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Reg Date

{{Short description|Australian soccer player (1921–1995)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Reg Date

| image =

| full_name = Reginald Date

| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|7|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|1995|8|11|1921|7|26|df=y}}

| height =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 = 1930–1938

| youthclubs1 = Plattsburg Public School

| years1 = 1938–1944

| clubs1 = Wallsend

| caps1 = 107

| goals1 = 166

| years2 = 1945–1947

| clubs2 = Canterbury Bankstown

| caps2 = 39

| goals2 = 94

| years3 = 1948–1954

| clubs3 = Wallsend

| caps3 = 93

| goals3 = 154{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Peter |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x9Db4uReW4dmt1Qr04qbAjGfKEZmo6ZM/view |title=Reg Date – The Don Bradman of Football |publisher=Allen Media Services |year=2011 |isbn=9781875171095 |location=Mosman, New South Wales |pages=270 |chapter=Career Record – Fate plays a hand |access-date=7 May 2021 |archive-date=8 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908095723/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x9Db4uReW4dmt1Qr04qbAjGfKEZmo6ZM/view |url-status=live }}

| totalcaps = 239

| totalgoals = 414

| nationalyears1 = 1947

| nationalteam1 = Australia

| nationalcaps1 = 5

| nationalgoals1 = 8

}}

Reg Date (26 July 1921 – 11 August 1995) was an Australian soccer player who plied his trade after the Second World War. Date played for Wallsend Football Club and Canterbury-Bankstown. He represented Australia in five full international matches, captaining three times.{{Cite news |last=Cockerill |first=Michael |date=27 December 1999 |title=A Date with destiny |pages=39 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77062678/the-sydney-morning-herald/ |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-date=10 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810020934/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77062678/the-sydney-morning-herald/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=1995-10-19 |title=Goal-scorer with heart of pure gold |pages=49 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77062830/goal-scorer-with-heart-of-pure-gold/ |access-date=2021-05-05 |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809232129/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77062830/goal-scorer-with-heart-of-pure-gold/ |url-status=live }}{{cite AuDB |first=Philip|last=Mosely |title=Date, Reginald Thomas (1921–1995)

|year=2019|id2=date-reginald-thomas-21631 |access-date=5 May 2021 }}

Early life

Date was born in Wallsend to Nancy and John "Mick" Date. His father was a fisherman at Lemon Tree Passage, where Date lived until the age of eight, when he moved to live in Wallsend with his mother's parents.{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Peter |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x9Db4uReW4dmt1Qr04qbAjGfKEZmo6ZM/view |title=Reg Date – The Don Bradman of Football |publisher=Allen Media Services |year=2011 |isbn=9781875171095 |location=Mosman, New South Wales |pages=41 |chapter=1921–1928 – Fate plays a hand |access-date=7 May 2021 |archive-date=8 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908095723/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x9Db4uReW4dmt1Qr04qbAjGfKEZmo6ZM/view |url-status=live }}

Club career

Date went to Plattsburg Public School in Wallsend, being a prolific goalscorer in their youth matches; he even claimed that he had scored a total of 1,616 career goals including junior football, although there is no evidence of such.{{cite web |url=https://90soccer.com/the-soccer-players-who-scored-the-most-goals-in-the-history-of-the-sport-since-the-19th-century/ |title=Who scored the most goals in history? |website=90soccer.com |date=31 October 2021 |access-date=30 January 2024 |archive-date=14 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714202906/https://90soccer.com/the-soccer-players-who-scored-the-most-goals-in-the-history-of-the-sport-since-the-19th-century/ |url-status=live }} He made his debut for Wallsend Football Club in 1938 as a 16-year-old. He joined Canterbury-Bankstown in the state league in 1945. Date continued to live in Wallsend, commuting by train every weekend. In 1948, Date returned to Wallsend.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248182487 |title=DATE GETS CLEARANCE |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |volume=IX |issue=22 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=11 April 1948 |access-date=5 May 2021 |page=23 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130190058/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/248182487 |url-status=live }} In time he was coached by the great Alf Quill, Wallsend Football Club's legendary goalscorer of the inter-war years.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231008513 |title=Soccer record claimed |newspaper=The Sun |issue=13288 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=10 September 1952 |access-date=5 May 2021 |page=35 (LATE FINAL EXTRA) |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130190101/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231008513 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Davidson |first=John |date=2 April 2015 |title=The forgotten story of... Reg Date, the Don Bradman of football in Australia |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/apr/02/the-forgotten-story-of-reg-date |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-date=11 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111232822/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/apr/02/the-forgotten-story-of-reg-date |url-status=live }}

