Snoochies
First Grade
- Messages
- 5,593
How great it was: suburban football ovals of yesteryear - Cumberland Oval
The great Eels coach Jack Gibson with his team at training in 1981. Source: News Limited
WHILE the rugby league season is still months away from kicking off, we whet your appetite for the coming season by re-living some of the great suburban football ovals of yesteryear. This week it is former Parramatta Eels home ground, Cumberland Oval.
Imagine being a player of an opposition team and having to walk through a swarm of Parramatta supporters to get to your dressing shed.
Abuse is being hurled, you're called every name under the sun and the game hasn't even kicked off. In fact, you're just trying to get to the grandstand so you can put on your socks and boots.
At Cumberland Oval, this was the reality that faced Eels opponents, something Parramatta great Brett Kenny looks back on with fond memories.
Abuse is being hurled, you're called every name under the sun and the game hasn't even kicked off. In fact, you're just trying to get to the grandstand so you can put on your socks and boots.
At Cumberland Oval, this was the reality that faced Eels opponents, something Parramatta great Brett Kenny looks back on with fond memories.
Brett Kenny looks for support.Source: News Limited
"I actually used to feel sorry for players in the opposition team," he said.
"As the years rolled on you got to know some of the players from the opposition and you'd feel sorry for them because they'd have to walk across the hill at the northern end of the ground to get to get over to the grandstand where the dressing rooms were.
"As the years rolled on you got to know some of the players from the opposition and you'd feel sorry for them because they'd have to walk across the hill at the northern end of the ground to get to get over to the grandstand where the dressing rooms were.
Arthur Beetson and Mick Cronin in 1980.Source: News Limited
"They had to walk between the crowds of people - the majority being Parramatta supporters. Nothing happens like that today. That was one of the good things about Cumberland Oval. The opposition wasn't protected from the home crowd."
Cumberland Oval was the Parramatta district's major outdoor sports and recreation venue since 1847.
Kenny shared many great moments on that field but he says his fondest memory at the ground was a match against Newton in 1980.
Cumberland Oval was the Parramatta district's major outdoor sports and recreation venue since 1847.
Kenny shared many great moments on that field but he says his fondest memory at the ground was a match against Newton in 1980.
"It was my first first-grade game that I was starting in and it was at Cumberland Oval," he recalls.
"I remember coming out onto the ground and I could hear all this noise from one section of the ground on the hills and there were all these guys I had played with at Guildford (Owls). It was a very special occasion."
While dressing sheds these days are in pristine condition, Kenny tells of a rustic-like dusty environment at Cumberland.
"I remember coming out onto the ground and I could hear all this noise from one section of the ground on the hills and there were all these guys I had played with at Guildford (Owls). It was a very special occasion."
While dressing sheds these days are in pristine condition, Kenny tells of a rustic-like dusty environment at Cumberland.
"You'd be sitting there getting change and you'd know Parramatta must have scored or gone close because of the noise," he said.
"The dust and dirt would come down from the roof and land on top of you from the crowd stomping their feet in the grandstand. There is nothing like that today but it certainly was a good experience."
"The dust and dirt would come down from the roof and land on top of you from the crowd stomping their feet in the grandstand. There is nothing like that today but it certainly was a good experience."
Brett Kenny and Peter Sterling relax after a game.Source: News Limited
The ground changed forever following the Eels' first premiership victory in 1981 when fans rallied at the ground and burned the grandstand to the ground.
While the Eels players knew nothing of what was happening at the time, Kenny reveals they did return the following year before claiming their second title.
While the Eels players knew nothing of what was happening at the time, Kenny reveals they did return the following year before claiming their second title.
Fire fighters at Cumberland Oval in 1981.Source: News Limited
"I didn't know much about it," Kenny said of the grandstand.
"We were tied up at the leagues club until god knows what time of the morning we went home.
"We only saw the news. It was just amazing to think they'd done that. In '82 we went back there and we used to train at that ground. There were a couple of posts sticking up from where the fence was. Basically everything was gone. Some of the scoreboard was still there but we used to train there and it was good to go back to the old ground."
"We were tied up at the leagues club until god knows what time of the morning we went home.
"We only saw the news. It was just amazing to think they'd done that. In '82 we went back there and we used to train at that ground. There were a couple of posts sticking up from where the fence was. Basically everything was gone. Some of the scoreboard was still there but we used to train there and it was good to go back to the old ground."
;-)
