1938 South Melbourne United season

**1938** was South Melbourne United's 2nd season of senior men's competition.

## Overview

**League:** Victorian Division Two

**Finishing Position:**

**Dockerty Cup**: Semi-final

**Coaches:** Jack Guthrie and Bill Vernon

**Captain:** Les Carter

**President**: Jack Guthrie

**Patron:** E. J. Holloway

## Match results and season summary

### Summary

The 1938 Division 2 season was beset by postponements and rescheduled games, and it is likely that the entirety of the fixture may not have been completed. Ground availability, especially at the end of the soccer season when cricket sought access to grounds, once more became an issue.

For its part, South Melbourne United showed improvement on its previous year's efforts, doubling (at least) its number of league wins from 1937. But the highlight of the season was no doubt the club's Dockerty Cup run, which saw United reach the semi-finals of the competition, including knocking out Division 1 side and reigning cup holder Brighton. Despite being steamrolled 7-0 by Hakoah in the semi-final, the fact that the club had reached that stage of the Cup was lauded as proof that Australian-born players could compete with their overseas-born brethren,

At the club's annual meeting in October, the following officers were elected: Patrons, E.J. Holloway, and H. A. Layfield, Mayor of South Melbourne; president, Jack Guthrie; vice-presidents, William Howorth, W.L. Giles, D. Paton, A. Nicholson, A. McLeod, Alf. Jonas, Hugh Donaldson, A. Campbell, Norman Sole, and C. Guthrie; secretary, Mr. L. Olsen; assistant secretary, W. H. Giles; treasurer, Mr. C. Murray; auditors, A. Nicholson and C. Guthrie; delegate to V.S.F.A., E. L. Perrett; delegate to V.J.S.F.A., Mr. C. Murray; delegates to V.S.B.S.F.A., L. Olsen and A. Nicholson.
At the end of the season, the club continued to host a number of social events. At one such event, Jack Guthrie was presented with the club's first life membership award.

### Division 2 season and Dockerty Cup results

Of the 1938 Victorian Division 2 season, the historian John Punshon notes:

"From the results published in the daily papers it has not been possible to compile a complete record of the 1938 Division Two season. It appears that 18 Rounds were scheduled, but that the program was not completed. The lack of a complete fixture list and final table has further complicated the task of documenting the season.

What appears below are the results that were published. Unfortunately they are incomplete."

### Ladder

Of the final table for Division 2 in 1938, the soccer historian John Punsho notes

"The final table for Division Two was not found in the daily newspapers.

The Argus published the last of its Division Two Premiership Points lists on September 26, with a note that the fixtures were incomplete (and so they remained). The list read as follows:-

Footscray Thistle 31, Collingwood 30, Coburg 25, University High School Old Boys 19, South Melbourne United 18, Sandringham 13, Box Hill 13, St David's 9, North Melbourne Presbyterians 8, Northcote High School Old Boys 6.

In the season's summary published in The Argus on October 8, Collingwood was listed as Premiers of Division Two, so it appears that the club gained points after September 26.

Collingwood and Footscray Thistle were promoted to Division One for 1939."

## References

1. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164486466
2. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164488162
3. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12486812
4. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164494738
5. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164484578
6. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164493427
7. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164492477
8. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164495086
9. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164495086
10. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164493440
11. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11161274
12. ↑ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1938D2R.html
13. ↑ The game may have been awarded to South Melbourne United by default - but OzFootball claims that no points seem to have been awarded for this game. See the following two references.
14. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164493382
15. ↑ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1938D2R.html
16. ↑ Postponed due to South Melbourne United's Dockerty Cup committments. The game was possibly not played.
17. ↑ This round was a reversal of the round 11 fixtures, possibly a rescheduling or reallocation.
18. ↑ This was a rescheduled match at the end of the season, though it is unknown to which round the match originally belonged
19. ↑ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1938D2T.html