| 1888 SAFA premiership season | |
|---|---|
 12th SAFA season Pictured above is the 1888 Norwood Championship of Australia team. | |
| Teams | 7 |
| Premiers | Norwood 8th premiership |
| Leading goalkicker | Charles Woods Norwood (29 goals) |
| Matches played | 57 |
| Highest | 9,000 (Round 9, Norwood vs. Port Adelaide) |
The 1888 South Australian Football Association season (officially United Football Association of South Australia) was the 12th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia. The Norwood Football Club won their 8th premiership by winning 1 premiership point, or a half a win, more than Port Adelaide.
West Adelaide folded after just one season (1887), their resignation was accepted at the Annual General Meeting of the SAFA held on 5 April 1888, as they were unable to get a team together. At the same meeting permission was given for Hotham to change their name to North Adelaide and for Gawler to remove the word Albion from their name.[1]
It was reported on 14 April 1888 - The West Adelaides being unable to get together a team have quietly dropped out of the Senior Association, but the North Adelaides (late Hotham) and Gawler (late Gawler Albions) Clubs intend to persevere. There are now six associated clubs, consequently each will be engaged every Saturday.[2][3]
On evening of Thursday 3rd May 1888 a New Football Association was formed at a meeting of three delegates of each of the Adelaide, South Adelaide, and Port Football Clubs held at the Exchange Hotel, Adelaide, on Thursday evening. Mr. H. S. Wyatt presided. The action of the three clubs in declining to submit the dispute to arbitration was further endorsed. After other business was transacted the following resolution was unanimously carried "That a new Football Association formed". Applications from the Creswick and Medindie Football Clubs were received. Messrs. Liston (Norwood) and Rickard (Hotham North Adelaide) were invited to the meeting, but being unable to give hope of joining the new Association the applications of the two clubs previously mentioned were accepted.[4]
At a meeting on evening of May 9, Norwood, North Adelaide (Hotham) and Gawler clubs had their applications to the new association approved.
Medindie, the future North Adelaide Football Club, became the 7th senior Club when it joined the United Football Association formed by the Adelaide, Port Adelaide and South Adelaide Football Clubs following the resignations of those clubs from the South Australia Football Association.
| Founding Senior Clubs of United Football Association for 1888 Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | Gawler | Hotham (North Adelaide 1888) |
Medindie | Norwood | Port Adelaide | South Adelaide | |
- ^ "S.A. FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION. - Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912) - 6 Apr 1888". Evening Journal. 6 April 1888.
- ^ "FOOTBALL. - FOOTBALL NOTES. - Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) - 14 Apr 1888". Adelaide Observer. 14 April 1888.
- ^ "FOOTBALL NOTES. - the Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922) - 28 Apr 1888". Express and Telegraph. 28 April 1888.
- ^ "South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) - 4 May 1888 - p5".