At his peak Date was an incredible goal scorer for Canterbury-Bankstown in the New South Wales Division 1, earning state and international recognition and captaining Australia in three matches against South Africa in a five-game home series against that nation; Date scoring eight goals.{{Cite web |last=Howe |first=Andrew |date=12 October 2006 |title=The Australian National Men's Football Team: Caps and Captains |url=http://www.ozfootball.net/museum/socceroocaps.pdf |access-date=5 May 2021 |publisher=Football Federation Australia |via=OzFootball |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172715/http://www.ozfootball.net/museum/socceroocaps.pdf |url-status=live }} He scored another three in two warm-up matches for the 'B' side prior to the official tour.

There was consternation when Date, for whatever reason, was not selected on international tours of New Zealand in 1948 and, most surprisingly, South Africa in 1950, but he did score in a representative match on the national side's return from the Cape for New South Wales against Australia on 2 September 1950 and did appear for the 'B' side in the famous 17–0 defeat to an English XI on 30 June 1951.{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/australia-v-england-30-june-1951-225979/ |title=Australia v England, 30 June 1951 |website=www.11v11.com |access-date=30 January 2024 |archive-date=4 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804134213/http://www.11v11.com/matches/australia-v-england-30-june-1951-225979/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.ozfootball.net/museum/index.php/archive/99-australia-vs-england-1951 |title=Australia Vs England 1951 |date=29 July 2008 |access-date=30 January 2024 |archive-date=15 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715023707/http://www.ozfootball.net/museum/index.php/archive/99-australia-vs-england-1951 |url-status=bot: unknown }}

Legacy

In 2000, he was selected as a member of the Australian team of the century by respondents to an RSSSF vote, beating Frank Farina into second place for the number 10 shirt.{{Cite web |last=Krüger |first=André |author-link=André Krüger |title=Australia - Team of the Century |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/aus-century.html |access-date=2021-05-05 |website=RSSSF.com |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131224828/https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/aus-century.html |url-status=live }}

Later life

Date worked for years running hotels in the Newcastle area. He became the publican of the Queens Arms Hotel in Maitland in 1947, moving to the Ocean View Hotel in Dudley the next year. In 1954, Date took over the Albion Hotel in Wickham, where he worked until his retirement in 1980.{{Cite news |last=Cronshaw |first=Damon |date=26 July 2017 |title=How Reg Date played peacemaker at Wickham, when Malcolm Fraser met the Queen |work=Newcastle Herald |url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4814039/a-newcastle-story-of-the-queen-and-free-beer-photos/ |access-date=7 May 2021 |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507024301/https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4814039/a-newcastle-story-of-the-queen-and-free-beer-photos/ |url-status=live }} In a 2012 interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, his Australia teammate Joe Marston rated Date as the best Australian player that he had played with or against, adding, "Great player. Great bloke. But boy he could drink. The selectors, they never liked Reggie. He was too much of a larrikin. They couldn't handle him."{{Cite news |last=Cockerill |first=Michael |author-link=Mike Cockerill |date=2012-04-05 |title=Tough as old boots and now he's a living legend |language=en |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/tough-as-old-boots-and-now-hes-a-living-legend-20120405-1wfei.html |access-date=2021-05-07 |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507024300/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/tough-as-old-boots-and-now-hes-a-living-legend-20120405-1wfei.html |url-status=live }}

