Happy St George's Day

[Blood Shot Eyes]

For the record if you are actually fully observant of all religious matters today is actually St George's day due to the rules about when it falls on a Sunday during lent, advent and all that Catholic stuff.
So happy St Georges's Day to one & all even if I am partially a Welsh derivative.


Ryan actually wanted to stay but Facer forced the issue as he thought with Beath coming to the club and Wittenberg sitting out a season to come to the club we could live with out Kandos.
Of course there was also a bit of argy bargy around captaincy with Walsh post Sticks retirement.
Not one of fearless' better decisions.

Yes thats right OT seem to remember that ......now there was 2 great players Barry Beath & John Wittenberg.....ahh the memories

 

[Old Timer]

Yes thats right OT seem to remember that ......now there was 2 great players Barry Beath & John Wittenberg.....ahh the memories

Beath was the only link between the 66 and 77 premiership sides so an 11 year record of his own.
Witt should have been here in 66 but the stupid transfer rule prevented that and cost him a premiership.
Both great players and proud club men.

 

[denis preston]

Beath was the only link between the 66 and 77 premiership sides so an 11 year record of his own.
Witt should have been here in 66 but the stupid transfer rule prevented that and cost him a premiership.
Both great players and proud club men.

For the record if you are actually fully observant of all religious matters today is actually St George's day due to the rules about when it falls on a Sunday during lent, advent and all that Catholic stuff.
So happy St Georges's Day to one & all even if I am partially a Welsh derivative.


Ryan actually wanted to stay but Facer forced the issue as he thought with Beath coming to the club and Wittenberg sitting out a season to come to the club we could live with out Kandos.
Of course there was also a bit of argy bargy around captaincy with Walsh post Sticks retirement.
Not one of fearless' better decisions.

Yes, Facer lost his mojo a bit in the late 60's mainly due to the fact that Manly , Easts & the Berries Leagues clubs were starting to turn very profitable. I still can't get my head around signing two five eights in Hawthorne & Branson and for big money as well as ex rugby captain Sullivan . We still were the wealthiest club but we didn't spend it too wisely.

We actually had a club player of the year award in 68 I think , open to all graded players and the prize was a block of land at Sylvania Waters !! Third & second grade centre / winger Dennis Brandley won it . Poor bugger was talented but mad as a meat axe.He ended up shooting himself in the late 70's I believe.

 

[TruSaint]

We actually had a club player of the year award in 68 I think , open to all graded players and the prize was a block of land at Sylvania Waters !! Third & second grade centre / winger Dennis Brandley won it . Poor bugger was talented but mad as a meat axe.He ended up shooting himself in the late 70's I believe.

Not a bad prize at all....

Didnt know about the Brandley story... sad...

 

[Old Timer]

Yes, Facer lost his mojo a bit in the late 60's mainly due to the fact that Manly , Easts & the Berries Leagues clubs were starting to turn very profitable. I still can't get my head around signing two five eights in Hawthorne & Branson and for big money as well as ex rugby captain Sullivan . We still were the wealthiest club but we didn't spend it too wisely.

We actually had a club player of the year award in 68 I think , open to all graded players and the prize was a block of land at Sylvania Waters !! Third & second grade centre / winger Dennis Brandley won it . Poor bugger was talented but mad as a meat axe.He ended up shooting himself in the late 70's I believe.

Yep the signing of "The Mudlark" was very curious indeed. Maybe as you say after the great run things went a bit pear shape.
He had some success on the Kangaroo tour playing really well in very wet conditions as he was at that time quite big for a 5/8 and proved hard to handle physically.
Never replicated that form back home.
If I remember correctly Branson moved down to the gong to captain/coach after he left the Dragons.
I remember Brandley but didn't know the story re the player of the year or his suicide very sad.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Yes, Facer lost his mojo a bit in the late 60's mainly due to the fact that Manly , Easts & the Berries Leagues clubs were starting to turn very profitable. I still can't get my head around signing two five eights in Hawthorne & Branson and for big money as well as ex rugby captain Sullivan . We still were the wealthiest club but we didn't spend it too wisely.

