Our story

 

Established in 1958, Across the Waves has grown to become a powerhouse in Queensland football. But, it wasn’t always that way.

The Ball Gets Rolling

In 1958, the young Italian migrants in Bundaberg used to meet at the Metropolitan Hotel for fellowship. Over a beer, they laughed and talked, recalling memories of how many of them had played soccer in their younger years back in Italy. So, there it began – a small group of these Italians started training together at the Martens Oval fields.

Ernie Sergiacomi, an Italian migrant, farmer, and real-estate agent, had long dreamed of forming a soccer team. So, he organised a meeting at Vince Sorbello’s Italian delicatessen.

On that day, sat on boxes of merchandise in the storeroom of that delicatessen, twenty-seven people attended, and all twenty-seven voted to form Across the Waves. It was named ‘Across The Waves’, for that was how they travelled to Australia aboard the Angelina Lauro – across the waves of the Indian Ocean.

The naming of Across the Waves pays tribute to the many migrants who gambled their life savings on a ticket to a new world – and a new life.

In those early days, as many of the Italian farmers came into town to support their country men take the field, spectator numbers at the Martens Oval soared. As the team on the pitch worked hard to achieve supremacy, the spectators responded with resounding noise, which had never before been experienced at Martens Oval – and continues to this day, with the club recognised around the state for its passionate supporters.

A Poetic Name for a Poetic Club

While other Italian clubs around the nation were named after teams back home, Across the Waves was named as such with the intention of not favouring any one nationality.

Although Across the Waves was powered by Italians, its membership was never limited to Italians.

From its earliest beginnings, Australian-born and non-Italian migrants played in the teams and worked to build the community clubhouse together.

Ernie’s vision, and the vision of all founding members, was centred upon creating a community club that could be shared by all, whether indigenous Australians who had traversed the lands for thousands of years, Anglo-Saxon who were convicts or soldiers with the First Fleet, or the hopeful, hardworking Italians stepping off the Angelina Lauro in the 20th century.

“After all,” Ernie was often heard to say, “the rest of us all came from across the waves.” He meant that all our colonial Anglo-Saxons were new Australians too and, certainly, our Indigenous population would have agreed with that comment.

A Clubhouse is Formed

The club worked on its performance on the pitch, but Ernie had reached a realisation. For the club to survive, it needed funds, but to become the best, it needed a home.

When Ernie suggested this, the players thought he was mad, asking where he would find that kind of money.

“We needn’t worry about the money,” Ernie said, “but we should have this as our aim”.

Ernie approached Jock Martens, a dairy farmer had donated the land for Martens Oval, who also thought Ernie was mad.

“Your team has only been going for a few months,” Jock said. “Some clubs operate for 30 years and get nowhere.”

But, nonetheless, Ernie paid a sum of one-hundred pounds, and with incredible foresight, chose a prime patch of bush opposite to Martens Oval. Within three months of its formation, Across the Waves had taken a step that many clubs around the nation have not taken to this day.

In the years that followed, Across the Waves grew in both size and goals. Although the land had been purchased, the club needed funds to build the clubhouse.

Whether it was doorknocking to encourage financial membership, selling tens of thousands of raffle tickets, or organising community dances and fundraisers, the club’s funds grew.

Before long, most locals knew of Ernie’s vision, not just for a home for his soccer team, but a clubhouse for the entire community, especially for those migrants who often felt embarassed or ostracised because of their limited English, or because they were bullied by small-minded racists.

Official membership was the next hurdle.

Club licensing reqiurements dictated that the club must sign up a minimum of 200 financial members and 16 founding members. The deal was that, when the clubhouse was built, the members would be issued with a membership card on the opening day.

After many kilometres travelled doorknocking for membership, Ernie finally made his application to the Licensing Commision, but was rejected.

The QLC insisted that it would be immpossible for a soccer club to gain a liqour licence. After months of consultation and discussions with the QLC, it was found that although a soccer club couldn’t be granted a licence, a bowls club could.

