Overseas Tours by Canadian Teams: Australian Tour, 1924
Talk to anyone today and suggest that Canada send its national team to Australia on a three-month tour and they would think that you had lost your mind. But that is exactly what the then Dominion of Canada Football Association did away back in 1924. The players sailed from Victoria, B.C., on the S.S. Niagara on April 10, 1924, and returned to Victoria on board the liner Makura on August 23, 1924. The team played 26 games with 11 victories, seven ties and eight losses. The team was managed by Jimmy Adam of Victoria, and before it sailed for the south seas, he said, “We have a well balanced team. I am quite certain that we will not only have a wonderful trip, but will do justice to Canada and make a showing worthy of our great country. We have got a team of teetotallers and that’s going to be a great thing in our favour. Followers of soccer in Canada can rest assured that all will do their best.”
The team en route:photo taken April 7, 1924As so often happens with touring teams, injuries affected the outcome of the series. Goalkeeper Harry Mosher broke his leg part way through the tour, and his place in goal was taken by full back Hank Noseworthy. Noseworthy performed so well that when a Canadian team toured New Zealand three years later, Noseworthy was taken along as one of the goalkeepers. In addition to Mosher, forwards Sanford, Linning, Ford and Chapman were all out of action for periods of time, and with so many forwards injured, the burden fell on the defense. Bob Harley, who captained the team from centre half, was outstanding throughout as were Freddy Dierden and Dicky Stobbart, who filled the other spots on the half back line, while full backs George Anderson and Mitch McLean seem to have played in every game. Six internationals were played against the national team of Australia, although only five were planned, but when the series was tied at two wins apiece and one tie game, a sixth game was played to decide the outcome. This was won by Australia. Every part of Australia was visited with the exception of Western Australia, the Northern Territories and Tasmania.
May 10, 1924, at the Royal Showground in Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney Metropolis 2
Canadians 2
HT: Att: 20 000 Ref:
Sydney: Cartwright – Leabeter, Gallen – Storey, Henderson, Spurway –
Bourke, Winter, Milner, Sherringham, Robertson.
Canadians: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Linning, Ford, Chapman, Sanford.
May 15, 1924, in Woonona
South Coast 0
Canadians 2
May 17, 1924, in Sydney
New South Wales 5
Canadians 2
May 21, 1924, in Sydney
Granville 0
Canadians 0
May 24, 1924, at Newcastle Sports Ground in Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle 1 (Maunders)
Canadians 1 (Stobbart)
HT: 0–1 Att: 6000 Ref: W. Stott
Newcastle: Coutts – Stewart, Maunders – Doyle, Lambert, Owen – Urwin,
Sinclair, Maunders, Cameron, Coates.
Canadians: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Linning, Wilson, Hood, Bowman.
May 27, 1924, in Maitland
Maitland 1
Canadians 1
May 31, 1924, in Brisbane, Queensland
Brisbane 0
Canadians 4 (Hood, Forrest, Ford 2)
HT: 0–1 Att: Ref:
Brisbane: Hamilton – Smith, Harris – White, Peebles, Korotcoff – Mitchell,
Clark, Bright, Gibb, Moriarty.
Canadians: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Linning, Ford, Hood, Bowman.
June 3, 1924, in Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich and West Moreton 0
Canadians 4
June 7, 1924, at Brisbane Cricket Ground in Brisbane, Queensland
Australia 3 (Ward, Masters 2)
Canadians 2 (Linning, Ford)
HT: Att: 10 000 Ref:
Australia: Cartwright – Gallen, Oliver – White, Henderson, Nunn – Edwards,
Ward, Masters, Sherringham, Melliar-Smith.
Canadians: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Linning, Ford, Chapman, Sanford.
June 9, 1924, in Ipswich
Toowoomba Miners 0
Canadians 2
June 11, 1924, in Tamworth
Tamworth 0
Canadians 8
June 14, 1924, at Royal Agricultural Showground in Sydney, New South
Wales
Australia 0
Canada 1 (Stobbart)
HT: Att: 8000 Ref: W. Allerton.
Australia: Robinson – Gallen, Faulkner – Storey, Henderson, Spurway –
Bourke, Ward, Masters, Sherringham, Thompson.
Canada: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Wilson, Chapman, Forrest, Ford, Bowman.