We actually had a club player of the year award in 68 I think , open to all graded players and the prize was a block of land at Sylvania Waters !! Third & second grade centre / winger Dennis Brandley won it . Poor bugger was talented but mad as a meat axe.He ended up shooting himself in the late 70's I believe.

Yes at the time it was a strange decision Phil Hawthorne (fresh from Rugby he played inside John Brass who later went to Easts) and Tony Branson....still they were both great players for us and as you said money was no object.....remember young Brandley but sadly didnt realise he ended up that way

 

[Drakon]

I remember being at Kogarah and watching Phil Hawthorne kick about 5 field goals one game back when they were worth 2 points. Gold!

 

[ALSGI]

I marvelled at Henry Tatna's penalty goals from over halfway.

 

[emu62]

For the record if you are actually fully observant of all religious matters today is actually St George's day due to the rules about when it falls on a Sunday during lent, advent and all that Catholic stuff.
So happy St Georges's Day to one & all even if I am partially a Welsh derivative.



then the feast begins this afternoon, roast chook

 

[Old Timer]

Re cooking chooks and bunnies and other things
Funny how we finally get rid of Sizzlers and now the team is really sizzling quite ironic.

I marvelled at Henry Tatna's penalty goals from over halfway.

Standing the leather ball upright in a hole made with his heel and off about 4 steps.
Tough bastard too.
He used to work at the Peakhurst Inn for a little while and one of the local toughs got involved in a fight with a friend of mine involving a king hit.
Big Henry got in the middle of it and pushed the so called tough guys head into the metal ash tray that used to go around all bars in those days.
Henry pulled his head up by the collar about 4 inches as he punched down back into the ash tray double compounding the blow and you could here the nose bones crunching under Henry's fist which was about the size if a boxing glove..
4 quick hits and all over red rover, out the door with the offender, got the hose out, washed the blood off the floor and out of the ash tray then Henry adjusted his bow tie, shrugged his shoulders and went about his business.
No fuss sort of a guy just highly effective at what he did on and off the field.

 

[ALSGI]

Re cooking chooks and bunnies and other things
Funny how we finally get rid of Sizzlers and now the team is really sizzling quite ironic.

Standing the leather ball upright in a hole made with his heel and off about 4 steps.
Tough bastard too.
He used to work at the Peakhurst Inn for a little while and one of the local toughs got involved in a fight with a friend of mine involving a king hit.
Big Henry got in the middle of it and pushed the so called tough guys head into the metal ash tray that used to go around all bars in those days.
Henry pulled his head up by the collar about 4 inches as he punched down back into the ash tray double compounding the blow and you could here the nose bones crunching under Henry's fist which was about the size if a boxing glove..
4 quick hits and all over red rover, out the door with the offender, got the hose out, washed the blood off the floor and out of the ash tray then Henry adjusted his bow tie, shrugged his shoulders and went about his business.
No fuss sort of a guy just highly effective at what he did on and off the field.

Henry's daughter and I were sweethearts in primary school, while he played, also ran a chook farm somewhere at the same time.

 

[possm]

Born in 1954 with my grandfather a mad Dragons supporter, From the age of 3 I used to go to games with him most weekends. He had a model T Ford in those days with Donald Duck painted in full colour on the back. We would travel to games in that car up until 1965 when he sold it. So for as long as I can remember I have been a Dragons supporter and was there for those magical 11 years in a row.

I have 5 children ranging in age from 37 to 9 years age. Each one of them is a mad Dragons supporter. Along with their partners and my five grand children, we have planned to be at Suncorp Stadium to watch The Dragons absolutely demolish the Broncos later in the season.

 

[Willow]

Two years ago today we were staying in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and I discovered this pub, how appropriate -
http://www.the-bayshill-inn.co.uk/
Check the address 85 St Georges Place and also the beer on tap "Wadworth St.George and the Dragon ale".
Had a picture taken of me behind the bar and that tap.

