Rabbitohs celebrate their 100th birthday

parragirl

Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 2:13 PM

The South Sydney Rabbitohs today celebrated their 100th birthday with the unveiling of a Centenary Plaque at Redfern Town Hall, the same venue where the Club was founded on January 17, 1908. Rabbitohs legend Bobby McCarthy, Joyce Churchill, the widow of Rabbitohs great Clive Churchill, South Sydney Executive Chairman Peter Holmes à Court and South Sydney Member Co. Chairman Nicholas Pappas were on hand to unveil the Centenary Plaque. There was also the cutting of a celebration birthday cake for Rabbitohs Members.

A member of Rabbitohs premiership winning sides in 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971, Mr McCarthy said he was honoured to be part of the Club’s Centenary Season celebrations.

“I’m really proud to be involved with all this,” the former international said. “I’ve followed the Rabbitohs for 50 years and was lucky enough to play for them. And given all the great players that have played under the South Sydney name it is humbling to be involved in unveiling this plaque. It’s hard to comprehend that we have been around for 100 years and it’s something that I never really thought about as a player. It seems to have all gone so quickly but there have been a lot of good memories along the way.”

Mr Pappas said he hoped all Rabbitohs fans would join the Club in celebrating 100 years.

“This is a great occasion for everyone who has ever been associated with the Rabbitohs,” he said.

“Today is a day for all of us to be proud of our Club and all its achievements. There have been some very good times for this Club, and some occasional dark times, but through it all we have always come out on top. This is a day to honour the pioneers of the Rabbitohs and to acknowledge the thousands who fought so hard when we were excluded from the NRL competition.

"It is a privilege to be here today at the very same venue where the Club was founded 100 years ago, and I can assure our supporters that we will be doing everything to ensure it is it still going strong for another 100 years.”

The Rabbitohs Centenary Celebrations continue tonight with an invite only 100 year enactment in the Redfern Town Hall, 73 Pitt St Redfern beginning at 7pm. Working media are welcome to attend. Could working media who are yet to confirm their attendance please contact James MacSmith on the numbers below. Some important historical moments in the history of the South Sydney Rabbitohs;

* January 17, 1908, the South Sydney Football Club is founded at the Redfern Town Hall
* August 29, 1908, South Sydney claim their first premiership with a 14-12 win over Eastern Suburbs
* 1925, South Sydney go through the season undefeated to claim their fifth premiership, the 1925 side is the only Rabbitohs side to go through a season undefeated
* 1928, “The Battle of Earl Park”, before a then record crowd of 14,000 a South Sydney side down to 11 men triumphs 13-5 over St George in a brutal semi-final. A week later South Sydney defeat Eastern Suburbs 26-5 to claim their eighth premiership
* 1947, late in the season Clive Churchill signs with South Sydney for 12 pounds and 11 shillings a game, he plays two games for the Club in the season
* 1948, the Rabbitohs move to Redfern Oval
* 1955, “The Miracle of ‘55”, led by Jack Rayner South Sydney win 11 successive sudden death games including the premiership decider 14-11 over St George to claim their 16th premiership
* 1959, the Rabbitohs emblem appears on the South Sydney jersey for the first time
* September 16, 1967, a Bob McCarthy intercept helps South Sydney to a 12-10 premiership win over Canterbury before 56,358 at the SCG
* September 18, 1971, the Rabbitohs win the last of their 20 premiership with a 16-10 Grand Final win over St George in front of 62,838 at the SCG
* October 15, 1999, South Sydney are omitted from top flight rugby league competition
* In 1999 and 2000 a total of 120,00 people march in two separate marches in support of the Rabbitohs' reinstatement to the NRL competition
* July 7, 2001, the Rabbitohs legal bid for reinstatement to the NRL succeeds before the Full Bench of the Federal Court
* March 15, 2002, South Sydney return to the NRL competition
* March 19, 2006, 75.8 per cent of South Sydney Football Club Voting Members vote 'yes' to a partial privatisation of the Club under Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes à Court

Source: NRL
http://nrl.com.au/News/Latest/New...tabid/76/NewsId/7732/Default.aspx

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Skyhunter · Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:39 pm Post subject:

That's a major milestone for any Club to reach, Congratulations to the Rabbitohs and all their supporters enjoy this special time.