Broome Soccer Association

As part of the Broome Soccer Association's sponsorship deal with Roadwise, we will be conducting a couple of Driver Reviver camping trips. These trips involve setting up the BSA trailer on a stretch of highway and serving drivers free tea and coffee.

In true BSA spirit though, it will also encompass a fun camping weekend of fishing, skurfing and great conversations with good mates.

Every year, on or around St Patrick's Day, the Broome Soccer Association holds the only international sporting event in the Kimberley - The Delgado St Patrick’s Day Challenge Shield Trophy.

Contested between the combined might of the world, and the island of Ireland, this is a match that truly captures the true essence of the sporting mind.

Like the rules themselves - lost in the annals of time - so too was the final score in the Broome Soccer Association’s third annual Delgado St Patrick’s Day Challenge Shield Trophy. There was a heady combination of unfettered jubilation and utter bewilderment at the final whistle before it was agreed on by the Irish side that they would be declared winners and lift the trophy for an historic threepeat – the first three-in-a-row winning streak in the game’s three-year history.
Indeed it was a day of firsts for the event, the traditional format of three halves was replaced with just the two quarters, and players from the Broome Saints joined the BSA members for the game. The invite was part of a show of support for the Saints ‘Alive and Kicking’ youth suicide prevention program, which has the ultimate aim of taking a group of players to Ireland in October. To emphasise the support Ireland took the field in the Saints AFL guernsey’s while Australia used the BSA’s representative shirts.

The Aussie’s passion was there from the outset with Sarah Goyder’s rendition of Advance Australia Fair accompanied by the entire Australian side. Australia threatened to spoil the Irish party by scoring more goals than their opponents in the first quarter, including a Tim Mildenhall effort from well inside his own half, but a combination of a perfectly legitimate dubious penalty by Ryan Platten and a Phil Sheridan goal kept the Irish in the game at half time. The mighty greens were still trailing 3-2 largely due to the amazing efforts of Matt, the Australian goalkeeper, who was in danger of being sent off for bringing the game into disrepute after a series of fine saves.
Ireland changed tactics in the second quarter, employing two goalkeepers and an extra player or two. The plan worked and Ireland powered back into the game thanks to another couple from Phil Sheridan. Momentum was with the green machine and so to were the injuries with Freida McLoughlin hobbling off after an Eric Wade special and Michael O’Dawson dislocating his shoulder - as is tradition with anyone who wears the Saints number 20 guernsey. The action and the all round shenanigans kept coming thick and fast, so fast in fact that the eleven-a-side contest dissolved into every man, woman and child involved taking the field for the final heart stopping minutes despite there being no official time designated for the two quarters and no idea of the score.

There was less confusion at the presentation ceremony with BSA member, Bill Shaw, donating a framed, signed Fremantle Dockers guernsey for Saints to auction as part of their fundraising. BSA president Mike Doyle also presented an Irish International Rules jersey worn by one of Ireland’s most renowned Gaelic footballers to Tristan Pigram. But it was a day for Ireland to savour, in a fitting conclusion Frieda McLoughlin and Phil Sheridan shared the coveted player of the match bag of potatoes before Irish captain Claire Carson lifted the trophy and so it was Ireland again - and football - the winners in the 2009 Delgado St Patrick’s Day Challenge Shield Trophy.