Did Melbourne celebrate it's 150th anniversary a year early?

[james1977 0]

The Melbourne Football Club was formed in 1859! The 150th year is therefore 2009! The "150 Years of The Melbourne Football Club" book sais "Since 1858". The club wasn't formed until the next year. Was it a mistake? Or did the Melbourne Football Club play unofficially in 1858 (and that's when they're counting from)?

[Sir Why You Little 34,658]

The Club was Formed in 1858 dude.

[james1977 0]

Wikipedia has it wrong then. This is on their page:

Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Melbourne, Victoria.

In 1859 [2], a few days after it was founded, some of its members invented the code of football that it still plays. It competed in the very first senior and trophy competition in 1861, was a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association (1877), one of two associations and governing bodies formed in the same year and in 1897 it became a foundation member of VFL competition which became the national Australian Football League.

The club, erroneously in 2008, celebrated the 150th anniversary of the first meeting of its founding members, published "Melbourne FC - Since 1858 - An Illustrated History" and commemorated its formation by naming "150 Heroes" as well as a birthday logo, which appears on its official jersey.

[CHAMP 347]

The club was formed on 14 May 1859 but the founding members met the year before. The rules were drafted after the club was formed to enable play to proceed.

The 1858 reference is a bit dodgy. Last year was the 150th year.

Note:

2008 - 1859 = 149 sure, but one must add one because the simple difference does not account for the first season eg consider the years AD1 to AD10, the diff is 9 but we have 10 years.

[james1977 0]

You mean the 149th year? It should be this year.

[Carn dees 108]

Im sure they wouldnt stuff this up.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

The club was formed on 14 May 1859 but the founding members met the year before. The rules were drafted after the club was formed to enable play to proceed.

The 1858 reference is a bit dodgy. Last year was the 159th year.

Note:

2008 - 1859 = 149 sure, but one must add one because the simple difference does not account for the first season eg consider the years AD1 to AD10, the diff is 9 but we have 10 years.

I think this is the reason why last year was 150 years.

Because it can be interrupreted that the forming was either 1858 or 1859. CHAMP's point is valid for 1859, while if it was 1858 most people who think, yeah 2008-1858= 150. Therefore it was a good decision to celebrate it last year.

[casey scorp 2]

When you are born you have your 1st year.

After 1 year of life you have your 1st birthday.

At the end of your 150th year you have your 150th birthday.

So, if you were born in 1859, you would celebrate your 150th year from your birthday in 2008 until your birthday in 2009.

[Whispering_Jack 28,017]

When you are born you have your 1st year.

After 1 year of life you have your 1st birthday.

At the end of your 150th year you have your 150th birthday.

So, if you were born in 1859, you would celebrate your 150th year from your birthday in 2008 until your birthday in 2009.

So allow me to throw a spanner into the works on this discussion.

During WW1 the MFC went into recess for three seasons due to the war. The club didn't field a team in 1916, 1917 and 1918. Therefore, I maintain that last year was only the 147th year of the club fielding a team in competition and our true 150th year will be 2011.

This sits nicely with me because I believe we'll show dramatic improvement over the next year or two and be primed to do a Hawthorn and really celebrate the 150 in its rightful year of 2011!

[james1977 0]

Wouldn't May 2008-May 2009 be the 150th year (putting aside the three years that the Dees didn't play-which is an interesting point)? Melbourne turns 150 on May 2009-this month!

[rpfc 27,573]

Wouldn't May 2008-May 2009 be the 150th year (putting aside the three years that the Dees didn't play-which is an interesting point)? Melbourne turns 150 on May 2009-this month!

No.

The AFL/VFL did it right in 1996 - Its centenary year.

After being formed in 1897.

Casey scorp is right.

BTW, Jack - good idea. With enough PR I reckon it could catch on...

[RossSmith 0]

The Melbourne Football Club was formed in 1859! The 150th year is therefore 2009! The "150 Years of The Melbourne Football Club" book sais "Since 1858". The club wasn't formed until the next year. Was it a mistake? Or did the Melbourne Football Club play unofficially in 1858 (and that's when they're counting from)?

