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Need Assistance To Settle a Dispute

RedVee

First Grade
Messages
5,853
A mate is trying to tell me former 70s winger John Chapman was also a gun goalkicker as I beggar to differ.

If anyone can remember the day Saints lost 1-0 to Newtown during the 1970s I’m certain John Chapman missed 7 attempts at goal that day!! Can someone confirm this fun fact..
Thanks..
Gday Mickey, I was there as an 11 yo. I remember John Chapman missing 1 goal which was a penalty after we went 1-0 down. Not sure about 7! Lol

BTW I remember him missing Goals I other games; can’t remember him kicking one. I don’t think he was ever anything better than a backup.

hope this helps.
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
16,914
A mate is trying to tell me former 70s winger John Chapman was also a gun goalkicker as I beggar to differ.

If anyone can remember the day Saints lost 1-0 to Newtown during the 1970s I’m certain John Chapman missed 7 attempts at goal that day!! Can someone confirm this fun fact..
Thanks..
I was in the Sheridan Stand that day and can remember 2 kicks missed by Chapman 1 from almost directly in front 20 out and 1 in a similar position about 30 out at the other end.

If not mistaken I think he had 1 early on from out wide but not certain.

Can't ever remember anyone in St George keeping the kicking duties and missing 7 in a row so doubt that number is correct.

Stan is correct about Smithy missing 1 late as well.

Chapman was anything but a gun kicker and was stop gap at absolute best.

I remember the roar from the Newtown supporters and the booing from the Dragons fans as Wilson ran out onto the field.

Used to love a beer at the bottom bar at the back of the Sheridan.

If you subscribe to the Telegraph news service just google Newtown beat St George 1-0 and you will find the news article.
 

mickeylane

Bench
Messages
4,894
I was in the Sheridan Stand that day and can remember 2 kicks missed by Chapman 1 from almost directly in front 20 out and 1 in a similar position about 30 out at the other end.

If not mistaken I think he had 1 early on from out wide but not certain.

Can't ever remember anyone in St George keeping the kicking duties and missing 7 in a row so doubt that number is correct.

Stan is correct about Smithy missing 1 late as well.

Chapman was anything but a gun kicker and was stop gap at absolute best.

I remember the roar from the Newtown supporters and the booing from the Dragons fans as Wilson ran out onto the field.

Used to love a beer at the bottom bar at the back of the Sheridan.

If you subscribe to the Telegraph news service just google Newtown beat St George 1-0 and you will find the news article.
Actually your right we missed a shot load of penalty shots but the kicking duties were being shared on the day .. Chapman wasn’t the only culprit! Thanks for the info.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
John Chapman kicked the goal that mattered in 1977.

In the first grand final, Teddy Goodwin won the race for the ball and scored just inside the dead ball line, but knocked himself out in the process. Goodwin was our regular kicker, but could take no further part in the match. Chapman lined up and it was a successful conversion, giving us a 9-0 lead at half time. It would prove to be the most important goal of the season.

Parramatta came back in the second half to make it 9-all, with both Chapman and Cronin missing goals. It's now history that the scores remained deadlocked after extra time. A grand final replay was booked for the week after, and we won that convincingly 22-0.
 
Messages
15,386
John Chapman kicked the goal that mattered in 1977.

In the first grand final, Teddy Goodwin won the race for the ball and scored just inside the dead ball line, but knocked himself out in the process. Goodwin was our regular kicker, but could take no further part in the match. Chapman lined up and it was a successful conversion, giving us a 9-0 lead at half time. It would prove to be the most important goal of the season.

Parramatta came back in the second half to make it 9-all, with both Chapman and Cronin missing goals. It's now history that the scores remained deadlocked after extra time. A grand final replay was booked for the week after, and we won that convincingly 22-0.

It must have been an amazing preparation for the second effort.

Back in those days, it might have meant cutting down to less than 6 KBs per night after dinner!
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
It must have been an amazing preparation for the second effort.

Back in those days, it might have meant cutting down to less than 6 KBs per night after dinner!
I was only 18 years old but lived every moment. In the week between the 2 grand finals it was all people could talk about. There were some some pretty fierce things being said in pubs and my work place.

Had the good fortune to meet players from both sides, many years later. Robert Stone insisted his try from the scrum was more like a 60 yard run (not 20 yards), and it had been getting longer everytime someone asked him about it.

