Do you remember when..

[Jacks Back]

Going into strange suburbs and enemy territory when attending away games.

[saynta]

The good 'ol days were great. Especially at Moorabbin.
The seconds playing already when you come into the stadium and a chance you could spot a fringe player or former star to admire or a fallen opposition player dropped and ripe for abuse.
Urinate in beer can while standing in crowd, shouting obscenities. Farting, saying Geezz...was that you..?
Toilets were very clean and gently scented with those "lemons" to satiate and calm the mind.
Food was probably healthier than now if not burnt.
Cut fingers from beer can openers which you had to suck on after handling hot chips and wiping tomato sauce stains off jeans.
Some possibility of seeing a fight in the crowd or on the field. (Some chance of actually being involved in violence...)
Rain and grey skies. The concrete bits on the edge of the gravelly bits you stood on as you balanced and strained to see.

The scent of success...there was always an insane chance that we might win. That is what gets me. I always thought we might have a chance, if...if... if...

[Saint 58]

Standing to watch the game, sitting down at the breaks
A kick after the game ... always

[degruch]

Front lace ups, leather sprigs, knickerbockers and caps...also, parking for pennyfarthings is totally inadequate (outside of Fitzroy) these days.

[damienc]

Footy was played on surburban footy grounds

Grounds got muddy in the middle of winter

There were no interstate interlopers

Full strength beer in large cans was sold at the ground

Kids stood on those beer cans in the outer so the could see the footy

The home team wore black shorts and the visitors white shorts.

There was no advertiing on jumpers

Umpires wore white and there was only one per game to abuse

Goal umpires wore hats and white dust coats.

There was no interchange bench.

Kicking the ball out on the full didn't attract a penalty free.

The 19th and 20th man wore bath robes /dressing gowns to keep warm.

Footy wasn't televised except for the last quarter on the ABC.

Those robes /gowns would have come in handy last night at Manuka Oval


Ahh, the good old days.

And players used to kick torpedo punts. Really miss the old torps. Nobody kicks them anymore. Ever. Sad.

[degruch]

And players used to kick torpedo punts. Really miss the old torps. Nobody kicks them anymore. Ever. Sad.

Interesting you should mention torps...I know their application is marginal in modern footy, but do they encourage the technique in training at any level? I swear I saw Marshall getting ready to belt one forward a few weeks back, but changed the way he held the ball at the last minute and went for a punt instead.

[loris]

Footy was played on surburban footy grounds

Grounds got muddy in the middle of winter

There were no interstate interlopers

Full strength beer in large cans was sold at the ground

Kids stood on those beer cans in the outer so the could see the footy

The home team wore black shorts and the visitors white shorts.

There was no advertiing on jumpers

Umpires wore white and there was only one per game to abuse

Goal umpires wore hats and white dust coats.

There was no interchange bench.

Kicking the ball out on the full didn't attract a penalty free.

The 19th and 20th man wore bath robes /dressing gowns to keep warm.

Footy wasn't televised except for the last quarter on the ABC.

Those robes /gowns would have come in handy last night at Manuka Oval


Ahh, the good old days.

Yep. But you forgot a couple of things. It was a fully day of footy entertainment starting with the Under 19s, then the reserves followed by the seniors. Those were the days.

You could tape the Football Record up, or tie it up with a bit of string and use it as a football.

You could jump the fence and run and listen to the coaches’ address at quarter & three quarter time.

Behind the goals you could throw toilet rolls, streamers and cut up paper over the fence. The fullback used to have to clear a path through this paper mess to kick a ‘drop kick’, after a point was scored.

You got player’s autographs in your autograph book, not on a football guernsey, or baseball caps with you club logo on.

You didn’t have mobile phones to be sending endless photos & messages on from the ground. Therefore, you didn’t miss a lot of the play, because you had your eyes and attention focussed on a phone - you went to the footy to watch the footy!

Police were the crowd control agents, not dubious security firms.

You needed to have a Football Record, to know who AB CD etc were, to understand the scores from other grounds.

There were mounted police to escort umpires from the oval.

Football scarves were woollen and usually hand knitted with love and not synthetic imports from China.

[saynta]

Footy was played on surburban footy grounds

Grounds got muddy in the middle of winter

There were no interstate interlopers

Full strength beer in large cans was sold at the ground

Kids stood on those beer cans in the outer so the could see the footy

The home team wore black shorts and the visitors white shorts.

There was no advertiing on jumpers

Umpires wore white and there was only one per game to abuse

Goal umpires wore hats and white dust coats.

There was no interchange bench.

Kicking the ball out on the full didn't attract a penalty free.

The 19th and 20th man wore bath robes /dressing gowns to keep warm.

Footy wasn't televised except for the last quarter on the ABC.

Those robes /gowns would have come in handy last night at Manuka Oval


Ahh, the good old days.

