OUR HISTORY

DE BEERS AFC

SOME NOTES BY EDDIE STUART –

FORMER DE BEERS INTERNATIONAL

Per Mr Reg Noble – 2 August 1973

De Beers AFC was formed in 1902 by Artisans erecting the Factory and were admitted to the Second League.

Two grounds were allotted to them at the site used today.

A club was formed at Somerset West called the "Somerset West United". Their ground was on Sir Lowry’s Pass road 100 yds from the Bush farm on the opposite side of the road. In the year 1906 this club amalgamated with the De Beers Club.

In 1910 a few of us youngsters formed the Paarde Vlei Boy Scouts and started a football club. Our headquarters were at the De Beers farm on the opposite side of the vlei. We started a football team and began by playing friendly games against town teams. We were allowed to use the De Beers ground.

In 1911 we played in the WP Under 20 league.

In 1912 we were taken over by the De Beers Club who fielded a First and Second Team. Bob Brand and I were promoted to the 1^st Team.

De Beers won the 1^st league in 1912. Unfortunately in the semi-final match of the O’Reilly Cup vs the Royal Engineers, Harry Mason was sent off the field for an alleged foul. The captain George Gaynor, led the team off the field. The WP Council suspended Mason and Gaynor sine die with leave to appeal at the end of 2 years, the older members of the team for 1 year, and Brand, … and I six months. I was only a boy of 18. What did they expect me to do when the team left? Luckily our suspension carried on during the off season and we only missed the end of season games.

In 1913 we drew six games and finished at the bottom of the table – as far as I can remember – by a point and were relegated.

In 1914 we were in the 2^nd league when war broke out in England. In 1915 recruitment was strong, the British Military teams left our shores and we were upgraded to the First Division.

Before the season ended most of us had joined the forces and football was suspended until 1919.

1919 was a triumphant season for De Beers. We won the league, the O’Reilly Cup and the Hospital Cup.

At the end of the 1921 season I left De Beers and am not competent to give you any more data.

I have looked up the records as far as 1955 and hope they will be of interest to you.