About 20 years ago, a certain Parramatta forward told me that the Saints forwards had tried to "eat them alive" in the 1977 grand finals. Didn't leave much to the imagination, and his words obliged us to edit to a certain online article.
http://jubileeavenue.com.au/history/1974-1979.php
 
Messages
15,386
I was only 18 years old but lived every moment. In the week between the 2 grand finals it was all people could talk about. There were some some pretty fierce things being said in pubs and my work place.

Had the good fortune to meet players from both sides, many years later. Robert Stone insisted his try from the scrum was more like a 60 yard run (not 20 yards), and it had been getting longer everytime someone asked him about it.

About 20 years ago, a certain Parramatta forward told me that the Saints forwards had tried to "eat them alive" in the 1977 grand finals. Didn't leave much to the imagination, and his words obliged us to edit to a certain online article.
http://jubileeavenue.com.au/history/1974-1979.php

Yep, it seems a torrid and bruising first encounter left it’s mark on the hapless eels.

The dragons side played to its strengths.

Maybe mentally that dragons side never took the week off which is why it would be fascinating to learn of any motivation techniques adopted, adjusted for the era.

If memory serves me correctly, Steve Edge went on to provide good service to the Eels and to win a grand final with them.

I remember vaguely as a kid, a mate supported them and he had pictures of the squad on the wall.

Then in my early teens I was commissioned to collect every player swap card of the Eels side for the then brother in law to stick on the back window of his grey Holden Sunbird. Mission accomplished too. Back in the day, there was a more even spread of players. Three Sterlings for a Bobby Jay easy. Ex Brother in law retired from the sra ( when trains ran in time) and is running a bar in Thailand now! Was on the Western line the Granville Morning but missed the incident.

Brett Kenny is his favourite eel of all time.

Good articles Jubilee.
 
Last edited:

RedVee

First Grade
Messages
5,853
I was only 18 years old but lived every moment. In the week between the 2 grand finals it was all people could talk about. There were some some pretty fierce things being said in pubs and my work place.

Had the good fortune to meet players from both sides, many years later. Robert Stone insisted his try from the scrum was more like a 60 yard run (not 20 yards), and it had been getting longer everytime someone asked him about it.

About 20 years ago, a certain Parramatta forward told me that the Saints forwards had tried to "eat them alive" in the 1977 grand finals. Didn't leave much to the imagination, and his words obliged us to edit to a certain online article.
http://jubileeavenue.com.au/history/1974-1979.php

I was 15 at the time but remember at school copping shut from everyone bar Saints fans. Lucky, Parra should have won, they’ll kill you next week etc etc.

I replied with Saints forwards are filthy with the Parra dirty tactics on Shulman and will get square big time. ;)

(I wasn’t sure whether Higgs or Price was the culprit)
 

Old Kogarah Boy 1

First Grade
Messages
5,415
I was 15 at the time but remember at school copping shut from everyone bar Saints fans. Lucky, Parra should have won, they’ll kill you next week etc etc.

I replied with Saints forwards are filthy with the Parra dirty tactics on Shulman and will get square big time. ;)

(I wasn’t sure whether Higgs or Price was the culprit)

All good stuff.
Back in them days, size didn’t matter and the little guys got touched aplenty.

Billy Smith copped plenty but also gave it back and then some.
Even after he retired, Billy was always punchy in general.
With the old man running parts of the security at the club, Billy over time was his biggest ‘client’.

Ahhhhh, those were the days......
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
I was 15 at the time but remember at school copping shut from everyone bar Saints fans. Lucky, Parra should have won, they’ll kill you next week etc etc.

I replied with Saints forwards are filthy with the Parra dirty tactics on Shulman and will get square big time. ;)

(I wasn’t sure whether Higgs or Price was the culprit)
I maintain it was Higgs. Others say Price. And Shulman was too much of a gentlemen to talk about it when asked.

But I strongly recall workplace and pub conversations about what we'd do to Higgs if we saw him. At least one fella was shocked by our language (of course it was bs). Suffice to say there was a lot of anger about what happened to Shulman, the shortest player in League being cowardly kneed in the back by an opposing forward. It sidelined our halfback indefinitely. But Harry Bath used that brilliantly when he arranged to have Shulman sit on the bench in full gear during the gf replay.
 
Messages
15,386
I maintain it was Higgs. Others say Price. And Shulman was too much of a gentlemen to talk about it when asked.

