TIGERS CLUB NEWS ARCHIVE

TIGERS NEWS April 2006
Harold Williams Farewell

The Queanbeyan Tigers Australian Football Club have lost yet another of its legendary players with the recent passing of Harold “Skinny” Williams.

The following is a message of farewell to one of Queanbeyan’s great sporting achievers:

Harold ‘Skinny” Williams born on the 30 August 1922 in Queanbeyan.

A life long Queanbeyan resident , Skinny was educated at St Gregorys Primary School which is adjacent to this church.

On completion of his schooling he joined the building trade as a bricklayer and worked on many homes within the Queanbeyan and surrounding district until the age of fifty after which he served as an attendant at the Australian War Memorial until retirement at age 60.

He met his wife Muriel when attending dances at the community Hall in Tharwa and the Parish Hall In Queanbeyan . The relationship blossomed - with the young football player and all-round sport star marrying at St Gregory’s Church in Queanbeyan by Father Casey on the 27 October 1944.

Muriel herself being a local having lived in Tharwa as part of the Woods family which consisted of 13 children – all of whom were highly regarded as pioneers of the region.

This marriage took place while “Skinny” was home on leave from the Australian Army.

Pictured Harold Williams at the opening of the Tigers Walk of Honour at the Margaret Donoghoe Sportsground which features a plaque recognising his 200 First Grade games with the Tigers Club.

In 2004, they celebrated 60 years of marriage such was there love and commitment to each other. They received messages of congratulations from the Queen, Prime Minister John Howard, Governor General Michael Jeffrey and Member for Monaro Gary Nairn. They have been residents of 23 Bruce St since there marriage.

Today their family is represented by two sons Alan born on 24 December 1948, and partnered by Lesley and Kevin born on 8th November 1953 along with two grandchildren Amanda and Michael and one lovely great grandchild Aeysha.

When compiling the Tigers Club History the name Williams appears regularly throughout the years.

It became obvious to the importance of a sporting club in the community, particularly one of which had many family values and one of which consisted of local people striving for success in a community quite often regarded from our - “friends across the border” - as strugglers – hence the name “struggle town”.

The Williams Family – consisted of the boys Arthur, Harold, Ron, Bubby and Roy plus sisters Madge and Hazel. They had enormous family values, were strong and loyal to each other and truly represented a Queanbeyan family with strong ties to the community.

The late Alan Muir was a great story teller and particularly liked reminiscing about the past and some of the great names linked to HIS Tigers.

The Williams brothers were mentioned on all occasions.

Arthur, Ron, Harold, Jim and Roy were widely regarded as the most famous footballing family in the Queanbeyan Canberra district.

Their respective careers with the Tigers Club is enormous with each of the five brothers starring in several premiership teams - as well as representing Canberra in numerous interstate matches commencing with Arthur’s selection in the All Australian Carnival in 1933 and terminating with Roy’s inclusion in the ACT team for the All Australian Carnival in 1958.

All of the William’s boys possessed outstanding skills being polished ball handlers, with splendid disposal foot and hand, combined with controlled aggression to make them feared opponents of all clubs in the Canberra League.

Arthur, Ron Harold and Jim were members of the Tigers famous 1939, 1940 and 1941 premiership teams. The first ever teams to win three premierships in a row in the League.

In Rugby League – they were all equal to the task.

The 1938 Rugby League Massey Cup team featured four of the Williams Brothers – Arthur, Ron, Jim and Harold. The youngest brother Roy was the ball boy.

Harold was a tall lean 16 year old in 1938- hence the name skinny - and was learning the rigors of Rugby league as a front row forward.

Before joining the army he switched to fullback and his powerful kicking game guaranteed him this position throughout his army career.

At 19 he had gone to war - an interruption which probably robbed him of higher footballing honours.

Returning to Queanbeyan in 1946, he was selected to play Group 8 Rugby League against the English at Manuka Oval. The locals were trounced 45 – 12 but the press were unanimous in their praise of “Skinny” Williams. They are quoted as saying “A feature of the game was the strong kicking of fullback H Williams who frequently repulsed England’s attack”.

