In 1987, David Bowie was around the Hawthorn area for approximately one week due to his Glass Spider Tour playing at Kooyong Stadium. 

In an off-concert moment, he was apparently seen playing football - more than likely soccer - in a local park and we have  the fortune of being sent some photographic evidence!

These pics were taken by Liz (a friend of Louise Callan from Bowie Downunder).

Louise explains that her friend happened to be opposite the venue one afternoon and "there he was ... having a game - with his gang - across from Kooyong Courts".

Which park exactly is not definite, however,  a capture of the 1987 Melways may offer clues.

Kooyong Stadium can be seen as the yellow and black circle above, however, if Bowie was "across from Kooyong Courts" then I think this  corresponds either to the series of sports grounds at Kooyong Park (to the east of the Glenferrie Road) or alternatively, the HA Smith Reserve (home of the Old Scotch College Soccer Club) or alternatively on the grounds of Scotch College itself.

Google street view to me suggests its most likely HA Smith Reserve so we now know where our next soccer game will be! In the meantime more investigative work required. 

Elsewhere on the web, I found the following pic.
I think we can safely assume this is from the same place and time ....

Of course Bowie's love of team sport is something not exactly well known.

We might suggest it was a "one off", however, about 15 years ago on a Bromley, London website, one of David Bowie's old classmates so casually posted the following....

Yep that is a very young Bowie second row far left!

© Adam Dean, Bowie Downunder, 2024

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Bowie's Show at Kooyong