But I strongly recall workplace and pub conversations about what we'd do to Higgs if we saw him. At least one fella was shocked by our language (of course it was bs). Suffice to say there was a lot of anger about what happened to Shulman, the shortest player in League being cowardly kneed in the back by an opposing forward. It sidelined our halfback indefinitely. But Harry Bath used that brilliantly when he arranged to have Shulman sit on the bench in full gear during the gf replay.

lol the fox.

Mathew Ridge was a fair exponent of the knee in the back. Cowards play.

Far happier with the odd uppercut in the scrum, I don’t know why, but it just seems more honourable!
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
I maintain it was Higgs. Others say Price. And Shulman was too much of a gentlemen to talk about it when asked.

But I strongly recall workplace and pub conversations about what we'd do to Higgs if we saw him. At least one fella was shocked by our language (of course it was bs). Suffice to say there was a lot of anger about what happened to Shulman, the shortest player in League being cowardly kneed in the back by an opposing forward. It sidelined our halfback indefinitely. But Harry Bath used that brilliantly when he arranged to have Shulman sit on the bench in full gear during the gf replay.

Too many discussions had at the time when I was a teenager. My elder cousin was 100% convinced it was Higgs. After the event, he changed his opinion to Price. Im still not sure.

But as a young fan at the time, I remember sitting in awe listening to the elder Group ( lol 19-21 ), discussing what they would do to either if they saw them on the street.

Different era, but at the time I was sold on the hate.

Even if I wasnt sure who kneed Mark in the back.
 

Gareth67

First Grade
Messages
8,406
I was 15 at the time but remember at school copping shut from everyone bar Saints fans. Lucky, Parra should have won, they’ll kill you next week etc etc.

I replied with Saints forwards are filthy with the Parra dirty tactics on Shulman and will get square big time. ;)

(I wasn’t sure whether Higgs or Price was the culprit)

I also was under the impression that it was Price , I am sure that he rammed his knee into Shulman’s back or thereabouts .

On a side note I was at the same school as Ray Price - Cumberland High at Carlingford . The school had one of the best teams going around packed with some real outstanding young blokes , many of which went on to play grade footy with both league and Union clubs . Undoubtedly however Ray Price was the best the school ever had , a product of Dundas Valley Rugby Union club .

All in all it was a shame for Shulman to be injured as I don’t know if he ever made a complete recovery from the injury .
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
Too many discussions had at the time when I was a teenager. My elder cousin was 100% convinced it was Higgs. After the event, he changed his opinion to Price. Im still not sure.

But as a young fan at the time, I remember sitting in awe listening to the elder Group ( lol 19-21 ), discussing what they would do to either if they saw them on the street.

Different era, but at the time I was sold on the hate.

Even if I wasnt sure who kneed Mark in the back.
It's amazing how many people have similar stories, and how many wanted to see Ray Higgs harmed in some way. There was a passion about it.

It has been suggested that the knee incident was retaliation for what Reddy etc were doing to the Parra forwards. But the fans saw it much differently.

The effect of this must have resonated with the players as well, which explains why Harry Bath used Bantam to rev-up the fans and players on match day.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
It's amazing how many people have similar stories, and how many wanted to see Ray Higgs harmed in some way. There was a passion about it.

It has been suggested that the knee incident was retaliation for what Reddy etc were doing to the Parra forwards. But the fans saw it much differently.

The effect of this must have resonated with the players as well, which explains why Harry Bath used Bantam to rev-up the fans and players on match day.

Oh, I agree.

Rocket was the centre of attention, but to a 14 year old, he was untouchable lol.
He was no angel, but tough as nails.

Im pretty sure it was his offload that led to Lord teds miracle try. Thats why I have Teddy as my avatar. Its a try I will never forget.

'Tears of blood".
 

RedVee

First Grade
Messages
5,853
I also was under the impression that it was Price , I am sure that he rammed his knee into Shulman’s back or thereabouts .

On a side note I was at the same school as Ray Price - Cumberland High at Carlingford . The school had one of the best teams going around packed with some real outstanding young blokes , many of which went on to play grade footy with both league and Union clubs . Undoubtedly however Ray Price was the best the school ever had , a product of Dundas Valley Rugby Union club .

All in all it was a shame for Shulman to be injured as I don’t know if he ever made a complete recovery from the injury .
Gareth, you may have been at school with a cousin or 3 of mine if you are up around Rays age. My cousins would be around 62 - 64 yo.
An ex boss of mine was there as well I believe.
PM me if you like.
 

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,708
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Gentlemen, please each take one of these and attach them to your belts.

No need to fight, plenty to go around.
 
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