Wanderers History
Wanderers Football Club is a hugely successful football club, with a solid bond to the local community and a strong sense of family values. For over 50 years, the club has achieved considerable success across all age groups and continues to evolve and grow both on and off the pitch.
Development is a major focus of the Wanderers’ Football Club, where giving the next generation of footballers the best chance to thrive both on and off the pitch has always been a priority. Our player development programs are extremely popular and have consistently proven successful in offering unique pathways for aspiring footballers.
Buderim Wanderers was established in 1972, initially operating as a junior club within the Sunshine Coast Soccer Association. The club began its competition with just four teams: Under 8s, 10s, 12s, and 14s.
The club was originally located at Buderim Mountain State School under the presidency of Jim Nipperess. The canteen comprised a steel frame covered by a tarp; however, by 1977, the club’s membership had increased dramatically, highlighting the need for an upgrade.
In 1978, Eddie de Vere, Chairman of the Maroochydore Shire Council, was approached with a request to find alternative grounds. After many months of searching, an area by the name of Ballinger Park became readily available.
The club steadily grew throughout the 70s, with most teams competing in the B-grade competitions. It wasn’t until 1979 that the first senior teams were formed, and the younger age groups started making a mark in the A-grade competitions. Football was beginning to gain traction and popularity on the Sunshine Coast.
Buderim’s first-division side, coached by Ken McLean and Ken Green, won the SCSA Premiership in their first year and managed to finish as runners-up in the Grand Final. The following year, they won the Grand Final, while the Reserves won the double.
The 1980s saw the club experience considerable growth on and off the pitch, with senior and junior teams tasting success on numerous occasions. The club saw several talented juniors progress through the ranks, going on to represent the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay, and state levels. Danny Lowein went on to play for North Star in Brisbane before making the Senior Queensland representative team. Another talented youngster, Nick Meredith, exceeded expectations, carving out a career with various National League teams, Brisbane Lions, Newcastle, Marconi, Sydney Olympic and Brisbane Strikers.
The following years saw the construction of the terracing for spectators and the installation of floodlighting. Led by Ken Glover and a team of volunteers, the terracing is still used to this very day, and has seen some memorable moments unfold on the Ballinger Park pitch, perhaps none more than the 1985 season.
Led by Head Coach Kim Cox, the Buderim Wanderers first team went on to win the Clive Fenn Cup, the SCSA Premiership and Grand Final, and finally the Qantas Cup. The south-east Queensland-based competition was held at Queensland’s football headquarters, Perry Park. Ian Brown notched the winner in the final, with Tim O’Maye coming away with the Man of the Match award. The Qantas Cup journey consisted of many bus trips down the Bruce Highway to Brisbane for sudden-death knockout matches, which would often result in penalty shoot-outs.
Many of the former players and coaching staff from the historical 1985 season are still involved in the club today and often reminisce about the famous season of ’85 and how it helped bond players and supporters within the club.
The success of the 80s was capped off with the construction of the Buderim Wanderers clubhouse – a special building that has become a home for club members, presentation nights, and many memorable functions and events.
Buderim have hosted various representative tournaments and carnivals over the years, such as the Boys National Primary Schools Exchange, which included a young Tim Cahill. The early 2000s saw Ballinger Park host various primary and secondary school championships — highlighting the quality of Buderim’s footballing facilities and their commitment to assisting the development of the next generation of footballers.
In 2017, Buderim Wanderers was awarded licences by Football Queensland to field teams in the FQPL and WNPL competitions. In just their second year in the FQPL competition, the senior men finished top of the table as Premiers, achieving promotion to the NPL.
Wanderers Football Club continues to develop alongside the growing popularity of football. After more than 50 years of operation, the club has steadily grown from four teams to an impressive 54.
Whilst we are incredibly proud of our history, we have so much more to achieve, both in terms of our performances on the field, the development of our players, coaches, and the Club itself. Much is planned, much is already in the mix, but there is so much more to come.
