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Club History
Boksburg FC are a force to be reckoned with. In fact, from 1926 (the year in which they were founded) until the start of the pro soccer the club spent the vast majority of their days in the Transvaal First Division. The paid game brought lean times and in the space of just 15 years, the East Rand outfit were relegated twice.
Six years after the Transvaal League was formed in 1920 East Rand Proprietary Mines lost their identity to Boksburg and the “Royal Blues” began life in the tough world of competitive football. Not long afterwards when the province was carved up into three soccer sections young men from this town began dreaming about representing Eastern Transvaal.
By the time the football club reached their very first Challenge Cup Final in 1945, many of the players that formed the pro team in 1960 were growing up and about to attend Boksburg High School (the local establishment that did so much for the sport in the town). The very close spirit of co-operation between the school and the club resulted in producing practically the entire Boksburg NFL team.
The men selected were McKirdy, Scheepers, Horner, Stephens, Ashbury, Robertson, Johns, Cuthberton, Signaller, T. Thompson, Burgess and Urquhart.
Up the BLUES
Springboks Gillie Petersen, Eddie Wiggill, Dave Klopper, Don Kitchenbrand and Vernon Small (whose son James rose to fame as a South African rugby star) were all educated at the famous institution.
Moreover, other clubs such as Brakpan United, Benoni United and Germiston Callies also boasted players who had passed through the centre.
Let’s not forget the other illustrious names that have emerged from the town over the years. These included Arthur Riley, Gordon Hodgson, Berry Nieuwenhys and Billy Gibb.
The side that lost narrowly to Rangers in that 1945 cup final were: Fred Smith, Rudy Stark, Denis Johnstone, Jimmy Preston, Harold “Gibraltar” Smith, Johnny Mason, Trevor “Clown” Bennet, Denis Boyes, Henry Van Vuuren, Hansie Hogg and “Gandy” Webb. Derek Amoore, Fred Eriksson, Charlie Wingrove. Cecil Barrett and Des Truss were also players from that era.
With the majority of the “Old Guard” slowing up, the team were relegated from the top flight in 1952. Fortunately Danie Stalson, the owner of the local rivals Boksburg North came to their assistance. He merged his youthful team with the ailing club and a revitalized Boksburg gained promotion in 1954.
In 1959, just before the club turned pro, their Under-18 side won four trophies in a single season, and the seniors captured the Transvaal Challenge Cup after defeating Berea Park 2-1 at the Rand Stadium.
Their winning combination were Arthur Klopper, Don Laybourne, Gillie Petersen, David Klopper, Eric Tocknell, Johnny Pascoe, Kenny Bell, Neville Scott, Fred Zackey, Ken McKenzie and Arne Bjornstad – it formed the Eastern Transvaal provincial team that lost 2-1 in the Currie Cup semi-final.
This was a totally different scenario from the immediate post-war era when there were other great sides like Benoni Callies, Benoni, Delfos, State Mines and Boksburg North, who all provided the pick of provincial players. In 1946 for example the club provided only goalkeeper R. Morris, half-back J. Mason and inside-forward J. Eriksson.
Extract taken from Soccer through the years 1862 – 2002 (The First Official History of South African Soccer) by Peter Raath