premiership in succession with 10 wins and 3 draws.
Alfred 'Topsy' Waldron named captain for the first time. He also captained South Australia.

1882
Kensington Oval became the club's new home ground.
Won fifth premiership in succession with 13 wins and 1 loss.

1883
Won sixth premiership in succession with 12 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw.
Six consecutive premierships is still a record in SA League Football, equalled only by Port Adelaide
from 1954 to 1959.


1884
Norwood finished second with 9 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw.
A loss to Port Adelaide on 30 August resulted in an after match incident with signified the birth of
the rivalry between the two clubs.
The birth of the Norwood v Port Adelaide rivalry came about following an after-match incident
between Topsy Waldron and Robert Roy at the Imperial Hotel, following Norwood's loss earlier
in the day at Adelaide Oval, 30 August.
Waldron was charged with assault and later resigned as Norwood's captain.


1885
Norwood finished second with 7 wins, 7 losses and 1 draw.

1886
Norwood finished third with 7 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws.
This was the season teams began to change ends at the completion of each quarter.
The team won the final match with South Adelaide, 7-13 to 1-5 but were disqualified because the
Treasurer forgot to pay McGrath's fine for rough play in an earlier match.
Clarke's Vineyards were bounded by The Parade, Osmond Tce, Beulah Rd & Sydenham Road
and were purchased by Mr Thomas Verco who offered to sell seven acres to the Kensington &
Norwood Corporation to be used as a recreation ground by Norwood residents.
The area was developed into the Norwood Oval primarily for the use of the Norwood Football Club
and the East Torrens Cricket Club.


1887
Won seventh premiership  with 12 wins, 2 losses and 4 draws.
Club Chairman, Mr HC Burnett informed the committee that the club ball would take place on
July 15 and as players are likely to attend, they would not be able to play the next day.
The match was postponed until July 23.
John 'Bunny' Daly kicked 7 goals against West Adelaide at Kensington Oval on August 13, the
first Norwood player to kick 5 or more goals in a game.


1888
Won premiership number 8 with 14 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws.
The first match against South Adelaide on May 12 was abandoned due to a torrential downpour.
Norwood won its first Champions of Australia title defeating South Melbourne in a three match
series at Kensington Oval.
Match details were:
Match 1: Norwood 8-12, d. South Melbourne 4-10, October 6
Match 2: Norwood 6-4, d. South Melbourne 4-15, October 10
Match 3: Norwood 6-8, d. South Melbourne 2-11, October 13
Charles Woods was the leading goal kicker in the SAFA with 29 goals.

1889
Won premiership number 9 with 15 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw.
Charles Woods equalled club goals record with 7 against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, September 14.
Norwood won the 9th premiership in 12 years when they defeated Port Adelaide in the first ever
Grand Final, 7-4 to 5-9.
The Team:
Robert Bertram, Oswald Bertram, George Combe, William Dixon, John 'Bunny' Daly,
William Guster, Alfred Grayson, Arthur Jackson, George McKee, Jack McGaffin,
John 'Paddy' McGrath, EW 'Guff' Rawson, Alfred Roberts, Patrick 'Paddy' Roachock,
James Shaw, William Slattery, Charles Woods, John J Woods, Robert Wilson,
Alfred 'Topsy' Waldron (c)

Norwood challenged South Melbourne for the Australian Championship but the Victorian club
replied saying it was unable to arrange the meeting.