Ipswich tested in capital

MANY in hockey circles may not know that Ipswich competed in the Brisbane division 1 men’s hockey competition almost 30 years ago.

Ipswich Hockey Association fielded a team in the Brisbane league in 1992, drawing players from local clubs.

A year earlier, Brisbane Hockey Association (BHA) granted Toowoomba entry into the competition after Round 9 of the 1991 season, to replace the struggling City United side. Perennial wooden spooners, City United had not won a match in more than three-and-a-half seasons, a winless run of more than 60 games.

Despite their 0-9 record in 1991, Toowoomba’s presence “proved to be a very positive one for the standard of our Division 1 competition and was very popular with players and supporters alike”, then BHA President Ken Leslie said in the Brisbane Hockey Association 1991 Annual Report.

Inspired by Toowoomba’s entry into Brisbane hockey, the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Border (Tweed) hockey associations sought entry into the league and in 1992 the competition was expanded to 13 teams. It somewhat fulfilled a vision for a southeast Queensland hockey league that some in the sport had championed for some time. However, the regional teams had limited success during an arduous 26round regular season. Ipswich and wooden spooners Gold Coast won just four games between them and Toowoomba conceded the most goals of any side. Border was very competitive and finished just three points outside the top five.

BHA President Ken Leslie said while the regional teams added new colour and personalities to the competition, the country teams were forced to play too much hockey given players competed in their own domestic leagues as well as for their city.

The then BHA Secretary Phyllis Hawgood said as the season wore on it was obvious that the outside centres were having difficulty in fielding teams each weekend of a standard to meet the demands of the first division competition. “This was not due to a lack of commitment on the players part, but to the rigorous demands in the number of games each player was required to play,” she said.

Ipswich, Border and Gold Coast did not enter teams in the Brisbane competition for 1993, with the league reverting to a 10-team, 18-round season. Toowoomba continued playing in the Brisbane competition until the end of 1995.

It was the last time a team from outside the Greater Brisbane area would play in the Brisbane competition until Gold Coast club Labrador entered the league in 2007.