Como, last year we went to Cheltenham as well. I had vague recollections of a post from you in the forums of a St George pub in the area. So we decided to include Cheltanham on a road trip, and found the St George's Vault pub...

It was a relaxing holiday but I found that I was frequently thirsty, so I ventured inside. As you know, a foreigner walking into an unfamiliar pub can often be met with a few stares from the locals. So, as was my habit, I offered some greetings at the bar and asked, "...what beer can you recommend?" This almost always broke the ice. And yes, they recommended an ale on tap that did bear the name of St George... although that was not all that uncommon in wilds of England.

 

[denis preston]

I marvelled at Henry Tatna's penalty goals from over halfway.

When Henry was playing for the Berries he hit Barry Beath so hard that Barry lost a testicle so I heard. Wonder If that was true as it;s not something you would report , particularly in that era.

 

[Dragon Revival]

Yes it was true as Barry's cousin Ray Beath told me about it at Uni NSW where wingers Carr and Popperwell did Commerce.

 

[Old Timer]

When Henry was playing for the Berries he hit Barry Beath so hard that Barry lost a testicle so I heard. Wonder If that was true as it;s not something you would report , particularly in that era.

The way that story was told to me was
Len Kelly told Beath he was playing prop against the Berries and asked him to give a bit of whooshka to Henry as they wanted to see how tough he was and whether he was worth signing.
Beath kept giving it to Henry and Henry didn't retaliate until early in the 2nd half after having had enough.
Beath woke up in hospital and Len Kelly informed that there was good news and bad news.
The first was that Henry was certainly very tough and the club would be signing him.
The bad was Henry grabbed your ball bag and unfortunately you now have 1 nut as he crushed the other one.

 

[Gareth67]

The way that story was told to me was
Len Kelly told Beath he was playing prop against the Berries and asked him to give a bit of whooshka to Henry as they wanted to see how tough he was and whether he was worth signing.
Beath kept giving it to Henry and Henry didn't retaliate until early in the 2nd half after having had enough.
Beath woke up in hospital and Len Kelly informed that there was good news and bad news.
The first was that Henry was certainly very tough and the club would be signing him.
The bad was Henry grabbed your ball bag and unfortunately you now have 1 nut as he crushed the other one.

Once had the distinct pleasure of having a ' puss ' besides the great man himself , our Henry that is . Down in Sydney , at the brother-in a laws who took me out for a few ales at the Sunset Hotel Canterbury Road (?) , if memory serves me correct .

Said hello and wished him the best for the beginning of his career at the Saints . Of course being somewhat overawed at running into the man , I offered my hand also ( to shake ) which of course was a somewhat unhygienic thing to do at the time .
However , he had a bit of a laugh about what had just occurred and thanked me for my courtesy .

 

[Old Timer]

Once had the distinct pleasure of having a ' puss ' besides the great man himself , our Henry that is . Down in Sydney , at the brother-in a laws who took me out for a few ales at the Sunset Hotel Canterbury Road (?) , if memory serves me correct .

Said hello and wished him the best for the beginning of his career at the Saints . Of course being somewhat overawed at running into the man , I offered my hand also ( to shake ) which of course was a somewhat unhygienic thing to do at the time .
However , he had a bit of a laugh about what had just occurred and thanked me for my courtesy .

Sundowner Hotel most likely.
Salubrious den of iniquity that had a neon sign with a guy on a horse likened to the scene out of the movie with Robert Mitchum.

 

[2010]

This forum thread is one of the best ever posts, so many supporters telling great stories from the past.
I am enjoying going back and remembering the greats of yesteryears.
Hope a younger supporters read the stories in here.

 

[Gareth67]

Sundowner Hotel most likely.
Salubrious den of iniquity that had a neon sign with a guy on a horse likened to the scene out of the movie with Robert Mitchum.

Of course , the Sundowner . Tanata's brother owned the hotel , at the time . Henry came over to our table and bought a beer for each of us , with him . That was why I now recall who owned the hotel as I offered to pay for them , but he mentioned that they were freebies , perhaps even salubriously so .