as a 5-8 yo kid, i followed Newtown with my dad in their final years 80-83 (the final year hardly though as they mostly played out at Leumeah). he started really getting into them few years after he immigrated here and lived in the district back in the 70s and then i started to tag along when i became old enough not to be too much of a nuisance.
he'd dress me up for each game in the club replica kids jersey, white shorts, but farkin Canterbury socks (they had the thick white band in the middle as well as the trim at the fold, whereas Newtown socks were solid blue with the white trim at the fold), and gave me one of those cheap brown plastic balls which would delaminate whenever you kicked it or put any sort of pressure on it.
Anyway, we'd take our spot on the Henson Park hill not far from the woodland st ground entrance, but at a position where we didn't have to crank our necks too much to check the main scoreboard and the time clock. We'd get there about half time of reserve grade. First thing I'd do is check the third grade result and would think the Jets were going to have a great day if the scores were in their favour in the lower grades.
I farkin love that ground and still regularly get down there for runs and sprints in my own time, and NSW cup gamedays, etc. apart from the aussie rules posts, the removal of the analogue time clock on the scoreboards, the disappearance of the paramount jet, a coat of paint on the KGV grandstand, and the removal of the huge crown on the playing field after renovations of the surface a few years ago, it's hardly changed. great memories and watching a Newtown game there as a kid always gave us a 'we & the Jets are at home' moment.
of course, back then, it was predominantly a Sydney comp and we would also go to just about every away game except Illawarra & Canberra. Of these grounds, Leichhardt and Belmore were my favourites. I can still remember the trains tooting their horns as they passed the ground. These two grounds were easy to get too from the district and extremely close to the action as opposed to HP where it always seemed like you just a bit too far away. As a kid, I loved the away games because it was something new with lots of new senses to take in.
Once the Jets were kicked out, there was a bit of lull in our rugby league supporting. Dad ended up jumping on the Balmain (more ex Jets coach Warren Ryan) bandwagon in the late 80s so we started going to a heap of Leichhardt games. Big games, but it wasnt the same as supporting the Jets. He'd drop everything for that team. Still have the old 45 of the club song he'd play prior to the game and after it when they won.
