|Willow - Bluebags|
Bucket of spit
When NRL referee Steve Clark claimed he had a bucket of spit thrown over him in 1998, the public reaction was predictable enough. Most people were appalled. But in some quarters there was a sense of awe, almost admiration, for what was essentially a spontaneous reaction from the mob on the hill.
In 1998 at Kogarah Jubilee Oval, the St George Dragons were playing host to the Canterbury Bulldogs - a home semi-final for Saints. It was a tremendous match for the packed crowd with St George racing away to a 12-0 lead. But the contest also had its fair share of controversy after several questionable decisions had gone against the Dragons, including referee Clark allowing a forward pass to go unchecked resulting in a try to the Bulldogs. Canterbury eventually won the game 20-12. While jogging towards the tunnel amidst a chorus of heckling, Clark claimed he was intimidated before being drenched in a "bucket of spit".
So how did this happen?
One version is that a container of some sort was passed around on the Kogarah Hill. Perhaps not surprisingly, the bucket instigator prefers to remains a mystery, although I'm told by a reliable source that he goes by the name of 'Darren'. According to the story, there was no shortage of contributors as Darren presented the pail to the angry mob. In the end, there was no individual, this was clearly a joint effort.
If the story is right, a foot soldier (probably Darren) then raced around the concourse to the other side of the ground in just enough time to make his delivery onto the departing referee. Think about it, referees don't hang around, they leave straight after full time. This 'unruly mob' got organised, and they did so quickly with a common goal.
Then there's the other story where the bucket was a metaphor used by Clark to describe how it felt at the time. But I personally prefer the more fuller, stickier version.
Nowadays, the mob on the hill (aka 'General Admission ticket holders') are not allowed to cross the east-west divide.
Of course this lack of decorum is not just confined to rugby league. Men, and women, behaving badly can be seen just about anywhere.
One of my favourite stories is from the 1970-71 Ashes Test series. At the Sydney Cricket Ground, the crowd mucked up in deluxe fashion. After finishing his spell, English fast bowler John Snow took a rest on the outer and entered into a frank exchange of views with the crowd on Yabba's Hill. Notorious for his short-pitched deliveries, often leveled at the heads of lower order batsmen, Snow was much hated by the Australian crowd.
The Guardian in the UK reported: "when he returned to his fielding position at long-leg Snow was pelted with bottles, cans and partially-eaten pies".
But there was a greater prize that awaited Snow on this hot Sydney day. A fan on the fence offered a 'conciliatory' beer to the Englishman. In the interest of Anglo-Australian relations, Snow accepted the offering with a smile. He noticed it was a tad warm, but took a sip anyway. He reacted with repulsion, spitting out the liquid onto the SCG turf. The mob on the hill let loose with laughter. It turns out the can was full of urine!
But let us pause...
This is not about the spit, or the piss... This about the human condition to exhibit civil disobedience when the urge arises. The brain receptors that drive conservative folk to go against convention are a not-too-distant cousin to the same chemical responses that pushed part-time anarchists in Germany to knock down the Berlin Wall.
Don't laugh... you know it's true.
Is it peer group pressure? Or is it more an X-files styled telepathy taking hold? I reckon it's just people mucking up for the fun of it... But hey, you draw whatever conclusion you like.
Regardless of the reason, the instinct is overwhelming to the point where individuals will sometimes turn into a single mass, one entity, one animal. After all, working together is part of what makes us human.
But never underestimate the power of the individual. As mentioned at the top of this piece, the referee's humiliation also drew the response of outrage. To this day, some Saints supporters will tell you that Steve Clark used his position as referee to pay them back ten-fold in the subsequent years.
That being the case, Clark the individual had the last laugh.
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and pulled the ripcord.