In his biography, Ernie wrote “This was our way of gaining a licence – as a bowls club! What was the difference?”

With these clever interpretations of the regulations, and the construction of a bocce court on the newly-purchased land, the club became licenced.

After a decade of fundraising, construction began on the clubhouse, and in October 1968, the clubhouse, described as architectually impressive and “the most unique building in Australia” was officially opened.

The State League

In the 1970’s, it became common for the club to import players as the club began making its presence known. It was at this time that Ernie befriended then Queensland Soccer Federation President Bill Waddell, and both men dreamed of a statewide soccer competition.

When the State League was born in 1979, clubs were required to have finances, facilities, and quality on the pitch. 

For many clubs, the later two were not a problem, but most clubs wrote off the $10,000 nomination fee as impossible.

But, thanks to the success of the clubhouse, Across the Waves became a foundation member of the league. The State League kicked off in 1979, in Bundaberg, amid a fanfare of brass bands and skydivers. 

In the State League years, Across the Waves achieved success that has not been replicated by any regional club to this date, making the final of the Ampol State Cup and the finals of the State League, the equivalent of the National Premier League today.

Sports writer Geoff Stead wrote in the Courier Mail the the Across the Waves Club facilities were the first thing to surprise Brisbane teams, with a clubhouse that was “far bigger and better equipped than anything in Brisbane”.

For the club, the state league was a financially and socially rewarding exercise, and the league not only showcased the club to the rest of the state, but the club also came out more financial after every season of the league it participated in.

Due to the financial instability of the league as a whole, and other clubs within it, the state league folded in 1982.

A new home for football

In early 1981, Ernie decided that “if we’re to make our soccer team the best in Queensland, they need a home ground venue – we need more land”.

Though, in the process, frustrated by ongoing dissension and council debate over the complex, Ernie Sergiacomi resigned from both the sports club and football club in 1982.

Newspapers across the state paid tribute to Ernie’s many achievements, writing about Bundaberg’s “Godfather of the Italian Community”.

Ernie left behind an incredible legacy, with the Italian Government honouring him with a certificate of Good Merit for his contribution to the Italian community of Bundaberg.

By 1985, under the leadership of John Giovannoni Sr., the main stand at The Waves Sports Complex was built, including hundreds of seats for spectators, two bars, and changing rooms. 

A New Era

As Across the Waves approached the new millennium, the football club became a separate entity to the sports club, as the sports club grew to accomodate offerings for many different sports. 

But, on the pitch, success continued – by this point, the football club had earned dozens of trophies and accolades in the Central Queensland League, Wide Bay League and Local Leagues. 

With the launch of the XXXX Brisbane Premier League in the late 90’s, Across the Waves became the only club from outside of Brisbane to play in the league, where it achieved plenty of success, making high-profile signings and developing youngsters such as Mitch Langerak, who went on to forge an outstanding international career in Germany, Japan, Spain and the Socceroos. 

Across the Waves, Today

Currently, Across the Waves completes in the Football Queensland Premier League, which underpins the National Premier League and the A-League. In recent years, the club has achieved unparalleled success, including four consecutive league titles for our FQPL Men and U23 teams, a league title in 2023 for our FQPL Women, and the unbelievable achievement of being named 2023 Champions of Queensland after a result was overturned against Surfers Paradise Apollo in the FQPL Champions League Final. A full circle moment, this crowning achievement marked the fulfilment of Ernie Sergiacomi’s vision for Across the Waves – for a club from Bundaberg to achieve success at the highest levels in the State.

Today, Across the Waves FC is our region’s largest and most successful football club. The club operates as the foundation sub-club of Across the Waves Sports Group, which has achieved remarkable growth with clubhouses in Bundaberg, Caloundra and Elliot Heads. Our football club has long been an icon and leader of football in Bundaberg. From strength to strength, the club has gone – from the summit of the state league to the first-ever regional winners of the FQPL Champions League.