Quarry Bay School Sports Day1954 | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Quarry Bay School Sports Day1954

Quarry Bay School Sports Day1954

SCAA Stadium I presume?

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Tuesday, June 1, 1954
Connections: 

Comments

The options for stadiums in the area were the SCAA, the Government Stadium and the Hong Kong Football Club.

The Government Stadium opened in 1955, so that's out. SCAA's stadium opened in 1953, so that's a likely one. HKFC's was rebuilt in 1954, opening in September. So it's possible too, but photos show it with roofs over all four stands, unlike the photo above.

So yes, I'd go with SCAA.

Regards, David

Hi David 

If you check out my two photos of QBS Sports Day c1953-1954 Sack Race - 20611

and QBS Sports Day Winner - 20612

you will see a stadium featured there.  Maybe these can clarify where it is?

I did ask the question at the time I put them on - ie: 14 July 2014

Maybe you could link this subject. I tried under QBS Sports Day but it didn't seem to work.

Regards, Suziepie

Thanks for the pointer to the extra photos. Looking at the one that shows the stadium:

http://gwulo.com/node/20611

It does in fact have a roof over both the side and end of the stadium. Also the corner looks square like the HKFC stadium, rather than the curved SCAA stadium. So I'd change my mind and vote for HKFC, except in our notes for the HKFC it says:

In 1953 the Stadium’s two Side Stands, south and north, were rebuilt in concrete, while the End Stands on the west and east remained for one season as mat-sheds. 

So now I'm not sure!

Regards, David

Hi David My original photo shows the corners to be quite rounded which did not come out very clear when reproduced here. I can also remember the old SCAA stadium and it's as I remember it although I could be wrong being as it's some time ago. I do have some more photos of a completely different stadium taken in 1953, looks to be in the Happy Valley area, complete with mat-sheds which could be the HKFC as mentioned above, I will post these once I can get them scanned. Geo

David I have just checked my copy of Club, The Story Of The Hong Kong Football Club by Nigel Dunne On page 85 there is a photo looking down on the Football Stadium, more of the stadium on pages 101 and 103, and on page 96 a photo that clearly shows that it's the HKFC stadium where the QBS had it's sports day in 1954 Geo

Thanks for checking. I also thought of another source and searched the newspapers for quarry bay sports. The closest entry I found was from 1951, which also shows them using the HKFC.

Page 6, The China Mail, 1951-10-12:

Quarry Bay School Sports Meeting

Arranged by the Quarry Bay School Parents-Teachers Association, a sports meeting for the children of the School will be held at the Hongkong Football Club ground, Happy Valley, on Friday, October 16, from 3.30pm to 6.30pm.

[...]

Regards, David

From the photo, Blocks C and D of Leighton Hill Government Quarters have not been built. The Hong Kong Football Club Stadium has been built, so guessing 1953/1954.

1950s Happy Valley Racecourse

Hi David and Moddsey

It would appear that my childhood impression that the Sports Day was held at Happy Valley Racecourse was not so far out!

Suziepie

Yes, well remembered!

Regards, David

The QBS Sports Day was held at the Hong Kong Football Club on 19 November 1954.