“Skinny” played 1st Grade with the Queanbeyan Tigers and 1st Grade Rugby League with the Queanbeyan Blues from 1938 and didn’t hang up his boots until 1959.

In 1953, the Governor General Sir William Slim, visited Manuka Oval to witness the Grand Final clash between Manuka and Queanbeyan/Acton Combine captained by Harold Williams. The Tigers won that clash with Harold amongst the best players with a newspaper quote reading - “Whenever Williams played there was good football”.

In his preferred code of football (Australian Football) , he is fondly remembered for his brilliant long kicking. The ball often travelling 60 metres which frequently saved his team from trouble.

The late Alan Muir delighted in recalling one story. He described one such kick at Ainslie Oval - against Ainslie in 1953 while playing for the Queanbeyan Acton combine side.

The siren had sounded with the scores level. Harold who was also Captain, had taken a mark in the centre of the ground just prior to the siren – some 70 metres from goal. Players from both teams were walking from the field of play but “Skinny” was still in the centre and about to have a shot at the sticks. He was questioned as to what he was doing - with a quick reply “ I going to have a bloody shot – what do you think I am doing”.

With much dismay from all the players he timed a magnificent torpedo kick with perfection, the ball travelling the required 70 metres for a superb goal. He was chaired from the field by his team mates and officials, leaving the Ainslie camp stunned in dismay.

The period of time in the late thirties, early forties was a golden era of the Tigers Club with the 1941 Grand Final victory highly regarded as one of the greatest. Played in front of 3,000 people including Prime Minister Fadden, and Opposition Leader John Curtin at Manuka Oval, the Tigers won the match by three points against a RAAF team consisting of 16 professional footballers from around Australia who had been transferred to Canberra during the war. Both Harold and Ron were mentioned in the best players.

As in Rugby League, Harold played most of his career at fullback with the Tigers but also featured in the ruck on many occasions. He was also renown for the occasion place kick in the game of Australian Football.

In addition to being a Canberra Representative player - he played in seven grand finals for the Tigers including the tied grand final of 1939 of which they won the replay and than gained further premierships in, 1940, 1941, 1953 and 1954.

Whilst he was playing he also coached at junior level and in 1952 coached a team to the grand final. He also coached a Turner/Queanbeyan Combine Under 18 Grade team in 1966 that also made a grand final.

In Rugby League – as mentioned - he played for the Queanbeyan Blues in addition to the Queanbeyan RSL Rugby league team which featured in the intertown competition. A photo of this team taken in 1951 shows Roy, Ron and Harold featured along with other well known Queanbeyonites at the time in Henry Ford, Gerry Osborne, Keith Pollard, Harold Hawke George Sherd and Teddy Rowley to name a few

“Skinny’s” contribution to football spanning over 21 years on the playing arena is not only remarkable for its length but also for its quality.

It is - the end of an era.

He was the last of the five Williams boys who established a fine record as sportsmen. They bought credit to themselves, to their respective sports, to their family and to the community. This can often be said in respect of an individual but not as a family.

They have all been recognised on the Queanbeyan Tigers Wall of Fame and with the exception of Bubby who was unfortunately lost in the war, are members of the Tigers 100 Club.

Harold was particularly proud in April of 2005 to be in attendance at the opening of the Tigers Walk of Fame at the Margaret Donoghoe Sportsground – a walkway which recognises the Clubs 200 1st Grade game players - Harold having played exactly 200 1st Grade matches.

In retirement Skinny enjoyed the game of lawn bowls and won many titles at the Queanbeyan RSL Bowling Club, a club he visited with his family on many occasions. He particularly enjoyed having a bowl with son Kevin.

He and Muriel also escaped the cold Queanbeyan winters and travelled to Coffs Harbour each year where they enjoyed the hospitality of the RSL Bowling Club.

His granddaughter Amanda reflected to a fantastic grandfather, loving and good natured man, who served his country in the Australian Army, provided his family with tremendous dedication, guidance and love, represented his township / city with honour and glory as a sportsperson.

He was a valued member of the community, a good friend to many and will be greatly missed.