50 Years of Football Excellence

Burdekin FC Celebrates Half a Century

Football's roots in the Burdekin region trace back to the early 1900s when passionate individuals would engage in informal matches in Ayr and Home Hill. Most of these early players were migrants hailing from countries such as Scotland, Ireland, England, and various parts of Europe. In those days, there was no structured club or competition – the focus was on fostering camaraderie and shared love for the beautiful game.

The early 1970s witnessed the emergence of a more organized senior soccer competition as a group of men from Ayr began to lay the foundations for formal gameplay. Sunday afternoons became synonymous with thrilling matches. Over the years, teams would ebb and flow, with typically four teams participating at any given time. The teams included Centrals, Comets, Crusaders, Easts, Grenadiers, Juventus, and Parkside Rangers.

In 1971, the North Queensland Soccer Federation (NQSF), based in Townsville, extended an invitation to Ayr players to compete in their first division, filling in to play teams on their bye weeks. Ayr embraced this opportunity, leading to periodic journeys to Townsville for matches and reciprocal visits from Townsville teams. Although many players were content with this arrangement, some aspired to compete more regularly in the more elite NQSF competition.

During the 1972 season, the idea of joining the NQSF officially took root. By 1973, the Ayr Senior Soccer Association played its inaugural season, eventually evolving into the Burdekin Soccer Club in 1987, now fondly known as Burdekin FC.

Meanwhile, in the early days of junior football, clubs were formed by local schools for players in U8 to U16 age groups, including Comets from Brandon, Centrals from Ayr, AK United from Airdmillan and Kalamia, Rangers from Home Hill and Easts United from East Ayr. Both junior and senior competitions were played at fields on MacMillan Street behind the Ayr Pool, where junior games were played as curtain raisers to the senior matches. In 1974, the Burdekin Football Senior competition was relocated to its current home at International Park on Beach Road.  

With an increase in the number of children enrolled in the local small schools, these schools joined forces to form Crusaders. By the 1980s there were four clubs in the local competition; Home Hill Rangers, Easts United, Saint Francis Saints and Crusaders, later joined by the Bowen Football Association. In 2010, Burdekin Junior Football also relocated to Beach Road.

It was decided that in 2016 the existing juniors’ clubs would unite and the Burdekin Junior Soccer body would run the competition, providing a local non-competitive fixture for U5-U12 and the U12-U16 players playing in the FQ Northern Football Competition in Townsville. The Senior players also compete in the FQ Northern Competition in Premier League Men, Reserve Men, 1st Division Men, 2nd Division Men, Premier League Women and Reserve Women divisions, playing in both Townsville and at home. In 2021, the senior and junior football bodies amalgamated to form Burdekin FC, providing new opportunities for the club and its members while maintaining club values and culture.

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