The Benoni Town Council developed a residential area north of the town for the development of houses and called the area Northmead, to the east of Northmead was Rynfield. The council allocated an area between these two suburbs for the development of sporting facilities.In the 60s, the council created a board under the chairmanship of John Barrable, whose task was to develop sporting facilities for the residents. Hence, the Northerns Area Sports Board was created.The designated area was named Albert Bekker Park and earmarked as a multi-sport facility. Today, more so known as Benoni Northerns Sports Fields.
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The board facilitated funds from council for the development of the facilities. Benoni Hockey Club, driven by Twis Dudley, and St Patrick’s Cricket Club, by Ivan Dekker, and Ray van der Wagen mooted they should play their sport at the Northern Areas Fields. The board accepted them as participants and planned the necessary playing fields funded by council. The two joined and formed the Benoni Northern Areas Sports Club officially in 1972. The origin of the club badge is claimed to be that of the Essex County Cricket Club with the scimitars turned into the strike mode; the colours of Essex being red and white.
An urban legend says in the early days Northerns had a cricket professional playing for the club from Essex and a liking was taken to the badge.
In February 1973, the first sod of the clubhouse for the Benoni Northern Sports Club was turned, a welcome new home for the young club replacing the tin shed.The foundation of the club was hockey and cricket.
Then, in 1975, Manny Ferreirinho decided to start soccer at Northerns. With soccer, the club now had three sections and experienced rapid growth.
• The Northerns Tennis Club was established as an independent club, as was the Northerns Swimming Pool Facility.
• The John Barrable Hall is independent of the Northerns Sports Club and is administered and run by the council to this day, even though located in the middle of the Northerns sports fields.
• The Northerns Sports Board of Control, whose original function was to facilitate funds from the council to develop sport, eventually served no purpose and ceased to exist and all the clubs went their own way.
From humble beginnings, Benoni Northerns by the mid-70s had become the third biggest hockey club in the country, with 24 teams. They were a force to be reckoned with and the venue for major hockey tournaments and even international games. Hockey continued as the most successful and consistent section of the club through the 70s and the foundation for the success of the club.
The 80s saw dramatic changes and growth at the club:
• The athletics section was formed.
• The Benoni Cricket Club amalgamated with Northerns and brought with it their talent and experience. With them came the legendary Dennis Lindsay.
• Hockey participated in the National Club Championships, having won Premier League consistently. Football became a major force in the Transvaal Amateur First Division. Their games would at times attract a few thousand people to the ‘North’.
• Then, of course, to crown it all was our very own Frith van der Merwe’s historical feats in the Comrades. We also had Gary Turner, Val Bleazard and Avril Godwin as top Comrades runners. The mentorship and guidance of Riaan van Wyk contributed to the growth and ethos of the new vibrant and wonderful athletics section.
• Northerns Baseball also flourished under the mentorship of Keith Smith, with many players gaining national colours – a trend which continues to this day.
• The ?80s saw the growth of the junior sections. The Northerns Junior Cricket Academy was initiated by Dennis Lindsay, mini-hockey was started by John Hawkins and carried on by Jerry Bayley. Junior football grew exponentially.
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People simply flocked to Northerns. They were wonderful years for a true family and community-orientated club. This remains so to this very day.The fields remain the property of the council. The role played by the council over the years in the development of the Northerns Club cannot be underestimated – the perfect example of what a public and private partnership can achieve. So too the Benoni City Times must be credited. They played an important role in promoting sport in Benoni and at Northerns. The club fondly remembers Mr McBride from the early years, succeeded by Clinton van der Bergh, Kevin MacCallum and Logan Green, supported, of course, by Hilary Green. The City Times has been a partner and supporter of Northerns since day one.
Northerns undertook a number of capital projects in the 90s:
• The hall for functions. Funds generated were ploughed back into the club, managed and controlled under the watchful eye of Dave Wilson. Strict financial management was key in ensuring the sustainability of the club through its ambitious expansionary period.
• Northerns welcomed the changes in sport and the newly created structures of the provincial and national associations, under which Northerns had always played their sport. One need only visit the club on game days or attend athletic runs to witness how Northerns has embraced change. During the first decade of the new millennium, junior sport continued to flourish; however, hockey regressed as the dynamics of the game changed with the introduction of synthetic surfaces. Northerns were left behind with no Astroturf, while soccer continued to be played without enjoying any real growth, a trend at club level. Cricket, however, did see growth, a direct spin-off from the success of the national team while at Northerns due to the capable leadership of Craig Wittstock.
The last decade has seen new and exciting developments at the club
• The Northerns Tennis Club became a section of Benoni Northerns (previously an independent club).
• A bridge section was started at the club and is flourishing. This section is a valuable contributor to the community and consists mainly of older members. The age of club members now ranges from six to 90.
• Eastern’s Hockey Association, funded by Lotto, in 2015 sited their Astro Field at the Northerns sports grounds and share the use of the clubs facilities. This is now the centralised venue for hockey in Easterns.
• The Benoni Rugby Club, which was established some 100 years ago, joined the club and play as Benoni Northerns. The club sees a great and exciting future for rugby at Benoni Northerns. This move was supported by the Valke Rugby Union.
• The Scimitar Bar and Beer Garden was established. A pleasant and fabulous facility used extensively by members and a popular venue for participants after games and runs.
When sports clubs around the country are failing, Northerns has continued to survive and grow. Northerns, as with other clubs, are not sustainable through revenue generated from subscriptions only. The club has had to find innovative ways to utilise its facilities to raise funds, hence hosting events such as:
•Marathons
•Festivals
•Tournaments
•The Toy Run
Without these, Northerns would not be the premier sports club on the East Rand, a club to be proud of. A facility for residents of all ages to partake in sport. This popular club has at least a 100 000 visitors per year. The club truly serves the community. At present, it has some 2 500 members split roughly between seniors and juniors. It would not exist if not for those many members who have dedicated their time and effort to the club over the years and those who continue to do so.Only a few stalwarts are mentioned, one just simply cannot mention everyone. Apologies to those who may have been overlooked, but you know who you are.Once Lockdown has eased, residents are welcome to visit. Come and have a look around, enjoy the history which adorns the walls, while enjoying a refreshment in the company of the members and experiencing the friendliness of the staff. You will be surprised at the ‘gem’ that exists in your neighborhood.
