THE oldest club in Australian Rugby League, Newtown "Bluebag", are still operating and in good health at junior level despite it being over 20 years since the club was booted out of the old Winfield Cup competition, then the "Super League" of its day in Sydney.
In 1973, the Bluebags changed both their nickname 'and their club logo to the Jets, but continued to play at their home ground, Henson Park. World renowned players wore the all blue jersey with tremendous pride, non more so than Bumper Farrell, the hard case prop whose hobby, it was said, was counting how many Great Britain props he could knock out on various tours!
The great Tommy Raudonikis, the tough, aggressive, belligerent scrum half was another Jets international star and Tommy was classed as one of Australia's best ever half backs.
Since having to move out of the big time, Newtown have concentrated on maintaining an open age side and developing the Junior Jets which allows hundreds of kids to play organised weekend Rugby League and have had a good relationship with their soccer ground-sharers, the Canterbury Merrickville Olympic club, who play in a Sydney summer league thus giving the old Henson Park playing area no respite being used all year round.
The nickname, the Jets, was given, so legend has it, by the great coach, Jack Gibson, who had a spell at Henson Park as boss and as the big 707s descended towards Sydney Airport, swooping low right down the middle of the football field, on their landing flight path, Jack coined the phrase '_here come the Jets", and it stuck!
But after all the grand old club's traumas and tribulations, one would think that it could now sit back and start up once again the endless belt production line that produced so many great players before the bulldozers came in and decimated the fan base of the old dockside area.
Unfortunately, no. It can't, as once again the club officials have to go to war to save it. Firstly, 'a snazzy upmarket sportsware company, Jets swimware.Pty Ltd, have contacted the club, demanding that they stop selling themselves as the Jets as they, the sportsware mob, have the name Jets registered as their own.
The Newtown Jets replica jerseys have had a boom time recently and the profits go directly to promote and upkeep the Junior Jets and the fact that the name Jets is emblazed across the heart of the jersey, and has done since 1973, makes little impression upon the sportsware giants.
It is difficult to imagine shoppers being confused when buying a stylish, upmarket ladies swimsuit carrying the logo Jets with a football jersey evoking memories of a battle scarred Bumper Farrell or Tommy Raudonikis with an oval ball shaped patch also saying Jets. So let's hope that common sense prevails. The news just as bad for Newtown is that the soccer club who ground share are changing leagues and will now play in the winter! Good luck to the superb Newtown Jets RLFC.
