The beginning
Imperials and traditional rivals Ramblers, were formed in 1931 when the re-established Murray Bridge Football Club was split into two teams to enable the River Murray Football Association to start. Mr Ray Heinrich, who played some games for the club in 1931, recalled that he attended a meeting in Short's Bridge Street Café to discuss the formation of both clubs. Information handed down suggests that the two most prominent footballers from the original Murray Bridge Rovers were given the task of dividing the players into two equal groups. Keven “China” Harford picked the Murray Bridge Imperials and Roy Fitzner the Murray Bridge Ramblers. Keven Harford became the innaugural captain of The Imperial Football Club. Imperials won the first ever match played in the RMFA when they defeated Ramblers 11-10-76 to 10-13-73 on Monday June 8th 1931. In a hard fought grand final which was "inclined at times to roughness" , Imperials took out the inaugural premiership by 8 points. Scores were Imperials 4-14-38 to Ramblers 4-6-30. A photograph of this team hangs proudly in the foyer of the clubrooms today.
