Old Leichhardt oval running east to west

[Braxton O’Reilly]

Hi west tiger fans - mainly old Balmain supporters
I read on Wikipedia that original oval at Leichhardt ran east to west and was reconfigured in the 80s to run north to south and that’s what it looks like today
Does anyone have any memories of what old oval looked like??
I think Keith Barnes stand was on wing and it’s crooked a little bit now because of old oval dimensions
Were there any other grandstands that had to make way when ground was reconfigured?
It just seems amazing and bizarre to me that, you know, let’s change the direction of oval of a ground of major Sydney competition and I’m struggling to find anyone who knows much about it

 

[Old Time Tiger]

I remember the ground running east west, the hill where the scoreboard stands today I assume is where they dumped the dirt as that would have been the eastern end of the oval (I was truly an oval back then).

I'm sure there was only 1 'grandstand' in the south west corner and do recall a wooden fence that ran up the side of the hill to separate the rich (the grandstand end) from the poor (the hill). I remember as a kid standing with family on the top of the hill where the houses currently are so there was always a hill to the right of the main entrance.

 

[Braxton O’Reilly]

Thanks Old Time Tiger
Do you know why they changed direction of oval?
I have a uneducated guess it may have something to do with the installation of lights.

 

[Das Hassler]

The KB stand was the main stand ...I think there may have been another small stand where the main stand is now ( behind the "then" western goal posts ...the former hill on the bay side was pretty high as I recall. The ground was turned around as by mid afternoon in winter one team was looking directly into the sun. Best memory was Keith Barnes kicking a goal right on halftime about 5 metres in from his grandstand touch line and from his own side of halfway...AND while looking into the sun! Worst memory from the old East West ground was Tigers Bob Mara went to Penrith' and in their second year in ('68) kicked a field goal to beat us at the death.
...

 

[macnaz]

I dont believe this switch around was done in the 80's , as I've been going there since perhaps 1975 and it was always the way it is now. There was also the other old stand next to the KB stand which they ended up demolishing due to white ant damage.

 

[Tigerm]

I thought the change was to benefit the TV viewing for the old Amco/Winfield cup games played there mid week?

 

[macnaz]

The ground 1943. Keith Barnes stand can be seen near the main entry along with the other stand that was later demolished.

 

[Tigerm]

View attachment 73351
The ground 1943. Keith Barnes stand can be seen near the main entry along with the other stand that was later demolished.

What position were you playing Mac?

 

[horrie hastings]

 

[macnaz]

I thought the change was to benefit the TV viewing for the old Amco/Winfield cup games played there mid week?

I think that just happened as a side bonus, as part of the upgrade it included lights and at the time no other grounds had sufficient lighting suitable for televising a night game so LO became the obvious choice.

 

[Braxton O’Reilly]

Thanks for the information and great pictures
It literally was an oval

 

[Braxton O’Reilly]

And I might be wrong but the second grandstand that was demolished lasted until the nineties
Was watching Balmain opening round of 1997 seasonings kayo and sure there were two grandstands behind goalposts at main entry

for some reason they preferred using lights at Leichhardt for night games of midweek competition instead of SCG

 

[Old Time Tiger]

The setting sun was an issue, Hal Brown (playing for Balmain in the 60's) ran straight into a goal posts.

Nothing found on google about it though.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

The $100 million plan to return Leichhardt Oval to former glory

The master plan unveiled by Inner West Council would see millions spent on freshening up the venue – but only if the state and federal governments help pay.

www.smh.com.au

 

[macnaz]

They need Wind turbines on the goal posts and light stands. That should get the inner west greenies onside

 

[Braxton O’Reilly]

They won’t spend 100 million for three games a year

 

[macnaz]

They won’t spend 100 million for three games a year

First it would be 6 NRL games ....plus a countless number junior and state cup, soccer, rugby union , and school sporting events.. probably triple the amount of usage of LO compared to Penrith.
It's all about political points and not what is actual needed in most cases.

 

[axl rose]

And I might be wrong but the second grandstand that was demolished lasted until the nineties
Was watching Balmain opening round of 1997 seasonings kayo and sure there were two grandstands behind goalposts at main entry

for some reason they preferred using lights at Leichhardt for night games of midweek competition instead of SCG

They actually use to host NSW vs QLD games at Leichhart as it had floodlights before the SCG.