Overseas Tours by Canadian Teams: New Zealand Tour, 1927
On their way back home from Australia in 1924, Canada’s national team stopped off to play one game in New Zealand. That one game left the Canadians thirsting for more, and less than three years after the 1924 team sailed from Auckland in August 1924, another team returned for a full slate of 22 games on both the North and South Islands. The result was remarkable: 19 wins, one tie and just two defeats. Victoria alderman Jim Adam was once again the tour manager, and, as in the tour of Australia, is credited with the success of the venture. The team sailed from Victoria, B.C., on May 24, 1927, once again on the S.S. Niagara and returned on August 22. Accounts of the tour appear in the Vancouver Sun, written by Dave Turner and in the Montreal Star, written by Hank Noseworthy. The team to tour New Zealand was announced on January 13, 1927.
May 25, 1927, in New Plymouth
Taranaki 1
Canadians 10
May 28, 1927, in Wanganui
Wanganui 0
Canadians 7
June 1, 1927, in Palmerston North
Manawatu 0
Canadians 6
June 3, 1927, in Blenheim
Marlborough 0
Canadians 11
June 9, 1927, in Nelson
Nelson 0
Canadians 5
June 11, 1927, in Westport
Buller 0
Canadians 2
June 15, 1927, in Greymouth
Westland 1
Canadians 0
June 18, 1927, in Christchurch
Canterbury 0
Canadians 6
June 20, 1927, in Ashburton
Ashburton 1
Canadians 7
June 22, 1927, in Dunedin
Otago 2
Canadians 6
June 25, 1927, at the Carisbrook Ground in Dunedin
NEW ZEALAND 2 (Hislop, Jones)
CANADA 2 (o.g., Williams)
HT: 1–0 Att: Ref: W.P. Smith
Canadians: Stan Tait – Malcolm Moon, Ernie Edmunds – Jack Monaghan,
Bill Brolly, Harry Paynter – Dick Williams, Bill Gibson, Don Archibald, Jack
Davidson, Bill Milligan.
June 29, 1927, in Invercargill
Southland 1
Canadians 5
July ?, 1927, at Lancaster Park in Christchurch
NEW ZEALAND 1 (Newman)
CANADA 2 (Archibald, Turner)
HT: 0–1 Att: 4500 Ref:
Canadians: Stan Tait – Frank Crawley, Ernie Edmunds – Malcolm Moon,
Bill Brolly, Jack Monaghan – Bill Gibson, Jack Davidson, Don Archibald,
Dave Turner, Bill Milligan.
July 6, 1927, in Timaru
South Canterbury 0
Canadians 6
July 9, 1927, in Wellington
NEW ZEALAND 1
CANADA 0
HT: Att: Ref:
Canadians: Stan Tait – Frank Crawley, Ernie Edmunds – Malcolm Moon,
Bill Brolley, Jack Monaghan – Bill Gibson, Jack Davidson, Don Archibald,
Dave Turner, Bill Milligan.
July11, 1927, in Masterton
Wairarapa 0
Canadians 6
July 13, 1927, in Napier
Hawkes Bay 2
Canadians 5
July 16, 1927, in Gisborne
Poverty Bay 0
Canadians 6
July 20, 1927, in Hamilton
South Auckland 1
Canadians 8
July 23, 1927, at Carlaw Park in Auckland
NEW ZEALAND 1 (Hooper)
CANADA 4 (Davidson, Archibald 2, Gibson)
HT: 1–2 Att: 23 000 Ref: Cox (Hamilton)
Canadians: Stan Tait – Frank Crawley, Ernie Edmunds – Dick Williams, Bill
Brolley, Jack Monaghan – Bill Gibson, Jack Davidson, Don Archibald,
Dave Turner, Bill Milligan.
July 28, 1927, in Whangarei
North Auckland 1
Canadians 4
July 30, 1927, in Auckland
Auckland 2
Canadians 6
Players who made the trip:
Stan Tait (Nanaimo) – Born: Nanaimo. Died: Mission, B.C., July 27, 1984. Goalkeeper. Began his career with Nanaimo South End, and was then signed by Ladysmith for their Pacific Coast League team. In 1926, he played for Canadian Collieries of Cumberland when that team reached the national final, only to lose in four games to Winnipeg United Weston. In a very close series, he conceded just three goals in the four games while his team scored just two. In 1926, he played for Upper Island against the touring English F.A. team. Standing 5 foot 9 inches in height, he was said to have a safe pair of hands, the agility of a cat, and a quick eye for dangerous situations.
Henry C. Noseworthy (Montreal Carsteel) – Born: Newfoundland. A full back by preference, a goalkeeper by accident, Noseworthy was also a member of the 1924 team that toured Australia. On that occasion, when regular goalkeeper, Henry Mosher, broke his leg, Henry was drafted in to take his place, largely because he was tall. Noseworthy did so well on that occasion that when he returned to Montreal, he became a goalkeeper, and was selected for the 1927 tour of New Zealand. He went on to play in goal for Verdun City and Montreal Carsteel.
Ernie Edmunds (Nanaimo) – Born: Nanaimo, B.C., October 17, 1902. Died: Vancouver, B.C., October 27, 1956. Played for Upper Island and the Pacific Coast League against the touring English F.A. in 1926 and for Vancouver St. Andrews versus Glasgow Rangers in 1920. He was a member of the Nanaimo team that reached the Canadian Challenge Cup final in 1925 and lost to Toronto Ulster and the 1935 team that lost to Montreal Aldred. He won the Mainland Cup with Vancouver St. Andrews in 1930 and with Nanaimo in 1934 and 1935, and the Province Cup, the championship of B.C., with Nanaimo in 1926, 1932, and was on the losing side with St. Andrews in 1930 and Nanaimo in 1932, 1935 and 1936.
