History of Skipton Football Club
The earliest reported match for the Skipton Football Club dates back to 1873 or 1874, when a game was played against Streatham on a ground east of the current Recreation Reserve. Skipton played other matches against Carngham, Haddon and Linton around this time.
Some years later the Recreation Reserve was fenced and planted and games were played against other districts including Ballarat, Beaufort, Ararat, Streatham, Lake Bolac, Carngham, Linton, Lismore and Camperdown. Ballarat umpires officiated at many of these matches.
Skipton fielded very strong teams during this era and is believed to have had the best record of any football team in Australia. It was reported that Skipton played for 15 years without losing a match and 18 years without losing on its home ground.
In the early years, football games were mainly played in the form of scratch matches. Some of the district’s earliest competition matches were played in 1890, when Skipton competed against Ararat, Lake Bolac and Streatham for a trophy of 20 sovereigns. Skipton and Ararat played in the final at Streatham, where Ararat won by a goal. The tables were turned the following year when Skipton was successful.
Skipton also played fully representative teams from Ballarat on several occasions. Skipton’s undefeated run at home was reportedly ended by a Ballarat team, after two drawn matches had been played.
Football from 1895 to 1900 was very much in the doldrums, with Skipton only playing odd scratch matches against Carngham, Happy Valley and Linton. For the next few years, Skipton mainly played matches against the surrounding stations.
In 1908, Skipton defeated Beaufort for the premiership in a triangular competition that included Stockyard Hill. Skipton then formed an association with Carngham, Linton and Scarsdale in 1909, which continued until World War 1. Although there was no premiership competition during the war, a Skipton football team was still formed to support a Queen Carnival in aid of patriotic funds.
In 1919, Skipton, Carngham and Linton played in the Linton and District Football Association, with Scarsdale rejoining later. Slowly but surely football fever was gripping the rival districts, resulting in intense and almost bitter rivalry. Skipton won premierships in 1921, 1923 and 1924, defeating Linton, Carngham and Linton respectively.
In 1925, the competition was renamed the Linton-Scarsdale Association with the addition of teams from Lismore and Bradvale. The name was again changed to the Linton-Skipton Association in 1927, after Carngham and Scarsdale moved to the Rokewood-Cape Clear Association. Skipton finished runner-up to Lismore in both the 1927 and 1929 Grand Finals.
After joining the Rokewood-Cape Clear Association in 1930, Skipton finished runner up to Illabarook in 1931 and 1932. This competition was known as the Cape Clear-Carngham Association from 1934, then the Linton-Carngham Association from 1936. Skipton again finished runner up to Illabarook in the 1936 Grand Final.
In 1937, Skipton won the Grand Final in a closely contested game against Carngham. The tables were turned in 1938, when Carngham defeated Skipton. After the 1940 season, the competition went into recess due to World War 2.
After football resumed in 1946, Skipton finished runner up to Carngham in 1947. Skipton went through the 1949 season undefeated, only to lose the Grand Final to Carngham by one point. In the last two years of the Linton-Carngham Football League, Skipton finished runner up to Smythesdale in 1951 and Carngham in 1952.
Skipton joined the Western Plains Football League in 1953, but did not play in a senior football Grand Final until 1996. In a close finish, Derrinallum defeated Skipton by 6 points.
Skipton joined the Lexton Plains Football League in 1999, going on to win premierships in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009 & 2010.
The final chapter of the LPFNL was capped with Skipton fielding sides in all footbal grades grand finals and walking away with Senior, Reserve & U17 Football premierships. We leave the dispanded LPFL with 5 Senior Football Premierships in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, & 2010 from 9 appearances on the big day.
A new era for The Skipton Football Netball Club began in 2011 with the club joining the Central Highlands Football League & Central Highlands Netball Association. The club gained a new jumper which incorporates the 3 colours – red, blue and white – our great club has worn throughout it’s history.
To view some old newspaper articles about the Skipton Football Club with some dating back as far as 1888. Click on the link below for a great read.