1970's

It is appropriate to pay tribute to the ardent football supporters who laid the foundations of the Burwood Association Football Club. Two local people Norm Tennant and the late Gerald Huisman saw a notice in the local paper from the Burwood Residents Association offering financial support for the establishment of local sporting groups. Norm, Gerald and Tony Gulland canvassed the area by door knocking to drum up support and in the 1970 season the Burwood club was born. In that first season the club had teams from 8th to 12th grade and were deemed by the CJFA to be a feeder club for New Brighton and Christchurch United. Eventually the club after much effort persuaded the CFA that unless we were to remain a club heading in no particular direction, it was imperative that we be admitted to Senior grades. This came about in 1980 and our Senior men’s team rapidly rose through the CFA divisions. This move to Seniors helped stem the outflow of Juniors to other clubs and so gave us a much greater sense of club identity. The first club colours were based on the local Burwood area colour of maroon - black shorts, maroon and grey shirts. In 1974 this was changed to orange and black and has now turned full circle back to maroon.

The clubs headquarters were at Clare Park where we had 2 senior fields (in those days 8th grade and up all played 11 a-aside on a full sized pitch). The clubrooms consisted of an old dilapidated hen house where we stored our empty beer bottles for fundraising – this was the staple method of most clubs fundraising during the 1970’s. Later this building was demolished and the Waimairi District Council permitted us to use an old house which stood fronting onto Burwood Rd by the roundabout (which didn’t exist then). This was always referred to as the “White House”. Eventually this too was demolished and by then fundraising was in place for our own Clubrooms – raffles, bottle drives and buy a brick scheme. Shirley Rugby club also had a ground at Clare Park (roughly where the QEII motorway is now). With a grant from the Waimairi District Council along with Burwood and Shirley Rugby providing a deposit each of $1500.00, the bottom storey of the Clubrooms (showers and changing rooms) was erected.

In this period too, money was raised for the training floodlights. Committee meetings were held at various committee members’ houses and the members often became firm friends. Burwood Balls were legend and always well supported by a band of dedicated football people from the area. The 1970’s were a successful time for the club which became quite a focal point in the district and the club at one stage boasted about 350 members.