HISTORY OF PAMBULA PANTHERS FOOTBALL CLUB
The Pambula Panthers Football Club was formed in1983. An inaugural meeting was called by Alf King at the Royal Willows Hotel (they are our major sponsors today) to form a Club. The original steering committee elected Jim Sharples President, Richard Stallsworthy Manager National Bank Secretary, Alf King was elected our first coach, Geoff Brown official Trainer, Alan Scott handled the Bench duties.
After match watering and deep discussion was carried out at the Royal Willows Hotel (Bottom Pub) where two brothers from the Hotel Paul and Mark O’Neil both played for the Panthers. 
In those early days a fun competition was played
against made up of teams from Wyndham, Wolumla, Eden, Merimbula Marlins,
Merimbula Diggers, Tathra and Narooma.
The Panthers were copping a lot of hidings by teams in the early games and eventually notched their first win against the Merimbula Marlins, great celebrations, they also wore for the first time their Brown and Gold jumpers and history was formed, prior to that they were seen in a daggy t-shirt. A lightning Premiership was conducted at the end of this first season which Pambula won. This day was the formation of a great Club. Ex Victorians were at last going to have a Pambula Aussie Rules team.
In 1984 the Sapphire Coast Football League was formed. SCAFL and this Association remain in
place today. Pambula elected its first executive president Geoff Brown to form the new League.
Alan Scott was elected Secretary/Treasurer, Ray Nelson was appointed coach and Alan Scott and Geoff Brown
were the nominated first league Delegates.
Training was conducted at the town rugby oval and matches were played at the Bega Showground’s. The Pambula Panthers were successful in winning the very first inaugural Premiership in 1984 and have taken until 2005 to play again in a Grand Final (Unsuccessfully). The Club became incorporated in 1986 and is recognized today as the one of the largest and strongest Clubs in the SCAFL competition, managing the expectations of more than 135 senior and junior players ranging in age from 8 to 35 + years, in addition, there are approximately 90 front line volunteers that give freely of there time weekly during the footy season.
Back then the Executive Committee decided it was time for the Panthers to progress and have their own home ground, Alf King, Alan Scott and Geoff Brown commenced searching the Pambula area for suitable land to construct a football oval. They eventually were successful in obtaining land in Pambula Beach Road. This later became known as The Pambula Sporting Complex embracing not only the AFL
‘Pambula Panthers’, but Rugby League ‘Pambula Bulldogs’, The Pambula Show Society, Pambula Pony Club,The Pambula Rotary Skate Park, Pambula Swimming Pool and to be constructed shortly, two netball/basketball courts. Through the vision of these progressive Pambula Panther members and a vast amount of volunteer labour they eventually were successful in building the first Aussie Rules full size oval on the Sapphire Coast.
The first game of AFL
played on this new oval was against Milton/Ulladulla Football Club, Winton
Brocklebank was coach and he was recruited from Canberra
by Geoff Brown. Our major sponsor in those early days was the now defunct Pambula Beach Bowling Club which is now the Lumen Christi Catholic College who use this wonderful playing facility for all school sporting activities. The ‘Bowlo’ as it was known allowed the Panthers to use the old Bowling Club building as a change room and an after game entertainment area, many a good night was held at the ‘Bowlo’ (memories). An old fishing shed was donated by Karl Posselt and shifted from Merimbula by Club members and erected on the eastern boundary (School side) to be used as a change room for visiting teams. The official opening of the ground was performed by the then Shire President Bruce Hetherington and the SCAFL President Ken Woodman.
Our opponents on that official day were the Merimbula Diggers whom we defeated 17-1.116 to 15-16.106.All SCAFL Final football was played at the Pambula Complex until Berrambool oval was built in Merimbula. Today only the Preliminary Final is conducted at this fine facility. Full amenities are available at the ground and these are forever being expanded, this Complex has great spectator viewing with raised areas on both wings. The two story glassed in amenities block has an uninterrupted view of the total playing area. Two further improvements will see
a full width balcony extend out over the canteen and change rooms, the moving of an Historic grandstand to be relocated from the now extinct Pambula Racecourse and restored to a condition as close as possible to it’s former state and sighted along the boundary fence overlooking the ground. This Grandstand a piece of Pambula Historic past was constructed in 1898 and the Panthers believe this new location to be more visible and in a relevant location for such a grand old girl.
The Club has always had a strong presence through its junior program; our success today and into the future revolves around this project’s continuation. The teams over the latter years are now being filled with talented juniors who have matured through this system. The Club is
continuing with this proven formula “We are a Family”
