I am a homosapian that has wandered this continent for some
4.9 decades. Married now for 27 years, I have fathered three
children and now are the proud grandfather to four beautiful
grand kids. I was born and raised in the Sutherland Shire
of Sydney and left that City in 1978 to commence the journey
of the rest of my life. Ending up in Central Queensland
and surrounded by bloody canetoad supporters.
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first memories of the great working man's game came
when I was a lad of 8 or 9. When visiting my Grandparents
on my mothers side, my old Pop Langford, who has
long now been deceased, would take me outside of
their house in Sydneyham in inner Sydney and sit
me down and tell me about his beloved Newtown Bluebags.
(Later renamed Jets,and now playing in the Jim Beam
Competition)
He would crack open a tallie (large bottle of beer)
and my reward for listening to his stories was that
I was allowed to have a swig off the head of his
beer. To this day I still enjoy a swig or three
of beer.
I remember vividly how Pop would complain about
the Silvertail St George Dragons who stole Johnny
Raper from his Newtown. (Fact has it that St George
had Rapers address as that of St George then legendary
Secretary Frank Facer's home address. Players in
those days had to live in the district of their
club.) |
L-R
.....my Uncle Russ, my late father Don, Uncle Sid,
and Pop Langford, with tallies... |
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His
tirade included the Tigers who were going to steal Brian
Pringle off them to. I remember on one occasion going to
Henson Park with my old man and Pop to watch the Bluebags
go round. I am glad in a way that Pop wasn't around when
Newtown got the chop from 1st Grade. Pop would tell me about
all the 'hard' men that wore the Bluebag jerseys, Bumper
Farrell was one of his greats. |
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a kid I followed St George as it was our District
Club and in those days it meant something to follow
your own club.
I can remember being at the SCG and seeing Reg Gasnier
score one of his many tries for Saints. The game
I remember was against Balmain, and I can recollect
a centre the Tiges had by the name of Kevin Yow
Yeh. Kevin was an South Sea islander and very fast.
The irony of the story is where I live now in Emu
Park on the Coast of Central Queensland, and some
38 years later, there are a lot of Kevin's relatives
still residing in this area.
In those days it was nothing for 6 or so of us kids
to catch a train and travel into Central Railway
Station (and the station was above ground, not underground
as it is now) and walk a mile or so to the SCG to
watch the match of the day, (always on a Saturday
and telecast live to all of Australia free on the
ABC) or the fiery test matches in particular with
the 'bloody' poms.
Incidentally in those days the Poms actually ruled
the rugby league world and often taught our boys
a lesson.
All changed for me when in 1967 the Mighty Cronulla
Sutherland Sharks were admitted to 1st Grade along
with Penrith. A new allegiance was formed and they
became "my side" Unfortunately I am still
awaiting the day I can witness that lap of honor
in September ..... who knows, one day. |
Souths
great Bob McCarthy getting to know St George legendary
though man Kevin Ryan. Ryan was known as a punishing
tackler, and never for foul play. |
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I
was at the Sydney Sports Ground (Eastern Suburbs old ground)
for their first win in their first 1st Grade Game and also
witnessed the first home game at Waratah Oval, Sutherland.
It was a great ground for the local kids as the dressing
sheds were elevated off the ground and the flooring was
so that there was a spacing of about 1 to 1.5 inches between
the floor boards. Unsuspecting visiting teams would often
shower the ground below the sheds with heaps of small change
as it fell from their clothes or bags. Us kids loved it.
The following year the Sharks moved house to Endeavour Oval
and it was with some pride that 'we' beat Parra there in
our first game. And that Cronulla was the only club in the
League that owned their own ground. |
| Those
days were great. We still continued our pilgrimage
to the SCG for the match of the day and then on
Sundays hop in the Club supporters bus and head
off to watch the Sharkies do battle.
I
remember sitting up with Mum in the wee small hours
and watch the Challenge Cup live from Wembley Stadium.
I still can hear the singing of over 100,000 spectators
who packed that holly place once every year. It
was also my first sight of a cheeky little "B"
called Tommy Bishop.
(My boyhood dream was fulfilled when in 1990 I went
on the RLW Supporters tour to England, and was able
to sit in that great stadium and take in the atmosphere.
Unfortunately the bloody poms won that testmatch.)
The highlight of my supporting league was the 1973
season when Tommy Bishop with the assistance of
one very fiery old front rower named Cliff Watson
steered a young but enthusiastic team to their first
ever grand final
I will go into further detail about this game in
memorable matches section of this website. Bloody
Bob Fulton......
I have so many vivid memories from my trips to the
SCG and other grounds. Test matches, finals and
club games. What I loved about that era is that
what happened on the field, stayed on the field,
and a beer was shared after the battle. |
My
Wembley ticket, October 27th, 1990
Three
legends of Rugby League, me on the left, and a legend
only in my own mind, and two of my all time legends,
Tommy Bishop, and the great John Sattler. The pic
was taken at Emu Park in 1990 |
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I
sincerely believe that I witnessed a brilliant, tough, and
sometimes violent era of rugby league, with so many fair
dinkum hero's and hard men. Games that will live in my memory
till the day I die.
I have created this website, not only to share my memories
of the era of biff in rugby league, but also to encourage
and entice other punters, old players, club officials to
also become a part of this website and share your memories
with all of us that are still interested with this part
of history of the workingmans game. |
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