June 17, 1924, at Manley Oval in Manly, New South Wales
Sydney Metropolis 6 (Alewood 2, o.g., Ramsey, Mace, Winter)
Canadians 2 (Bowman, Stobbart)
June 21, 1924, in Wollongong, New South Wales
Illawara 2 (Masters, Green)
Canadians 2 (Linning, Stobbart)
HT: 2–0 Att: 2000 Ref: A. Reay
Illawara: Boyle: Stewart, Casley – Druery, Morgan, Johnston – Ward,
Green, Masters, Thompson, Dawes.
Canadians: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Linning, Ford, Chapman, Bowman.
June 23, 1924, at Sydney Agricultural Showground in Sydney, New South
Wales
Australia 4 (Masters 2, Maunder 2)
Canadians 1 (Forrest)
HT: Att: 7000 Ref: W.A. Wright
Australia: Cartwright – Oliver, Leabeater – Owen, Storey, Spurway –
Bourke, Maunder, Masters, Thompson, McNaughton.
Canada: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Linning, Ford, Chapman, Bowman.
June 25, 1924, at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, New South Wales
Balmain District 0
Canadians 1
Balmain: Cartwright – Leadbetter, Driscoll – Ferrier, Storey, Byers –
Turner, Sinclair, Voges, Hancock, Baxter.
June 28, 1924, at Newcastle Showground in Newcastle, New South Wales
Australia 0
Canadians 0
HT: 0–0 Att: 10 000 Ref: J. Nicholson
Australia: Cartwright – Maunder, Oliver – Owen, Storey, Roe – Williams,
Ward, Maunder, McNaughton, Gilmour.
Canadians: Mosher – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Linning, Ford, Chapman, Bowman.
July 2, 1924, in Melbourne
Victoria 2
Canadians 1
July 5, 1924, in Melbourne
Australians 0
Canadians 3
Canadians: Noseworthy – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Wilson, Ford, Linning, Bowman.
July 10, 1924, in Adelaide, South Australia
South Australia 0
Canadians 3
HT: Att: Ref: W. Ashworth
South Australia: Gibson – Whalley, Lowe – Potts, Gore, Rowe – Jamieson,
Robertson, Walls, Denman, Harrison.
Canadians: Noseworthy – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Ford, Wilson, Linning, Sanford.
July 12, 1924, in Adelaide, South Australia
Australia 1 (Maunder)
Canadians 4 (Wilson 2, Linning, Stobbart)
HT: Att: 6000 Ref:
Australia: Cartwright – Gallen, Raitt – Bristow, Storey, Spurway – Williams,
Maunder, Masters, Orr, Ramsey.
Canadians: Noseworthy – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Ford, Wilson, Linning, Bowman.
July 17, 1924, in Melbourne
Victoria 1
Canadians 1
July 19, 1924, in Woonona
South Coast 1
Canadians 0
Canadians: Noseworthy – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Ford, Wilson, Linning, Bowman.
July 25, 1924, in Newcastle
South Maitland 0
Canadians 1
Canadians: Noseworthy – Anderson, McLean – Armstrong, Harley, Stobbart
– Forrest, Hood, Wilson, Bowman, Sanford.
July 26, 1924, at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, New South Wales
Australia 1 (Masters)
Canada 0
HT: Att: 8000 Ref: J. Nicholson
Australia: Cartwright – Oliver Gallen – Leabeater, Lambert, Spurway –
Bourke, Ward, Masters, Thompson, Melliar-Smith.
Canadians: Noseworthy – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Ford, Wilson, Linning, Bowman.
July 27, 1924, in Newcastle
West Wallsend 3
Canadians 0
August 4, 1924, at Carlaw Park in Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland 1 (Innes)
Canadians 1 (Forrest)
HT: 1–0 Att: 1000 Ref: F. Marsh
Auckland: Batty – Thompson, Braithwaite – Needham, Corbett, Jones –
Innes, Dacre, Marshall, Humphreys, Williams.
Canadians: Noseworthy – Anderson, McLean – Dierden, Harley, Stobbart –
Forrest, Hood, Wilson, Linning, Bowman.Players and officials who made the trip:
Harry Mosher (University of British Columbia), George Anderson (Ladysmith), Mitch McLean (Calgary Caledonians), Hank Noseworthy (Montreal), Dickie Stobbart (Nanaimo), Bob Harley (Winnipeg United Weston), Fred Dierden (Toronto Willys-Overland), Jack Armstrong (Vancouver St. Andrews), William Sanford (Montreal Blue Bonnets), Harry Chapman (Ladysmith), Leslie Ford (Regina Thistles), Bill Linning (Lethbridge Veterans United), George Forrest (Toronto Ulster United), Jim Wilson (Edmonton Royals), J. Hood (Brandon), Fred Bowman (Saskatoon Radials), Don Morrison (Ladysmith – trainer), James Adam (Victoria – manager).
