Willowmoore Park: From swamp to sportsfield
Willowmoore Park was named after Arthur Henry Moore, former mayor 1923 to 1924 and 1926 to 1927 of Benoni and because the boundaries were lined with newly planted willow trees to provide shade for spectators.
In 1912, two local schoolboys, Morrie Nestadt and Johnny van Aardt, sons of Benoni pioneers found that a low-lying area of land on the south east side of the town centre was a good spot in which to kick a football about.
Little did the aspiring young soccer players realise they were laying the foundations of sport in Benoni.
Other young soccer enthusiasts soon gathered for their weekly kick around – only during the winter months though, as the ground became a vlei almost two inches deep during summer.
It was known that canoes were launched where the fire station now stands.
In 1914, the ground’s first home club was born called Benoni Amateur Soccer Club, with former fire chief Richard Herd as chairman.
Small wood and iron dressing rooms were erected along with goal posts and all necessary equipment, conveniently situated near the main road and the railway station.
In 1915, Benoni Town Council took a keen interest and commenced to level it out by sloping the ground away from the centre.
Shortly after World War One, Benoni Soccer Club had taken great strides and was adopted as the headquarters of the East Rand Football Association, forerunner to the Eastern Transvaal Football Association.
The Board of Control was established on which all sports in Benoni were represented.
Soccer was followed by rugby and Benoni became a centre of East Rand rugby which eventually figured on the Transvaal Knock-Out Competition.
A new grandstand to accommodate over 2 000 people was erected and declared open on June 26, 1927.
It was then re-named Willowmoore Park.
A rugby stand followed 22 years later.
Additional playing fields were laid out and the main ground was converted into a stadium to accommodate over 20 000 spectators.
Willowmoore Park has been a prominent international sporting centre for a number of years where numerous overseas cricket and soccer sides have scored their runs.
It also boasts the largest field under turf in the country – the launching pad of many a Springbok – a proud boast for a proud town.
Information supplied by Glynis Cox Millett-Clay.
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