That's right. Melbourne Football Club did not exist in 1858 as evidence exists proving

it was formed on Saturday 14 May 1859.

sources include The Herald [Monday] 16 May 1859:

"A preliminary meeting of gentlemen interested in the game was subsequently held at the Parade Hotel, with the object of forming a Football Club. A list of fifty-one members was submitted, and from amongst them the following were selected as a committee to draw up rules, etc.: - Messrs. Wills, Hammersley, Bruce, Smith, and Wray. Mr Sewell was appointed treasurer; and Mr J B Thompson, secretary of the club."

and

The Argus [Monday] 16 May 1859

"At the same meeting, a secretary, treasurer, and committee of five were appointed to conduct the affairs of the club, in which about 60 gentlemen have already enrolled themselves."

Given that date of foundation, forum members might reasonably expect that the first annual meeting would have been held about a year later.

The Argus [Friday] 27 April 1860

"The Melbourne Football Club holds its first annual meeting this day in the MCC pavilion, when a numerous attendance is expected."

The Argus [saturday] 28 April 1860

"A general meeting of the Melbourne Football Club was held yesterday, at the Pavilion, on the Melbourne Cricket-ground. Mr Hammersley occupied the chair. On the motion of Mr J B Thompson, seconded by Mr Smith, the offices of treasurer and secretary were combined in the person of Mr Sydney Woolley. The committee for the year consists of Messrs Bruce, Hammersley, Morrison, Smith, Thompson, and Wills."

[Kit Walker 207]

That's right. Melbourne Football Club did not exist in 1858 as evidence exists proving

it was formed on Saturday 14 May 1859.

The 1858 formation is quite a recent (relatively speaking) claim as well. I have some MFC collectables from the late 1980s which state "Est 1859".

[montasaurus 0]

Does it matter, you could argue for either date and still we celebrated our 150th year last year?

correct me if I am wrong but we formed a year before the rules were nutted out (1858) and we played our 1st game v geelong in 1859 a year later? No proof of this but this is my understanding of how it was all started.

[H_T 2,941]

So allow me to throw a spanner into the works on this discussion.

During WW1 the MFC went into recess for three seasons due to the war. The club didn't field a team in 1916, 1917 and 1918. Therefore, I maintain that last year was only the 147th year of the club fielding a team in competition and our true 150th year will be 2011.

This sits nicely with me because I believe we'll show dramatic improvement over the next year or two and be primed to do a Hawthorn and really celebrate the 150 in its rightful year of 2011!

So allow me to throw a tool kit on your post WJ.

If you maintain that last year was only our 147th year of the club fielding a team in the comp......then we're no longer the oldest club?

[montasaurus 0]

So allow me to throw a tool kit on your post WJ.

If you maintain that last year was only our 147th year of the club fielding a team in the comp......then we're no longer the oldest club?

the club would have still existed for three years even though they were not competing. therefore irrelevant!

[deanox 8,702]

i think it is a problem that a lot of clubs have, do you celebrate the birthday (ie the completion of the year) or the annivsary year (ie during the anniversary season)?

The being said, we have clearly changed our tune from 1859 to 1858.

Can anyone remember far back enough to recall which year we celebrated our 100th year, or or 50th year? are their collectables from that?

[QueenC 74]

From the History on the club website......

Chronology: A year by year summary of our history

1835 Settlement of the Port Phillip District in the Colony of New South Wales.

1838 Formation of the Melbourne Cricket Club.

1851 Victoria is declared a separate colony.

1852 The MCG is established in Yarra Park (then Richmond Paddock).

1858 MCC Secretary Tom Wills begins the first formal Australian Rules competition. Melbourne Football Club grows out of this.

1859 Rules of the Melbourne Football Club are formalised. HCA Harrison and Wills are among major contributors.

1860s South Yarra, the first Richmond Football Club, Carlton, South Melbourne and Royal Park Football Clubs are formed. Melbourne is then known as the ‘Invincible Whites’. Teams are limited to 20 per side. HCA Harrison retires as player, to concentrate on administration and development of game.........

[Steamin Demon 370]

So allow me to throw a spanner into the works on this discussion.

During WW1 the MFC went into recess for three seasons due to the war. The club didn't field a team in 1916, 1917 and 1918. Therefore, I maintain that last year was only the 147th year of the club fielding a team in competition and our true 150th year will be 2011.

This sits nicely with me because I believe we'll show dramatic improvement over the next year or two and be primed to do a Hawthorn and really celebrate the 150 in its rightful year of 2011!

Yes !!! I like the way you think.

[1858 219]

A passage from 'Melbourne F.C. Since 1858 - An Illustrated History'...

"Men from around Melbourne started playing matches in 1858, and the club was founded that year and formally constituted in 1859,"