1888 SAFA season

The 1888 South Australian Football Association season (officially United Football Association of South Australia) was the 12th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia. The Norwood Football Club won their 8th premiership by winning 1 premiership point, or a half a win, more than.

West Adelaide folded after just one season (1887), their resignation was accepted at the Annual General Meeting of the SAFA held on 5 April 1888, as they were unable to get a team together. At the same meeting permission was given for Hotham to change their name to North Adelaide and for Gawler to remove the word Albion from their name.

It was reported on 14 April 1888 - The West Adelaides being unable to get together a team have quietly dropped out of the Senior Association, but the North Adelaides (late Hotham) and Gawler (late Gawler Albions) Clubs intend to persevere. There are now six associated clubs, consequently each will be engaged every Saturday.

On evening of Thursday 3rd May 1888 a New Football Assocation was formed at a meeting of three delegates of each of the Adelaide, South Adelaide, and Port Football Clubs held at the Exchange Hotel, Adelaide, on Thursday evening. Mr. H. S. Wyatt presided. The action of the three clubs in declining to submit the dispute to arbitration was further endorsed. After other business was transacted the following resolution was unanimously carried "That a new Football Association formed". Applications from the Creswick and Medindie Football Clubs were received. Messrs. Liston (Norwood) and Rickard (Hotham North Adelaide) were invited to the meeting, but being unable to give hope of joining the new Association the applications of the two clubs previously mentioned were accepted.

At a meeting on evening of May 9, Norwood, North Adelaide (Hotham) and Gawler clubs had their applications to the new association approved.

Medindie, the future North Adelaide Football Club, became the 7th senior Club when it joined the United Football Association formed by the Adelaide, Port Adelaide and South Adelaide Football Clubs following the resignations of those clubs from the South Australia Football Association.

SAFA Split and Dissolution / Formation of United Football Association of South Australia
The Association had split before the season commenced with the 3 oldest clubs - Adelaide, Port Adelaide and South Adelaide resigning from the SAFA and creating their own new Association. An advertisement was placed on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th April 1888 by these clubs inviting other Clubs to submit their applications by 5pm on Monday 30th April 1888. Applications had been received from two Junior Clubs Creswick and Medindie, which was later to become North Adelaide in 1893, to join their new Association. This would have left only the strong Norwood club and the two new clubs from last season Gawler and Hotham in the original SAFA. Most of the dispute was over fixtures and individual clubs having to arrange with the South Australian Cricket Association lease of the Adelaide Oval for matches. Norwood were proposing to play all their home games at the Kensington Oval and the Gawler Club were unable to secure any matches at Adelaide Oval due to the Cricket Association objections.

The new body, with a view of suppressing professionalism, also passed the following rule " Any player or member of any associated club receiving payment directly or indirectly for his services as a footballer shall be disqualify for any period the general committee may think fit; and any associated club paying a player either directly or indirectly for his services as a footballer shall be fined £10, and in addition lose the match and be disqualified for the remainder of the season." The wisdom of the adoption of this rule cannot be overestimated, as the baneful effect of this habit, which was beginning to get more frequent in the colony, has been noticeable in the past. A programme of matches was eventually drawn up to the general satisfaction of the clubs.

Public Meeting Saturday evening of 5 May 1888
On Saturday evening of 5 May 1888, a public meeting convened by the Hon. J.C Bray, M.P., Messrs. L. Cohen, M.P., and S. Solomon, M.P. was held at the Adelaide Town Hall with a crowded attendance. Mr. A. J. Roberts, the popular member and ex-captain of the Norwood team, stated that by request he had attended a meeting of the other clubs that evening and he considered that some arrangement might be made with them. The meeting was adjourned for the purpose of allowing Mr. Roberts to hear the other clubs' views on the subject. They replied as follows:-" That the meeting in the Town Hall be informed that the formation of a new association will be proceeded with, and there being two vacancies applications will be favorably received from the Norwood and North Adelaide (Hotham) clubs."

Alderman Solomon then moved :-" That in the opinion of this meeting the resolution passed by the new association be accepted by this meeting, provided the clubs, including the Gawler Club, are admitted on an equal basis now forming the new association," The meeting again adjourned, when the three clubs (South, Port and Adelaide) intimated their willingness to receive applications from the Norwood, North Adelaide, and Gawler clubs. The proposal was accepted, The meeting concluded with cheers for Mr. Roberts, whose efforts had conduced to a large extent to the satisfactory result.

First Meeting of new Association (9 May 1888)
Applications were duly sent in by the Norwood, North Adelaide (Hotham) and Gawler clubs by the appointed time, and on Wednesday evening the first meeting of the new association was held. Delegates attended from the following seven clubs - Port Adelaide, Adelaide, South Adelaide, North Adelaide (Hotham), Norwood, Gawler, and Medindie. Alterations and amendments were made to several of the rules which have been the cause of trouble in previous seasons.

The first meeting of the newly-formed football association was held at the Trade Exchange on Wednesday evening, 9th May 1888, when there was a full attendance of Delegates from the following seven clubs - Port Adelaide, Adelaide, South Adelaide, North Adelaide (Hotham), Norwood, Gawler, and Medindie. Mr. H. S. Wyatt occupied the chair, and explained to the delegates of the Norwood, North Adelaide (Hotham) and Gawler clubs that their application to join the association had been formally laid before the committee, and had been received. The draft rules were first considered, and it was resolved that the name of the association should be the United Football Association of South Australia or such other name as the association may in committee from time to time determine.' Some objection was taken to this, and it was urged that as the South Australian Football Association would now be dissolved its name might be taken. Alterations and amendments were also made to several of the rules which have been the cause of trouble in previous seasons.

Round 19
A team of from Broken Hill visited Adelaide and played the following games: Saturday, September 15, they play the Ports; Tuesday, September 18. North Adelaides; Thursday, September 20, Medindies; Saturday, September 22, Gawler; Monday, September 24, Mount Barker

Ladder
Note: The programme was resolved by each club playing every team 3 times except Gawler. Gawler had requested to play each team only twice and was programmed 10 home games out of their total of 12.

Hotham renames to North Adelaide and changes Colours
Hotham Club which joined the SAFA in 1887 was renamed North Adelaide for the 1888 Season. It would also add a blue hoop to their red and white guernseys and wear blue and white hose so as not to clash with the new club Medindie whose colours were also Red and White. The North Adelaide (Hotham) club disbanded at the end of the Season following a merger with Adelaide. It has no connection with the North Adelaide Football Club currently in the SANFL which joined in 1888 as Medindie for its inaugural senior season and would later be renamed North Adelaide for the 1893 Season.