Yep. But you forgot a couple of things. It was a fully day of footy entertainment starting with the Under 19s, then the reserves followed by the seniors. Those were the days.

You could tape the Football Record up, or tie it up with a bit of string and use it as a football.

You could jump the fence and run and listen to the coaches’ address at quarter & three quarter time.

Behind the goals you could throw toilet rolls, streamers and cut up paper over the fence. The fullback used to have to clear a path through this paper mess to kick a ‘drop kick’, after a point was scored.

You got player’s autographs in your autograph book, not on a football guernsey, or baseball caps with you club logo on.

You didn’t have mobile phones to be sending endless photos & messages on from the ground. Therefore, you didn’t miss a lot of the play, because you had your eyes and attention focussed on a phone - you went to the footy to watch the footy!

Police were the crowd control agents, not dubious security firms.

You needed to have a Football Record, to know who AB CD etc were, to understand the scores from other grounds.

There were mounted police to escort umpires from the oval.

Football scarves were woollen and usually hand knitted with love and not synthetic imports from China.

Love your additiond Loris,

ps, Jumper were wollen too and got heavy and waterlogged on rainy days,


You could stand outside the ground at the goal ends and score a reasonably new footy if you were lucky. Still happens at Manuka today.

Oh the memories.

[saynta]

Footy was played on surburban footy grounds

Grounds got muddy in the middle of winter

There were no interstate interlopers

Full strength beer in large cans was sold at the ground

Kids stood on those beer cans in the outer so the could see the footy

The home team wore black shorts and the visitors white shorts.

There was no advertiing on jumpers

Umpires wore white and there was only one per game to abuse

Goal umpires wore hats and white dust coats.

There was no interchange bench.

Kicking the ball out on the full didn't attract a penalty free.

The 19th and 20th man wore bath robes /dressing gowns to keep warm.

Footy wasn't televised except for the last quarter on the ABC.

Those robes /gowns would have come in handy last night at Manuka Oval


Ahh, the good old days.

And players used to kick torpedo punts. Really miss the old torps. Nobody kicks them anymore. Ever. Sad.

And drop kicks. Players like Kevin Roberts and Jimmy Ross could kick a drop kick over 60 to 70 yards,

The stab kick or stab pass was way gone before I was born, I think, but my father who played seconds footy for the Dees, before he did his knee while still a teenager, was an excellent exponent of it.

[skeptic]

You know what I miss, the second siren at Waverley that lead to the fan race to the centre circle. Always a thriller

[SaintPav]

I remember you could smell the lineament oil on the players from over the fence.

Getting turned away at lockouts at Moorabbin and going around the corner and jumping the wire mesh fence anyway.

[saynta]

I remember you could smell the lineament oil on the players from over the fence.

Getting turned away at lockouts at Moorabbin and going around the corner and jumping the wire mesh fence anyway.

[Trev from the Bush]

Footy was played on surburban footy grounds

Grounds got muddy in the middle of winter

There were no interstate interlopers

Full strength beer in large cans was sold at the ground

Kids stood on those beer cans in the outer so the could see the footy

The home team wore black shorts and the visitors white shorts.

There was no advertiing on jumpers

Umpires wore white and there was only one per game to abuse

Goal umpires wore hats and white dust coats.

There was no interchange bench.

Kicking the ball out on the full didn't attract a penalty free.

The 19th and 20th man wore bath robes /dressing gowns to keep warm.

Footy wasn't televised except for the last quarter on the ABC.

Those robes /gowns would have come in handy last night at Manuka Oval


Ahh, the good old days.

Great post Saynta.

Those days are gone unfortunately. Even local footy is going backwards.

You would both have loved our local footy today! I had not been all season, so I thought I had better get down and see the last game of the season.

After 50mm of rain, it was always going to be a "special" game; reminiscent of Moorabbin. Our locals wearing Saints jumpers, the opposition in navy blue and white. Having arrived at half-time , black shorts vs filthy grey shorts was the only way to delineate between the two as the rain squalls kept rolling in. The crowd was minuscule, even by bush footy standards. The opposition booted three goals clear in the last quarter before the locals dragged a couple back before 3/4 time.

The last quarter was a wet weather classic. Entering time on, the opposition led by 2 points but the locals hang tough and scrambled 3 rushed behinds to win by a point! Skills and umpires amounted to nil, it was won on pure heart.

I hope another team in Saints jumpers can give a similar display of old time footy tomorrow!

Got what I hoped for! We won on pure heart today

[saintsRrising]

Do you remember when..

Well I remeber when the players of both teams and the umpires would all come into the Social Club after the game and you could have a chat and a beer with them.

[saynta]

Do you remember when..

Well I remeber when the players of both teams and the umpires would all come into the Social Club after the game and you could have a chat and a beer with them.

Yep that happened. I used to be there too. Usually eating hot mini pies