Career statistics

=Club=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%; text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition. Only official games are included in this table.{{Cite web|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929172912/https://trove.nla.gov.au/|url-status=dead|title=Trove|archivedate=29 September 2022|website=trove.nla.gov.au}}

rowspan=2|Club

!rowspan=2|Season

!colspan=2|League

!colspan=2|State Premiership

!colspan=2|State League Cup

!colspan=2|Other

!colspan=2|Total

Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

rowspan=7|Wallsend

|1938

|4

800352+3+9+16
1939

|21

1900000021+19
1940

|21

2100101+3+23+24
1941

|14+

1500213219+18
1942

|13+

3913416724+50
1943

|12+

2312144+10+18+39
1944

|22

4100473+5+29+53
rowspan=3|Canterbury Bankstown

|1945

|14

323226122042
1946

|12

29255132+2+21+49
1947

|13

3300716102149
rowspan=8|Wallsend

|1948

|9

130038111322
1949

|18

292324352541
1950

|18

242430302628
1951

|21

382624362854
1952

|8

246547131941
1953

|11

165312542225
1954

|8

10000000810
|Total

!206+

4142433397839+53+346+578

=International=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
rowspan="2" |National teamrowspan="2" |Yearcolspan="2" |Competitive

! colspan="2" |Friendly

! colspan="2" |Total

Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

Australia

|1947

|0

|0

|5

|8

|5

|8

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Reg Date

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

style="text-align:center"|1

|{{dts|10 May 1947}}

|Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia

|{{fb|RSA|1928}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|style="text-align:center" {{lost|1–2}}

|Friendly

|{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231553884 |title=South African's 2-1 Victory In Soccer Test |newspaper=The Sun |issue=11,635 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=10 May 1947 |accessdate=21 December 2022 |page=6 (FINAL FOOTBALL LASTRACE) |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130190000/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231553884 |url-status=live }}

style="text-align:center"|2

|rowspan="2"|{{dts|24 May 1947}}

|rowspan="2"|Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane, Australia

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|RSA|1928}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" {{lost|2–4}}

|rowspan="2"|Friendly

|rowspan="2"|{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203127430 |title=DATE'S SHOOT-LADDIES SHACKLED |newspaper=Truth |issue=2461 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=25 May 1947 |accessdate=21 December 2022 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130190000/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203127430 |url-status=live }}

style="text-align:center"|3

|style="text-align:center"|2–3

style="text-align:center"|4

|rowspan="2"|{{dts|31 May 1947}}

|rowspan="2"|Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia

|rowspan="2"|{{fb|RSA|1928}}

|style="text-align:center"|2–1

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" {{pending|3–3}}

|rowspan="2"|Friendly

|rowspan="2"|{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203235391 |title=S.AFRICAN STAGE BRILLIANT RECOVERY FOR DRAW |newspaper=Truth |issue=2462 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=1 June 1947 |accessdate=21 December 2022 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130190100/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203235391 |url-status=live }}

style="text-align:center"|5

|style="text-align:center"|3–1

style="text-align:center"|6

|rowspan="3"|{{dts|31 May 1947}}

|rowspan="3"|Newcastle Sports Ground, Newcastle, Australia

|rowspan="3"|{{fb|RSA|1928}}

|style="text-align:center"|1–0

|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center" {{won|5–1}}

|rowspan="3"|Friendly

|rowspan="3"|{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231553281 |title=Australia Wins Soccer 5-1 |newspaper=The Sun |issue=11,659 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=7 June 1947 |accessdate=21 December 2022 |page=7 (FINAL FOOTBALL LAST RACE) |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130185958/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231553281 |url-status=live }}

style="text-align:center"|7

|style="text-align:center"|4–1

style="text-align:center"|8

|style="text-align:center"|5–1

Honours

Wallsend

  • NSW State League: 1938, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1953{{Cite web |title=NSW State League |url=http://www.socceraust.co.uk/NSW/Champions/state.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221161245/http://www.socceraust.co.uk/NSW/Champions/state.htm |archive-date=2022-12-21 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=web.archive.org}}
  • NSW State League Cup: 1942, 1944, 1950, 1952
  • NSW Robinson Cup: 1938, 1939
  • NSW Daniels Cup: 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1950, 1951,

Canterbury

  • NSW State League: 1945
  • NSW State League Cup: 1946
  • NSW Sydney Cup: 1946

Individual

  • NSW Top Scorer: 1942, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953{{Cite book|title=Jack Pollard's Soccer Records - Sid Grant|date=1974|page=116|language=en}}{{Cite book|title=Jack Pollard's Soccer Records - Sid Grant|date=1974|page=117|language=en}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/D/DA.html Oz Football profile]

{{Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Date, Reg}}

Category:Australian men's soccer players

Category:Australia men's international soccer players

Category:1921 births

Category:1995 deaths

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Soccer players from Newcastle, New South Wales

Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen