Page 34 SOUVENIR-CHARTERS TOWERS, 1872 TO JULY, 1950
Football In the Year 1890 and Onwards
Harry C. Speakman was a Cheshire and International half-back. Became to
Australia in 1888 with Stoddart's Famous English Rugby Team. He
captained Queensland for a couple of years and eventuall, arrived
on the Towers about 1892. During the eight or nine years of his
residence here he imparted a lot of his genius to local players, and
raised the game to a high standard, which it has since maintained.
"Speakie"
may be justly called "The Father of Towers Football."
T. J. Richards started his football career in 1898 in the Minor Junior
grade when a lad of about fifteen. He gradually worked his way up and.
in 1901 he played his first Representative game for the Towers and was
a brilliant performer until 1905 when he left for South Africa where he
gained his Transvaal cap in 1906. 1907 saw him playing for Britsol in
fine form and securing an Honour cap. In 1908 he re-visited the Towers
and captained the famous 1908 Northern Team that visited Brisbane. He
subsequently represented Queensland and later on he went to
England and America with the "Wallabies" to be acknowledged the
finest Forward in the team.
E. W. Richards started football at the same time as his brother in
1898, in the minor-junior grade, and being a powerful and natural
player he quickly came to the front and from 1900 to 1905 he
represented the Towers continuously. Going to Brisbane in 1903 with the
first Northern Team aS captain, he was picked for Queensland. In
1904-05 he represented Queensland and Australia and then went to
South Africa. He returned in 1907 and again represented Queensland
and Australia where his contests on the line-out with Francis, the
giant New Zealander. for possession of the ball will long be remembered.
Charters Towers Rugby Union Officials, 1911
Late J. Wynn, A. Powell, J. Hogan, W. J. Carse, Hon.
Treas. T. Honey, E.Bradley, J. Benham, J. W. Glenwright J. A. Benjamin,
Pres., Hon. Sec. W
Malley.
Towers Representative Team, 1890
A. Meldrum, Joe Lloyd, W. J. Hutton, R. Cupples, R. Roberts, R.
Coupe, A. Bowry, Arthur Bowry, W. Stabler Sid Long, S. H. Thorp
(Captain), W Bowry, J. Robinson, F. Fraser, W. Dunsford, F. Nelson, B.
Tregear, P. Dwan, V. Sellheim.
Northern Representative Team At Brisbane, 1903
E. G. Sampson, F. Lewis, J. Schinkel, W. Curran, D. Egan, J. McKeown,
T. J. Richards, J. Tippett, H. May, G. Davis, J. Carroll,
H. Marsland (Manager), F. W. Richards
(Captain), M. Dind, R. Thompson, M. Davis, O. Olsen, S. Daddow, S.
Davey.
Towers Representative Team, 1909
C. Loughery, W. Manson, J. Richards, A. Inch, J. Ford, T. Wilson, J.
Benham, J. Brydon, H. Lewis, A. Carroll, T. J.
Richards, H. May, H. Carroll, A. Fry, W. Beasley, J. H. Tippett, Jim
Healy.
FOOTBALL, 1928
I think Cecil Ainsley would. be looked upon as the
Rusty Richards of his era.
Cecil commenced to play football in the Junior grade with the Federals
in 1918. He only played half the season in Junior grade however, and
went up into the Senior grade football. In 1922 he went to Brisbane and
commenced playmg. Western Suburbs. He represented Queensland from
1923-1930. In 1924 he went to England as an Australian
Representative player. He also visited England in 1928. Cecil
Ainsley eventually left for England where he remained from 1930 to
1935. He was not over
heavy but weighed about 12 stone 8lbs.. playing in the five-eighth
position. I happened to meet Cecil in Brisbane in April, 1949, and he
let his thoughts go back to the old Towers and mentioned some of his
old team mates; Tom Hilditch
