Saints jumper 1929

[Jacksprat]

Can anyone who has a picture of Terry Fahey please post it on this thread? Thanks.

 

[chelseabree]

Here's one

 

[Jacksprat]

Thanks Chelseabree. I don't think its the same bloke I worked with in Leichhardt in the early sixties. At that time he would have been in his very late thirties. He was a very BIG bloke with black curly hair as well, but unless I know what year these pics were taken I can't work it out whether its just a younger, thinner version of the bloke I knew.

 

[chelseabree]

Hi Jack, It is from 1979. It is from a book called BOB FULTON'S RUGBY LEAGUE. If you are a collector of Saints memorabilia it is a good choice as it has some great photos and articles about 1979 season.

 

[chelseabree]

Hey Chelsea, do you have any clippings where we win a game? Just for you- here's one- but what a vicious game! I have heard about the Earl Park Riot but not this one. The style of writing is great. In my opinion the best two league writers came from this period, Claude Corbett as you see him here and CJ Davis "The Cynic"who wrote in THE REFEREE. I'll put up one of his when I can- they are soooo big. Mind you CJ did not think there was anything wrong with the game!

 

[Willow]

They won with 10 men against 12. That's extraordinary. You see the stats and score but the events of the games are rarely mentioned. I'm sure the match above was spoken about for years.

An important result too, as Saints eventually won the minor premiership in 1928, just edging out Easts by one win.

 

[chelseabree]

Here is an interesting game from 1929. What is interesting is the fact that some Saints players have been naughty and played for a country team under an assumed name and got caught. Love to know the full story. Anybody ever heard about it?

 

[chelseabree]

here is some pages from an old book from 1934 and I scanned some pages of Saints history- there are many other ones if anybody is interested.

 

[Willow]

Thanks chelseabrea. Excellent read.

A few points I picked up, namely in the period of the early 1930s (after Frank Burge departed as coach).

Not enough is known about the club's history during this time (apart from stats). Your scan confirms a theory of mine that Arthur Justice took over as captain in 1932 when Harry Kadwell (officially captain-coach from 1931-34) was injured with a broken leg.

Also, interesting to note that the writer at one point refers to the team/club as the 'Illawarra suburbs combination'. This essentially confirms what we already know, that everything south of the Cooks River was often referred to as the Illawarra, there's an Illawarra Road in Marrickville for example.

The view in the 1920s and 1930s was that St George was part of the Illawarra, and the club name was simply chosen after the well known parish name. Your 1935 publication adds further weight to the view that the current joint venture is in reality a reunification of the districts into one.

 

[chelseabree]

Yeah I was speaking to a mate at ice skating the other day who is a Saints fanatic and I told him that before St. George had the logo of the Dragons they were known as the Íllawarraites'. The name comes up very regularly in newspaper reports in the 1920s . The name Dragons is never seen. Anyway I happen to have a page about a game where our new winger Hunt's grandfather played for Souths in 1948. Anyway the Saints/ Canterbury game has an interesting history. Souths and Wests were picked to play at the SCG. Canterbury spat the dummy out and refused to play- going on strike. When the League refused to budge the relented but were laughed at- and lost.

 

[Willow]

Actually I have seen news clippings from the early 1920s where the team was called the 'Dragon Slayers' - that was in the local paper the St George Call. It is unclear when it morphed into the 'Dragons'... would have been a gradual thing. It was certainly an established nickname by the 1960s when I was a kid. But many fans simply called us 'Saints', and that's still evident today.

'Illawarraites' has been discussed a few times in the forums and we confirmed that the name definitely existed. It must have been a mouthful though because it never really caught on.

We found two well respected writers who say the name 'Illawarraites' existed but they are at odds as to when the name was used. I tend to think it went in and out of fashion alongside the 'Dragons Slayers' nickname. I agree that it was intergral to the wider district of the Illawarra which included St George. Plus there is evidence that teams in other sports in the St George area called themselves Illawarra.

 

[chelseabree]

They loved to do cartoons around that time- here is one from a famous cartoonist from RLN with a Saints/Souths game.



Wishful thinking 1971



1949

 

[Willow]

Brilliant stuff Chelsea. :thumn

Timeless and to be treasured. Thanks and keep 'em coming.

 

[Stagger Lee]

It's good to see these old pictures, thankyou for posting them

 

[RedVee]

They loved to do cartoons around that time- here is one from a famous cartoonist from RLN with a Saints/Souths game.



Wishful thinking 1971



1949

They are great!

But what's with the numbering in the last pic?
Facer, a hooker, in 2; Churchill, a fullback, in 13 ???
When did we switch to Fullbacks in 1 ?

 

[Mr Spock!]

Tremendous old clippings Chelseabree. Thanks very much.

The thinner styled Red V was used in the late 1920s up until at least 1930. If your friend wants to see more about the old Red V jersey and history, direct him/her here: http://www.jubileeavenue.com.au/history/index.php

Can I ask if you have anymore of these clippings from the 1920s-1930s era?

Was the very first Saints jersey the blood and bandages one? It looks like it has very thick stripes like the Wests one.

http://www.jubileeavenue.com.au/history/1921-1925.php

 

[chelseabree]

1971 grand final




1931






and a famous game

 

[RedVee]

I was at the 1-0 game as a young fella. Long trip home!

 

[chelseabree]

here are some older things..around the time Saints began- 1923 90 years ago