George Anderson – Born: Bathgate, Scotland. Clubs: Ladysmith 1924, Canadian Collieries 1926, Westminster Royals 1928–36. Played in all six internationals on the 1924 tour, and in most of the other games. Played for Upper Island and the Pacific Coast League against the English F.A. touring team in 1926, and broke his leg in the PCL game. Played for B.C. Lower Mainland against the Welsh F.A. tourists in 1929. Played in the Canadian Challenge Cup final in 1926 for Canadian Collieries of Cumberland, B.C., losing to Winnipeg United Weston, but was on the winning side with Westminster Royals in 1928 and 1930 against Montreal C.N.R. and in 1936 against United Weston. In local soccer, he won the Province Cup with Ladysmith in 1926, and with the Royals in 1930, 1931 and 1936, and the Mainland Cup in 1928.
Robert Walkinshaw "Bob" Harley – Born: Renfrew, Scotland, September 8, 1888. Died: Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1958. Captain of the Canadian team, and played in all six internationals and most of the other games. Grew up in Scotland and was an active and highly regarded player as a youth, and was in the Glasgow Rangers youth programme before he moved to Canada in 1911. In 1914, he served overseas with the Fifth Battalion and was wounded in action at the front in 1916. He sustained a very serious leg injury. He was decorated for his service at the front for valour and returned to Winnipeg, where he spent a year and a half recuperating in the Tuxedo Army hospital. After a long period, he resumed his soccer career, playing for Manitoba against the Scottish F.A. touring team in 1921 and also for Winnipeg against the same team. He went on to captain the United Weston side that made several appearances in the national final between 1924 and 1926. After the Australian tour, he continued his playing career and played well into the 1950s. He put on many clinics across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and became closely involved with the local YMHA as a player and coach. He was later honoured as a member of their Sports Hall of Fame. Of the 1924 tour, The Referee, one of the daily newspapers in Sydney, Australia, said, "Bob Harley, captain of the Canadians, filled the most difficult position on the field, centre half. Like the majority of good halves, Harley graduated from the front line, and feeding forwards was his forte. He was never guilty of kicking up the field, like some halves do, in the hope that his comrades would get the ball before the backs." Inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.
Fred Dierden – Born: Haydock, Lancashire, 1897. Died: Toronto, Ontario, July 1, 1960. Played eight times for Canada. Club: Toronto Willys Overland. Played in all six internationals against Australia. One year later, he played for Canada against the United States in Montreal and at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. In 1920, he was a member of the Willys Overland team that reached the Ontario Cup final but lost to Hamilton Westinghouse. However, in 1926, he was on the winning side when Willys Overland beat Hamilton City to win the Ontario Cup.
Jack Armstrong – Club: Vancouver St. Andrews. Member of the 1924 Canadian team that toured Australia. Won the Province Cup, the championship of British Columbia, in 1922. Later became a referee in B.C.
Harry Chapman – Born: Leeds, England. Clubs: Edmonton CNR, Ladysmith, Westminster Royals. Played in four of the six internationals on the tour. Won the Canadian Challenge Cup with Westminster Royals in 1928 and the Mainland Cup in the same year.
Leslie Ford – Born: Lewisham, Kent, England. Club: Regina Thistles. Began playing soccer at school, then joined the Royal Navy at the age of 17, where he served aboard HMS Dreadnought as an engine room artificer during World War One. Lived in Bromley, Kent, following the war, then emigrated to Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1921. A civic employee for the city of Regina. He played centre forward in all six internationals against Australia. Also represented Regina against the touring Scots in 1921 and England in 1926.
George Forrest – Club: Toronto Ulster United. Played in all six internationals on the Australian tour. Played for Ontario and Eastern Ontario against the touring English F.A. team in 1926.
J. Hood – Club: Brandon.
Fred Bowman – Club: Saskatoon Radials. Played in all six internationals on the Australian tour.