Felix Patrick “Frank” Crawley (Toronto Bell Telephone) – Born: Paisley, Scotland, May 22, 1894. Died: Detroit, Michigan, April 1945. Played junior soccer in Scotland for Croy Celtic and Kirkintilloch Rob Roy before being signed by Blackburn Rovers in 1921. He then moved on to Lincoln City in 1923 and Accrington Stanley in 1924, before coming to Toronto to live. There he played for the Dunlops and Bell Telephone, before playing in the American Soccer League for New Bedford Whalers and Brooklyn Wanderers in the 1928–29 season.
Duncan M. Graham (Port Arthur Vets)
R.L. “Dick” Williams (Vancouver St. Andrews) – Born: Beaumart, Wales, in 1899, and emigrated to Canada 13 years later. During World War One, he served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps. Returning to Canada, he played for Vancouver North Shore, Vancouver City, and then joined St. Andrews in 1924.
Malcolm Moon (Montreal Lachine) – Born in Scotland, he came to Canada in 1925, having played junior soccer with Burnbank Athletic, before crossing the Atlantic. Arriving in Canada, he settled in Lachine, just outside Montreal, and it wasn’t long before he was playing for Lachine and also for Canada against the United States.
Jack Monaghan (Vancouver Woodfibre) – Born: Liverpool, England, in 1900, and came to Canada at the end of World War One. He played for Canadian and Cumberland Collieries on Vancouver Island before joining Woodfibre in 1927. Played right half for the Upper Island All-Stars against the touring English F.A. team in 1926, and also for the Pacific Coast League All-Stars.
Harry J. Paynter (Calgary CPR) – A native of the south of England, he played in first class football before coming to Canada. Played for the Calgary All-Stars against the Corinthians in 1924 and the English F.A. team in 1931.
William “Bill” Brolly (Winnipeg Irish) – Born: Ireland. Played twice for Winnipeg All-Stars against the touring English F.A. team in 1926. A Winnipeg police officer.
D. Thompson (Winnipeg St. James) – Born: Scotland. Played for the Winnipeg All-Stars against the touring English F.A. team in 1926.
Dave Turner (Toronto Ulster United) – Born: Edinburgh, Scotland, October 11, 1903. Died: Victoria, B.C., 1989. Turner grew up playing soccer in the Scottish capital, before coming to Canada at the age of eleven with his parents and settling in Edmonton. There, living on the South Side, he grew up with the Graham boys, George and Jim, and all three played together for the Edmonton All-Stars against the touring Corinthians from England in 1924. Shortly after that, Dave and George moved to the west coast to play, at first briefly, with Vancouver St. Andrews, and then on Vancouver Island with Canadian Collieries of Cumberland. By 1925, the two friends were on their way east to play in the professional American Soccer League for New Bedford and Philadelphia, but it wasn’t long before they were in Toronto with Ulster United. There, Dave and George separated, and Dave headed west, while George married and stayed in Toronto. In 1927, Dave was invited to tour New Zealand with the Canadian national team, and made his international debut for Canada against New Zealand at Christchurch, with his goal giving Canada its victory. He also played in two other internationals for Canada on that tour. Back in Canada, he was a member of the famous Westminster Royals team of 1927–28, which won the Canadian championship in early August of 1928. He went on to win the trophy with the Royals again in 1930, 1931 and 1936. Dave Turner was a member of the Cumberland team that won the Province Cup, the championship of British Columbia, in 1925, and the Westminster Royals teams that won the Province Cup in 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1936. He was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1955, the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 1966 and The Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000. He died in Victoria on April 6, 1989.
Don Archibald (North Vancouver) – Born in Vancouver in 1907, and played for the Vancouver High School team before joining Vancouver North Shore. Said to have been “Speedy and possessing a tremendous shot with either foot and was a prolific scorer in League and Cup games” in the Vancouver area.
Herbert Pogson (Hamilton City) – Born: Leeds, Yorkshire, England, 1896. Died: Hamilton, Ontario, November 17, 1949. Came to Hamilton, Ontario, to live at the age of 17, and played for the Independent Labour Party team and also for Hamilton City. Served with the 173rd Battalion of the Canadian Army in World War One, winning the Military Medal for bravery. He also served in World War Two with the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders with the rank of sergeant-major. On the soccer field, he won Hamilton Spectator Cup medals in 1922 with Independent Labour Party and in 1928 and 1929 with Hamilton City. An inside or centre forward, he played for Hamilton All-Stars against the English F.A. in 1926, and was employed by the Eaton Knitting Company for 30 years.
William “Bill” Gibson (Winnipeg Nationals) – Played twice for Winnipeg All-Stars against the English F.A. team in 1926.
Jack Davidson (Edmonton Caledonians)
William “Bill” Milligan (Regina Post). Served overseas with the 11th Canadian Reserve Battalion in World War One.
James Adam (Victoria – Manager) – Born: Kilmarnock, Scotland, January 28, 1882. Died: Victoria, B.C., March 19, 1939. Played for Nanaimo Thistles from 1894 to 1900 and Extension-Ladysmith from 1901 to 1912. Came to Canada as a boy in 1893 with his parents, and went to live in Nanaimo and later in Ladysmith. He was regarded as a fine centre forward and represented the B.C. All-Stars against the California All-Stars in Vancouver in 1909, and was a member of the team that played in San Francisco later that same year. He was elected president of the B.C. Football Association in 1907. He moved to Victoria in 1912, and opened a grocery store. The store celebrated its silver jubilee in 1938. He served 16 years as the British Columbia delegate on the executive of the Dominion Football Association. He was a Victoria city councillor from 1927 to 1938, when he ran for mayor of the city. He was known as J. “Particular” Adam.