Westminster Royals, 1928–29

The 1928–29 season in British Columbia began for the Royals within six weeks after the 1927–28 season ended.  A number of players signed with the Westminster Royals for the 1928–29 season.  Only Sandy Strang of the transferred players signed.  Aubrey Sanford returned to Sapperton, Andy Roots returned to B.C. Sugar Refinery and Dickie Stobbart signed with St. Andrews in September, although by the end of December, he was back with the Royals.  Jimmy Smith returned to Alberta, Tom Taylor signed with North Shore United, and Stanley Ball moved to Toronto to join family there and continue his soccer career, first with Maple Leafs and then with C.N.R.  

Goalkeepers George Lindsay and Max Shiles joined the team with Lindsay playing in most of the games.  Some notable additions to the team were forwards Dan Kulai and Joe Millburn.  The Royals started off on the wrong foot in the Vancouver and District League, being penalized for using Austin Delany in their first game.  He had not been signed on again between the two seasons.  As a result, although the Royals beat Sapperton in the opening league game, they received a four-point penalty.

Still, once again the Royals dominated the B.C. scene in 1928–29 as they did in 1927–28, winning all the major trophies except the big one, the national championship.  Here they were surprisingly beaten by Vancouver St. Saviours in the B.C. semi-final by a score of 3–1.  The Royals appealed on a technicality. A second semi-final game was played.  This time the score was 5–3, again in favour of St. Saviours.

The Welsh F.A. sent a team to tour Canada in the summer of 1929 made up of some of its finest players.  They played the Royals on June 22, and the Royals, despite fielding a team that included a number of guest players, were beaten by only one goal, 2–1.

Exhibition Game September 8, 1928, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 3 (Coulter, Turner 2)
St. Saviours 1
Westminster Royals: Andrew Hannah, Dickie Stobbart, Woods,
  Jack Coulter.

League Game September 22, 1928, at Queen’s Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 4 (Kennedy, Coulter (2), Stoddart o.g.)
Sapperton 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Andrew Hannah, George
  Anderson – Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany* – Adam Kerr,
  Tom Kennedy, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Harry Chapman. (*ineligible so
  4-point penalty)

League Game September 29, 1928, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Coulter, Kerr)
St. Saviours 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Joe Berto, Andrew Hannah –
  Austin Delany, George Russell, Les Rimmer – Tommy Trotter, Dave Turner,
  Jack Coulter, Hendry, Adam Kerr.

Exhibition Game September 30, 1928, at Seattle Municipal Athletic Field in
  Seattle
Westminster Royals 5 (Russell 2, Coulter, Turner 2)
Electro Dentists 3
Westminster Royals: George Russell, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner.

League Game October 6, 1928, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Coulter, Trotter)
North Shore United 2
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, Joe Berto – Les
  Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Bob McDougall,
  Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Tommy Trotter.

League Game November 3, 1928, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 6 (Coulter 2, Turner 2, Kennedy, ?)
St. Andrews 3
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany –  Wilson, Tom Kennedy, Jack
  Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

Exhibition Game November 12, 1928, at Con Jones Park In Vancouver
Mainland All-Stars 3
Westminster Royals 1 (Kerr)
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Les Rimmer, Greveson – Tommy
  Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Webber, Mackay, Jack Coulter,
  Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game November 17, 1928, at Queen’s Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 5 (Coulter 3, Kerr, Turner)
Kerrisdale 2
HT:      Att:          Ref:
Westminster Royals: Tom Kennedy, George Anderson, Jack Coulter,
  Adam Kerr, Dave Turner, Wilson.

League Game November 24, 1928, at Confederation Park in Vancouver called on account of fog shortly after half time
Westminster Royals 2
North Shore United 0

League Game December 1, 1928, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 4 (Coulter 2, Trotter, Mackay)
St. Saviours 2
Westminster Royals: Max Shiles – Sandy Strang, George Anderson – Les
  Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Tommy Trotter, Mackay, Jack
  Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

Allan Cup Game December 8, 1928, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 4 (Strang 2, Coulter 2)
Sapperton 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Joe Berto, George Anderson –
 Les Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Sandy Strang,
 Jack Coulter, Dan Kulai, Stanley.