James Adam – Born: Kilmarnock, Scotland, January 28, 1882. Died: Victoria B.C., March 19, 1939. Clubs: Nanaimo Thistles 1894–1900, Extension-Ladysmith 1901–1912. Captain of the British Columbia all-star teams at centre forward from 1903 to 1915. Came to Canada at an early age, and lived on Vancouver Island, at first in Nanaimo and later in Ladysmith. He moved to Victoria in 1912, and opened a grocery store. The store celebrated its silver jubilee in 1938. Manager of the Canadian national team that toured Australia in 1924 and New Zealand in 1927, he also served for 16 years as the British Columbia representative on the executive of the Dominion Football Association. A councillor from 1927 until 1938, he ran for mayor of Victoria in 1938, and was known as "J. Particular Adam.”
William “Bill” Linning – Born: Glasgow, Scotland, November 15, 1895. Club: Lethbridge Veterans United. Played in two of the six internationals on the tour. Played for Lethbridge All-Stars against the touring English F.A. team in 1926.
Mitch McLean – Born: Kirkaldy, Scotland. Clubs: Calgary Caledonians, Calgary Hillhurst. Went to England on the Hillhurst tour in 1911. A member of the Caledonians’ Bennett Shield winning team in 1912 and 1913. Played in all six internationals on the tour, and in most of the other games.
Donald Morrison – Born: Nova Scotia, 1897. Died: Ladysmith, British Columbia, January 1, 1934 at the age of 55. Clubs: Wellington, Ladysmith, Nanaimo United. Trainer of the Canadian teams that toured Australia and New Zealand in 1924 and 1927 respectively, when he, along with manager Jimmy Adam, are said to have done a magnificent job of handling the team. In his playing days, considered one of the finest goalkeepers in B.C. In 1905, Don made a valiant attempt to save his brother Sidney, who died a hero's death in the icy waters of Big Lake at Wellington. A youth had broken through the ice, and the Morrison brothers Arthur, Sidney and Don jumped in to try to save him. Unfortunately, it was all to no avail. The youth and Sidney died, and Don suffered severely from exposure. Only his wonderful physique is said to have enabled him to recover.
Harry Mosher – Club: U.B.C. Played in the first four internationals on the tour, before breaking his leg. In local soccer, he was on the losing side in the Province Cup final of 1923 with U.B.C, but won the Mainland Cup.
Henry “Hank” Noseworthy – Clubs: Verdun City 1924, Montreal Carsteel 1927–28 and Montreal C.P.R. in 1929. Member of the 1924 national team that toured Australia and the 1927 team that toured New Zealand. Filled in as goalkeeper on the 1924 tour when Henry Mosher suffered a broken leg, and played in the last two internationals. In 1927, he was the backup goalkeeper to Tate. He played for Carsteel in the 1928 Quebec Cup final and for C.P.R. in the 1929 final.
W. Sanford – Montreal. Clubs: Montreal Blue Bonnets, Montreal Carsteel. A member of the Carsteel team that won the Quebec Cup in 1925.
Jim Wilson – Clubs: Edmonton Royals, Vancouver North Shore. He was a member of the North Shore team that lost the Mainland Cup in 1927.
Dickie Stobbart – Born: Bedlington, Northumberland, England, December 18, 1891. Died: Vancouver, British Columbia, November 9, 1952. Clubs: Nanaimo Wanderers 1912–13, Ladysmith 1921, Nanaimo 1922–27, Westminster Royals 1928, 1931–32, St. Andrews 1930. Considered to be one of the finest half backs in Canadian soccer in his day, he starred on the 1924 tour, appearing in all six internationals, and was awarded a gold medal by the Australian Soccer Association for his play. He was a member of the Ladysmith team that lost the national final to Toronto Scottish in 1921, but was on the winning side when Nanaimo won the national championship in 1923, beating Montreal C.P.R. in the three-game final. He also played for Nanaimo in the 1925 final when his club was beaten in three games by Toronto Ulster United. In the spring of 1928, he moved from Vancouver Island to the Mainland and joined Westminster Royals, appearing in his fourth national when the Royals beat Montreal C.N.R. His fifth appearance in the final came in 1931, when the Royals beat Toronto Scottish. In local soccer, he was a member of the Nanaimo team that won the Province Cup in 1926, and was on the losing side with St. Andrews in 1930 and the Royals in 1932. In 1947, he was an assistant coach of Vancouver St. Andrews, when they won the national championship. Named as one of the Players of the Half Century in the 1950 Canadian Press poll.
Johnny Wilson – Member of 1924 team to Australia.