A few outstanding years - Adelaide Vytis Soccer Team

From left kneeling, J. Songaila, V. Sinusas, V. Lazauskas, B. Langevicius.
Standing: J. Lelys, M. Ciplys, A. Kitas, A. Petruska, V. Martusevicius, S. Sidabras

The formation of a Soccer team was initiated by Eddie Taparauskas and Jonas Abromas.  The first team captain was Anatolius Kitas with outstanding players such as Jonas Sadauskas, Alexandras Sabaliauskas, Aleksas Merunas, Vincas Pledzinsksas and Juozas Čizauskas.   The team increased with players Bronius Langevičius, Stasys Darginavičius, Jonas Baškus, and Vladas Sneideris and Robertas Sidabras. 

In March 1952 Vytis Soccer team became officially registered with the South Australian Soccer Association.   The uniform was a yellow top and green shorts, with a red Vytis embroided onto the pocket.

Initially Vytis was allocated to the third division.  In one match in 1952, against ETSA team they won with a record 14-0 result.  Vytis finished the season in third position.  Vytis was placed in second division which they won.  Vytis was invited to pay in the summer season where games were held in the evenings under electric lights at Norwood Stadium.  They reached the finals which was played against Budapest, losing 1-2.

A new committee was formed in 1953, Anatolius Kitas as Presidenet, Edmondas Daniškevičius as vice-president, Edie Taparauskas, Juozas Kleinauskas and Otas Ungurys. 
For the 1954 season, Vytis was placed in the top division.  Vytis now had two teams were playing.  In that year a Baltic soccer competition was established with Latvian teams from Adelaide and Melbourne.  It was held on July 8th, weekend with Vytis wining.  

About this time some members chose to move onto other clubs.  Eduardas Virba went to Juventus and played as their centre, Robertas Sidabras transferred to Enfield.  Due to a shortage of players, trainer Edmondas Daniškevičius, not having competed for 14 years dressed in the Vytis uniform. Vytis ended that year in fifth position. 

In 1955 the South Australia soccer league became a semi professional sport and players were being brought in from overseas.  The best players were recruited to other teams.  Vytis did not have enough younger players coming up through the ranks and sank to seventh position that year. 

After a few outstanding years, the soccer team folded.  Kitas went on to play with a centre for Juventus and only Edis Virba (Virbickas) had a career as a soccer player for Juventus.

The reserve team consisted of  A. Afanijasevas, Algimantas Rusinas, Edie Taparauskas L. Jaciunskis, Algimantas Ignatavičius, Robertas Ramonaitis, V. Motuzas, Leonardas Žierdavičius. 

Sydney Lithuanian chronicle, 1950

Written by A. Auga

Published in Australis Lietuvis 1950 sausio 23 p.11-14

Twenty years earlier and far from Lithuania the first arrivals were pioneers.  There were nine first initiators of the group, J. Vedrinaitis, A. Skerys, P. Kazlauskas, V. Dapkus, J. Jasiukevičius, J. Geryba, M. Marcinkevičius, O. Marcinkevičienė and J. Zeleniakas.   On 27 October 1929, the ALD (Australijos Lietuvių Draugija) was formed.  The society kept ties with Lithuania, organised various national celebrations and family gatherings and tried as much as possible to strengthen the name of Lithuania and Lithuanian matters in local Australian press.  They attempted within the community to maintain the Lithuanian language and keep the ties with Lithuania alive.  ALD from its very early years involved itself in Lithuanian press, books and newspapers.  It created ties with the American Lithuanian society and press.  In 1933 a society library was established which was in the home of Antanas Baužė.  Some books were donated by Lithuanians in various ways, some were obtained from Lithuania.  Until the second world war the Library received  daily and weekly newspapers. 

The first president was J. Vedrinaitis, later came Kazys Brazauskas and Antanas Baužė.  The society’s statute was written by V. Dapkus and J. Jarinkevičius.   As the statutes were applied to a small group of Lithuanians coming together in one neighbourhood, the arrival of exiled Lithuanians to Australia in large numbers of and the growth of the Society necessitated reassessing the statutes.  On the 30^th  December 1948 at a meeting, members undertook a new statute project.  It was published on 26 January 1949 when the society began to publish its newspaper Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven).

1949 was a year of growth, the ALD branched out where there were large Lithuanian groups.  Ten clusters were created: Adelaide, Bathurst, Beechworth, Bonegilla, Brisbane, Canberra, Greta, Melbourne (1948.IX.11), Sydney and Woomera.   At the 30 December 1949 meeting it was decided to adopt the World Lithuanian Community constitution and join the World Lithuanian Community.  ALD through 20 years in Australia held onto a lively Lithuanian spirit and were happy to meet the new arrivals who strengthened and broaden their ties.  ALD united all Lithuanians into one national unit.

Translated from Lithuanian.