League Game December 22, 1928, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 5 (Coulter 2, Kerr 2, Trotter)
St. Andrews 0
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Dan Kulai, Tommy Trotter,
  Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game January 1, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Turner, Millburn)
North Shore United 1
Westminster Royals: Max Shiles – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, Les Rimmer, Austin Delany – Bob McDougall, Dickie
  Stobbart, Joe Millburn, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game January 5, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 6 (Coulter 4, Stobbart 2)
Kerrisdale 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Dave Turner,
  Jack Coulter, Dickie Stobbart, Bob McDougall.

League Game January 12, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 4 (Millburn 2, Kerr, Coulter)
Sapperton 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Les Rimmer, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Dickie Stobbart – Bob McDougall, Joe
  Millburn, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game January 19, 1929, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 1 (McFarlane o.g.)
St. Andrews 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Les Rimmer, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Bob McDougall, Dickie
  Stobbart, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game February 23, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 8 (Coulter 4, Stobbart 2, Kerr, Turner)
St. Saviours 0
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Les Rimmer, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Dickie
  Stobbart, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Joe Millburn.

League Game March 2, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Turner 2)
North Shore United 2
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Tommy Trotter – Joe Millburn, Dickie
  Stobbart, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game March 9, 1929, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 4 (Coulter 2, McDougall, Turner)
Sapperton 3
Westminster Royals: Tommy Trotter – Dickie Stobbart, George Anderson –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Bob McDougall, Joe
  Millburn, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

Allan Cup Semi Final Game March 16, 1929, at Con Jones Park in
  Vancouver
Westminster Royals 5 (Coulter 3, Strang, Turner)
St. Andrews 3
Westminster Royals: Max Shiles – Sandy Strang, George Anderson – Les
  Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Joe Millburn, Tommy Trotter,
  Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game March 23, 1929, at Queen’s Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 3 (Coulter 2, Turner)
Sapperton 1
Westminster Royals: Jack Coulter, Dave Turner.

Allan Cup Final Game March 29, 1929, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 4 (Coulter 2, Kerr 2)
Wallabies 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, Tommy Trotter –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Joe Millburn, Dickie
  Stobbart, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game March 30, 1929, at Confederation Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Coulter 2)
North Shore United 2
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, Tommy Trotter –
  Les Rimmer, Dickie Stobbart, Austin Delany – Bob McDougall, Joe
  Millburn, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

League Game April 6, 1929, at Kerrisdale Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 1 (Coulter)
Kerrisdale 0
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Joe Millburn, Les Rimmer –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Sandy Strang, Dickie
  Stobbart, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Dan Kulai.

Province Cup First Round Game April 13, 1929, at Queen’s Park in
  Vancouver
Westminster Royals 6 (Kulai 3, Kerr, Turner, Stobbart)
Upper Island 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Dan Kulai,
  Joe Millburn, Dave Turner, Dickie Stobbart.

League Game April 20, 1929, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Millburn, Coulter)
St. Andrews 1
Westminster Royals: Max Shiles – Sandy Strang, George Anderson  –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Dickie Stobbart – Adam Kerr,
  Bob McDougall, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Joe Millburn.

Benefit Game April 27, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 3 (Coulter, Kulai, ?)
Lower Mainland All-Stars 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Dan Kulai,
  Jack Coulter, Dickie Stobbart, Joe Millburn.

League Game May 3, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
St. Saviours 3
Westminster Royals 1 (Strang)
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, Dickie Stobbart, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Bob
  McDougall, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner.

Province Cup Second Round Game May 4, 1929, at Athletic Park in
  Vancouver
Westminster Royals 5 (Turner 3 Coulter 2)
Hotel Vancouver 1
Westminster Royals: Dave Turner, Jack Coulter, Bob McDougall.

Province Cup Semi Final Game May 11, 1929, at Con Jones Park in
  Vancouver
Westminster Royals 7 (Turner 3, Russell, Coulter 2, Kerr)
Saanich Thistles 2
Westminster Royals: Max Shiles – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Dan Kulai,
  Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Dickie Stobbart.

Mainland Cup First Round Game May 18, 1929, at Wilson Park
Westminster Royals 4 (Coulter, Kerr, Kulai 2)
Wallabies 1
Westminster Royals: Jack Coulter, Adam Kerr, Dan Kulai, Dave Turner,
  Austin Delany, Joe Millburn.

Province Cup Final Game May 24, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 3 (Coulter 2, Kulai)
Sapperton 0
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – George Anderson, Sandy Strang –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Dickie Stobbart – Adam Kerr, Dan Kulai,
  Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Joe Millburn.

Mainland Cup Second Round Game May 25, 1929, at Con Jones Park in
  Vancouver
Westminster Royals 6 (Coulter 5, Turner)
B.C. Sugar Refinery 0
Westminster Royals: Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, George Russell.

League Game May 30, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Kerrisdale 2
Westminster Royals 1 (Coulter)
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Joe Millburn, Dan Kulai, George
  Russell, Max Shiles, Jack Coulter.

Mainland Cup Semi Final Game June 1, 1929, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 4 (Turner 2, Coulter 2)
St. Andrews 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Dickie Stobbart – Adam Kerr, Dan Kulai,
  Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Joe Millburn.

Mainland Cup Final Game June 8, 1929, at Con Jones Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Turner, Strang)
St. Saviours 0
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Dickie Stobbart – Adam Kerr, Bob
  McDougall, Dan Kulai, Dave Turner, Joe Millburn.

Exhibition Game June 22, 1929, at Athletic Park in Vancouver
Welsh Team 2
Westminster Royals 1 (Bradbury)
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Watson, Joe Millburn – Tommy
  Trotter, George Russell, Hogg – Bird, Bob McDougall, Bradbury, Dave
  Turner, Adam Kerr.

National Championship Second Round Game June 26, 1929, at Con Jones
  Park in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 3 (Strang, Kerr 2)
B.C. Telephone 1
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – George Anderson, Joe Millburn –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Tommy Trotter – Adam Kerr, Bob McDougall,
  Sandy Strang, Dave Turner, Harry Chapman.

National Championship Third Round Game July 1, 1929, at Con Jones Park
  in Vancouver
Westminster Royals 2 (Millburn, Kerr)
St. Andrews 0
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – George Anderson, Les Rimmer –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Robert McDougall, Dan
  Kulai, Joe Millburn, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

National Championship Semi-Final Game July 6, 1929, at Con Jones Park in
  Vancouver
St. Saviours 3
Westminster Royals 1 (Turner)
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Les Rimmer, George Anderson –
  Tommy Trotter, George Russell, Austin Delany – Adam Kerr, Dickie
  Stobbart, Dan Kulai, Dave Turner, Harry Chapman.

National Championship Semi-Final Replay July 13, 1929, at Con Jones Park
  in Vancouver
St. Saviours 5
Westminster Royals 3 (Kerr, Trotter, McDougall)
Westminster Royals: George Lindsay – Sandy Strang, George Anderson –
  Les Rimmer, George Russell, Austin Delany – Bob McDougall, Tommy
  Trotter, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Adam Kerr.

 

