Ringing In History: The Story of the 1908 Foundation Bell

The 1908 Foundation Bell was used in the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ very first premiership match in 1908 by their timekeeper to kick-off the new code and has since become part of its rich history and tradition in so many ways.

Former Rabbitohs player and Life Member, Albert Clift, was the official owner of the bell, which was known back then just simply as the timekeeper’s bell. He inherited the bell as part of his journey as a timekeeper for the Club after his retirement as a player, then sold it at an auction to Russell Crowe in 1999 during the Club’s darkest hour in its fight for reinstatement to the elite Rugby League competition.

Albert Clift

Albert Edward Clift was born on 21 March 1904 in Carlton (Melbourne), Victoria. He was the third son in a family of seven sons and one daughter. His family moved to Sydney when he was still a young lad.

Albert played eight games in the Rabbitohs third grade side in 1922, scoring five tries, and in 1924 he also played for Kensington in third grade, who were affiliated with the Rabbitohs.

His promising playing career ended early owing to a recurring shoulder injury. But his support and help for the Rabbitohs was legendary. He was timekeeper for 70 years, the original Rabbit mascot in 1968 and he hosted the Club's end-of-season barbecues every year between 1940 and 1998, in his own backyard.

He also dedicated his whole life to collecting South Sydney memorabilia and his home was like a shrine devoted entirely to the Rabbitohs. He bled red and green through-and-through and his prized possession was the Foundation Bell. When club officials approached him about their forthcoming dinner and auction in 1999, they told him they will need a few items from him, and he quickly replied: “Take the lot.”

In his life beyond football, Albert experienced much of the drastic change that defined much of the 20th century. He survived two world wars and supported his wife and children during the Great Depression. He met his wife Nellie when they were both in their teens, and they stayed together for seven decades, until she passed away in 1996. He was inducted as a Life Member of the South Sydney Football Club in 1981 and received the Spirit of South Sydney award in 1994. Sadly, he passed away at Bega Hospital in 2005, at the age of 101, after living a life of passion for the Rabbitohs and his family that he loved so much. From 2002 onwards, the Rabbitohs created the Albert Clift Award, which acknowledges a person for their outstanding contribution to the Club for that year. It is a high bar to win the Albert Clift Award and it not necessarily presented each year.

1908 - Round One vs North Sydney

The Foundation Bell was first used in South Sydney’s first match against North Sydney at Birchgrove Oval on 20 April 1908, to start the match and let the referee know it was half-time and full-time, in a similar way to which we now use the hooter. So, lets go back into time, to that very first game of the Rugby League premiership in Australia.

There were only eight teams formed at the start of the 1908 premiership, and Central Cumberland were admitted into the first grade premiership only after impressing League officials with their trial game performance against Easts, which was played after round two was already completed. Two double-headers were conducted in the opening round, with Souths vs Norths and Balmain vs Wests at Birchgrove Oval, and Easts vs Newtown and Glebe vs Newcastle at Wentworth Park. The first mentioned teams on both grounds were the early games, which kicked-off at 2pm on a rather unseasonally warm Easter Monday. There were counter attractions at the Showground for the Easter Show as you’d expect, but still good attendances turned out to see the new code make a positive start. About 2,500 spectators were at Birchgrove Oval and about 3,000 were present at Wentworth Park.

Norths won the toss and the timekeeper rang the bell to officially start the match. South Sydney forward, Johnny Rosewell then kicked-off the very first premiership game in Australia and history was created. Souths were penalised for being offside and Harry Glanville kicked a nice goal, to give Norths an early two-nil lead, which could also be the very first points scored by anyone in the premiership.

Soon after Harry Butler failed to kick a goal from a mark (that rule has since been abolished), but his brother Arthur was successful later with a penalty kick to level the scores at two-all. Arthur failed with another penalty which Souths received for illegal tackling, and shortly after Glanville failed badly with his kick at goal from a mark for Norths. Tommy Anderson scored a lovely try for Souths in the corner, and just as Arthur Butler’s kick was waved away for no goal, the Foundation Bell rang again to signal the half-time break, with Souths narrowly leading by five points to two. The try scored by Anderson is the very first South Sydney try scored in first grade.

The North Sydney Shoremen did all the attacking early in the second half and from one lovely move eight of their players handled the ball, resulting in their winger Bill McCarthy scoring a great try in the corner, which Glanville failed to convert. That made the score five-all and we were in for a very tight game.

Souths then clicked into gear and from a lovely movement, which was started by Rosewell, South Sydney were almost in again. However, their captain, Arthur Hennessy, was over the line but failed to ground the ball.

The Rabbitohs continued with their relentless attack and eventually Dick Green scored a try, which Arthur Butler failed to convert into points. This gave Souths a handy eight-five lead in what the press described as a capital game.

Norths then attacked and received a penalty for interference in a handy position, which Glanville made no mistake with to bring the Shoremen closer at eight-seven.

Both sides did their best to score points, and from a dribbling rush with about one minute remaining on the clock, Jim Davis scored a try which Arthur Butler failed to convert, leaving the score at 11-7. The Foundation Bell rang soon after to signal the end of a mighty game which created history in so many ways.

