Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was my pleasure to attend the North Pine Sports Club's 50th birthday celebrations recently at Norths Leagues & Services Club. It was a great night to mix with many former and current players, including one of my old team mates who I hadn't seen for years. There was also plenty of memorabilia and old photos depicting their journey so far. As someone who played at the club in the 1970s and eighties, it brought back a lot of fond memories when they recounted the journey of moving from the school playground at my old primary school, Kallangur State School, to the Lawnton showgrounds and the final move to the old Dakabin dump, where they have been for over 40 years. I particularly enjoyed the story about them attempting to dig a ditch two feet down and hitting old car bodies, a remnant of the old dump, which meant getting an angle grinder to complete the project, something that I doubt would happen today. I'm glad they didn't hit the old trams buried there.

Ray Thiesfield, Edwin Thiesfield, Bill Leeming and John Bray from the inaugural senior team were present on the night. It was great to hear from them about how a few brave people broke away from the Pine Rivers Soccer Club to form the North Pine Soccer Club in 1974.

It was wonderful to see that the club is determined to keep the culture they have always had in developing and keeping their juniors, rather than bringing in players and trying to buy premierships. The club has always had a family feel, and I hope that will always be the case.

Thank you to the President Gavin Steel for the invitation, and here's to an even stronger next 50 years. Go the mighty Gorillas!