Player Biographies

Dan Kulai – Inside Forward

Born: Yugoslavia, November 10, 1907.  Died: Vancouver, B.C., August 22, 1980.  Dan was brought to Canada by his parents when he was very young and grew up in the mining town of Ladysmith on Vancouver Island.  His soccer career began in Ladysmith, and he played for the local team, which was a power in B.C. soccer in the early 1920s.  In May of 1928, playing at inside left, he was a member of the Ladysmith team that won the Province Cup, the championship of British Columbia.  Later that same year, he crossed the Georgia Strait and joined Westminster Royals, who had won the national championship the previous season.  He made his debut for the Royals on December 8, 1928, and during the spring of 1929, he was a member of the team that won the Province, Mainland and O.B. Allan (Injured Players) Cups.  However, in July of that year, the Royals were upset in the B.C. semi-final for the national championship when surprisingly defeated by Vancouver St. Saviours.  Kulai’s time with the Royals was short-lived, and by the time the 1929–30 season started, he was playing for Vancouver St. Andrews, and in the spring of 1930, he was a member of the team that won the Mainland Cup but lost in the final of the Province Cup.  By 1935, he was back on Vancouver Island playing for Nanaimo, but returned to the lower mainland of B.C. one year later to help Vancouver North Shore win the Mainland Cup.  However, around that time an injury forced him to stop playing in the forward line and turned him into a fine goalkeeper.  He joined the Vancouver St. Saviours team and played in two more Province Cup finals, 1938 and 1939 and in three more Mainland Cup finals, 1938, 1939 and 1941.  In 1939, he was also a member of the B.C. All-Star team that competed in the soccer competition at the San Francisco World’s Fair, and later that same year represented B.C. against the touring Scottish F.A. team.  When his playing career was over, he turned to refereeing and was one of the leading officials in B.C. soccer for 25 years.  Dan was named to the prestigious FIFA list in 1956 and in 1960 refereed the World Cup game between the United States and Mexico.  In 1967, he was one of a panel of officials who handled games in the Pan American Games competition in Winnipeg.  While working for the Vancouver Fire Department, he also refereed at least 27 games between B.C. All-Star teams and touring teams.  He later became a referee instructor and was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 1970.

The Thirties

The Royals quickly recovered from their early elimination from the 1929 National Championship and became national champions for the second time in 1930.  In 1930, they defeated Montreal in the final for the second time, winning the first game 1–0 on Jack Coulter’s penalty kick, losing the second game, as they did in 1928, only this time by 5–0, and capturing the trophy by winning the third game 1–0, once again on a Coulter penalty kick.  The team in the final included Aubrey Sanford, George Anderson, Jack Wood, Les Rimmer, Harold Stoddart, Austin Delany, Robert McDougall, James Waugh, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner, Jack d’Easum, Tom Taylor and Bob Peroni. 

In 1931, the Royals were back in the win column for the third time, but this time with a strange twist.  Entering the national championship playoff final rounds in British Columbia, they found themselves with five of their top players under suspension.  George Anderson, Les Rimmer, Austin Delany, Dan Kulai and Jack Coulter were all suspended by the British Columbia Football Association for refusing to play for the British Columbia All-Stars against the touring English F.A. team.  As a result, it was a team that became known as the “Royal Remnants” that took the field and made its way to the final in Winnipeg.  For a while, Bill Findler was also under suspension.  This time, the opposition was Toronto Scottish who were soundly beaten 2–0 and 3–0.  The team in the finals included Aubrey Sanford, Ralph Makepeace, Bill Hogg, Tommy Trotter, Harold Stoddart, Dickie Stobbart, Adam Kerr, Bill Findler, Ernie Hammond, Dave Turner and Jack d’Easum.  Joining the “Remnants” in the run up to the finals, and playing a major role in the western semi-final and final were Babcock at inside right and Sneddon on the left wing.  Makepeace at right back was known as “Cud” and had only one arm.

The next Royals triumph on the national stage came in 1936 when they won the first game against United Weston from Winnipeg 6–1, and strange as it may seem, once more lost the second game 2–1, while just as in 1928 and 1930, the team won the third game comfortably 3–0.  By now, the team had changed quite a bit.  Stan Stronge was in goal, with George Anderson and Tommy McKibbin at full back.  Dot McPherson, Trevor Harvey and Jimmy Gemmell formed the half back line, while the forwards were Bill Findler, Johnny McKay, Jack Coulter, Dave Turner and Ray Watchorn.  On the substitutes’ bench were Walt Wheeler and Billy Gray.

Following World War Two, the Royals won again in 1953, 1955, 1958 and 1960, and lost the 1959 final to Montreal Alouettes.