This win not only laid the platform for all future victories for the mighty South Sydney club, but the Foundation Bell was also present and today is the only thing still in existence from that historical day. There is nothing else left apart from newspaper reports from that first game of Rugby League, which makes the Foundation Bell even more sacred and how fortunate we are as a Club to still have it in our keeping.

1999 - Souths auction to raise funds for their Fightback

Lawyers told Souths they needed $1 million to fight for readmission through the courts after they were wrongfully excluded from the NRL competition at the end of 1999.

Souths quickly organised a fundraising dinner on 20 November 1999, calling it the ‘Save Our Souths’ dinner, which was attended by 1,850 guests, making it the biggest function ever catered for at the Sydney Convention Centre’s Banquet Hall. The event was hosted by television personality Ray Martin, with able support coming from radio funnyman, Andrew Denton.

There were many items of interest at the auction besides the Foundation Bell. Ray Martin’s 1989 Silver Logie award went for $6,000, an oil painting titled Souths Legends sold for $16,000, and a pair of Kostya Tszyu’s gloves and Muhammad Ali’s autographed shorts each went for $6,000. When a dinner with Martin and Denton was offered for auction, Denton tried to up the price, promising: “If you play your cards right, you might get breakfast, too.”

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs directors also bought a VIP table at the fundraiser and were keen to buy the Bell but were eventually outbid by Hollywood superstar and Rabbitohs tragic, Russell Crowe. Other clubs and organisations who also bought a table included the Sydney Roosters, the SCG Trust, Wests Leagues Club and the Save the Bears group, who were also fighting for North Sydney to stand alone at the time. Paul Vautin, who was one of the directors of the newly formed Northern Eagles, also sent a warm message of support for the Rabbitohs from England.

The auction raised more than $350,000, on top of the $100,000 they already had banked, and other events were organised which raised another $500,000.

The Foundation Bell fetched the highest sale price at the auction, with Russell Crowe paying $42,000 for it. Afterwards, he told the Bulldogs’ he would have paid $100,000 for the piece of history. Bulldogs’ director at the time, Arthur Coorey, later told the Sydney Morning Herald: “It’s a great story, isn’t it. I was the bidder, and I think I bid up to $41,000. There was only me and him and I think it went for $42,000. Russell said afterwards he would have gone to $100,000 and if I had known that I would have kept bidding to make him pay more.”

Crowe then declared, after handing over a $42,000 cheque for the Bell: “It will never be rung again unless Souths are in the competition.” He also said that Albert Clift would have the honour of ringing it.

The Bell went on to become a symbol of the Club’s heritage and their many struggles for reinstatement.

2002 - Round 1 vs Sydney Roosters

The Bell’s new owner, Russell Crowe, shared the honour with the late Albert Clift, of ringing the sacred Foundation Bell to signal our Club’s return to the NRL premiership in 2002 against the Sydney Roosters. The Club’s first game back was marked with a ceremonial act of the ringing of the timekeeper’s bell at the start of the match, which honoured their inaugural match in 1908 against North Sydney. The ringing of the Foundation Bell served as a symbolic gesture to mark the Club’s NRL return and connection with their fans and proud history.

Crowe then declared that the sacred bell will never be rung until the Rabbitohs get to play in a Grand Final.

2014 - Grand Final vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Rabbitohs legend Bob McCarthy rang the Foundation Bell before the 2014 Grand Final at ANZ Stadium, along with former Bulldogs fullback, Les Johns. The fifteen-year dream to ring the Bell finally became a reality when the Rabbitohs secured their 21st premiership after a 43-year drought with an emotional 30-6 thumping of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Rabbitohs lock forward, Sam Burgess, won the coveted Clive Churchill Medal as best and fairest player in the Grand Final.

How ironic it was that the Bulldogs played us in our first Grand Final since being readmitted, after they were locked in a bidding war with Russell Crowe to buy the sacred bell in 1999. History has since proven how the Rabbitohs have risen from being dumped from the NRL premiership to being the powerhouse club it is now.

From their overwhelming huge fan base of support and incredible sponsorships there is no turning back. The fans are hungry for more premierships and the oldest, proudest and loudest club in the NRL premiership is well primed to deliver more success in years to come.

2021 - Grand Final vs Penrith Panthers

Issac Luke was selected to represent every Rabbitohs player and all the links to the Club’s proud 21 premierships and their two-year fight for readmission when he rang the 1908 Foundation Bell before the Grand Final against Penrith kicked off on Sunday, 3 October 2021, the first and only NRL Grand Final to be played in Brisbane.

Souths co-owner, Russell Crowe, explained earlier in that week before the big game that the sacred bell gets no use, and it doesn’t even get seen by anybody, unless South Sydney are playing in a Grand Final. That is the rule with the bell. “Issac will represent all of the past players, the John Suttons and everyone else who can’t make it to Queensland,” Crowe said.

That Grand Final was played at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, and many former players and fans could not be there to cheer the Rabbitohs on because of the tough restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak.